bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The relationship between environmental cost on organisational performance and environmental management system: a structural equation modelling approach
Authors: Mohd Fuzi Nursyazwani , Habidin Nurul Fadly , Adam Sabrinah , Ong Sharon Yong Yee
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This study aims to examine the relationship between environmental cost (EC) on organisational performance (OPM) through an environmental management system (EMS) as the mediating variable.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 2,600 manufacturers were identified and consequently selected as the entire study population. Additionally, this study used the structural equation modelling technique to identify the mediator effects of EMS between EC and OPM.

Findings

The EC and EMS relationship on OPM produced direct and indirect consequences. Hence, it is concluded that manufacturing industry in Malaysia are focused on the OPM when implementing EC and EMS.

Originality/value

The model would incorporate EC and EMS implementation on OPM in the Malaysian manufacturing industry. This study could also be advantageous to the industry in improving EC, EMS and OPM.
Anywheres, Somewheres, local attachment, and civic participation
Authors: Chan Tak Wing , Kawalerowicz Juta
Published: October 2021

We use data from Understanding Society to evaluate several claims advanced by David Goodhart inThe Road to Somewhere. We show that geographically mobile individuals are indeed more likely to support Remain in the EU referendum, as Goodhart suggests. But Remainers are no different to Leavers in how attached they are to their local community. And people reporting higher level of civic participation or those who are more trusting are actually less supportive of Brexit. Our findings suggest that the dichotomy between cosmopolitan Anywheres and communitarian Somewheres is a misleading one. Cosmopolitan Anywheres are just as communitarian as Somewheres, if not more so.
The betaine‐dependent remethylation pathway is a homocysteine metabolism pathway associated with the carnivorous feeding habits of spiders
Authors: Li Jingjing , Li Fangfang , Yu Na , Liu Zewen
Published: October 2021

Homocysteine (Hcy) is a sulfur‐containing amino acid derived from the essential amino acid methionine (Met). Circulating levels of Hcy in animals can be increased by feeding on Met‐enriched diets, which is generally considered harmful. Spiders are one of the largest groups of obligate carnivores and feed on animals high in protein and Met. We analyzed the Hcy metabolism pathways in 18 species of 3 taxa (Mammalia, Insecta, and Arachnida) and found that the betaine‐dependent remethylation pathway (BRP) was present in all carnivorous arachnid species and mammals but absent in insects and red spider mites. We then studied the Hcy metabolism pathway in Pardosa pseudoannulata. In P. pseudoannulata, Hcy is metabolized through the transsulfuration pathway, BRP, and S‐methylmethionine‐dependent remethylation pathway. Because of a prior duplication event of the betaine homocysteine S‐methyltransferase (BHMT) gene in the BRP, BHMTa and BHMTb are present in tandem in the genome of P. pseudoannulata. The high expression levels of BHMTa and its high abundance in detoxification tissues indicate that it plays an important role in the BRP; the ability of BHMTa and BHMTb to remethylate Hcy using betaine as substrate was similar. Compared with other Hcy metabolic enzyme genes, BHMT responded quickly to the application of Hcy or betaine. In sum, the BRP is important in Hcy metabolism in P. pseudoannulata and in other spider species.
Migrant Attitudes Towards Democracy in Australia: Excluded or Allegiant Citizens?
Authors: Cameron Sarah , Pietsch Juliet
Published: October 2021

How do migrants evaluate democracy in Australia? While prior studies have examined migrant support for democracy in Australia, less is known about how migrants evaluate the performance of democracy, as captured by indicators on political trust and satisfaction with democracy. Would migrants have lower levels of political trust and satisfaction with democracy as a result of political exclusion, including under‐representation in parliament? Or would migrants from less democratic countries, socialised in regimes where critical attitudes towards political authorities are discouraged, be more allegiant citizens with relatively positive evaluations of democracy? Using data from the 2010 to 2019 Australian Election Study surveys, combined with Freedom House regime classifications of migrant origin countries, we examine migrant attitudes towards Australian democracy. The results show that while migrants to Australia from other democratic countries have similar attitudes to those born in Australia, those from less democratic countries have higher levels of political trust and satisfaction with democracy. This suggests that despite political exclusion, migrants from less democratic countries are more allegiant citizens than those born in Australia or another democracy.
Art and anatomy in the renaissance: are the lessons still relevant today
Authors: G. McMenamin Paul
Published: October 2021

This review discusses how renaissance artists such as Leonardo and Michelangelo had to undertake anatomical studies of human cadavers in order to understand the anatomy that then informed their artworks, whether they were drawings, paintings or sculpture. Around this time, anatomists, such as Vesalius and Estienne, had to in part become artists or engage with artists and artisans to illustrate their many discoveries. This review tries to portray how this was occurring in a period in history not only when there was a shift‐taking place in philosophical and theological thinking about the human condition but also when there was a concurrent revolution in the visual language with the advent of print reproduction. This allowed the creation of essentially the first medical texts, and the wide dissemination of newly acquired knowledge for the advancement of surgery and medicine henceforth. A classic example of where this did not align is Leonardo de Vinci many of whose original works were hidden for 150–400 years. This review also describes how learning anatomy and artistic endeavours still have a mutually beneficial relationship in the modern world—a second ‘Renaissance’. Examples are given such as body painting, exposure of art students human cadavers resources and lastly there is consideration of how modern anatomy relies on many new technologies that allow students and practitioners to ‘dissect’ in a virtual sense and with the advent of a new visual language, that is, 3D printing, to create novel artforms of educational significance.
An individual level infectious disease model in the presence of uncertainty from multiple, imperfect diagnostic tests
Authors: Ward Caitlin , Brown Grant D. , Oleson Jacob J.
Published: October 2021

Bayesian compartmental infectious disease models yield important inference on disease transmission by appropriately accounting for the dynamics and uncertainty of infection processes. In addition to estimating transition probabilities and reproductive numbers, these statistical models allow researchers to assess the probability of disease risk and quantify the effectiveness of interventions. These infectious disease models rely on data collected from all individuals classified as positive based on various diagnostic tests. In infectious disease testing, however, such procedures produce both false‐positives and false‐negatives at varying rates depending on the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic tests being used. We propose a novel Bayesian spatio‐temporal infectious disease modeling framework that accounts for the additional uncertainty in the diagnostic testing and classification process that provides estimates of the important transmission dynamics of interest to researchers. The method is applied to data on the 2006 mumps epidemic in Iowa, in which over 6,000 suspected mumps cases were tested using a buccal or oral swab specimen, a urine specimen, and/or a blood specimen. Although all procedures are believed to have high specificities, the sensitivities can be low and vary depending on the timing of the test as well as the vaccination status of the individual being tested.
Danger in discharge summaries: abbreviations create confusion for both author and recipient
Authors: Coghlan Anna , Turner Sophie , Coverdale Steven
Published: October 2021

Background

The transition from hospital inpatient care to medical care in the community is a high‐risk period for adverse events. Inadequate communication, including low‐quality or unavailable discharge summaries, has been shown to impact patient care.

Aims

To assess use of abbreviations in clinical handover documents from inpatient hospital teams to general practitioners (GP), and the interpretation of these abbreviations by GP and hospital‐based junior doctors.

Methods

This is a retrospective audit of 802 discharge summaries completed during a 1‐week period in 2017 by a Queensland regional health service. GP and local junior doctors then attempted interpretation of 20 relevant abbreviations.

Results

A total of 99% (794) discharge summaries included abbreviations. A total of 1612 different abbreviations was used on 16 327 occasions. The median number of abbreviations per discharge summary was 17 (range 0–86). A total of 254 GP and 62 junior doctors responded to a survey, which found that no abbreviation was interpreted the same by all respondents. GP and junior doctors were unable to offer any interpretation in 17.9% and 15.2% of cases respectively. GP offered a greater range of interpretations than junior doctors, with a median of 9 and 3 different interpretations per abbreviation respectively. A total of 94% (239) of GP felt that the use of abbreviations in discharge summaries had the potential to impact patient care. A total of 152 (60%) GP felt that time spent clarifying abbreviations in discharge summaries could be excessive.

Conclusions

Abbreviations are often used in discharge summaries, yet poorly understood. This has the potential to impact patient care in the transition period after hospitalisation.
Exploring relationships between oxygen consumption and biologger‐derived estimates of heart rate in two warmwater piscivores
Authors: Doherty Claire L.J. , Fisk Aaron T. , Cooke Steven J. , Pitcher Trevor E. , Raby Graham D.
Published: October 2021

Estimating metabolic rate in wild, free‐swimming fish is inherently challenging. Here, we explored using surgically implanted heart rate biologgers to estimate metabolic rate in two warmwater piscivores, bowfin Amia calva (Linneaus 1766) and largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides (Lacepède 1802). Fish were surgically implanted with heart rate loggers, allowed to recover for 24 h, exposed to a netting and air exposure challenge, and then placed into respirometry chambers so that oxygen consumption rate (ṀO2) could be measured in parallel to heart rate (fH) for a minimum of 20 h (ca. 20 estimates of ṀO2). Heart rate across the duration of the experiment (at 19°C) was significantly higher in largemouth bass (mean ± s.d., 45 ± 14 beats min−1, range 18–86) than in bowfin (27 ± 9 bpm, range 16–98). Standard metabolic rate was also higher in largemouth bass (1.06 ± 0.19 mg O2 kg−1 min−1, range 0.46–1.36) than in bowfin (0.89 ± 0.17 mg O2 kg−1 min−1, range 0.61–1.28). There were weak relationships between fH and ṀO2, with heart rate predicting 28% of the variation in oxygen consumption in bowfin and 23% in largemouth bass. The shape of the relationship differed somewhat between the two species, which is perhaps unsurprising given their profound differences in physiology and life history, illustrating the need to carry out species‐specific validations. Both species showed some potential for a role of fH in efforts to estimate field metabolic rates, although further validation experiments with a wider range of conditions (e.g., digestive states, swimming activity) would likely help improve the strength of the ṀO2–fH relationship for use in field applications.
Procalcitonin and C‐reactive protein for diagnosing post‐operative sepsis in neonates
Authors: Rao Hitendra , Dutta Sourabh , Menon Prema , Attri Savita , Sachdeva Naresh , Malik Muneer
Published: October 2021

Aim

To determine whether serum procalcitonin (PCT) or C‐reactive protein (CRP) can diagnose post‐operative sepsis among neonates undergoing major non‐cardiac surgery.

Methods

In this diagnostic study, we included neonates who underwent major non‐cardiac surgery and were monitored for post‐operative sepsis. We excluded pre‐existing septic, inflammatory or life‐threatening conditions. Subjects either had ‘definite’ (culture‐positive, n = 14), ‘probable’ (clinical sepsis, culture‐negative, n = 25) or no sepsis (n = 31). We measured serum CRP and PCT at 48 ± 6 h, 72 ± 6 h and 96 ± 6 h post‐operatively and compared ‘definite or probable sepsis’ with ‘no sepsis’.

Results

Median (Q1, Q3) CRP (mg/L) in ‘definite or probable’ sepsis group was higher than ‘no sepsis’ at 72 h (91.48 (57.87, 143.50) vs. 51.32 (33.0, 80.1); P = 0.009) and 96 h (87.51 (45.19, 128.22) vs. 31.00 (25.3, 45.2); P < 0.001). Median (Q1, Q3) PCT (ng/mL) in ‘definite or probable’ sepsis was higher than ‘no sepsis’ at 72 h (4.22 (2.04, 12.73) vs. 1.78 (0.9, 6.4); P = 0.01) and 96 h (3.54 (1.96, 9.65) vs. 0.97 (0.4, 3.0); P < 0.001). Ninety‐six‐hour CRP and PCT cut‐offs (based on Youden's index) were 74.16 mg/L and 1.65 ng/mL, respectively. If both CRP and PCT were positive, specificity was 100% (95% confidence interval: 88.78–100). If either one was positive, sensitivity was 88.89% (95% confidence interval: 73.94–96.89).

Conclusions

Septic neonates have significantly higher serum CRP and PCT compared to non‐septic neonates at 72 and 96 h post‐operatively. If both CRP and PCT are positive at 96 h after surgery, it has 100% specificity, and if either one is positive, 89% sensitivity.
Effects of experimental warming on vegetative and reproductive growth of Polygonum viviparum in the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau
Authors: Zhang Chan , Li Xian‐Ting , An Yu‐Meng , Zhang Zhong‐Hua , Ren Fei , Zhou Hua‐Kun
Published: October 2021

In arctic and alpine environments, low temperature is considered the most prominent limitation for the vegetative and reproductive growth of plants. Therefore, global warming is expected to have profound impacts on the plant performance of these areas. In the alpine meadow of the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau, we investigated Polygonum viviparum, a perennial herb distributed widely in arctic and alpine regions, under two different levels of experimental warming treatments to examine effects of warming on its vegetative and reproductive growth. The results showed that the increased temperature promoted both vegetative and reproductive growth of P. viviparum, but there was a significant tradeoff between them. Decreased reproductive allocation under warming suggested that more available resources were devoted to vegetative growth, resulting in increased plant height, leaf number and length of the longest leaf. After warming, the number and dry weight of flowers per spike decreased while the number and dry weight of bulbils per spike increased, indicating more investment to asexual reproduction over sexual reproduction in P. viviparum. The increase of warming further strengthened the above variation trends of vegetative and reproductive growth of P. viviparum.
Selective use of a modified pre‐synchronization‐Ovsynch and resynchronization reproductive strategy in dairy herds: A field application study
Authors: Jeong Jae‐Kwan , Kim Ui‐Hyung , Kang Hyun‐Gu , Kim Ill‐Hwa
Published: October 2021

We aimed to evaluate whether a modified pre‐synchronization‐Ovsynch (MPO) and resynchronization method, adjusted for the timing of biweekly reproductive consulting visits, could be implemented successfully under field conditions in dairy herds. Forty‐five days after calving (calving: Day 0), 1,182 cows were assigned randomly to Ovsynch, MPO or control groups. (1) Cows were administered GnRH on Day 65, PGF2α on Day 72 and GnRH 56 hr later, followed by timed artificial insemination (TAI) 16 hr later (Ovsynch, n = 380). (2) Cows with a CL were administered PGF2α (n = 204) and cows without were administered GnRH (n = 199) on Day 45. Then, each cow was administered PGF2α on Day 55 (9 to 12 days later), GnRH on Day 58 and underwent Ovsynch 7 days later (selective MPO [sMPO] n = 403). (3) The remaining cows underwent AI when oestrus was detected (EDAI, n = 399). The probabilities of pregnancy per AI 30 and 45 days after the first AI were higher in the sMPO group (odds ratios 1.99 and 1.92, p < .0001) than in the EDAI group. In addition, the probability of pregnancy by 105 days postpartum tended to be higher (p < .1) in the sMPO group than in the EDAI and Ovsynch groups, which shortened the mean interval from calving to pregnancy in the sMPO group (3.4 and 4.2 days, respectively) than in the EDAI and Ovsynch groups. In the sMPO group, the interval between the first and second treatments during pre‐synchronization did not affect the probability of pregnancy per AI after the first AI. The probability of pregnancy per AI after the second AI did not differ between the Ovsynch, sMPO and EDAI groups. In conclusion, the sMPO programme, adjusted for the timing of biweekly reproductive consulting visits, followed by resynchronization, could be successfully adopted in field conditions, and is associated with good reproductive performance in dairy herds.
Recovery or change? Differences between in seabird fauna in island ecosystems before alien mammal disturbance and after alien mammal eradication
Authors: Kawakami Kazuto , Horikoshi Kazuo
Published: October 2021

Seabirds are important to island ecosystems because of their ecological functions; however, they are threatened by alien mammal invasions. Where alien mammals have been eradicated, seabird numbers, and ranges have often increased. Whether or not this constitutes recovery, however, is debatable because the post‐eradication seabird fauna might be different from the pre‐disturbance fauna that in most cases has not been recorded. Thus, identifying the pre‐disturbance seabird fauna is essential to determine a conservation goal. With this as our aim, we examined and radiocarbon‐dated avian bone remains found in a limestone cave on Minamijima, an islet on the Ogasawara Islands. The islet was invaded by goats Capra hircus and black rats Rattus rattus after 1830, and seabirds had declined. Since the 1970s, the alien mammals have been eradicated, and numbers of Wedge‐tailed Shearwaters Puffinus pacificus, Bulwer's Petrels Bulweria bulwerii, and Brown Boobies Sula leucogaster have increased. However, the dominant species in the avian remains were Bonin Petrels Pterodroma hypoleuca, Bryan's Shearwaters Pu. bryani, and Bannerman's Shearwaters Pu. bannermani. The radiocarbon ages of the bones were approximately 6,000–600 years BP. Therefore, seabird fauna was largely changed by the invasion and eradication of alien mammals. Our results indicate that the post‐eradication increase in seabirds is not a recovery, although the current inhabitants are native seabirds. The recent dominant species are likely to have thrived because they are cosmopolitan and competitive, and they prefer open habitats produced by goat grazing. We suggest that avian remains surveys should be exploited for ecosystem restoration.
The impact of foreign ownership on the performance of Johannesburg Stock Exchange‐listed firms: A blessing or a curse?
Authors: Naidu Delane , Charteris Ailie , Moores‐Pitt Peter
Published: October 2021

The impact of foreign ownership on firm performance is debated in the literature from both a theoretical and empirical perspective. This study examines the effect of foreign ownership on the performance of nonfinancial firms listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange from 2012 to 2018. Using the system generalised method of moments approach to account for endogeneity, foreign ownership is found to have a positive impact on return on equity at levels of foreign ownership below 40.1% but a negative effect at higher levels. Foreign ownership has no impact on return on assets or Tobin'sq. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Heat Transfer Analysis of Laminar Pulsating Flow in a Rectangular Channel Using Infrared Thermography
Authors: Blythman R. , Alimohammadi S. , Jeffers N. , Murray D. B. , Persoons T.
Published: October 2021

While numerous applied studies have successfully demonstrated the feasibility of unsteady cooling solutions, a consensus has yet to be reached on the local instantaneous conditions that result in heat transfer enhancement. This work aims to experimentally validate a recent analytical solution (on a local time-dependent basis) for the common flow condition of a fully developed incompressible pulsating flow in a uniformly heated vessel. The experimental setup is found to approximate the ideal constant heat flux boundary condition well, especially for the decoupled unsteady scenario where the amplitude of the most significant secondary contributions (capacitance and lateral conduction) amounts to 1.2% and 0.2% of the generated heat flux, respectively. Overall, the experimental measurements for temperature and heat flux oscillations are found to coincide well with a recent analytical solution to the energy equation by the authors. Furthermore, local time-dependent heat flux enhancements and degradations are observed to be qualitatively similar to those of wall shear stress from a previous study, suggesting that the thermal performance is indeed influenced by hydrodynamic behavior.
Influence of chemical vapor precursor flow rate on the structure and thermal stability of phase-modulated VSiCN/Ag coatings
Authors: Thompson Forest C. , Kustas Frank M. , Coulter Kent E. , Crawford Grant A.
Published: October 2021

Ceramic/silver coatings are of interest for tribological and antimicrobial applications. Here, the amorphous phase volume fraction in VSiCN/Ag coatings was varied and the microstructure, mechanical properties, and vacuum annealing behavior of the phase-modulated VSiCN/Ag coatings were compared with columnar VN/Ag coatings. The coatings were deposited by filament-assisted reactive magnetron sputtering in a gas mixture of argon, nitrogen, and hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS). HMDS vapor flow rates were varied to influence coating amorphous phase content (0 at. % ≤ Si ≤ 10 at. %, 0 at. % ≤ C ≤ 20 at. %), and the sputter power supplied to a V58Ag42 target was manipulated to control metal content (3 at. % ≤ Ag ≤ 8 at. %). Silver surface segregation did not occur during coating growth, nor immediately after deposition. VN/Ag coatings exhibited columnar growth structures with >100 nm B1-VNx grains and 10−50 nm silver inclusions, which preferentially decorated the column boundaries. Columnar growth was completely disrupted in the VSiCN/Ag coatings and discrete silver inclusions were not observed within the microstructure. The hardness of all coatings was similar (12.3–16.5 GPa), while the apparent Young's modulus decreased from 247 to 169 GPa with increasing amorphous phase content. Rockwell indentation tests revealed that coating adhesion began to suffer after deposition at higher HMDS flow rates. Silver surface segregation was observed on all coatings after vacuum annealing at 550 °C for 1 h. The size of the surface particles ranged between 50 and 200 nm for the VN/Ag coating but was below 20 nm for the VSiCN/Ag coatings. Silver segregation occurred preferentially at coating growth defects in the columnar VN/Ag coating while the particle distribution was uniform across the surface of the VSiCN/Ag coatings. The results of this study demonstrate that phase modulation of ceramic/silver coatings may enable high-diffusivity microstructural features to be tailored for improved thermal stability and control of silver surface segregation at elevated temperatures.
Inclusive Excellence in Kinesiology Units in Higher Education
Authors: Mahar Matthew T. , Baweja Harsimran , Atencio Matthew , Barkhoff Harald , Duley Helen Yolisa , Makuakāne-Lundin Gail , McClain ZáNean D. , Pacheco Misty , Wright E. Missy , Russell Jared A.
Published: October 2021

The aim of this paper is to emphasize the value of developing cultural awareness in kinesiology students to prepare them to enter the workforce in a world where the principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion are evolving. The authors provide examples of sustained and impactful practices from three kinesiology units in higher education that have been recognized with the American Kinesiology Association Inclusive Excellence Award. The case studies demonstrate that institutional support for inclusive excellence is instrumental in development of sustainable experiences. Kinesiology leaders can demonstrate commitment to inclusive excellence by supporting faculty who conduct teaching, research, and service activities that meet their institution’s inclusive excellence goals. Other areas where kinesiology units can influence student development include curriculum, student engagement activities, university and community partnerships, and leadership for inclusive excellence.
The Future of Work: What It Is and How Our Resilience in the Face of It Matters
Authors: Duitch Suri
Published: October 2021

This article is based on a keynote address at the 2021 American Kinesiology Association’s Annual Leadership Workshop, for which I was asked to talk about the future of work in connection to higher education. I am familiar with the kinesiology field in my role as Dean of the School of Professional Advancement at Tulane University. This article touches on issues important to the field of kinesiology that may also be applied across other academic disciplines. Technology is changing the nature of work; the global pandemic has sped up the pace of that change. Beyond this, the potential for future pandemics and other transformational events and trends mean that work is in a state of permanent flux. Preparing students for future success in this environment requires educators to think more broadly and holistically about their roles. Higher education institutions also, arguably, have a responsibility not just to educate, but to model workplace culture.
Stress-Related Growth in Elite Sport Performers: Qualitative Differentiators in Psychosocial Mechanisms
Authors: Barnes Fionnuala B. , Fletcher David , Neely Kacey C.
Published: October 2021

The purpose of this study was to explore growth following the experience of stressors and compare the experiences of elite athletes who exhibit higher and lower levels of growth. Six elite athletes (five female and one male) participated in a semi-structured interview. Three athletes reported experiencing higher levels, and three athletes reported experiencing lower levels of growth. Interpretative phenomenological analysis revealed that understanding of self, development in athletic identity, and social support are key psychological mechanisms, which differentiate elite athletes who reported experiencing higher and lower levels of growth. Athletes higher in reported growth showed greater association with meaningful behavioral actions, ultimately reflecting the modification of previously held beliefs into a new worldview. Athletes lower in reported growth reflected an attempt to maintain beliefs into an already existing worldview, thus hindering growth. The findings show psychological mechanisms that accumulatively promote growth and provide a foundation for subsequent intervention studies.
“Short and Sweet”: A Randomized Controlled Initial Investigation of Brief Online Psychological Interventions With Endurance Athletes
Authors: Meijen Carla , McCormick Alister , Anstiss Paul A. , Marcora Samuele M.
Published: October 2021

There is potential in delivering brief, educational interventions online, particularly for recreational athletes. This initial investigation examined how two online interventions were perceived by endurance participants and how they affected outcomes of interest. After measuring self-efficacy, 142 people were randomized to one of three groups (self-talk, implementation intentions, and control) before an endurance event. Ninety-four completed postevent measures, which were self-efficacy, goal attainment, performance satisfaction, coping, stress appraisals, and social validity. The interventions involved approximately 10 min of initial engagement with online material. Perceptions of stress controllability were significantly higher in the implementation intention group compared with the control. There were no other statistically significant effects. Nevertheless, both intervention groups were satisfied with their interventions, found them useful, and were planning to continue using them. The findings demonstrate the feasibility and value of using brief, online psychological interventions, which may be timely in our changing profession, as COVID-19 has moved many interventions online.
Staying slim during pregnancy carries a price
Authors: Normile Dennis
Published: October 2021

Japanese are shrinking as low birth weight rises; their health may be at risk as well.
Monetary incentives increase COVID-19 vaccinations
Authors: Campos-Mercade Pol , Meier Armando N. , Schneider Florian H. , Meier Stephan , Pope Devin , Wengström Erik
Published: October 2021

Valuing vaccination

Using money as a motivation for the public to get vaccinated is controversial and has had mixed results in studies, few of which have been randomized trials. To test the effect of money as an incentive to obtain a vaccine, Campos-Mercade
et al
. set up a study in Sweden in 2021, when various age groups were first made eligible to receive the severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 vaccine (see the Perspective by Jecker). The effect of a small cash reward, around US $24, was compared with the effect of several behavioral nudges. The outcome of this preregistered, randomized clinical trial was that money had the power to increase participation by about 4 percentage points. Nudging and reminding didn’t seem to be deleterious and even had a small positive effect. Of course, the question of whether it is ethical to pay people to be vaccinated like this needs to be addressed. —CA
Staphylococcal Bacterial Persister Cells, Biofilms, and Intracellular Infection Are Disrupted by JD1, a Membrane-Damaging Small Molecule
Authors: Dombach Jamie L. , Quintana Joaquin L. J. , Detweiler Corrella S.
Published: October 2021

Untreatable bacterial infections are a critical public health care issue. In addition to increasing antibiotic resistance, bacteria that are in slow-growing or nongrowing states, or that live inside mammalian cells, are typically insensitive to clinical antibiotics and therefore difficult to eradicate.
Novel Gut Microbiota Patterns Involved in the Attenuation of Dextran Sodium Sulfate-Induced Mouse Colitis Mediated by Glycerol Monolaurate via Inducing Anti-inflammatory Responses
Authors: Mo Qiufen , Liu Tao , Fu Aikun , Ruan Shengyue , Zhong Hao , Tang Jun , Zhao Minjie , Li Yang , Zhu Songming , Cai Haiying , Feng Fengqin
Published: October 2021

The gut microbiota, which can be highly and dynamically affected by dietary components, is closely related to IBD pathogenesis. Here, we demonstrated that food-grade glycerol monolaurate (GML)-mediated enhancement of
Bifidobacterium
and fecal SCFAs could be responsible for the anticolitis effect.
In Situ
Visualization of the pKM101-Encoded Type IV Secretion System Reveals a Highly Symmetric ATPase Energy Center
Authors: Khara Pratick , Song Liqiang , Christie Peter J. , Hu Bo
Published: October 2021

Bacterial type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) play central roles in antibiotic resistance spread and virulence. By cryo-electron tomography (CryoET), we solved the structure of the plasmid pKM101-encoded T4SS in the native context of the bacterial cell envelope.
Pleiotropic Odorant-Binding Proteins Promote Aedes aegypti Reproduction and Flavivirus Transmission
Authors: Dong Shengzhang , Ye Zi , Tikhe Chinmay Vijay , Tu Zhijian Jake , Zwiebel Laurence J. , Dimopoulos George
Published: October 2021

Aedes aegypti
is the major vector for many arthropod-borne viral diseases, such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya viruses. Previous studies suggested that odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) may have diverse physiological functions beyond the olfactory system in mosquitoes; however, these hypothesized functions have not yet been demonstrated.
A Vimentin-Targeting Oral Compound with Host-Directed Antiviral and Anti-Inflammatory Actions Addresses Multiple Features of COVID-19 and Related Diseases
Authors: Li Zhizhen , Wu Jianping , Zhou Ji , Yuan Baoshi , Chen Jiqiao , Wu Wanchen , Mo Lian , Qu Zhipeng , Zhou Fei , Dong Yingying , Huang Kai , Liu Zhiwei , Wang Tao , Symmes Deebie , Gu Jingliang , Sho Eiketsu , Zhang Jingping , Chen Ruihuan , Xu Ying
Published: October 2021

With the Delta variant currently fueling a resurgence of new infections in the fully vaccinated population, developing an effective therapeutic drug is especially critical and urgent in fighting COVID-19. In contrast to the many efforts to repurpose existing drugs or address only one aspect of COVID-19, we are developing a novel agent with first-in-class mechanisms of action that address both the viral infection and the overactive immune system in the pathogenesis of the disease.
Complete Genome Sequence of SMBL-WEM22, a Halotolerant Strain of Kosakonia cowanii Isolated from Hong Kong Seawater
Authors: Moore W. E. , Lai G. K. K. , Griffin S. D. J. , Leung F. C. C.
Published: October 2021

Kosakonia cowanii
is a Gram-negative, motile, facultative anaerobic enterobacterium that is found in soil, water, and sewage.
K. cowanii
SMBL-WEM22 is a halotolerant strain that was isolated from seawater in Hong Kong. The complete genome of SMBL-WEM22 (5,037,617 bp, with a GC content of 55.02%) was determined by hybrid assembly of short- and long-read DNA sequences.
Protistan-Bacterial Microbiota Exhibit Stronger Species Sorting and Greater Network Connectivity Offshore than Nearshore across a Coast-to-Basin Continuum
Authors: Sun Ping , Huang Xin , Wang Ying , Huang Bangqin
Published: October 2021

Microbial organisms play a crucial role in global nutrient cycling. Few studies have attempted to simultaneously investigate the community assembly of microeukaryotes and prokaryotes and their association patterns in oceanic waters.
The
cvn8
Conservon System Is a Global Regulator of Specialized Metabolism in Streptomyces coelicolor during Interspecies Interactions
Authors: Bonet Bailey , Ra Yein , Cantu Morin Luis M. , Soto Bustos Javier , Livny Jonathan , Traxler Matthew F.
Published: October 2021

Interactions between different species of actinomycete bacteria often trigger one of the strains to produce specialized metabolites, such as antibiotics. However, how this induction occurs at the genetic level is poorly understood.
Genome-Wide Identification of Ralstonia solanacearum Genes Required for Survival in Tomato Plants
Authors: Su Yaxing , Xu Yanan , Liang Hailing , Yuan Gaoqing , Wu Xiaogang , Zheng Dehong
Published: October 2021

Tomato plant xylem is a nutritionally limiting and dynamically changing habitat. Studies on how
R. solanacearum
survives in this hostile environment are important for our full understanding of the pathogenic mechanism of this bacterium.
Adaptation of Bacillus thuringiensis to Plant Colonization Affects Differentiation and Toxicity
Authors: Lin Yicen , Alstrup Monica , Pang Janet Ka Yan , Maróti Gergely , Er-Rafik Mériem , Tourasse Nicolas , Økstad Ole Andreas , Kovács Ákos T.
Published: October 2021

Biologicals-based plant protection relies on the use of safe microbial strains. During application of biologicals to the rhizosphere, microbes adapt to the niche, including genetic mutations shaping the physiology of the cells.
Molting Alters the Microbiome, Immune Response, and Digestive Enzyme Activity in Mud Crab (
Scylla paramamosain
)
Authors: Zhang Ming , Zhang Xinxu , Tran Ngoc Tuan , Sun Zaiqiao , Zhang Xusheng , Ye Haihui , Zhang Yueling , Ma Hongyu , Aweya Jude Juventus , Li Shengkang
Published: October 2021

Molting is crucial for crustaceans. In mud crab, its exoskeleton is renewed periodically during molting, and this process is an ideal model to study the effects of host development on its microbiota.
Metagenomic Sequencing of Multiple Soil Horizons and Sites in Close Vicinity Revealed Novel Secondary Metabolite Diversity
Authors: Mantri Shrikant S. , Negri Timo , Sales-Ortells Helena , Angelov Angel , Peter Silke , Neidhardt Harald , Oelmann Yvonne , Ziemert Nadine
Published: October 2021

This study helped uncover the biosynthesis potential of forest soils via exploration of shotgun metagenome and amplicon sequencing methods and showed that both methods are needed to expose the full microbial diversity in soil. Based on our metagenome mining results, we suggest revising the historical strategy of sampling soils from far-flung places, as we found a significant number of novel and diverse BGCs and domains even in different soils that are very close to each other.
Supplemental Material: Widespread glasses generated by cometary fireballs during the late Pleistocene in the Atacama Desert, Chile
Authors: Schultz Peter , al. et
Published: October 2021

Further examples and discussion of the glasses, meteoritic components, possibly related distal material, and previous interpretations as products of grass fires.
Supplemental Material: Uneven spatial sampling distorts reconstructions of Phanerozoic seawater temperature
Authors: Jones Lewis A. , Eichenseer Kilian
Published: October 2021

Additional information regarding data preparation, analysis, and study limitations.
Association of childhood tracheomalacia with bronchiectasis: a case–control study
Authors: Thomas Rahul , Chang Anne , Masters Ian Brent , Grimwood Keith , Marchant Julie , Yerkovich Stephanie , Chatfield Mark , O'Brien Christopher , Goyal Vikas
Published: October 2021

Objective

Children with tracheomalacia can develop chronic lower airway infection and neutrophilic inflammation. It is plausible children with tracheomalacia are at increased risk of developing bronchiectasis. We hypothesised that compared with controls, tracheomalacia in children is associated with bronchiectasis.

Design

Single-centre, case–control study.

Setting and patients

45 children with chest high-resolution CT (c-HRCT) confirmed bronchiectasis (cases) and enrolled in the Australian Bronchiectasis Registry were selected randomly from Queensland, and 90 unmatched children without chronic respiratory symptoms or radiographic evidence of bronchiectasis (disease controls). Cases and controls had flexible bronchoscopy performed for clinical reasons within 4 weeks of their c-HRCT.

Interventions

The bronchoscopy videos were reviewed in a blinded manner for: (a) any tracheomalacia (any shape deformity of the trachea at end-expiration) and (b) tracheomalacia defined by the European Respiratory Society (ERS) statement (>50% expiratory reduction in the cross-sectional luminal area).

Main outcome measures and results

Cases were younger (median age=2.6 years, IQR 1.5–4.1) than controls (7.8 years, IQR 3.4–12.8), but well-balanced for sex (56% and 52% male, respectively). Using multivariable analysis (adjusted for age), the presence of any tracheomalacia was significantly associated with bronchiectasis (adjusted OR (ORadj)=13.2, 95% CI 3.2 to 55), while that for ERS-defined tracheomalacia further increased this risk (ORadj=24.4, 95% CI 3.4 to infinity).

Conclusion

Bronchoscopic-defined tracheomalacia is associated with childhood bronchiectasis. While causality cannot be inferred, children with tracheomalacia should be monitored for chronic (>4 weeks) wet cough, the most common symptom of bronchiectasis, which if present should be treated and then investigated if the cough persists or is recurrent.
Upward gaze palsy and convergence insufficiency as a rare presentation of primary intraventricular haemorrhage
Authors: Tanimura Jun , Sato Hiromasa , Ebitani Masahiro , Hashimoto Takao
Published: October 2021

A primary intraventricular haemorrhage (PIVH) usually presents with non-localised neurological symptoms since the haematoma is limited to the ventricles. However, it is sometimes associated with focal neurological signs, whose pathophysiologies are not confirmed. Here, we report on a case of PIVH who showed rare manifestations in the acute stage: upward gaze palsy and convergence insufficiency. The CT and MRI showed intraventricular haematoma without evidence of parenchymal haemorrhage, local mass effect around midbrain or hydrocephalus. There had been bilateral papilloedema, and it resolved along with improvement of the ophthalmic symptoms, suggesting a possible causal relation to increased intracranial pressure. The ophthalmic abnormalities suggested injury of the rostral part of the midbrain, especially the region around the dorsal midbrain tectum. It should be known that PIVH is one of the causes of acutely developing upward gaze palsy and convergence insufficiency.
Submarine Escape Trials 1999-2001 -Provision of Medical Support
Authors: Benton Peter
Published: October 2021

Since the early 1960s all Royal Navy submarines have been fitted with an escape system comprising a single escape tower (SET) and submarine escape immersion suit (SEIS). This system enables escape from a submarine at a depth of 180 metres (1.9 MPa) provided that the submarine compartment is at a pressure of no greater than 1 bar (0.1 MPa). Due to a variety of causes which may include flooding and leakage of high pressure air systems it is highly probable that the submarine compartment will be at a pressure in excess of 1 bar (0.1 MPa) at the time of the escape. To investigate and determine what constitutes a ‘safe’ maximum escape depth from any given compartment pressure (the safe to escape curve), a purpose built chamber complex, the Submarine Escape Simulator (SES) has been constructed at the QinetiQ, formerly the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), Alverstoke site.

Unlike escapes from a submarine where once released from the submarine the escapee’s ascent can not be halted, within the SES it is possible to halt the ascent phase. This article describes the systems and procedures developed to enable medical support to be provided rapidly to a subject at any stage of the compression decompression profile. The article also provides details of the results to date that have been obtained from this work.
Royal Naval Physician Sir John Jamison (1776-1844), Scurvy and Sweden's Medico-Surgical Institute
Authors: Rocca Julius , Stolt Carl-Magnus
Published: October 2021

As a direct consequence of Sweden’s devastating losses in its war with Russia in 1808-9, an institute for the training of military surgeons was established in Stockholm in December 1810. This establishment soon became known as the Karolinska Institute and is the forerunner of today’s eponymous institution. This paper records the nature of the British assistance that led indirectly to the founding of this institute. This aid took the form of a report into the high morbidity and mortality rates due to scurvy which were sustained by the Swedish Fleet in Carlscrona in the summer of 1808. This report, written by John Jamison, Fleet Physician to the Baltic Command of Sir James Saumarez, was used by the Stockholm medical authorities as part of their campaign for improved training of military medical personnel. Whilst Jamison’s report did not in itself lead to the establishment of the Stockholm medico-surgical institute, it was undoubtedly important, and serves both as an example of Anglo-Swedish relations during the Napoleonic era and a reminder of the ravages of scurvy.
Southern resident killer whales encounter higher prey densities than northern resident killer whales during summer
Authors: Sato Mei , Trites Andrew W. , Gauthier Stéphane
Published: October 2021

The decline of southern resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) may be due to a shortage of prey, but there is little data to test this hypothesis. We compared the availability of prey (Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) sought by southern residents in Juan de Fuca Strait during summer with the abundance and distribution of Chinook available to the much larger and growing population of northern resident killer whales feeding in Johnstone Strait. We used ship-based multifrequency echosounders to identify differences in prey fields that may explain the dynamics of these two killer whale populations. Contrary to expectations, we found that both killer whale habitats had patchy distributions of prey that did not differ in their frequencies of occurrence, nor in the size compositions of individual fish. However, the density of fish within each patch was 4–6 times higher in the southern resident killer whale habitat. These findings do not support the hypothesis that southern resident killer whales are experiencing a prey shortage in the Salish Sea during summer and suggest a combination of other factors is affecting overall foraging success.
A journey through mapping space: characterising the statistical and metric properties of reduced representations of macromolecules
Authors: Menichetti Roberto , Giulini Marco , Potestio Raffaello
Published: October 2021

A mapping of a macromolecule is a prescription to construct a simplified representation of the system in which only a subset of its constituent atoms is retained. As the specific choice of the mapping affects the analysis of all-atom simulations as well as the construction of coarse-grained models, the characterisation of the mapping space has recently attracted increasing attention. We here introduce a notion of scalar product and distance between reduced representations, which allows the study of the metric and topological properties of their space in a quantitative manner. Making use of a Wang–Landau enhanced sampling algorithm, we exhaustively explore such space, and examine the qualitative features of mappings in terms of their squared norm. A one-to-one correspondence with an interacting lattice gas on a finite volume leads to the emergence of discontinuous phase transitions in mapping space, which mark the boundaries between qualitatively different reduced representations of the same molecule.

Graphicabstract
Evanescent particles
Authors: Colosi Daniele , Oeckl Robert
Published: October 2021

Massive Klein–Gordon theory is quantized on a timelike hyperplane in Minkowski space using the framework of general boundary quantum field theory. In contrast to previous work, not only the propagating sector of the phase space is quantized, but also the evanescent sector, with the correct physical vacuum. This yields for the first time a description of the quanta of the evanescent field alone. The key tool is the novel [Formula: see text]-Kähler quantization prescription based on a ∗-twisted observable algebra. The spatial evolution of states between timelike hyperplanes is established and turns out to be non-unitary if different choices are made for the quantization ambiguity for initial and final hyperplane. Nevertheless, a consistent notion of transition probability is established also in the non-unitary case, thanks to the use of the positive formalism. Finally, it is shown how a conducting boundary condition on the timelike hyperplane gives rise to what we call the Casimir state. This is a pseudo-state which can be interpreted as an alternative vacuum and which gives rise to a sea of particle pairs even in this static case.