bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quality of programs with virtual methodology: a masters’ case in Colombia
Authors: Molina-Vásquez Ruth
Published: February 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the process of building a model that identifies criteria that determine the quality of virtual postgraduate programs. In the Colombian context, there are no national criteria/standards to evaluate the quality of this type of program. This proposed model is implemented in a public university that has several virtual postgraduate courses within the framework of university autonomy.

Design/methodology/approach

This study implements a descriptive methodology through documental research based on the study of 414 documents and the analysis of 39 and research based on the design of the proposal of a quality model, its validation by experts and its application in the academic community of a public university that has virtual postgraduate courses.

Findings

The results are presented in a structure composed of 10 quality factors: coherence between programs, virtual methodology and institutional horizon; attention to students; characteristics of author teachers, virtual teachers and researchers; academic, curricular and learning processes; research, knowledge generation and production; the relationship with the environment; articulation and impact; need satisfaction and ability to generate innovation processes; internationalization, alliances and insertion in scientific and global networks; and technological resources and production of virtual contents, among others.

Research limitations/implications

This model can be prospectively incorporated into processes that have adapted online training elements in health emergency contexts.

Practical implications

This model combines theoretical and practice aspects and the validation of experts, which contributes to the reflection on the quality of virtual programs, with criteria different from those proposed for face-to-face and distance programs.

Social implications

Even though the model resulting from this inquiry responds to the situated context of a particular virtual academic program, the research perspective may be oriented to perform longitudinal studies of its implementation, as well as its adaptation to other situated contexts, including those that make use of virtual processes and means of remote education. On the other hand, it provides elements to be taken into account in the construction of educational policies on the quality of virtual programs and future research.

Originality/value

This paper is the result of a research project and its content is original.
Understanding the therapeutic factors of the initial treatment phase in a residential treatment setting: a qualitative approach
Authors: Flora Katerina
Published: February 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to understand deeply the important elements of the initial phase of treatment. This is important mainly because the retention of patients at the beginning of treatment is associated with better therapeutic results.

Design/methodology/approach

The participants were 14 people suffering from addiction to drugs who attended a residential treatment program that follows the principles of therapeutic communities. The data obtained by semi-structured interview were qualitatively analyzed by interpretive phenomenological analysis.

Findings

The results showed the importance and value of the group as a therapeutic tool, highlighted the consequences of long-term substance use, optimism as the main emotion and confirmed the controversial role of social support.

Originality/value

The value of the study lies in highlighting the important therapeutic elements of the initial treatment phase through the way the patients themselves experience them. The results are discussed on the basis of the enhancement of the therapeutic interventions that are followed at this initial treatment stage.
Learning to navigate the ethics of boundaries: schools, youth, and inter‐religious relationships in Manado, Indonesia
Authors: Larson Erica M.
Published: February 2022

Contributing to recent debates on ethical self‐making, this article considers how Christian and Muslim youth in Manado, Indonesia, draw on various moral frameworks, and consequentially on both individual and community‐oriented modes of subjectivity in navigating inter‐religious encounters. The discussion foregrounds attitudes towards and normative expectations regarding inter‐religious marriage as an important lens through which the shifting salience of inter‐religious boundaries becomes apparent. Public discourses emphasize two contradictory frameworks for coexistence, projecting inter‐religious marriage alternatively as the foundation for coexistence and as a major social threat. A focus on high schools demonstrates how public ethical debates are channelled through institutions and relate to the ways that youth grapple with coexisting ethical frameworks in a religiously plural society. In addition, the article makes a case for investigating the role of institutions in moral learning, taking into account the normative work accomplished in schools as teachers and students deliberate about and circulate ethical frameworks.
‘Hollywood is a Woman's Town’: Masculinity and the Leading Man in American Fan Magazines of the 1930s
Authors: Sharot Stephen
Published: February 2022

In their address to a predominantly female readership, fan magazines of the 1930s asserted that Hollywood was one place in which women were not subordinated to men as female stardom was superior to that of male stardom. The magazines’ representations of male actors were both compliant with, and resistant to, the tough‐guy image of hegemonic masculinity. The personas of most ‘leading men’ who led the supporting casts of female stars were represented as softer forms of masculinity than that of the majority of male stars. The on‐screen hard forms of masculinity of male stars were softened by the magazines’ reports of their off‐screen personas, and the personas of some actors were presented as a bipolar masculinity that combined soft and hard forms.
Social order and social justice: Moral intuitions, systemic racism beliefs, and Americans’ divergent attitudes toward Black Lives Matter and police
Authors: Silver Eric , Goff Kerby , Iceland John
Published: February 2022

We examine the influence of moral intuitions on Americans’ divergent attitudes toward Black Lives Matter (BLM) and police. Drawing on Moral Foundations Theory, we hypothesize that individualizing moral intuitions that put care and protection of the vulnerable at the center of moral concern (a social justice orientation) lead people to express positive feelings toward BLM and negative feelings toward police, whereas binding moral intuitions that put social stability at the center of moral concern (a social order orientation) lead people to express positive feelings toward police and negative feelings toward BLM. We find strong support for these hypotheses using data from a 2021 YouGov survey of 1,125 U.S. adults including a 100 percent oversample of Black respondents. We also find that belief in systemic racism as a cause of police use of excessive force mediates much of the effects of the moral intuitions measures, except for the association between binding moral intuitions and positive feelings toward police, which is largely direct. Our results provide compelling evidence that moral intuitions play an important role in explaining American's divergent attitudes toward BLM and police.
Diabetic ketoacidosis shortly after COVID‐19 vaccination in a non–small‐cell lung cancer patient receiving combination of PD‐1 and CTLA‐4 inhibitors: A case report
Authors: Makiguchi Tomonori , Fukushima Takashi , Tanaka Hisashi , Taima Kageaki , Takayasu Shinobu , Tasaka Sadatomo
Published: February 2022

We describe a case of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) shortly after the SARS‐CoV‐2 (COVID‐19) vaccination in a 65‐year‐old woman with non–small‐cell lung cancer under a combination treatment of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD‐1) and cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte‐associated protein 4 (CTLA‐4) inhibitors. She had no history of diabetic mellitus. A few days after the second shot of COVID‐19 vaccination, she developed DKA. We speculate that the immune‐related adverse event and immunogenicity of vaccination synergistically induced DKA.
Loss of miR‐34 in Drosophila dysregulates protein translation and protein turnover in the aging brain
Authors: Srinivasan Ananth R. , Tran Tracy T. , Bonini Nancy M.
Published: February 2022

Aging is a risk factor for neurodegenerative disease, but precise mechanisms that influence this relationship are still under investigation. Work in Drosophila melanogaster identified the microRNA miR‐34 as a modifier of aging and neurodegeneration in the brain. MiR‐34 mutants present aspects of early aging, including reduced lifespan, neurodegeneration, and a buildup of the repressive histone mark H3K27me3. To better understand how miR‐34 regulated pathways contribute to age‐associated phenotypes in the brain, here we transcriptionally profiled the miR‐34 mutant brain. This identified that genes associated with translation are dysregulated in the miR‐34 mutant. The brains of these animals show increased translation activity, accumulation of protein aggregation markers, and altered autophagy activity. To determine if altered H3K27me3 was responsible for this proteostasis dysregulation, we studied the effects of increased H3K27me3 by mutating the histone demethylase Utx. Reduced Utx activity enhanced neurodegeneration and mimicked the protein accumulation seen in miR‐34 mutant brains. However, unlike the miR‐34 mutant, Utx mutant brains did not show similar altered autophagy or translation activity, suggesting that additional miR‐34‐targeted pathways are involved. Transcriptional analysis of predicted miR‐34 targets identified Lst8, a subunit of Tor Complex 1 (TORC1), as a potential target. We confirmed that miR‐34 regulates the 3’ UTR of Lst8 and identified several additional predicted miR‐34 targets that may be critical for maintaining proteostasis and brain health. Together, these results present novel understanding of the brain and the role of the conserved miRNA miR‐34 in impacting proteostasis in the brain with age.
The effect of capital and labour distortion on innovation
Authors: Liang Yidan
Published: February 2022

Factor misallocation has significant effects on productivity and innovation. Innovation is widely regarded as the most important element for economic growth. This article aims to study how capital and labour distortions influence innovation activities in China. We apply system generalised methods of moments using a natural experiment with an exogenous shock. The results indicate that the measurements for factor misallocation are significantly negatively correlated to innovation. The findings have important implications for emerging countries to improve their innovation productivity.
Does infection predispose to thrombosis during long‐term ventricular assist device support?
Authors: Bouzas‐Cruz Noelia , Castrodeza Javier , Gonzalez‐Fernandez Oscar , Ferrera Carlos , Woods Andrew , Tovey Sian , Robinson‐Smith Nicola , McDiarmid Adam K. , Parry Gareth , Samuel Julie , Schueler Stephan , MacGowan Guy A.
Published: February 2022

Background

Infections and thrombotic events remain life‐threatening complications in patients with ventricular assist devices (VAD).

Methods

We describe the relationship between both events in our cohort of patients (n = 220) supported with the HeartWare VAD (HVAD). This is a retrospective analysis of patients undergoing HVAD implantation between July 2009 and March 2019 at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.

Results

Infection was the most common adverse event in HVAD patients, with 125 patients (56.8%) experiencing ≥ one infection (n = 168, 0.33 event per person year (EPPY)), followed by pump thrombosis (PT) in 61 patients (27.7%, 0.16 EPPY). VAD‐specific infections were the largest group of infections. Of the 125 patients who had an infection, 66 (53%) had a thrombotic event. Both thrombotic events and infections were related to the duration of support, though there was only limited evidence that infections predispose to thrombosis. Those with higher than median levels of C‐reactive protein during the infection were more likely to have an ischaemic stroke (IS) (34.5% vs 16.7%,p = .03), though not PT or a combined thrombotic event (CTE: first PT or IS). However, in multivariate analysis, there was no significant effect of infection predisposing to CTE.

Conclusions

Infection and thrombotic events are significant adverse events related to the duration of support in patients receiving HVADs. Infections do not clearly predispose to thrombotic events.
Hemodynamic investigation and in vitro evaluation of a novel mixed‐flow blood pump
Authors: Qu Yifei , Guo Ziyu , Zhang Jing , Li Guiling , Zhang Song , Li Donghai
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Ventricular assist devices (VADs) are considered an effective treatment for patients with advanced heart failure, while complications associated with blood damage remain a burden. Structure design innovation has the potential to reduce hemolysis and improve hemocompatibility.

Methods

In this research, a novel mixed‐flow blood pump that integrates structural features of the axial and centrifugal VADs was proposed. The pump consists of an inducer, a mixed impeller supported by two ceramic pivot bearings, and a volute. The flow field and laminar viscous shear stress were analyzed by the in silico simulation. The hydraulic and hemolytic performance were evaluated in vitro by using a 3D printed pump.

Results

The flow field distribution showed that streamlines in the connection area were smoothly transitioned through structural integration and no irregular flow occurred in the entire flow channel. The axial blades work as a fluid accelerator (generating 18.56% of the energy), and the centrifugal blades provide the main pressure head. The proportion of fluid inside the pump exposed to low laminar viscous shear stress (<50 Pa) and high laminar viscous shear stress (>150 Pa) was 99.02% and 0.03%, respectively. The in vitro hemolysis test results showed that the NIH (Normalized Index of Hemolysis) value of the mixed pump is 0.0079 ± 0.0039 g/100 L (n = 6).

Conclusion

It can be concluded that the mixed flow structure is effective at improving hydraulic performance, eliminating flow disturbance, and minimizing shear stresses. This novel pump design is expected to provide a new direction for the development of next‐generation VADs.
Systematic review: development of a consensus code set to identify cirrhosis in electronic health records
Authors: Shearer Jessica E. , Gonzalez Juan J. , Min Thazin , Parker Richard , Jones Rebecca , Su Grace L. , Tapper Elliot B. , Rowe Ian A.
Published: February 2022

Background

Electronic health records (EHRs) collate longitudinal data that can be used to facilitate large‐scale research in patients with cirrhosis. However, there is no consensus code set to define the presence of cirrhosis in EHR. This systematic review aims to evaluate the validity of diagnostic coding in cirrhosis and to synthesise a comprehensive set of ICD‐10 codes for future EHR research.

Method

MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched for studies that used EHR to identify cirrhosis and cirrhosis‐related complications. Validated code sets were summarised, and the performance characteristics were extracted. Citation analysis was done to inform development of a consensus code set. This was then validated in a cohort of patients.

Results

One thousand six hundred twenty‐six records were screened, and 18 studies were identified. The positive predictive value (PPV) was the most frequently reported statistical estimate and was ≥80% in 17/18 studies. Citation analyses showed continued variation in those used in contemporary research practice. Nine codes were identified as those most frequently used in the literature and these formed the consensus code set. This was validated in diverse patient populations from Europe and North America and showed high PPV (83%–89%) and greater sensitivity for the identification of cirrhosis than the most often used code set in the recent literature.

Conclusion

There is variation in code sets used to identify cirrhosis in contemporary research practice. A consensus set has been developed and validated, showing improved performance, and is proposed to align EHR study designs in cirrhosis to facilitate international collaboration and comparisons.
Classification of European bog vegetation of the Oxycocco‐Sphagnetea class
Authors: Jiroušek Martin , Peterka Tomáš , Chytrý Milan , Jiménez‐Alfaro Borja , Kuznetsov Oleg L. , Pérez‐Haase Aaron , Aunina Liene , Biurrun Idoia , Dítě Daniel , Goncharova Nadezhda , Hájková Petra , Jansen Florian , Koroleva Natalia E. , Lapshina Elena D. , Lavrinenko Igor A. , Lavrinenko Olga V. , Napreenko Maxim G. , Pawlikowski Pawel , Rašomavičius Valerijus , Rodwell John S. , Romero Pedreira David , Sahuquillo Balbuena Elvira , Smagin Viktor A. , Tahvanainen Teemu , Biţă‐Nicolae Claudia , Felbaba‐Klushyna Lyubov , Graf Ulrich , Ivchenko Tatiana G. , Jandt Ute , Jiroušková Jana , Košuthová Alica , Lenoir Jonathan , Onyshchenko Viktor , Plášek Vítězslav , Plesková Zuzana , Shirokikh Pavel S. , Šímová Anna , Šmerdová Eva , Tokarev Pavel N. , Hájek Michal
Published: February 2022

Aims

Classification of European bog vegetation (Oxycocco‐Sphagnetea class); identification of diagnostic species for the class and vegetation subgroups (orders and alliances); development of an expert system for automatic classification of vegetation plots; and production of distribution maps of the Oxycocco‐Sphagnetea class and its alliances.

Location

Europe.

Methods

A data set of vegetation‐plot records was compiled to include various bog types over most of the European continent. An unsupervised classification (beta‐flexible linkage method, Sørensen distance measure) and detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) ordination were applied. Formal definitions of syntaxa based on species presence and covers, and respecting the results of the unsupervised classification, were developed and included in a classification expert system.

Results

The Oxycocco‐Sphagnetea class, its two orders (Sphagno‐Ericetalia tetralicis and Sphagnetalia medii) and seven compositionally distinct alliances were formally defined. In addition to the syntaxa included in EuroVegChecklist, three new alliances were distinguished: Rubo chamaemori‐Dicranion elongati (subarctic polygon and palsa mires); Erico mackaianae‐Sphagnion papillosi (blanket bogs of the northwestern Iberian Peninsula); and Sphagno baltici‐Trichophorion cespitosi (boreal bog lawns). The latter alliance is newly described in this article.

Conclusions

This first pan‐European formalized classification of European bog vegetation partially followed the system presented in EuroVegChecklist, but suggested three additional alliances. One covers palsa and polygon mires, one covers Iberian bogs with endemics and one fills the syntaxonomical gap for lawn microhabitats in boreal bogs. A classification expert system has been developed, which allows assignment of vegetation plots to the types described.
Standardised uptake values as determined on prostate‐specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography/computed tomography is associated with oncological outcomes in patients with prostate cancer
Authors: Bodar Yves J.L. , Veerman Hans , Meijer Dennie , de Bie Katelijne , van Leeuwen Pim J. , Donswijk Maarten L. , van Moorselaar R. Jeroen A. , Hendrikse N. Harry , Boellaard Ronald , Oprea‐Lager Daniela E. , Vis André N.
Published: February 2022

Objectives

To investigate the association between intraprostatic, intratumoral maximum standardised uptake values (SUVmax) on prostate‐specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) prior to robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) and pathology outcomes, including pathological International Society of Urological Pathology score (pISUP) and lymph node (LN) status (pN0/pN1).

Patients and Methods

A bi‐centric, secondary analysis of two previous, prospective cohort studies was performed in 318 patients with biopsy confirmed PCa and who were scheduled for RARP. Before surgery, patients received a PSMA PET/CT with either 68Ga‐PSMA‐11 (59% of the patients) or 18F‐PSMA (DCFPyL; 41%) as radiotracer. PET/CT images were analysed both visually and semi‐quantitatively by measuring the SUVmax of the most intense suspect lesion in the prostate. The association between the SUVmax of the primary tumour and pre‐ and postoperative variables was analysed.

Results

The SUVmax was associated with clinical and biopsy preoperative variables, as well as with pISUP score and pathological tumour stage. Patients with a pISUP of ≤2 showed significantly lower SUVmax compared to patients with a pISUP of >2 for both tracers (SUVmax 18F‐PSMA: median 5.1 vs 9.6, P = 0.002; SUVmax 68Ga‐PSMA‐11: 6.6 vs 8.6, P = 0.003). Moreover, patients with pN1 had significantly higher median SUVmax than those with pN0/pNx for both tracers (SUVmax 18F‐PSMA: 7.9 vs 12.3, P = 0.04; SUVmax 68Ga‐PSMA‐11: 7.6 vs 12.0, P < 0.001). On multivariable logistic regression analysis, the intraprostatic SUVmax was an independent predictor of pN1 for both 68Ga‐PSMA‐11 (per doubling: odds ratio [OR] 1.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.27–3.01)) and 18F‐PSMA (per doubling: OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.06–3.03).

Conclusion

Intraprostatic, intratumoral PSMA intensity on PET/CT, as semi‐quantitatively expressed by SUVmax, may be a valuable innovative biomarker in patients with localised PCa, as it is highly associated with known conventional prognostic factors, such as pISUP and LN status.
Comparison of the clinical frailty score (CFS) to the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit (NELA) risk calculator in all patients undergoing emergency laparotomy
Authors: Palaniappan Subbra , Soiza Roy L. , Duffy Siobhan , Moug Susan J. , Myint Phyo Kyaw ,   the Older People’s Surgical Outcomes Collaborative (OPSOC), The Emergency Laparoscopic, Laparotomy Scottish Audit (ELLSA)
Published: February 2022

Aim

There is evolving evidence that preoperative frailty predicts outcomes of older adults undergoing emergency laparotomy (EmLap). We assessed frailty scoring in an emergency surgical population that included patients of all ages and then compared this to an established perioperative prognostic score.

Method

Data from the prospective Emergency Laparoscopic and Laparotomy Scottish Audit (ELLSA; November 2017–October 2018) was used. All adults over 18 were included. Frailty was measured using 7‐point clinical frailty score (CFS). Outcome measures: 30‐day mortality, hospital length of stay (LOS), 30‐day readmission. Areas under the receiver‐operating characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated for CFS (1–7) and compared to the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit (NELA) score with Forest plots used to compare 30‐day mortality across CFS and NELA categories.

Results

A total of 2246 patients (median age 65 years [IQR 51–75]; female 51%) underwent EmLap (60% for colorectal pathology). A total of 10.6% were frail preoperatively (≥CFS 5). As CFS increased so did 30‐day mortality (2.1% CFS1 to 25.3% CFS6 and 7; ꭓ278.2, p < 0.001) and median LOS (10 days CFS1 to 20 days CFS6 and 7; p < 0.001). Readmission rates did not differ significantly across CFS. ROC (95% CI) for mortality was 0.71 (0.65–0.77) for CFS and 0.84 (0.78–0.89) for NELA. Addition of CFS to NELA did not increase ROC value.

Conclusion

This study supports the prognostic role of frailty in the emergency surgical setting, finding increasing frailty to be associated with increased mortality and longer LOS in adults of all ages. Although NELA performed better, CFS remained predictive and has the advantage of being calculated preoperatively to aid decision‐making and treatment planning.
Retinal organoids derived from rhesus macaque iPSCs undergo accelerated differentiation compared to human stem cells
Authors: Jacobo Lopez Antonio , Kim Sangbae , Qian Xinye , Rogers Jeffrey , Stout J. Timothy , Thomasy Sara M. , La Torre Anna , Chen Rui , Moshiri Ala
Published: February 2022

Purpose

To compare the timing and efficiency of the development of Macaca mulatta, a nonhuman primate (NHP), induced pluripotent stem cell (rhiPSC) derived retinal organoids to those derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs).

Results

Generation of retinal organoids was achieved from both human and several NHP pluripotent stem cell lines. All rhiPSC lines resulted in retinal differentiation with the formation of optic vesicle‐like structures similar to what has been observed in hESC retinal organoids. NHP retinal organoids had laminated structure and were composed of mature retinal cell types including cone and rod photoreceptors. Single‐cell RNA sequencing was conducted at two time points; this allowed identification of cell types and developmental trajectory characterization of the developing organoids. Important differences between rhesus and human cells were measured regarding the timing and efficiency of retinal organoid differentiation. While the culture of NHP‐derived iPSCs is relatively difficult compared to that of human stem cells, the generation of retinal organoids from NHP iPSCs is feasible and may be less time‐consuming due to an intrinsically faster timing of retinal differentiation.

Conclusions

Retinal organoids produced from rhesus monkey iPSCs using established protocols differentiate through the stages of organoid development faster than those derived from human stem cells. The production of NHP retinal organoids may be advantageous to reduce experimental time for basic biology studies in retinogenesis as well as for preclinical trials in NHPs studying retinal allograft transplantation.
Brain grey matter perfusion in primary progressive multiple sclerosis: Mild decrease over years and regional associations with cognition and hand function
Authors: Testud Benoit , Delacour Clara , El Ahmadi Ahmed Ali , Brun Gilles , Girard Nadine , Duhamel Guillaume , Heesen Christoph , Häußler Vivien , Thaler Christian , Has Silemek Arzu Ceylan , Stellmann Jan‐Patrick
Published: February 2022

Background and purpose

Extent and dynamic of neurodegeneration in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) might be reflected by global and regional brain perfusion, an outcome at the intercept between structure and function. Here, we provide a first insight into the evolution of brain perfusion and its association with disability in primary progressive MS (PPMS) over several years.

Methods

Seventy‐seven persons with PPMS were followed over up to 5 years. Visits included a 3‐T magnetic resonance imaging with pulsed arterial spin labelling perfusion, the Timed 25‐Foot Walk, 9‐Hole Peg Test (NHPT), Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). We extracted regional cerebral blood flow surrogates and compared them to 11 controls. Analyses focused on cortical and deep grey matter, the change over time, and associations with disability on the regional and global levels.

Results

Baseline brain perfusion of patients and controls was comparable for the cortex (p = 0.716) and deep grey matter (p = 0.095). EDSS disability increased mildly (p = 0.023), whereas brain perfusion decreased during follow‐up (p < 0.001) and with disease duration (p = 0.009). Lower global perfusion correlated with higher disability as indicated by EDSS, NHPT, and Timed 25‐Foot Walk (p < 0.001). The motor task NHPT showed associations with 20 grey matter regions. In contrast, better SDMT performance correlated with lower perfusion (p < 0.001) in seven predominantly frontal regions, indicating a functional maladaptation.

Conclusions

Decreasing perfusion indicates a putative association with MS disease mechanisms such as neurodegeneration, reduced metabolism, and loss of resilience. A low alteration rate limits its use in clinical practice, but regional association patterns might provide a snapshot of adaptive and maladaptive functional reorganization.
Population genomics of the basket cockle Clinocardium nuttallii in the southern Salish Sea: Assessing genetic risks of stock enhancement for a culturally important marine bivalve
Authors: Dimond James L. , Crim Ryan N. , Unsell Elizabeth , Barry Viviane , Toft Jodie E.
Published: February 2022

Coastal Indigenous communities that rely on subsistence harvests are uniquely vulnerable to declines in nearshore species. The basket cockle Clinocardium nuttallii is among the favored foods of Indigenous people along the northwest Pacific coast of North America, yet localized declines in their abundance have led to interest in stock enhancement efforts. We used a population genomics approach to examine potential risks associated with stock enhancement of C. nuttallii in the southern Salish Sea, a large inland estuary that includes Puget Sound. More than 8000 single nucleotide polymorphisms across 349 individuals at 12 locations were assembled de novo using restriction site‐associated DNA sequencing. Results indicated that C. nuttallii within the southern Salish Sea were distinct from those along the outer Pacific coast (FST = 0.021–0.025). Within the southern Salish Sea, C. nuttallii populations appear to be well‐connected despite numerous potential impediments to gene flow; Hood Canal, which experiences the lowest flushing rates of all Puget Sound sub‐basins, was a minor exception to this strong connectivity. We found evidence of isolation by distance within the southern Salish Sea, but the slope of this relationship was shallow, and FST values were low (FST = 0.001–0.004). Meanwhile, outlier analyses did not support the hypothesis that southern Salish Sea sub‐populations are locally adapted. Estimates of effective population size had no upper bound, suggesting potentially very high adaptive capacity in C. nuttallii, but also making it difficult to assess potential reductions in effective population size resulting from stock enhancement. We present several strategies to augment cockle populations for subsistence harvest that would limit risk to the genetic diversity of wild cockle populations.
The social relations of gold: How a gendered asset serves social reproduction and finance in Pakistan
Authors: Zulfiqar Ghazal Mir
Published: February 2022

Women's gold jewelry, particularly in the context of the Indian subcontinent, has been referred to as a barbaric relic, an uncivilized obsession, and a leakage from the economy. Yet women in the region continue to save almost exclusively in gold. In dismissing these savings as a leakage and a waste, we miss a critical opportunity to understand the social relations of gold, where both gold and land are gendered assets. Using the lens of transnational feminism, I draw upon two empirical studies from Pakistan to show that gold is for the most part the only investment women own and control. In the era of liberalization and fiscal discipline, as economic vulnerabilities deepen and Southern states are forced to cut back on welfare, impoverished women's meager gold stocks play a critical role in supporting social reproduction. Attracted by the nonfiat nature of gold, commercial and microfinance banks exploit these sociocultural and economic realities in the pawn market for women's gold. This has critical implications for women's agency, which is relational and fluid in the present context, resulting in its subversion by the gendered regimes of finance capitalism.
Present status and future directions: Hydraulic materials for endodontic use
Authors: Camilleri Josette , Atmeh Amre , Li Xin , Meschi Nastaran
Published: February 2022

Background

Hydraulic materials are used in Endodontics due to their hydration characteristics namely the formation of calcium hydroxide when mixing with water and also because of their hydraulic properties. These materials are presented in various consistencies and delivery methods. They are composed primarily of tricalcium and dicalcium silicate, and also include a radiopacifier, additives and an aqueous or a non‐aqueous vehicle. Only materials whose primary reaction is with water can be classified as hydraulic.

Objectives

Review of the classification of hydraulic materials by Camilleri and the literature pertaining to specific uses of hydraulic cements in endodontics namely intra‐coronal, intra‐radicular and extra‐radicular. Review of the literature on the material properties linked to specific uses providing the current status of these materials after which future trends and gaps in knowledge could be identified.

Methods

The literature was reviewed using PUBMED, and for each clinical use, the in vitro properties such as physical, chemical, biological and antimicrobial characteristics and clinical data were extracted and evaluated.

Results

A large number of publications were retrieved for each clinical use and these were grouped depending on the property type being investigated.

Conclusions

The hydraulic cements have made a difference in clinical outcomes. The main shortcoming is the poor testing methodologies employed which provide very limited information and also inhibits adequate clinical translation. Furthermore, the clinical protocols need to be updated to enable the materials to be employed effectively.
Effect of TiO2 on the sinter crystallization of nepheline glasses for dental application
Authors: Alzahrani Ali S.
Published: February 2022

TiO2 is known to play a key role in the controlled crystallization of “bulk processed nepheline glasses”. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of adding TiO2 to a nepheline glass system made for powder processing to develop glass‐ceramics for dental applications via the sinter‐crystallization route. Three novel glass compositions based on the nepheline system were synthesized using the melt‐quench method. Glasses were designed to contain 3.0 mole % TiO2, 6 mole % TiO2, and one glass made free of TiO2. Experimental glasses were ground into fine powders and then heat‐treated at identical crystallization schedules. The addition of TiO2 hindered the densification process during the sinter‐crystallization heat treatment. TiO2 free glass was found to sinter crystallize into a desirable material. In this study, the use of 3 mole % TiO2 and less was found to be effective in controlling the thermal properties without hindering the densification process during sinter crystallization.
Effects of immersion freezing on the conformational changes of myofibrillar proteins in pork under ultrasonic power densities of 0, 15, 30 and 45 W L−1
Authors: Li Junguang , Ma Xuyang , Wang Yu , Du Manting , Wang Yuntao , Du Juan , Li Ke , Bai Yanhong
Published: February 2022

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of ultrasonic‐assisted immersion freezing (UIF) of 0, 15, 30 and 45 W L−1 on the conformation changes of pork myofibrillar protein (MP). The structure and conformation of MP were evaluated, and the solubility, thermal stability and sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE) were also discussed. The sample treated with 30 W L−1 (UIF‐30) had the highest total protein solubility (116.6 mg g−1) and thermal denaturation temperature (57.07℃) compared with other treatments. UIF‐30 has higher α‐helix content, and fluorescence intensity together with surface hydrophobicity had insignificant changes compared with the control. In SDS–PAGE, only the sample treated with 45 W L−1 (UIF‐45) showed slight band degradation. In general, UIF‐30 effectively minimised the changes of protein conformation, which may be related to the reduction of mechanical damage to muscle cells caused by rapid freezing to form regular and uniform ice crystals. This is more conducive to reducing pork quality degradation caused by protein freeze denaturation.
The challenges and opportunities of the EU migration partnerships: A North African perspective
Authors: Papagianni Georgia
Published: February 2022

Migration is a major challenge and a key priority for Europe. The EU's Partnership Framework approach launched in 2016 signalled an altogether new era both for the EU’s internal policy‐making process and its cooperation with third countries in the field of migration. On the basis of an analysis of the key elements of the Partnership Framework approach and in the light of the overall institutional and policy dynamics, a series of positive and negative lessons can be drawn as to the opportunities it offers and the challenges that its implementation has been faced with until now. Given the indisputable importance of the North Africa region for the EU, an in‐depth analysis, including a possible way forward, of the EU’s relations with the North African countries is provided under the lens of the opportunities and challenges that the EU’s migration policy choices could offer and be faced with.
Burnout and psychological distress among Pakistani nurses providing care to COVID‐19 patients: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Andlib Sonia , Inayat Shahzad , Azhar Kehkishan , Aziz Faisal
Published: February 2022

Aim

The aim of this study is to assess the burden of burnout and psychological distress and its association among Pakistani nurses providing care to patients with COVID‐19.

Background

Nurses may experience an elevated risk of burnout and psychological distress during epidemics.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was conducted using a convenience sample of 288 nurses. Maslach Burnout Inventory was administered to measure burnout and its domains of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Screening Tool for Psychological Distress was administered to measure depression, anxiety, stress, anger, and low social support.

Results

Burnout was present in 48.6% of nurses, severe emotional exhaustion in 37.2%, severe depersonalization in 36.8%, and low personal accomplishment in 46.9% of nurses. Psychological distress was present in 45% of nurses. Burnout and psychological distress were significantly higher in nurses who: were working in public hospitals, did not receive training for COVID‐19 prevention, and were dealing with increased patient load. Burnout and its domains were significantly associated with depression, anxiety, stress, anger, and low social support.

Conclusion

Nurses are experiencing high levels of burnout and psychological distress during the COVID‐19 pandemic with a significant moderate‐to‐strong association between these conditions. These findings accentuate the need for institution‐based interventions to mitigate burnout and preserve the mental health of nurses.

Implications for nursing and health policy

Hospitals must screen nurses frequently for the presence of significant burnout and psychological distress and offer supportive interventions to protect their mental health and well‐being.
Controlled‐release iodine foam dressings demonstrate broad‐spectrum biofilm management in several in vitro models
Authors: Salisbury Anne‐Marie , Mullin Marc , Foulkes Lauren , Chen Rui , Percival Steven L.
Published: February 2022

Multiple in vitro models were utilised to evaluate the biofilm management capabilities of seven commercially‐available wound dressings, varying in composition and antibacterial ingredients, to reduce common aerobic, anaerobic, and multispecies biofilms. The Center for Disease Control bioreactor was used to evaluate single species Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) 24 and 48 hours biofilms, as well as a multispecies biofilm consisting of these two organisms in addition to Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis). As wound biofilms often exist in hypoxic wound environments, a direct contact anaerobic model system was used to evaluate efficacy on Bacteroides fragilis (B. fragilis). Biofilm control was evaluated against P. aeruginosa in the drip flow bioreactor model, where a constant flow of proteinaceous media is used to create a more challenging and wound‐like model. The results demonstrated that biofilm management capabilities varied amongst wound dressings. Two dressings, a controlled‐release iodine foam dressing and a silver nanocrystalline dressing, showed potent >4 log reductions in recovered organisms compared with untreated controls in all biofilm models evaluated. The effectiveness of other dressings to manage bioburden varied between dressing, test organism, and model system. A silver foam dressing showed moderate biofilm control in some models. However, biofilm exposure to methylene blue and gentian violet‐containing foam dressings showed negligible log reductions in all in vitro biofilm methods examined. The data outlined in this in vitro study support the use of the iodine foam dressing for wounds with infection and biofilm.
A core‐shell structured diffusion‐bubbling membrane for efficient oxygen separation: Formation and transport properties
Authors: Fedorov Sergey V. , Klimashin Anton A. , Belousov Valery V.
Published: February 2022

The newly developed core‐shell structured molten oxide membranes with fast combined diffusion‐bubbling oxygen mass transfer and theoretically infinite selectivity are of technological interest because of their high separation efficiency. In this article, a core‐shell structured molten V2O5–Cu2O‐ based diffusion‐bubbling membrane was prepared by one‐step thermal treatment of initial CuO–25 wt.% Cu5V2O10 ceramic composite in a chemical field (under an oxygen partial pressure difference across the composite) above copper vanadate peritectic transformation temperature (816°C). Oxygen fluxes through the membrane were measured at 830°C, using either gas mixtures (O2 + N2) with different oxygen concentrations or air as feed gas at the shell of the membrane and helium (He) as sweep gas. Oxygen flux through the membrane with a shell thickness of 0.15–0.61 mm was 3.8·10–8–1.4·10–7 mol/cm2/s under an oxygen partial pressure difference of 0.1 –0.75 atm, respectively. The effect of oxygen partial pressure on the thickness of the membrane shell is found. The relationship between membrane shell thickness, oxygen partial pressure difference across the membrane, and oxygen permeation flux through the membrane is established. Oxygen permeation flux through the dual‐phase MIEC membrane shell is described in terms of the diffusion model. Oxygen permeation flux through the membrane core is described both within the framework of the stationary model and nonstationary model for uniform (the membrane thickness is much larger than the characteristic distance of bubble dynamic relaxation) and accelerated (the membrane thickness is comparable to the characteristic distance of bubble dynamic relaxation) bubble motion in a viscous oxide melt, respectively.
Enhanced calcium–magnesium–aluminosilicate (CMAS) resistance of GdAlO3 (GAP) for composite thermal barrier coatings
Authors: Schmitt Michael P. , Stepanoff Sergei P. , Rai Amarendra K. , Lauer Pete E. , Spangler Ryan W. , Wolfe Douglas E.
Published: February 2022

The impact of calcium–magnesium–alumino‐silicate (CMAS) degradation is a critical factor for development of new thermal and environmental barrier coatings. Several methods of preventing damage have been explored in the literature, with formation of an infiltration inhibiting reaction layer generally given the most attention. Gd2Zr2O7 (GZO) exemplifies this reaction with the rapid precipitation of apatite when in contact with CMAS. The present study compares the CMAS behavior of GZO to an alternative thermal barrier coating (TBC) material, GdAlO3 (GAP), which possesses high temperature phase stability through its melting point as well as a significantly higher toughness compared with GZO. The UCSB laboratory CMAS (35CaO–10MgO–7Al2O3–48SiO2) was utilized to explore equilibrium behavior with 50:50 mol% TBC:CMAS ratios at 1200, 1300, and 1400°C for various times. In addition, 8 and 35 mg/cm2 CMAS surface exposures were performed at 1425°C on dense pellets of each material to evaluate the infiltration and reaction in a more dynamic test. In the equilibrium tests, it was found that GAP appears to dissolve slower than GZO while producing an equivalent or higher amount of pore blocking apatite. In addition, GAP induces the intrinsic crystallization of the CMAS into a gehlenite phase, due in part to the participation of the Al2O3 from GAP. In surface exposures, GAP experienced a substantially thinner reaction zone compared with GZO after 10 h (87 ± 10 vs. 138 ± 4 μm) and a lack of strong sensitivity to CMAS loading when tested at 35 mg/cm2 after 10 h (85 ± 13 versus 246 ± 10 μm). The smaller reaction zone, loading agnostic behavior, and intrinsic crystallization of the glass suggest this material warrants further evaluation as a potential CMAS barrier and inclusion into composite TBCs.
Low‐temperature synthesis and oxidation resistance of random combination of Hf, Nb, and Ta carbides microcuboids
Authors: Geng Xin , Xu Wenzhe , Huang Xiaoxiao , Ding Chunyan , Wu Songsong , Wen Guangwu
Published: February 2022

Based on the dissolution‐precipitation mechanism, this article successfully synthesized binary and ternary transition metal carbide microcuboids with random combinations of Hf, Nb, and Ta by annealing monocarbides/cobalt powders. Accelerated mass transport rate through the flow of molten alloys (Co‐Hf‐Nb‐Ta) instead of slow solid diffusion made the low‐temperature pressureless sintering technique (1500°C) a reality. Furthermore, the equilibrium morphology was driven by the gradient Gibbs potential of carbides induced by the different local curvature of powders and anisotropic interfacial energy. (Hf0.5Ta0.5)C possessed the optimal oxidation resistance among all mentioned carbides, even competed with (Hf1/3Nb1/3Ta1/3)C. During the isothermal oxidation at 800∼1200°C, the doping of Nb and Ta in carbides assisted the monoclinic‐orthorhombic HfO2 transition at ambient pressure, besides, TaC can also restrain the orthorhombic‐monoclinic transition of Nb2O5. Moreover, oxidation kinetics parameters concluded that the addition of HfC and TaC contributed to the decreasing reaction order and the increasing activation energy, respectively.
Rapid detection of Geobacillus and Anoxybacillus species by quantitative qPCR (qPCR) in commercial dairy products
Authors: Karaca Basar , Karakaya Ayse Busra , Ozcan Birgul , Coleri Cihan Arzu
Published: February 2022

Thermophilic spore‐forming bacteria, especially Anoxybacillus and Geobacillus species, are a major problem for dairy industry. The presence of these thermophilic bacilli in the dairy products is considered a poor hygiene indicator during product processing. The commonly preferred culture‐dependent detection methods are time consuming. Therefore, the development of rapid and reliable molecular approaches for the detection of these problematic microorganisms in food processing is essential. In this context, specific primers for the gene (spo0A) that initiates sporulation were designed for Anoxybacillus kamchatkensis subsp. asaccharedens (F81) and Geobacillus thermodenitrificans (DSM 465T), which have been shown to be strong biofilm producers in dairy products. For this purpose, a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay was developed. The qPCR standard curves obtained with these primers allowed a total viable cell count in the range of 101–108 CFU/ml for G. thermodenitrificans, while the spore count was in the range of 103–108 CFU/ml. The primer developed for A. kamchatkensis subsp. asaccharedens was able to detect viable total cells and spores with much higher sensitivity (101–108 CFU/ml viable total cells, 102–108 CFU/ml spores). The primers developed in this study allowed separate detection of Anoxybacillus and Geobacillus in dual culture experiments. The primers and method developed in this study can also be used for rapid detection of Anoxybacillus and Geobacillus contamination in mixed cultures.