bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Want: Still the easiest giant to attack?
Authors: McKay Stephen , Rowlingson Karen
Published: September 2021

Beveridge claimed that ‘want’ was ‘in some ways the easiest [giant] to attack’ and yet 80 years after his report was published, poverty persists and indeed, has been increasing in recent years. In this article, we review both the key features of the Beveridge Report in relation to poverty and its implementation by the Labour government 1945–51, before turning to an analysis of how social security policy has changed since then. We then review changes in poverty levels since World War Two and attitudes to poverty. We conclude that Beveridge's plan helped to reduce poverty in the immediate post‐war years not least because of full employment. Nevertheless, poverty was not eradicated even at this time due to low levels of wages in work and low levels of benefits out of work. Since then, a number of reforms have generally moved further away from the Beveridge plan including a renewed focus on means testing and cuts in benefit levels. These have also contributed to increased levels of poverty, particularly for those of working age in recent years.
Carrots or sticks? A multilevel analysis of active labour market policies and non‐standard employment in Europe
Authors: Haapanala Henri
Published: September 2021

Spending on active labour market policies (ALMPs) has increased across Europe following the 2007 flexicurity strategy which emphasised smooth and rapid transitions from unemployment to work. Despite broad scholarly coverage of the activation turn, the connection between labour market policies and changes in non‐standard employment remains unclear. Applying random effects within‐between regression analysis, this paper finds that coercive, ‘hard’ ALMP instruments incentivising rapid re‐employment with the threat of withdrawing unemployment benefits are associated with higher likelihood of involuntary part‐time employment, whereas supportive, ‘soft’ ALMP strategies with a focus on upskilling and public sector occupation are associated with higher voluntary but lower involuntary part‐time employment. The results from 25 countries over two decades shed light on the heterogeneous results of past ALMP research which has not adopted a consistent line on the supportive‐coercive dichotomy. With European employment policy increasingly applying hard activation instruments to achieve full employment, an unintended consequence might be the expansion of precarious employment.
Report of 13 new HLA alleles found in Spanish individuals
Authors: Planelles Dolores , Balas Antonio , Rodriguez‐Cebriá Manuel , Vicario José L.
Published: September 2021

Thirteen new HLA alleles were characterized in the Spanish population.
Cytokine expression in feline allergic dermatitis and feline asthma
Authors: Older Caitlin E. , Diesel Alison B. , Heseltine Johanna C. , Friedeck Amanda , Hedke Carolyn , Pardike Stephanie , Breitreiter Katrina , Rossi Michael A. , Messamore James , Bammert Gary , Gonzales Andrea J. , Rodrigues Hoffmann Aline
Published: September 2021

Background

The pathogenesis of feline allergic dermatitis (FAD) is unclear, with several differences from allergic dermatitis in dogs and humans.

Hypothesis/objectives

To survey cytokine expression levels in healthy cats and cats affected with allergic dermatitis or asthma.

Animals

Formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded skin biopsies from 22 cats with allergic dermatitis and 21 cats without allergic dermatitis were used for cutaneous assays. Serum was obtained from 17 healthy cats, 18 cats with allergic dermatitis, and 18 cats with a presumptive diagnosis of asthma.

Methods and materials

Cutaneous mRNA expression was evaluated with quantitative PCR [interleukin (IL)‐31 and IL‐31 Receptor A] and RNA in situ hybridisation (ISH) [IL‐5, IL‐31, IL‐31RA, IL‐33 and Oncostatin M receptor (OSMR)‐β]. IL‐31 protein concentrations were evaluated in serum with an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Serum levels of 19 additional cytokines were evaluated using a Luminex panel.

Results

IL‐31, IL‐31RA, IL‐5 and IL‐33 mRNA expression were either expressed in low quantities or undetectable in most samples. By contrast, OSMR‐β expression was significantly higher in the skin of allergic versus healthy cats (P < 0.0001). Although serum IL‐31 was detected in a larger number of cats with allergic dermatitis than healthy cats, and concentrations appeared to be higher in cats with allergies, this difference was not statistically significant. Cats affected by asthma also exhibited insignificantly higher concentrations of IL‐31 in the serum.

Conclusions and clinical relevance

Our results suggest that feline allergic diseases may exhibit different pathomechanisms from allergic diseases affecting other species. These findings are useful in guiding further therapeutic development toward targets that may have a role in the pathogenesis of feline allergic skin disease.
Plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition: Correlating O2 plasma parameters and species to blister formation and conformal film growth
Authors: Werbrouck Andreas , Van de Kerckhove Kevin , Depla Diederik , Poelman Dirk , Smet Philippe F. , Dendooven Jolien , Detavernier Christophe
Published: September 2021

Plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition has gained a lot of attraction over the past few years. A myriad of processes have been reported, several reviews have been written on this topic, and there is a lot of interest for industrial applications. Still, when developing new processes, often heuristic approaches are used, choosing plasma parameters that worked for earlier processes. This can result in suboptimal plasma process conditions. In order to rationally decide which parameters to use, we systematically studied an inductively coupled RF oxygen plasma source (13.56 MHz) for powers up to 300 W, a pressure range between 10−4 and 10−2 mbar, and a flow range between 10 and 400 sccm. We discerned between chemically active “radical” species (atomic O and excited, metastable O2) and ionic particles (O2+, O+, O2−, and O−), which can have an additional physical effect to the film. Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) was used to study the generation of O2+ and atomic O in the plasma source region. It is shown that the concentration of plasma species increases in a linear way with the plasma power and that the atom-to-ion fraction increases with both the power and the gas flow. To study the effect of plasma species in the remote region, near the sample position, an electrostatic quadrupole analyzer was used to gauge fluxes of O2+, O+, O2−, and O−. Even a moderate increase in pressure can drastically reduce the ion flux toward the substrate. The formation of bubbles or blisters in films can be linked to ion-induced compressive stress, and, hence, it can be mitigated by an increase in the gas pressure. Finally, Al2O3 was deposited in lateral high-aspect ratio structures to investigate the effect of plasma power and gas pressure on the partial pressure of radical species. Simulated profiles were fitted to experimental deposition profiles to estimate trends in the radical partial pressure, and a linear relationship between radical partial pressure and the power was found. This correlated with the density of atomic O species as observed in the OES measurements in the plasma source region. The methods presented in this work are also applicable to characterize other reactor geometries, plasma sources, and gas mixtures.
Impact of ion species on ion beam sputtered Ta2O5 layer quality parameters and on corresponding process productivity: A preinvestigation for large-area coatings
Authors: Sakiew Wjatscheslaw , Schwerdtner Philippe , Jupé Marco , Pflug Andreas , Ristau Detlev
Published: September 2021

The demand for ion beam sputtering-coated substrates is growing. In order to introduce ion beam sputter deposition (IBSD) technology into new fields of application, the deposition area must be further increased. In this context, the ion species applied for the sputtering process is an important parameter. In the present investigation, an industrial scale IBSD process was characterized with respect to productivity and layer quality by varying the ion species. Ar, Kr, or Xe broad ion beams at an ion energy of 1.8 keV were used, and the evaluation was carried out on the basis of Ta2O5 layers. The dielectric films were produced in a reactive process through the sputtering of a metallic Ta target, and their two-dimensional distributions of the coating rate R, the refractive index n(320nm), and the extinction coefficient k(320nm) were determined over a planar area of 0.9 × 1.0 m2 above the target by the collection method. R served as a measure of productivity, while n(320nm) and k(320nm) were quality parameters. Additionally, the layer composition was determined for selected samples on the collector by an electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA). As expected, the different ion-solid interaction mechanisms resulted in significant differences with regard to productivity. Linear scaling of productivity as a function of ion mass was observed. Calculations of the sputtering yield with semiempirical models or SRIM-2013, a binary collision Monte Carlo simulation program, did not confirm the observed linearity. Furthermore, the configuration with the highest productivity, Xe, led to a locally occurring and significant reduction in layer quality, more precisely, an increase of k(320nm). Additionally, the layer compositions determined with EPMA confirmed that ions originating from the ion source were implanted in the thin films during their formation. A detailed evaluation of the angle-resolved energy distributions of the involved particles, simulated with SRIM-2013, was performed. However, the determination of the energies carried away from the target by backscattered ions and sputtered target atoms does not explain the observed degradation mechanism. This concludes that for the realization of future large-area coatings with IBSD, not all relevant mechanisms are yet understood in sufficient detail.
Transitioning from underdamped to overdamped behavior in theory and in Langevin simulations of desorption of a particle from a Lennard-Jones potential
Authors: Travitz Alyssa , Mani Ethayaraja , Larson Ronald G.
Published: September 2021

We investigate the transition between the overdamped and underdamped regimes in Langevin dynamics simulations with significant conservative forces by comparing direct simulations with theories of Kramers, Mel'nikov and Meshkov (MM), and Larson and Lightfoot (LL). The need for clarification is made evident by noting that the most commonly cited theories of Kramers and MM do not apply in the overdamped limit to escape times from a Lennard-Jones (LJ) potential, because Kramers and MM do not account for the flatness of the LJ potential at the escape position, which allows for a region of nearly free Brownian diffusion near the escape position. While the little-known LL approach does consider an LJ potential, it does not properly consider the underdamped regime, and so a complete description is only achieved by combining the LL and MM results into a single general equation, which we validate for the first time by an explicit comparison with Langevin simulations.
Bispecific antibodies targeting distinct regions of the spike protein potently neutralize SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern
Authors: Cho Hyeseon , Gonzales-Wartz Kristina Kay , Huang Deli , Yuan Meng , Peterson Mary , Liang Janie , Beutler Nathan , Torres Jonathan L. , Cong Yu , Postnikova Elena , Bangaru Sandhya , Talana Chloe Adrienna , Shi Wei , Yang Eun Sung , Zhang Yi , Leung Kwanyee , Wang Lingshu , Peng Linghang , Skinner Jeff , Li Shanping , Wu Nicholas C. , Liu Hejun , Dacon Cherrelle , Moyer Thomas , Cohen Melanie , Zhao Ming , Lee Frances Eun-Hyung , Weinberg Rona S. , Douagi Iyadh , Gross Robin , Schmaljohn Connie , Pegu Amarendra , Mascola John R. , Holbrook Michael , Nemazee David , Rogers Thomas F. , Ward Andrew B. , Wilson Ian A. , Crompton Peter D. , Tan Joshua
Published: September 2021

Bispecific antibodies targeting multiple regions of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein comparably neutralize variants of concern and wild-type virus.
Interactions between Viral Regulatory Proteins Ensure an MOI-Independent Probability of Lysogeny during Infection by Bacteriophage P1
Authors: Zhang Kailun , Pankratz Kiara , Duong Hau , Theodore Matthew , Guan Jingwen , Jiang Anxiao (Andrew) , Lin Yiruo , Zeng Lanying
Published: September 2021

Phage P1 has been shown potentially to play an important role in disseminating antibiotic resistance among bacteria during lysogenization, as evidenced by the prevalence of P1 phage-like elements in animal and human pathogens. In contrast to phage λ, a cell fate decision-making paradigm, P1 lysogenization was shown to be independent of MOI.
Comparative Genomics Provides Insight into the Function of Broad-Host Range Sponge Symbionts
Authors: Waterworth Samantha C. , Parker-Nance Shirley , Kwan Jason C. , Dorrington Rosemary A.
Published: September 2021

Marine sponges often form symbiotic relationships with bacteria that fulfil a specific need within the sponge holobiont, and these symbionts are often conserved within a narrow range of related taxa. To date, there exist only three known bacterial taxa (
Entoporibacteria
,
SAUL
, and
Tethybacterales
) that are globally distributed and found in a broad range of sponge hosts, and little is known about the latter two.
TnCentral: a Prokaryotic Transposable Element Database and Web Portal for Transposon Analysis
Authors: Ross Karen , Varani Alessandro M. , Snesrud Erik , Huang Hongzhan , Alvarenga Danillo Oliveira , Zhang Jian , Wu Cathy , McGann Patrick , Chandler Mick
Published: September 2021

The ability of bacteria to undergo rapid evolution and adapt to changing environmental circumstances drives the public health crisis of multiple antibiotic resistance, as well as outbreaks of disease in economically important agricultural crops and animal husbandry. Prokaryotic transposable elements (TE) play a critical role in this.
Bacteroidetocins Target the Essential Outer Membrane Protein BamA of
Bacteroidales
Symbionts and Pathogens
Authors: Matano Leigh M. , Coyne Michael J. , García-Bayona Leonor , Comstock Laurie E.
Published: September 2021

The bacteroidetocins are a newly discovered class of bacteriocins specific to
Bacteroidetes
with a spectrum of targets extending from symbiotic gut
Bacteroides
,
Parabacteroides
, and
Prevotella
species to pathogenic oral and vaginal
Prevotella
species. We previously showed that one such bacteroidetocin, Bd-A, is active at nanomolar concentrations, is water soluble, and is bactericidal, all desirable features in a therapeutic antibacterial peptide.
Modular Lipoprotein Toxins Transferred by Outer Membrane Exchange Target Discrete Cell Entry Pathways
Authors: Vassallo Christopher N. , Sah Govind Prasad , Weltzer Michael L. , Wall Daniel
Published: September 2021

Many bacterial species use diverse systems to deliver bacteriocins or toxins to neighboring competing cells. These systems are often selective in targeting cells that are related to themselves and therefore compete in the same niches for resources.
Focusing of X-Rays with a Photon Energy of 9.5 keV by an Ellipsoid with a HOPG Crystal
Authors: Zhidkov N. V. , Pozdnyakov E. V. , Suslov N. A.
Published: September 2021

The arrangement and results of full-power experiments on the Iskra-5 laser facility (the laser energy is 150 J, the pulse length is 0.3 ns, and the laser-radiation intensity on the target is 1.6 × 1015 W/cm2) on focusing of hard X rays from a laser-plasma source with a Ga target using an ellipsoid with a HOPG crystal are described. The design of an ellipsoid focus pointer is described that made it possible to create an X-ray source at the focus of the ellipsoid with an accuracy of no worse than 100 μm. Focusing X-ray radiation into a 1-mm-diameter spot in full-power experiments was achieved at a distance of 250 mm. An eighty-fold increase in the X-ray flux density with a photon energy of 9.5 keV was attained.
Associations of ophthalmic and systemic conditions with incident dementia in the UK Biobank
Authors: Shang Xianwen , Zhu Zhuoting , Huang Yu , Zhang Xueli , Wang Wei , Shi Danli , Jiang Yu , Yang Xiaohong , He Mingguang
Published: September 2021

Aims

To examine independent and interactive associations of ophthalmic and systemic conditions with incident dementia.

Methods

Our analysis included 12 364 adults aged 55–73 years from the UK Biobank cohort. Participants were assessed between 2006 and 2010 at baseline and were followed up until the early of 2021. Incident dementia was ascertained using hospital inpatient, death records and self-reported data.

Results

Over 1 263 513 person-years of follow-up, 2304 cases of incident dementia were documented. The multivariable-adjusted HRs (95% CI) for dementia associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataract, diabetes-related eye disease (DRED) and glaucoma at baseline were 1.26 (1.05 to 1.52), 1.11 (1.00 to 1.24), 1.61 (1.30 to 2.00) and (1.07 (0.92 to 1.25), respectively. Diabetes, heart disease, stroke and depression at baseline were all associated with an increased risk of dementia. Of the combination of AMD and a systemic condition, AMD-diabetes was associated with the highest risk for incident dementia (HR (95% CI): 2.73 (1.79 to 4.17)). Individuals with cataract and a systemic condition were 1.19–2.29 times more likely to develop dementia compared with those without cataract and systemic conditions. The corresponding number for DRED and a systemic condition was 1.50–3.24. Diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, depression and stroke newly identified during follow-up mediated the association between cataract and incident dementia as well as the association between DRED and incident dementia.

Conclusions

AMD, cataract and DRED but not glaucoma are associated with an increased risk of dementia. Individuals with both ophthalmic and systemic conditions are at higher risk of dementia compared with those with an ophthalmic or systemic condition only.
Evaluating risk stratification scoring systems to predict mortality in patients with COVID-19
Authors: Chu Kelly , Alharahsheh Batool , Garg Naveen , Guha Payal
Published: September 2021

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated efficient and accurate triaging of patients for more effective allocation of resources and treatment.

Objectives

The objectives are to investigate parameters and risk stratification tools that can be applied to predict mortality within 90 days of hospital admission in patients with COVID-19.

Methods

A literature search of original studies assessing systems and parameters predicting mortality of patients with COVID-19 was conducted using MEDLINE and EMBASE.

Results

589 titles were screened, and 76 studies were found investigating the prognostic ability of 16 existing scoring systems (area under the receiving operator curve (AUROC) range: 0.550–0.966), 38 newly developed COVID-19-specific prognostic systems (AUROC range: 0.6400–0.9940), 15 artificial intelligence (AI) models (AUROC range: 0.840–0.955) and 16 studies on novel blood parameters and imaging.

Discussion

Current scoring systems generally underestimate mortality, with the highest AUROC values found for APACHE II and the lowest for SMART-COP. Systems featuring heavier weighting on respiratory parameters were more predictive than those assessing other systems. Cardiac biomarkers and CT chest scans were the most commonly studied novel parameters and were independently associated with mortality, suggesting potential for implementation into model development. All types of AI modelling systems showed high abilities to predict mortality, although none had notably higher AUROC values than COVID-19-specific prediction models. All models were found to have bias, including lack of prospective studies, small sample sizes, single-centre data collection and lack of external validation.

Conclusion

The single parameters established within this review would be useful to look at in future prognostic models in terms of the predictive capacity their combined effect may harness.
Defining clinical empathy: a grounded theory approach from the perspective of healthcare workers and patients in a multicultural setting
Authors: Tan Laurence , Le Mai Khanh , Yu Chou Chuen , Liaw Sok Ying , Tierney Tanya , Ho Yun Ying , Lim Evelyn , Lim Daphne , Ng Reuben , Ngeow Colin , Low James
Published: September 2021

Objective

To define clinical empathy from the perspective of healthcare workers and patients from a multicultural setting.

Design

Grounded theory approach using focus group discussions.

Setting

A health cluster in Singapore consisting of an acute hospital, a community hospital, ambulatory care teams, a medical school and a nursing school.

Participants

69 participants including doctors, nurses, medical students, nursing students, patients and allied health workers.

Main outcome measures

A robust definition of clinical empathy.

Results

The construct of clinical empathy is consistent across doctors, nurses, students, allied health and students. Medical empathy consists of an inner sense of empathy (imaginative, affective and cognitive), empathy behaviour (genuine concern and empathic communication) and a sense of connection (trust and rapport). This construct of clinical empathy is similar to definitions by neuroscientists but challenges a common definition of clinical empathy as a cognitive process with emotional detachment.

Conclusions

This paper has defined clinical empathy as ‘a sense of connection between the healthcare worker and the patient as a result of perspective taking arising from imaginative, affective and cognitive processes, which are expressed through behaviours and good communication skills that convey genuine concern’. A clear and multidimensional definition of clinical empathy will improve future education and research efforts in the application and impact of clinical empathy.
Association between dispositional empathy and self-other distinction in Irish and Belgian medical students: a cross-sectional analysis
Authors: Bukowski Henryk , Ahmad Kamal Nor Faizaah , Bennett Deirdre , Rizzo Gabriella , O'Tuathaigh Colm
Published: September 2021

Objective

Physicians’ cognitive empathy is associated with improved diagnosis and better patient outcomes. The relationship between self-reported and performance-based measures of cognitive empathic processes is unclear.

Design

Cross-sectional analysis of the association between medical students’ empathy scale scores and their empathic performance in a visuospatial perspective-taking (VPT) task.

Participants

Undergraduate medical students across two European medical schools (n=194).

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Two self-report empathy and one performance-based perspective-taking outcome: Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE); Empathy Quotient (EQ); Samson’s level-1 VPT task.

Results

Higher scores on the ‘standing in patient’s shoes’ subscale of the JSPE were associated with a lower congruency effect (as well as lower egocentric and altercentric biases) in the VPT (B=−0.007, 95% CI=−0.013 to 0.002, p<0.05), which reflects an association with better capacity to manage conflicting self-other perspectives, also known as self-other distinction. Lower egocentric bias was also associated with higher scores on the ‘social skills’ EQ subscale (B=−10.17, 95% CI=−17.98 to 2.36, p<0.05). Additionally, selection of a ‘technique-oriented’ clinical specialty preference was associated with a higher self-perspective advantage in the VPT, reflecting greater attentional priority given to the self-perspective.

Conclusions

We show that self-assessment scores are associated with selected performance-based indices of perspective taking, providing a more fine-grained analysis of the cognitive domain of empathy assessed in medical student empathy scales. This analysis allows us to generate new critical hypotheses about the reasons why only certain self-report empathy measures (or their subscales) are associated with physicians’ observed empathic ability.
Global epidemiology of COVID-19 knowledge, attitude and practice: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Siddiquea Bodrun Naher , Shetty Aishwarya , Bhattacharya Oashe , Afroz Afsana , Billah Baki
Published: September 2021

Objective

To assess the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of the global general population regarding COVID-19.

Design

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods

MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and PsycINFO were used to identify articles published between 1 January and 30 June 2021 assessing KAP regarding COVID-19 in the global general population. The quality of eligible studies was assessed. Random effects model was used to obtain the pooled proportion of each component of KAP of COVID-19. Heterogeneity (I2) was tested, and subgroup and correlation analyses were performed.

Results

Out of 3099 records, 84 studies from 45 countries across all continents assessing 215 731 participants’ COVID-19 KAP were included in this study. The estimated overall correct answers for knowledge, good attitude and good practice in this review were 75% (95% CI 72% to 77%), 74% (95% CI 71% to 77%) and 70% (95% CI 66% to 74%), respectively. Low-income countries, men, people aged below 30 years and people with 12 years of education or less had the lowest practice scores. Practice scores were below 60% in Africa and Europe/Oceania. Overall heterogeneity was high (I2 ≥98%), and publication bias was present (Egger’s regression test, p<0.01). A positive significant correlation between knowledge and practice (r=0.314, p=0.006), and attitude and practice (r=0.348, p=0.004) was observed.

Conclusions

This study’s findings call for community-based awareness programmes to provide a simple, clear and understandable message to reinforce knowledge especially regarding efficacy of the preventive measures in low and lower middle-income countries, and in Africa and Europe/Oceania, which will translate into good practice. Targeted intervention for men, people with low education, unemployed people and people aged below 30 years should be recommended. As most of the included studies were online surveys, underprivileged and remote rural people may have been missed out. Additional studies are needed to cover heterogeneous populations.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020203476.
Demographic, occupational and societal risk exposures to physical injuries in a rural community in Western Kenya: a 12-week longitudinal study
Authors: Chweya Reagan Ngoge , Mambo Susan Njoki , Gachohi John Mwangi
Published: September 2021

Objective

We studied factors associated with the weekly occurrence of physical injuries in a rural setting to determine injury-related burden and risk exposures.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Suna-West subcounty, Migori County, Western Kenya.

Participants

390 study participants (subjects) cluster sampled from 92 households, recruited and followed up for 12 weeks, between August and October 2019.

Methods

We collected data weekly on occurrence of injuries, individual-level and household-level independent variables using a standard interviewer-administered questionnaire adapted from the WHO survey tool for injuries. Analyses related occurrence of injuries and independent variables using a multilevel Poisson regression model, adjusting for age and sex.

Outcome measures

Quantifying injury-related burden and patterns by demographic, occupational and societal risk exposures.

Results

We documented 44 injuries, coming from 38 subjects dwelling in 30 of the 92 study households. On average, each study subject and household experienced 1.2 and 1.5 episodes of injuries across the 12 study weeks. Open wounds and bruises were the most frequent injuries commonly reported among middle-aged (18–54 years) and young (5–17 years) subjects at 32.2 and 7.6 episodes per 1000-person week, respectively. The common cause of injuries among young, middle-aged and old subjects (>54 years) were falls, road accidents and person-related assault or being hit by an object, each at 15.2, 18.9, and 11.4 episodes per 1000-person week, respectively. Subjects not domesticating animals (incidence rate ratio (IRR)=7.6, 95% CI 1.4 to 41.7) and those making a visit outside the local subcounty of residence (IRR=2.2, 95% CI 1.5 to 3.1) were at higher risk of reporting injuries.

Conclusion

We provide evidence of a higher burden of physical injuries associated with demographic, occupational and societal risk exposures with the most injuries resulting from falls. Further studies could better define granular characteristics constituting these factors.
Exogenous pulmonary surfactant in COVID-19 ARDS. The similarities to neonatal RDS suggest a new scenario for an ‘old’ strategy
Authors: Bhatt Reena M , Clark Howard W , Girardis Massimo , Busani Stefano
Published: September 2021

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) related to SARS-CoV-2 infection has some unusual characteristics that differentiate it from the pathophysiology described in the more ‘typical’ ARDS. Among multiple hypotheses, a close similarity has been suggested between COVID-19 ARDS and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). With this opinion paper, we investigated the pathophysiological similarities between infant respiratory diseases (RDS and direct neonatal ARDS (NARDS)) and COVID-19 in adults. We also analysed, for the first time, similarities in the response to exogenous surfactant administration in terms of improved static compliance in RDS and direct NARDS, and adult COVID-19 ARDS. In conclusion, we believe that if the pathological processes are similar both from the pathophysiological point of view and from the response in respiratory mechanics to a recruitment treatment such as surfactant, perhaps the latter could be considered a plausible option and lead to recruitment in clinical trials currently ongoing on patients with COVID-19.
Ventriculolumbar perfusion and inhalational anesthesia with sevoflurane in an accidental intrathecal injection of tranexamic acid: unreported treatment options
Authors: Godec Sergej , Gradisek Michael Jozef , Mirkovic Tomislav , Gradisek Primoz
Published: September 2021

Background

Tranexamic acid (TXA) decreases hemorrhage-related mortality in trauma patients and is increasingly being used during obstetric and orthopedic surgeries. Inadvertent intrathecal injection of TXA is a rare, potentially lethal event leading to dose-dependent cardiotoxicity and neurotoxicity. TXA enhances neuronal excitation by antagonizing inhibitory γ-aminobutyric acid type A and glycine receptors. Until now, mechanistic-based pharmacological treatments targeting multiple central nervous system receptors have been advocated for use in such cases, with no data on intrathecal TXA elimination techniques.

Case presentation

A patient scheduled for hip surgery accidentally received 350 mg of intrathecal TXA instead of levobupivacaine. The clinical picture progressed from spinal segmental myoclonus to generalized convulsions and malignant arrhythmias. The treatment consisted of ventriculolumbar perfusion with normal saline at a rate of 50 mL/hour starting 5 hours after TXA administration and inhalational sedation with sevoflurane, in addition to drugs acting on multiple receptors at different central nervous system levels. Over 2 months the neurological status improved, although it was not complete.

Conclusions

For the first time, the feasibility and possible clinical efficacy of combined treatment with ventriculolumbar perfusion and inhalational sedation with sevoflurane were demonstrated. A referral to a neurosurgical facility is recommended in patients with acute TXA-induced neurotoxicity and cardiotoxicity.
Electronic cigarette and smoking paraphernalia point of sale displays: an observational study in England
Authors: Brocklebank Laura A , Blackwell Anna K M , Marteau Theresa M , De-loyde Katie , Morris Richard W , Burgoine Thomas , Hobson Alice , Ventsel Minna , Munafo Marcus R
Published: September 2021

Background

Tobacco point of sale (POS) retail displays are banned in many countries, including in England, due in part to evidence linking them to greater susceptibility to smoking in children. There is no equivalent ban on displays of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) or smoking paraphernalia (eg, cigarette lighters) in England, which are often positioned alongside covered tobacco storage units. This observational study describes the visibility and placement of e-cigarette and smoking paraphernalia POS displays in major tobacco retailers in two cities in England to inform future research examining their possible links to susceptibility to tobacco smoking, particularly in children.

Methods

Researchers visited all small- and large-format stores of four supermarket chains and a randomly selected sample of convenience stores, in Bristol and Cambridge. A standardised checklist was used to create a total visibility score for POS displays of (a) e-cigarettes and (b) smoking paraphernalia, plus other measures of visibility and placement. These were described for the total sample and compared between areas of low, medium, and high deprivation using general linear models adjusting for store location and store type.

Results

The visibility checklist was completed in 133 of 166 stores (80% completion rate). Both e-cigarette and smoking paraphernalia POS displays were present in 96% of stores. POS displays were highly visible across all stores: mean (SD) total visibility scores, out of 17, were 14.7 (1.8) for e-cigarettes and 12.7 (1.8) for smoking paraphernalia. There was no clear evidence of differences in visibility by area of deprivation.

Conclusion

E-cigarette and smoking paraphernalia POS displays are near ubiquitous and highly visible in major tobacco retailers in two cities in England. The impact of these displays on tobacco smoking in children and adults is unknown, meriting urgent research to assess their effect on susceptibility to tobacco smoking in children.
Ceiba pentandra (Malvaceae) and associated species: Spiritual Keystone Species of the Neotropics
Authors: Tareau Marc-Alexandre , Greene Alexander , Odonne Guillaume , Davy Damien
Published: September 2021

Among the 18 species included in the Ceiba genus in the Malvaceae (Bombacoideae) family, Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn. is not only the tallest and most widespread but also occupies the most prominent place in Neotropical cosmovisions. In this ethnobotanical review, we compare perceptions and uses of Ceiba and related species across Indigenous and Afro-descendant cultures ranging from the Caribbean to the Argentinian Chaco. Ceiba’s widely shared role as axis mundi (particularly in Amazonia), psychopomp, and as a shelter of major forest spirits makes it a perfect example of a Spiritual Keystone Species, a new concept inspired from the concept of Cultural Keystone Species and defined here for the first time.
Reliability analysis of typical highway bridges in Manitoba designed to the Modified HSS-25 live load model
Authors: Pushka Amanda , Regehr Jonathan D. , Fiorillo Graziano , Mufti Aftab , Algohi Basheer
Published: September 2021

Several provinces in Canada have modified the live load model specified in national bridge design codes to account for locally permitted trucks. Manitoba similarly introduced a live load model for the design of provincial bridges in accordance with AASHTO LRFD, the Modified HSS-25. This article presents truck weight datasets and methods used to develop Manitoba-specific live load statistics to conduct a reliability analysis for three typical simply supported structure types: precast prestressed concrete box girder, precast prestressed concrete I-girder and steel girder. The average reliability indices ranged from 4.69 to 4.95 with respect to the AASHTO LRFD live load statistics used to calibrate the code and 4.65 to 5.04 with respect to the Manitoba statistics. The results demonstrate a level of safety that exceeds the code requirements, indicating that structures designed to the HSS-25 potentially possess the structural capacity to withstand increased vehicular load effects for the considered bridge types.
Utilization of granite powder and glass powder in reactive powder concrete: assessment of strength and long-term durability properties
Authors: Venkatesan B. , Kannan V. , Sophia M.
Published: September 2021

This paper aims to assess the mechanical and long-term durability performance of reactive powder concrete (RPC) containing granite powder (GrP) as cement replacement and waste glass powder (GP) as quartz sand replacement. The workability and mechanical behaviour of RPC containing various proportions of GrP and GP are assessed for different water/binder (w/b) ratios (0.3, 0.35, 0.4, and 0.45). The water resistance and tightness of RPC are measured by monitoring the electrical resistivity, water absorption, sorptivity, and chloride migration over a one-year period. Results reveal that substitution of GrP and GP at optimum levels of 15% and 30% respectively enhances the performance of RPC with the achievement of satisfiable workability at a 0.35 w/b ratio. A significant increase in the resistance towards chloride penetration and electrical resistivity was also observed with increasing ages. Thus, glass powder and granite powder can be considered as alternative construction materials providing economical and ecological efficiency.
Is the modern-day dieback of yellow-cedar unprecedented?
Authors: Gaglioti B.V. , Mann D.H. , Wiles G.C. , Wiesenberg N.
Published: September 2021

In Southeast Alaska, many stands of yellow-cedar (Callitropsis nootkatensis (D. Don) Oerst. ex D.P. Little; hereinafter “YC”) contain numerous standing, dead snags. Snag-age estimates based on tree morphology have been used to support the interpretation that a warming climate after ca. 1880 has triggered unprecedented YC dieback. Here, we present new estimates of YC snag longevity by cross-dating 61 snags with morphologies that suggest they stood dead for extended periods. All but four of these snags have lost their outermost rings to decay, so we estimate when they died using a new method based on wood-ablation rates measured in six living trees that display partial cambial dieback. The results indicate that ∼59% of YC snags that lost their branches to decay (Class 5 snags) have remained standing for >200 years, and some for as long as 450 years (snag longevity mean ± SD: 233 ± 92 years). These findings, along with supporting evidence from historical photos, dendrochronology, and snag-morphology surveys in the published literature suggest that episodes of YC dieback also occurred before 1880 and before significant anthropogenic warming began. The roles played by climate change in these earlier dieback events remain to be further explored.
A naturally occurring point mutation in the hyaluronidase gene (hysA1) of Staphylococcus aureus UAMS-1 results in reduced enzymatic activity
Authors: Hu Haijing , Liu Huanli , Kweon Ohgew , Hart Mark E.
Published: September 2021

Hyaluronic acid is a high-molecular-weight polysaccharide that is widely distributed in animal tissues. Bacterial hyaluronidases degrade hyaluronic acid as secreted enzymes and have been shown to contribute to infection. Staphylococcus aureus UAMS-1 is a clinical isolate that codes for two hyaluronidases (hysA1 and hysA2). Previous research has shown the presence of a full-length HysA1 protein from the S. aureus UAMS-1 strain with no evidence of enzymatic activity. In this study, the coding and upstream promoter regions of hysA1 from the S. aureus UAMS-1 strain were cloned, sequenced, and compared to the hysA1 gene from the S. aureus Sanger 252 strain. A single base change resulting in an E480G amino acid change was identified in the hysA1 gene from the S. aureus UAMS-1 strain when compared to the hysA1 gene from S. aureus Sanger 252. A plasmid copy of hysA1 from S. aureus Sanger 252 transduced into an S. aureus UAMS-1 hysA2 deletion mutant strain restored near wild-type levels of enzymatic activity. Homology modeling of the HysA1 hyaluronidase was performed with SWISS-MODEL using hyaluronidase from Streptococcus pneumoniae as the template, followed by a series of structural analyses using PyMOL, PLIP, PDBsum, and HOPE servers. This glutamic acid is highly conserved among hyaluronidases from Staphylococcus and other gram-positive bacteria. A series of structural analyses suggested that Glu-480 in HysA1 is critically responsible for maintaining the structural and functional ensemble of the catalytic and tunnel-forming residues, which are essential for enzyme activity. The missense mutation of Glu-480 to Gly introduces a loss of side chain hydrogen bond interactions with key residues Arg-360 and Arg-364, which are responsible for the tunnel topology, resulting in displacement of the substrate from an ideal position for catalysis through a localized conformational change of the active site. There is a high degree of relatedness among several gram-positive bacterial hyaluronidases; the loss of enzymatic activity of HysA1 in the S. aureus UAMS-1 strain is most likely caused by the mutation identified in our study. The role of hyaluronidase in staphylococcal infection and the redundancy of this gene are yet to be determined.
OUTWARD FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT OF CHINA’S BANKING SECTOR: DETERMINANTS AND MOTIVATIONS
Authors: ZHAO YUHUA , OZDEMIR NILUFER , ZHANG REN , AN LIAN
Published: September 2021

The outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) is vital for the sustainable development of China’s banking sector. This paper examines the location determinants of OFDI by China’s banks during 2003–2015 with a set of negative binomial panel regression models. We show that the OFDI for China’s banking sector generally exhibits market-seeking, resource-seeking and efficiency-seeking motivations. The efficiency-seeking motivation is mostly through the incentive to avert credit risk. The OFDI also tends to flow to economically stable countries. Our results indicate that the Chinese banks’ investment decisions are mainly in line with fundamental theories and are robust for different samples and periods.
W-shape bright and several other solutions to the (3+1)-dimensional nonlinear evolution equations
Authors: Saliou Youssoufa , Abbagari Souleymanou , Houwe Alphonse , Osman M. S. , Yamigno Doka Serge , Crépin Kofané Timoléon , Inc Mustafa
Published: September 2021

By employing the Modified Sardar Sub-Equation Method (MSEM), several solitons such as W-shape bright, dark solitons, trigonometric function solutions and singular function solutions have been obtained in two famous nonlinear evolution equations which are used to describe waves in quantum electron–positron–ion magnetoplasmas and weakly nonlinear ion-acoustic waves in a plasma. These models are the (3+1)-dimensional nonlinear extended quantum Zakharov–Kuznetsov (NLEQZK) equation and the (3+1)-dimensional nonlinear modified Zakharov–Kuznetsov (NLmZK) equation, respectively. Comparing the obtained results with Refs. 32–34 and Refs. 43–46, additional soliton-like solutions have been retrieved and will be useful in future to explain the interaction between lower nonlinear ion-acoustic waves and the parameters of the MSEM and the obtained figures will have more physical explanation.
Diquandles and invariants for oriented dichromatic links
Authors: Lee Sang Youl , Sheikh Mohd Ibrahim
Published: September 2021

In this paper, we introduce an algebraic structure called a diquandle which is a set equipped with two quandle operations satisfying the right distributive laws. We discuss various examples and some properties of diquandles and also show that a diquandle enables us to distinguish oriented dichromatic links by telling that their coloring sets are different when their arcs are colored by elements of the diquandle.
On arrow polynomials of checkerboard colorable virtual links
Authors: Deng Qingying , Jin Xian’an , Kauffman Louis H.
Published: September 2021

In this paper, we give two new criteria of detecting the checkerboard colorability of virtual links by using the odd writhe and the arrow polynomial of virtual links, respectively. As a result, we prove that 6 virtual knots are not checkerboard colorable, leaving only one virtual knot whose checkerboard colorability is unknown among all virtual knots up to four classical crossings.
EXPLORATORY AND EXPLOITATIVE PROJECT MANAGEMENT: HOW PRODUCT AND ENGINEERING MANAGERS’ PERCEPTIONS DIFFER: A CASE OF TWO LARGE HIGH-TECH CORPORATIONS
Authors: YAMNITSKY EUGENE , JANKOWICZ DEVI
Published: September 2021

Ambidexterity has been a focus for many researchers in the past few decades, and multiple angles of ambidexterity have been studied to understand how to achieve it, its antecedents, and its impact on organisations. While personal ambidexterity has been studied with respect to the tensions the individuals might experience as they juggle exploratory and exploitative innovation projects, little is known about their individual sensemaking prior to their exercise of ambidexterity. This paper aims at narrowing this gap in the literature by offering an insight, based on personal construct theory, as to why managers from product management and engineering management functions in software organisations may not be applying exploratory techniques on exploratory innovation projects. A key finding from this research indicates that managers do not differentiate between types of project in a sufficiently explicit and propositional manner, and as a result, do not choose techniques appropriate to the situation. Instead, they tend to apply exploitative techniques on exploratory innovation projects with slight variations. Recommendations to practitioners to address the issues uncovered are proposed.
Lowering the Carbon Emissions Peak and Accelerating the Transition Towards Net Zero Carbon
Authors: PAN Jiahua
Published: September 2021

China’s declaration to the international community to peak CO2 emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060 is of great significance in advancing the objectives of the Paris Agreement, and has a positive and far-reaching impact on China’s high-quality development. This paper expounds on responsibilities and ambitions in tackling climate change, analyzes the high-quality development opportunities brought about by CO2 emissions peak and carbon neutrality, and discusses the net zero carbon emissions transformation in the new era of ecological civilization. This paper is of the view that development towards net zero carbon emissions provides a new impetus for building a Beautiful China, and promoting ecological civilization and green development. The essence of carbon neutrality should be correctly understood so that the world will work together to improve climate resilience. China should also deepen the understanding of the principles and methodologies of climate change economics.