bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Of essential workers and working from home: Journalistic discourses and the precarities of a pandemic economy
Authors: Creech Brian , Maddox Jessica
Published: January 2022

This article considers how reporting about work during the COVID-19 pandemic operated as a field of discourse that challenged the ideological workings of neoliberalism. By documenting the risks and stresses workers of all classes faced during the first year of the pandemic, the reporting began to question neoliberal capitalism as socially unsustainable. Drawing on a corpus of 151 long-form articles and commentary, we show how journalistic discourse structured relationships between different classes of workers and implicated institutions for failing to properly mitigate the risks associated with COVID-19, even though the discourse largely centered on professionals working from home. As the reporting substantiated the precarities revealed by the pandemic as social facts, it challenged presumptions that undergird neoliberal ideologies, though it remains to be seen whether journalism will discursively re-center neoliberal logics in the wake of the pandemic.
How journalists internalize news practices and why it matters
Authors: Ryfe David M.
Published: January 2022

Practice scholars of news production generally imagine news practices as symbolic resources that exist external to reporters and prior to reporters’ actions. This understanding has been incredibly productive for scholars, but it elides an important question. How do news practices actually get into reporters’ heads? The lack of answers to this question has created a persistent gap between the study of news practices and examination of reporters’ actions. In this essay, I build on recent advances in cognitive cultural sociology, especially the dual-process theory of social cognition, to offer an account of how reporters internalize culture. I argue that this account is especially helpful for analysis of situations in which what journalists can say about what they do is only loosely associated with what they do, or know how to do. In my estimation, such situations are increasingly common in journalism. A clearer understanding of processes of internalization will lead to more accurate assessments of reporters’ actions, especially in situations in which their words and their deeds are not aligned.
Intergenerational and ethnonational disparities in Hispanic immigrant self-employment
Authors: Mindes Samuel CH , Lewin Paul , Fisher Monica
Published: January 2022

Hispanics are important contributors to the self-employment sector. Their entrepreneurial activity varies by immigration status and ethnonational subgroup. We comparatively examine the self-employment of Hispanics who immigrated as adults, those who immigrated as children, and non-immigrants of four groups in the United States: Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Southern South Americans. We investigate intergenerational assimilation through self-employment into the three trajectories posited by segmented assimilation theory. We estimate regression models using a sample from the American Community Survey of Hispanics (n = 585,279) and US-born non-Hispanic Whites (n = 2,848,456). In a subsequent exploratory analysis, we estimate models for Hispanic origin and immigrant status groups to compare key predictors. We find that self-employment probabilities indicate distinct assimilation patterns for our origin groups. The exploratory analysis reveals different effects of important characteristics across groups. This work highlights the need for policies tailored toward the heterogeneity in Hispanics’ assimilation processes.
Domestic religion and the migrant home: The private, the diasporic and the public in the sacralization of Sikh dwellings in Italy
Authors: Bertolani Barbara , Boccagni Paolo
Published: January 2022

Migrants’ home, as a notion and a set of related experiences and locations across countries, is subject to an increasing research interest. Little of this, however, has looked at their ways to circulate and emplace religion, through portable beliefs, artifacts, and practices, as a form of home-making. Likewise, little of the debate on home and migration has explored the home, not just in terms of housing conditions or material cultures, but as an infrastructure for migrants to reproduce their collective identities through religion. We contribute to fill these research voids with a case study of “domestic religion” among Sikh immigrant families in Northern Italy. We specifically analyze the religious practices whereby some migrants, building on certain objects and ways to use the domestic space, turn ordinary dwellings into meaningful homes. Their ways to “sacralize” the home through temporary or permanent infrastructures of religiosity illuminate changing uses and meanings of home. Moreover, they reveal the critical interdependence between the home and the public and diasporic spheres of religion. This opens up a potentially very rich field for research on the lived experience of domestic space, showing how religion (re)shapes the home, and the home (re)shapes religion, across immigrant groups, and life course positions.
Generational cohorts versus national origin: Explaining the educational attainment among children of Latin American immigrants in Spain
Authors: Fierro Jaime , Parella Sònia , Güell Berta , Petroff Alisa
Published: January 2022

Over the last 25 years, Spain has experienced a significant increase of Latin American immigrants, which has raised questions about their children’s adaptation process. Yet, there is little evidence on the factors that explain school success or failure among this group. This paper aims to fill this gap by using data from the Longitudinal Study of the Second Generation in Spain (ILSEG is its Spanish acronym). The findings show that the children of Latin American immigrants are more likely to attain lower educational levels than the children of Spanish natives. However, concentrating on the national origin variable risks obscuring some underlying adaptive processes—associated with generational age cohorts—involved in differential educational outcomes among immigrant children. The data analyzed show that Latin American immigrant children born in Spain are likely to attain the same educational levels as their native Spanish peers. This finding highlights the importance of being raised in the host country in easing adaptation to the new society and the school system. The paper concludes with some policy suggestions in the field of education. Instead of treating all child migrants uniformly, public policies should address the specific needs of the target groups, emphasizing later arrivals.
Early Mobilization After Basal Joint Arthroplasty: Clinical Results
Authors: Stirton Jacob B. , Kagy Kristy L. , Mooney Megan L. , Jain Margaret K. , Skie Martin
Published: January 2022

Background: Traditional rehabilitation for basal joint arthroplasty involves postoperative immobilization. We hypothesize that early motion is safe and will result in equivalent clinical outcomes to traditional rehabilitation. Methods: Patients undergoing ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition were randomized into 2 rehabilitation protocols. All patients were immobilized postoperatively in a thumb-spica splint for 2 weeks. The accelerated group (Group 1) was transitioned into a removable Carpometacarpal (CMC)-wrap with activity as tolerated, while the traditional group (Group 2) were immobilized for an additional 4 weeks. Patients were examined preoperatively and at 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively. Outcome measures included the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score, a visual analog scale for pain (VAS), pinch and grip strength and thumb range of motion. Results: Ninety-three thumbs were randomized, 48 in group 1 and 45 in group 2. There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups preoperatively. DASH scores were significantly lower in the accelerated rehabilitation group at 6 weeks postoperatively compared to the traditional rehabilitation group, but these became equivalent by 12 weeks postoperatively. There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups with respect to postoperative VAS, key, pinch, or grip strength or thumb range of motion at all time points postoperatively. Conclusions: Early (12-week and 1-year) outcomes suggest early mobilization of patients following CMC arthroplasty does not compromise clinical results. Long-term data will determine the lasting effects of accelerated rehabilitation but may offer earlier return to function than traditional rehabilitation.
Concurrent Validity of PROMIS With DASH and DVPRS in Transhumeral Amputees
Authors: Sabharwal Samir , Skolasky Richard L. , Souza Jason M. , Potter Benjamin K. , Forsberg Jonathan A.
Published: January 2022

Background:

We sought to assess whether select domains of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) significantly correlate with the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) score and the Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS) among transhumeral amputees.

Methods:

We prospectively administered DASH, DVPRS, and PROMIS (including Upper Extremity, Pain Interference, and Pain Behavior domains) testing to patients presenting for consideration of osseointegration after transhumeral amputation. Concurrent validity was assessed via Pearson correlation testing.

Results:

The mean DASH score of the cohort was 32.8. The mean DVPRS score was 1.8. The mean PROMIS scores were 33.8, 50.5, and 50.6 for Upper Extremity, Pain Interference, and Pain Behavior domains, respectively. Pearson testing demonstrated a significant, inverse correlation between DASH and PROMIS Upper Extremity scores ( r = −0.85, P = .002). There was also significant correlation between DVPRS and PROMIS Pain Interference scores ( r = 0.69, P = .03). The PROMIS Pain Behavior domain did not significantly correlate with either DASH or DVPRS.

Conclusions:

Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Upper Extremity and Pain Interference scores demonstrated significant concurrent validity with traditional measures (DASH and DVPRS) of patient-reported outcome in our population of transhumeral amputees.
Correlation analysis of carotid plaque in young patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio and neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio
Authors: Wen Huijun , Yu Hai
Published: January 2022

Objective

Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) have been reported to be related to atherosclerosis. The relationship between PLR, NLR, and carotid atherosclerotic plaque in young patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes has not been clinically reported. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between PLR, NLR, and carotid plaques in young patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.

Method

The total 268 patients were divided into the intima-media–thickening (IMT) group (116 cases) and plaque group (152 cases). The plaque group was divided into grade I (62 cases), grade II (47 cases), and grade III groups (43 cases). The counts of platelets, neutrophils, and lymphocytes were determined.

Results

The diagnostic effect of PLR and NLR was evaluated by the receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC) and areas under the curve (AUC). The PLR and NLR values in the observation group were higher than those in the control group; these two values in the plaque group were also higher than those in the IMT group. The two values in the grade III plaque group were higher than those in grade II. The values in the grade II plaque group were also higher than those in the grade I plaque group. The ROC of PLR and NLR were 0.722 and 0.653, and the AUC of PLR and NLR were 111.086 and 2.240. PLR yielded a sensitivity of 0.789 and a specificity of 0.612. Neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio yielded a sensitivity of 0.809 and a specificity of 0.511.

Conclusion

The PLR and NLR may be related to carotid inflammation in patients and positively correlated with carotid plaque.
P-Rex2 mediation of synaptic plasticity contributes to bone cancer pain
Authors: Fu Qiaochu , Huang Xiaoxia , Wan Shengjun , Li Yang , Li Xiaohui , Su Shanchun , Xu Xueqin , Wu Yanqiong
Published: January 2022

Bone cancer pain (BCP) seriously affects the quality of life; however, due to its complex mechanism, the clinical treatment was unsatisfactory. Recent studies have showed several Rac-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) that affect development and structure of neuronal processes play a vital role in the regulation of chronic pain. P-Rex2 is one of GEFs that regulate spine density, and the present study was performed to examine the effect of P-Rex2 on the development of BCP. Tumor cells implantation induced the mechanical hyperalgesia, which was accompanied by an increase in spinal protein P-Rex2, phosphorylated Rac1 (p-Rac1) and phosphorylated GluR1 (p-GluR1), and number of spines. Intrathecal injection a P-Rex2-targeting RNAi lentivirus relieved BCP and reduced the expression of P-Rex2, p-Rac1, p-GluR1, and number of spines in the BCP mice. Meanwhile, P-Rex2 knockdown reversed BCP-enhanced AMPA receptor (AMPAR)-induced current in dorsal horn neurons. In summary, this study suggested that P-Rex2 regulated GluR1-containing AMPAR trafficking and spine morphology via Rac1/pGluR1 pathway is a fundamental pathogenesis of BCP. Our findings provide a better understanding of the function of P-Rex2 as a possible therapeutic target for relieving BCP.
An eye-tracking investigation of the cognitive processes involved in the comprehension of simple and complex communicative acts
Authors: Parola Alberto , Bosco Francesca M.
Published: January 2022

Indirect speech acts communicate more than their literal meaning, and their comprehension relies on the listener’s ability to draw the appropriate inferences in a given context. We used eye tracking to investigate the cognitive processing involved in the comprehension of simple (direct) and complex (unconventional indirect) communicative acts, a more general distinction that applies not only to sincere speech acts, but also to irony and deceit. We recorded the eye movements of 40 participants while they read 60 stories (20 sincere, 20 deceitful, 20 ironic) consisting of a context and a target answer. For each story, we created two different contexts so that the same identical target answer was a simple (direct) and a complex (unconventional indirect) communicative act, respectively. We also assessed the indirectness of simple and complex communicative acts, as well as participants’ working memory (WM) and theory of mind (ToM). Eye-pattern analysis showed that complex communicative acts were more difficult to understand than simple acts; differences between simple and complex acts held for all the pragmatic phenomena investigated, though processing differences were greater for sincere acts than for irony and deceit. We found a role of indirectness and ToM in the pragmatic processing of simple and complex acts, whereas the role of WM was modest. The present findings underscore the importance of adopting an encompassing theory that can account for different types of indirect speech acts, such as sincere, deceitful and ironic acts; they also suggest the importance of assessing individual differences in inferential and cognitive abilities.
The fruits of our labour: Interpersonal coordination generates commitment by signalling a willingness to adapt
Authors: McEllin Luke , Felber Annalena , Michael John
Published: January 2022

Countless everyday activities require us to coordinate our actions and decisions with others. Coordination not only enables us to achieve instrumental goals, but has also been shown to boost commitment, leading people to persevere with an interaction even when their motivation wavers. So far, little is known about the mechanism by which coordination generates commitment. To investigate this, we conducted two experiments that represented very different coordination problems: coordination of movement timing on a joint drumming task (Experiment 1) and coordination of decision-making on a joint object matching task (Experiment 2). In both experiments, the similarity of the participant and partner was manipulated by varying whether or not they had perceptual access to the participant’s workspace, and the participants’ attribution of (un)willingness to invest effort into the joint action by adapting was manipulated by varying whether or not the participant believed their partner had perceptual access. As a measure of commitment, we registered how much participants’ persisted on a boring and effortful task to earn points for their partners. Participants were significantly less committed to earning points for unadaptive partners than for adaptive partners, but only when they believed that their partner was unwilling to adapt rather than unable to adapt. This demonstrates that coordination can generate commitment insofar as it provides a cue that one’s partner is willing to invest effort to adapt for the good of the interaction. Moreover, we demonstrate that this effect generalises across different kinds of coordination.
Translating words into actions in working memory: The role of spatial-motoric coding
Authors: Li Guangzheng , Allen Richard J , Hitch Graham J , Baddeley Alan D
Published: January 2022

Research from a working memory perspective on the encoding and temporary maintenance of sequential instructions has established a consistent advantage for enacted over verbal recall. This is thought to reflect action planning for anticipated movements at the response phase. We describe five experiments investigating this, comparing verbal and enacted recall of a series of action–object pairings under different potentially disruptive concurrent task conditions, all requiring repetitive movements. A general advantage for enacted recall was observed across experiments, together with a tendency for concurrent action to impair sequence memory performance. The enacted recall advantage was reduced by concurrent action for both fine and gross concurrent movement with the degree of disruption influenced by both the complexity and the familiarity of the movement. The results are discussed in terms of an output buffer store of limited capacity capable of holding motoric plans for anticipated action.
Thrombectomy in basilar artery occlusion
Authors: Sommer Peter , Scharer Sebastian , Posekany Alexandra , Serles Wolfgang , Marko Martha , Langer Agnes , Fertl Elisabeth , Sykora Marek , Lang Wilfried , Dafert Sebastian , Seiringer Fiona , Kiechl Stefan , Knoflach Michael , Greisenegger Stefan
Published: January 2022

Background and Purpose:

The benefit of thrombectomy (TE) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in patients suffering basilar artery occlusion (BAO) is still unclear. Our aim was to analyze functional outcome after 3 months in BAO compared to anterior circulation large vessel occlusion (ACLVO) in a nationwide registry.

Methods:

Patients enrolled into the Austrian Endostroke Registry from 2013 to 2018 were analyzed. We used propensity score matching to control for imbalances and to compare patients with BAO and ACLVO. The primary outcome was favorable functional outcome after 3 months measured by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) (0–2). Multivariate models were applied to estimate the effect of localization (BAO vs ACLVO).

Results:

In total, 2288 patients underwent TE for AIS with proximal vessel occlusion, of these 267 with BAO. Two hundred and sixty-four patients with BAO were matched to 264 patients with ACLVO. Baseline characteristics were well-balanced. The 90-day mortality did not significantly differ between patients with BAO and ACLVO. In a multivariate logistic regression model, we did not detect a significant difference in functional outcome between BAO and ACLVO (odds ratio for favorable outcome defined as mRS = 0–2: 1.19; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.78–1.81; p = 0.42). In patients with an onset-to-door-time ⩾270 min, TE of BAO was associated with poor functional outcome defined as mRS 3–6 (odds ratio (OR) = 3.97; 95% CI = 1.32–11.94; p = 0.01) as compared to ACLVO.

Conclusion:

In this study, functional outcome did not differ after TE in patients with BAO and ACLVO overall; however, we detected an association of BAO with poor outcome in patients arriving late.
Beyond Distance: A Simple Qualitative Assessment of the Single-Leg Hop Test in Return-to-Play Testing
Authors: Di Paolo Stefano , Zaffagnini Stefano , Tosarelli Filippo , Grassi Alberto , Della Villa Francesco
Published: January 2022

Background:

Limb symmetry index in the single-leg hop (SLH) test has been questioned for its low predictive value in identifying secondary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. The purpose of this study was to describe a qualitative 2-dimensional (2D) scoring system for the assessment of the SLH test and associate it with the vertical ground-reaction forces (vGRF) and sagittal plane biomechanics evaluated through gold standard 3D motion analysis.

Hypothesis:

Stiff landings would be associated with low 2D scores.

Study Design:

Descriptive laboratory study.

Level of Evidence:

Level 4.

Methods:

Thirty-four competitive football (soccer) players (age 22.8 ± 4.1 years, 16 women) were enrolled. Each athlete performed a series of SLH tests. Three-dimensional motion analysis was recorded using 10 stereophotogrammetric cameras, a force platform, and 3 high-speed cameras. The 2D qualitative assessment was performed through a scoring system based on the video-analysis of sagittal plane joint kinematics. A score of 0/2 (inadequate), 1/2 (partially adequate), or 2/2 (adequate) was attributed to the movement, based on objective measurements. The vGRF was extracted from the force platform and grouped according to the results of the 2D evaluation.

Results:

Significantly higher vGRF (stiffer landing) was found for athletes obtaining a 0/2 score compared with those obtaining a 2/2 score (up to 0.8 body weight higher, P < 0.01). A significant negative rank correlation was found between the vGRF and the total score (ρ = −0.17, P = 0.03).

Conclusion:

The qualitative scoring system effectively identified stiff landings in the SLH for distance test.

Clinical Relevance:

The qualitative scoring system could be a user-friendly standardized method to assess athletes’ movement quality in return to sport clearance decision after ACL injury.
The Sharp Spikes of Poverty: Financial Scarcity Is Related to Higher Levels of Distress Intensity in Daily Life
Authors: Jachimowicz Jon M. , Frey Erin L. , Matz Sandra C. , Jeronimus Bertus F. , Galinsky Adam D.
Published: January 2022

Although income is an important predictor of life satisfaction, the precise forces that drive this relationship remain unclear. We propose that financial resources afford individuals a path to reducing the distressing impact of everyday hassles, thereby increasing one’s life satisfaction. More specifically, we hypothesize that financial scarcity is associated with greater distress intensity in everyday life. Furthermore, we propose that lower perceived control helps explain why financial scarcity predicts higher distress intensity and lower life satisfaction. We provide evidence for these hypotheses in a 30-day daily diary study (522 participants, 13,733 observations). A second study ( N = 376) further suggests that, although everyone relies on social support to ease stress, financial scarcity shrinks the sense one can use economic resources to reduce the adverse impact of daily hassles. Although money may not necessarily buy happiness, it reduces the intensity of stressors experienced in daily life—and thereby increases life satisfaction.
Clinical features of eczema and dermatitis in the elderly: A cross-sectional study in mainland China
Authors: Wang Xin , Li Lin-Feng
Published: January 2022

Purpose: The clinical features of eczema and dermatitis in the elderly have not been fully studied. To investigate the proportion and clinical features of geriatric eczema patients in mainland China.

Patients and methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study conducted in outpatients with eczema from 39 tertiary hospitals in 15 provinces.

Results: 1128 elderly patients (12.88%) had eczema and dermatitis. The mean age of those was 68.2 ± 6.8 years (range, 60–90 years) with a median course of 5.5 ± 8.9 years, which is much longer than that of non-geriatric patients (2.6 ± 4.1 years, p < 0.001). Compared to non-geriatric patients, more patients involved in extremities (76.2% vs 61.5%, p < 0.001) and trunk (37.2% vs 26.4%, p < 0.001), but less in head and neck (18.3% vs 30.4%, p < 0.001; 25.3% vs 20.6%, p < 0.001). 13.4% of eczema and dermatitis in the elderly was widespread, which is much higher than that of 8% in non-geriatric group (13.4% vs 8%, p < 0.001). 22.9% of geriatric eczema patients reported severe itching, which is much higher than that of 14% in counterparts (22.9% vs 14%, p < 0.001). A positive correlation was observed between age and severe itching (Spearman’s rank correlation test, p < 0.001). More geriatric patients had xerosis (39.6% vs 30.4%, p < 0.001) and more lichenification was found (25.6% vs 13.3%, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: More than 10% of eczema occurs in the elderly patients. Longer disease duration, more severe itching, more extremities and trunk involvement, and prone to widespread, xerosis, and lichenification make it a special entity which should be studied further.
Short-term Effects of Listening to Music on Breathing and Emotional Affect in People Suffering From Chronic Lung Diseases
Authors: Frischen Ulrike , Bullack Antje , Roden Ingo , Kreutz Gunter
Published: January 2022

Chronic lung diseases (CLD) are often associated with abnormal, ineffective breathing patterns. Some studies already suggest that nonpharmacological interventions can have positive effects on symptoms related to CLD. However, in the current state of research there is a lack of studies investigating the influence of music listening on breathing rate and oxygen saturation in people affected by CLD. In the present study, we conducted two quasi-experiments to investigate the immediate effects of attentive music listening and music listening combined with a breathing instruction on breathing rate, oxygen saturation, and emotional affect in people affected by CLD and healthy controls. In total, we recruited 58 participants affected by CLD and healthy controls. Participants with CLD and healthy controls were either quasi-randomized to a music-oriented instruction (Experiment 1) or to a breathing-related instruction (Experiment 2). In both experiments we measured physiological measures and emotional affect during a baseline measurement (silence) and during one “relaxing” and one “activating” piece of music. We conducted 3 × 2 repeated measures analyses of variances with condition (baseline/relaxing music/activating music) on the first and group (with/without CLD) on the second factor for both experiments. The results of the experiments suggest that there is no immediate effect of music listening on breathing related outcomes irrespective of the instruction of participants. Moreover, we found some indication that the disease severity might influence the processing of the music. Future studies could investigate whether music listening as a long-term intervention can lead to more promising results in relation to improved breathing.
Early Weight Bearing after Distal Femur Fracture Fixation
Authors: Striano Brendan M. , Grisdela Phillip T. , Shapira Shay , Heng Marilyn
Published: January 2022

Objectives

To assess outcomes following early weight bearing after distal femur fracture fixation with locked lateral plating.

Design

Retrospective cohort study

Setting

Two Level 1 Academic Trauma Centers.

Patients/Participants

Patients 18 years and older with distal femur fractures treated with locked lateral plating

Intervention

Early full weight bearing (defined as less than 30 days from date of surgery) versus restricted post-operative weight bearing

Main Outcome Measurements

Composite complication comprising malunion, nonunion, surgical site infection, re-admission, or death

Results

270 distal femur fractures were reviewed, with 165 meeting inclusion criteria. 21 patients had been allowed early full weight bearing. Fractures were divided into two groups based on when full weight bearing was allowed post-operatively. The two groups had similar fractures as determined by the distribution of AO distal femur fracture and Su periprosthetic femur fracture classifications. The early weight bearing group was significantly older and more comorbid. Despite being older, more comorbid, and allowed early full weight bearing on their fracture fixation construct, there was no difference in the rate of composite complications between groups.

Conclusion

Our data contributes to the small, but growing body of literature that has found no increased rate of fracture related complications in surgically treated distal femur fractures allowed early post-operative weight bearing.

Level of Evidence

Therapeutic Level III Study.
Comparing the Growth and Predictive Performance of a Traditional Oral Reading Fluency Measure With an Experimental Novel Measure
Authors: Nese Joseph F. T.
Published: January 2022

Curriculum-based measurement of oral reading fluency (CBM-R) is used as an indicator of reading proficiency, and to measure at risk students’ response to reading interventions to help ensure effective instruction. The purpose of this study was to compare model-based words read correctly per minute (WCPM) scores (computerized oral reading evaluation [CORE]) with Traditional CBM-R WCPM scores to determine which provides more reliable growth estimates and demonstrates better predictive performance of reading comprehension and state reading test scores. Results indicated that in general, CORE had better (a) within-growth properties (smaller SDs of slope estimates and higher reliability), and (b) predictive performance (lower root mean square error, and higher R2, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve values). These results suggest increased measurement precision for the model-based CORE scores compared with Traditional CBM-R, providing preliminary evidence that CORE can be used for consequential assessment.
Development and Implementation of a Reflective Writing Assignment for Undergraduate Students in a Large Public Health Biology Course
Authors: Ezezika Obidimma , Johnston Nancy
Published: January 2022

Reflective writing may be undervalued as purely expressive rather than a critical or an academic tool in undergraduate public health biology courses. When grounded in course concepts and academic learning, a reflective essay can be a learning tool for students that helps them use discipline knowledge and apply it to real-world issues. Studies on teaching reflection have identified its value for training students in critical thinking and improving self-regulated learning. Considering Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle framework, in this article, we detail the design, implementation, and evaluation of a reflective writing assignment integrated into a lower-year undergraduate public health biology course. Through the design and implementation of the reflective writing assignment, four key lessons are drawn. First, reflective writing assignments facilitate learning and course enjoyment. Second, writing workshops improve the quality of reflective writing assignments. Third, a detailed grading rubric clarifies expectations for students and creates consistency in grading. Fourth, reflective writing assignments can help teachers effectively evaluate how students apply the knowledge gained from the course to promote personal and community health. By implementing the reflective assignment, we have created a narrative on how reflective writing could maximize learning in public health pedagogy and provided recommendations and lessons for course designers and instructors to consider in light of Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle framework.
Anomalous human activity fluctuations from digital trace data signal flood inundation status
Authors: Farahmand Hamed , Wang Wanqiu , Mostafavi Ali , Maron Mikel
Published: January 2022

The emergence of mobile platforms equipped with Global Positioning System technology enables real-time data collection affording opportunities for mining data applicable to rapid flood inundation assessment. The collected data can be employed to complement existing methods for rapid flood inundation assessment, such as remote sensing, to enhance situational awareness. In particular, telemetry-based digital trace data related to human activity have intrinsic advantages to be used for inundation assessment. In this study, we investigate the use of Mapbox telemetry data, which provides human activity indices with high spatial and temporal resolutions, for application in rapid flood inundation assessment. Using data from Hurricane Harvey in 2017 in Harris County, Texas, we (1) study anomalous fluctuations in human activities and analyze the differences in activity level between inundated and non-inundated areas and (2) investigate changes in the concentration of human activity, to explore the disruption of human activity as an indicator of flood inundation. Results show that both analyses can provide valuable rapid insights regarding flood inundation status. Anomalous activities can be significantly higher/lower in flooded areas compared with non-flooded areas. Also, the concentration of human activity during the flood propagation period across affected watersheds can be observed. This study contributes to the state of knowledge in smart flood resilience by investigating the application of ubiquitous telemetry-based digital trace data to enhance rapid flood inundation assessment. Accordingly, the use of such digital trace data could provide emergency managers and public officials with valuable insights to inform impact evaluation and response actions.
Investigating configurational and active centralities: The example of metropolitan Copenhagen
Authors: Andrakakou Maria , Keßler Carsten
Published: January 2022

Identifying centralities in cities helps determine how public space is perceived and utilized in everyday life. Sustainable mobility, social sustainability and spatial justice can be examined by investigating centralities in the urban form. In this study, we investigate configurational centralities in metropolitan Copenhagen created by the road network based on space syntax analysis and active centralities of land-use patterns with a geographical approach. The purpose of the research is to present a reproducible methodology for determining the active and configurational centralities. Using this methodology, we explore the meaning of the centralities in terms of pedestrian and cyclist accessibility, as well as the role of the configurational centralities in shaping land-use patterns. The results serve as input to an analysis of their relation through Kernel Density Correlation and spatial correlation. The results of correlations indicate that areas close to the city centre and around the Finger Plan – Copenhagen’s strategic development plan – tend to be more central and favourable for pedestrians and cyclists. On the contrary, central areas far from the city centre, especially in Northern Copenhagen, and areas between the axes of the Finger Plan are more car-oriented since centralities are dispersed and located around highways or road segments designed for cars. The workflow presented in this paper is provided as a set of open-source R scripts that draw largely on data from OpenStreetMap, thus enabling replications of the study for other cities.
Charting the past and possible futures of planning support systems: Results of a citation network analysis
Authors: Daniel Claire , Pettit Christopher
Published: January 2022

Recent years have seen a renewed interest in the possibilities of digital technology to assist with urban planning, spurred by increased digitisation of planning work, and ever improving data availability and processing capabilities. Hidden behind recent developments is over 30 years of research and development by scholars in the field of Planning Support Systems (PSS), although to date there have been few attempts to systematically characterise their output or achievements. This paper reports on the results of a citation network analysis (CNA) on the PSS literature contained within the Scopus database, a systematic method to describe the overall structure of the field, mapping out of key research streams and how they change over time. The analysis reveals 27 distinct research streams under four themes, split between technical and applied research. There is strong evidence of a field still clearly defined by its roots in comprehensive software systems used for scenario and land use planning although shifting over time from a focus on the development of modelling techniques to applied research and case studies in the use of applications. Research output has remained steady in the context of exponential growth in related literature including smart cities, urban science and urban analytics. These findings support calls for a refreshed approach to the field as planning support science and the map produced by this analysis provides a valuable framework to navigate past research efforts to inform a new era of digital planning efforts.
Spatial and functional organizations of industrial agglomerations in China’s Greater Bay Area
Authors: Yu Zidong , Zu Jinyan , Xu Yang , Chen Yimin , Liu Xintao
Published: January 2022

Industrial agglomeration is a concentration phenomenon of economic activities in cities. In recent years, the geographic and functional structures of industries are constantly changing due to global industrialization and regional urbanization. Thus far, a scarcity of research has investigated spatial-functional organizations of sectoral industries in urbanized megaregions. By using points of interest (POIs) data collected in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), this paper seeks to portray the spatial extent of industrial agglomerations and to label their functional characteristics. A kernel density function is first applied to measure the spatial extent of industrial agglomerations. Next, we explore the industrial functions by implementing a semantic-based information retrieval to label the functional characteristics of industrial agglomerations via words that are tokenized from POI registered names. The empirical results suggest that the concentrations of industrial activities are strongly heterogeneous across different economic sectors, revealing that agglomerations across the GBA can provide a variety types of industrial products and services. Concerning manufacturing industries, the present analysis further confirms the existence of both specialization and diversification agglomerations along with far distinct spatial characteristics. This research supplements empirical evidence and provides novel insights into the geographical and functional organizations of economic activities regarding one of the largest urban megaregions in the world. The implications that are related to megaregional economic collaboration and development are discussed.
PI3Kδ/γ inhibition promotes human CART cell epigenetic and metabolic reprogramming to enhance antitumor cytotoxicity
Authors: Funk Christopher Ronald , Wang Shuhua , Chen Kevin Z. , Waller Alexandra , Sharma Aditi , Edgar Claudia L. , Gupta Vikas A. , Chandrakasan Shanmuganathan , Zoine Jaquelyn T. , Fedanov Andrew , Raikar Sunil S. , Koff Jean L. , Flowers Christopher R. , Coma Silvia , Pachter Jonathan A. , Ravindranathan Sruthi , Spencer H. Trent , Shanmugam Mala , Waller Edmund K.
Published: January 2022

Current limitations in using chimeric antigen receptor T(CART) cells to treat patients with hematological cancers include limited expansion and persistence in vivo that contribute to cancer relapse. Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) have terminally differentiated T cells with an exhausted phenotype and experience low complete response rates after autologous CART therapy. Because PI3K inhibitor therapy is associated with the development of T-cell–mediated autoimmunity, we studied the effects of inhibiting the PI3Kδ and PI3Kγ isoforms during the manufacture of CART cells prepared from patients with CLL. Dual PI3Kδ/γ inhibition normalized CD4/CD8 ratios and maximized the number of CD8+ T-stem cell memory, naive, and central memory T-cells with dose-dependent decreases in expression of the TIM-3 exhaustion marker. CART cells manufactured with duvelisib (Duv-CART cells) showed significantly increased in vitro cytotoxicity against CD19+ CLL targets caused by increased frequencies of CD8+ CART cells. Duv-CART cells had increased expression of the mitochondrial fusion protein MFN2, with an associated increase in the relative content of mitochondria. Duv-CART cells exhibited increased SIRT1 and TCF1/7 expression, which correlated with epigenetic reprograming of Duv-CART cells toward stem-like properties. After transfer to NOG mice engrafted with a human CLL cell line, Duv-CART cells expressing either a CD28 or 41BB costimulatory domain demonstrated significantly increased in vivo expansion of CD8+ CART cells, faster elimination of CLL, and longer persistence. Duv-CART cells significantly enhanced survival of CLL-bearing mice compared with conventionally manufactured CART cells. In summary, exposure of CART to a PI3Kδ/γ inhibitor during manufacturing enriched the CART product for CD8+ CART cells with stem-like qualities and enhanced efficacy in eliminating CLL in vivo.
IRF8 is a transcriptional activator of CD37 expression in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
Authors: Elfrink Suraya , ter Beest Martin , Janssen Luuk , Baltissen Marijke P. , Jansen Pascal W. T. C. , Kenyon Angelique N. , Steen Raymond M. , de Windt Daynelys , Hagemann Philipp M. , Hess Corine , van Spronsen Dick-Johan , Hoevenaars Brigiet , van der Spek Ellen , Xu-Monette Zijun Y. , Young Ken H. , Kaffa Charlotte , Bervoets Sander , van Heek Jolien , Hesius Eva , de Winde Charlotte M. , Vermeulen Michiel , van den Brand Michiel , Scheijen Blanca , van Spriel Annemiek B.
Published: January 2022

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) represents the most common form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) that is still incurable in a large fraction of patients. Tetraspanin CD37 is highly expressed on mature B lymphocytes, and multiple CD37-targeting therapies are under clinical development for NHL. However, CD37 expression is nondetectable in ∼50% of DLBCL patients, which correlates with inferior treatment outcome, but the underlying mechanisms for differential CD37 expression in DLBCL are still unknown. Here, we investigated the regulation of the CD37 gene in human DLBCL at the (epi-)genetic and transcriptional level. No differences were observed in DNA methylation within the CD37 promoter region between CD37-positive and CD37-negative primary DLBCL patient samples. On the contrary, CD37-negative DLBCL cells specifically lacked CD37 promoter activity, suggesting differential regulation of CD37 gene expression. Using an unbiased quantitative proteomic approach, we identified transcription factor IRF8 to be significantly higher expressed in nuclear extracts of CD37-positive as compared with CD37-negative DLBCL. Direct binding of IRF8 to the CD37 promoter region was confirmed by DNA pulldown assay combined with mass spectrometry and targeted chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Functional analysis indicated that IRF8 overexpression enhanced CD37 protein expression, while CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of IRF8 decreased CD37 levels in DLBCL cell lines. Immunohistochemical analysis in a large cohort of primary DLBCL (n = 206) revealed a significant correlation of IRF8 expression with detectable CD37 levels. Together, this study provides new insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying differential CD37 expression in human DLBCL and reveals IRF8 as a transcriptional regulator of CD37 in B-cell lymphoma.
Differential impact of tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors on thrombin generation: the prospective HEMOBREAST cohort
Authors: Blondon Marc , Bodmer Alexandre , Thouvenin Laure , Lecompte Thomas , Righini Marc , Fontana Pierre , Casini Alessandro
Published: January 2022

Tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are potent antitumoral agents against breast cancer. Tamoxifen increases the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), but the influence of AIs on the risk of VTE remains unclear. To inform clinical decisions, we evaluated associations of tamoxifen or AIs with changes of surrogate hemostatic biomarkers. This prospective cohort included 107 women with localized breast cancer starting tamoxifen (n = 42) or an AI (n = 65). Thrombin generation (CAT) its sensitivity to thrombomodulin (TM) or activated protein C (APC), and specific coagulation parameters, were measured before and 10-16 weeks after initiation of treatmen Compared with baseline, endogenous thrombin potential and thrombin peak increased in tamoxifen users (+86 nM × min; 95% confidence interval [CI], 30-142; and +33 nM; 95% CI, 21-45) but not in AI users (n = 65; +44 nM × min; 95% CI, −4 to 93; and +7 nM; 95% CI, −3 to 17). Normalized TM sensitivity ratios increased with tamoxifen (+0.26; 95% CI, 0.19-0.33y) but not with AI (+0.02; 95% CI, −0.03 to 0.07). Plasma levels of fibrinogen, antithrombin, protein C, and Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor decreased, and free protein S increased with tamoxifen but not with AIs. The observed shift toward increased coagulability associated with tamoxifen is in line with its known increased risk of VTE. In contrast, AIs do not appear to impact hemostasis, suggesting a lack of associated VTE risk. The trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT03381963.
Forskolin-induced organoid swelling is associated with long-term cystic fibrosis disease progression
Authors: Muilwijk Danya , de Poel Eyleen , van Mourik Peter , Suen Sylvia W.F. , Vonk Annelotte M. , Brunsveld Jesse E. , Kruisselbrink Evelien , Oppelaar Hugo , Hagemeijer Marne C. , Berkers Gitte , de Winter-de Groot Karin M. , Heida-Michel Sabine , Jans Stephan R. , van Panhuis Hannah , van der Eerden Menno M. , van der Meer Renske , Roukema Jolt , Dompeling Edward , Weersink Els J.M. , Koppelman Gerard H. , Vries Robert , Zomer-van Ommen Domenique D. , Eijkemans Marinus J.C. , van der Ent Cornelis K. , Beekman Jeffrey M.
Published: January 2022

Rationale

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a monogenic life-shortening disease associated with highly variable individual disease progression which is difficult to predict. Here we assessed the association of forskolin-induced swelling (FIS) of patient-derived organoids with long-term CF disease progression in multiple organs and compared FIS with the golden standard biomarker sweat chloride concentration (SCC).

Methods

We retrieved 9-year longitudinal clinical data from the Dutch CF Registry of 173 people with mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. Individual CFTR function was defined by FIS, measured as the relative size increase of intestinal organoids after stimulation with 0.8 µM forskolin, quantified as area under the curve (AUC). We used linear mixed-effect models and multivariable logistic regression to estimate the association of FIS with long-term forced expiratory volume in 1 s % predicted (FEV1pp) decline and development of pancreatic insufficiency, CF-related liver disease and diabetes. Within these models, FIS was compared with SCC.

Results

FIS was strongly associated with longitudinal changes of lung function, with an estimated difference in annual FEV1pp decline of 0.32% (95% CI 0.11–0.54%; p=0.004) per 1000-point change in AUC. Moreover, increasing FIS levels were associated with lower odds of developing pancreatic insufficiency (adjusted OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.07–0.46; p<0.001), CF-related liver disease (adjusted OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.06–0.54; p=0.002) and diabetes (adjusted OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.12–0.97; p=0.044). These associations were absent for SCC.

Conclusion

This study exemplifies the prognostic value of a patient-derived organoid-based biomarker within a clinical setting, which is especially important for people carrying rareCFTRmutations with unclear clinical consequences.