bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Online exam proctoring technologies: Educational innovation or deterioration?
Authors: Lee Kyungmee , Fanguy Mik
Published: January 2022

During the coronavirus disease‐2019 (Covid‐19) pandemic, many universities have adopted online exam proctoring technologies to monitor and control an increasing number of student cheating incidents. Although it looks like a natural and effective solution for a fair assessment of student online learning performance, the authors argue that proctoring technologies are rooted in problematic assumptions about educational fairness and authoritarian pedagogical approaches. The authors have conducted a qualitative case study in a large‐sized, top‐tier university in South Korea to investigate the negative impacts of adopting proctoring technologies on student subjectivities, pedagogical relationships and educational outcomes, which have not been fully discussed in previous studies. By utilising Foucault's theorisation of disciplinary governmentality, the authors effectively demonstrate that the binary subjectification of students as cheaters and the cheated has degraded the value of student engagement in university education whilst creating more competitive and distrusting relationships amongst students and between students and teachers. Nevertheless, without challenging the unethical consequences of online proctoring technologies or fundamentally unfair social and educational systems, students willingly accept and adopt them as docile bodies, which has led to educational deterioration rather than innovation.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

There is an increasing number of online exam proctoring technologies available with advanced technical features.

During the coronavirus disease‐2019 (Covid‐19) pandemic, many universities have adopted online exam proctoring technologies with exam‐related policies and regulations to stop student cheating behaviours.

Previous studies have discussed both advantages and disadvantages of adopting online exam proctoring technologies, including specific ethical concerns.

What this paper adds

Online exam proctoring technologies are deeply rooted in problematic educational approaches such as teacher‐centred knowledge transmission.

The adoption of online exam proctoring technologies has produced negative impacts on student subjectivities, pedagogical relationships and educational outcomes.

Focusing on student cheating as an individual and interpersonal problem neglects the more fundamental issue of social and educational inequality.

Implications for practice and/or policy

The negative consequences and damages created by the adoption of online exams and online exam proctoring technologies need to be carefully reflected.

The notion of academic fairness needs to be approached with a broader perspective, considering the different social and academic circumstances each student is in.

It is essential to critically engage students with the broader conversation about educational fairness to develop them as critical thinkers and future leaders in their chosen fields.
Circ_0002623 promotes bladder cancer progression by regulating the miR‐1276/SMAD2 axis
Authors: Zhang Zhaocun , Zhao Haifeng , Zhou Guanwen , Han Ruoyan , Sun Zhuang , Zhong Minglei , Jiang Xianzhou
Published: January 2022

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are key regulatory factors in the development of multiple cancers. This study is targeted at exploring the effect of circ_0002623 on bladder cancer (BCa) progression and its mechanism. Circ_0002623 was screened out by analyzing the expression profile of circRNAs in BCa tissues. Circ_0002623, miR‐1276, and SMAD2 mRNA expression levels in clinical sample tissues and cell lines were detected through quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). After circ_0002623 had been overexpressed or silenced in BCa cells, the cell proliferation, migration, and cell cycle were evaluated by CCK‐8, BrdU, Transwell assay, and flow cytometry. Tumor xenograft model was used to validate the biological function of circ_0002623 in vivo. Bioinformatics analysis and dual‐luciferase reporter gene assay were conducted for analyzing and confirming, respectively, the targeted relationship between circ_0002623 and miR‐1276, as well as between miR‐1276 and SMAD2. The regulatory effects of circ_0002623 and miR‐1276 on the expression levels of TGF‐β, WNT1, and SMAD2 in BCa cells were detected by Western blot. We reported that, in BCa tissues and cell lines, circ_0002623 was upregulated, whereas miR‐1276 was downregulated. Circ_0002623 positively regulated BCa cell proliferation, migration, and cell cycle progression. Additionally, circ_0002623 could competitively bind with miR‐1276 to increase the expression of SMAD2, the target gene of miR‐1276. Furthermore, circ_0002623 could regulate the expression of TGF‐β and WNT1 via modulating miR‐1276 and SMAD2. This study helps to better understand the molecular mechanism underlying BCa progression.
Tumour genotypes account for survival differences in right‐ and left‐sided colon cancers
Authors: Ward Thomas M. , Cauley Christy E. , Stafford Caitlin E. , Goldstone Robert N. , Bordeianou Liliana G. , Kunitake Hiroko , Berger David L. , Ricciardi Rocco
Published: January 2022

Aim

We sought to identify genetic differences between right‐ and left‐sided colon cancers and using these differences explain lower survival in right‐sided cancers.

Method

A retrospective review of patients diagnosed with colon cancer was performed using The Cancer Genome Atlas, a cancer genetics registry with patient and tumour data from 20 North American institutions. The primary outcome was 5‐year overall survival. Predictors for survival were identified using directed acyclic graphs and Cox proportional hazards models.

Results

A total of 206 right‐ and 214 left‐sided colon cancer patients with 84 recorded deaths were identified. The frequency of mutated alleles differed significantly in 12 of 25 genes between right‐ and left‐sided tumours. Right‐sided tumours had worse survival with a hazard ratio of 1.71 (95% confidence interval 1.10–2.64, P = 0.017). The total effect of the genetic loci on survival showed five genes had a sizeable effect on survival: DNAH5, MUC16, NEB, SMAD4, and USH2A. Lasso‐penalized Cox regression selected 13 variables for the highest‐performing model, which included cancer stage, positive resection margin, and mutated alleles at nine genes: MUC16, USH2A, SMAD4, SYNE1, FLG, NEB, TTN, OBSCN, and DNAH5. Post‐selection inference demonstrated that mutations in MUC16 (P = 0.01) and DNAH5 (P = 0.02) were particularly predictive of 5‐year overall survival.

Conclusions

Our study showed that genetic mutations may explain survival differences between tumour sites. Further studies on larger patient populations may identify other genes, which could form the foundation for more precise prognostication and treatment decisions beyond current rudimentary TNM staging.
Development of a New Learning Progression Verification Method based on the Hierarchical Diagnostic Classification Model: Taking Grade 5 Students’ Fractional Operations as an Example
Authors: Yuan Lu , Liu Yanlou , Chen Ping , Xin Tao
Published: January 2022

Learning progressions can reflect students’ continuous in‐depth thinking development paths, and their establishment is an iterative process from the construction of hypothetical learning progressions to the verification of that hypotheses. Considering the limitations of the existing verification method of learning progressions based on a rule space model, this study put forward a new validating method based on the hierarchical diagnostic classification model (HDCM) and developed a learning progression with grade 5 students’ fraction operations as an example. An expert group first abstracted the attributes and then developed a hypothesized learning progression. Next, the HDCM was used to analyze the test data collected from 817 fifth‐grade students, followed by the revision of the learning progression hypothesis. Results showed that (1) the fractional operations involved five attributes: basic operation (A1), reduction of a fraction (A2), changing fractions to a common denominator (A3), split with mix number (A4), and borrowing (A5); (2) the constructed learning progression featured four levels: Level 1 with A1, Level 2 with both A1 and A2, Level 3 with the first four attributes, and Level 4 with all five attributes.
Concurrent randomized control trials of the 1‐year efficacy of two couple relationship education programs: ELEVATE and Couples Connecting Mindfully
Authors: Adler‐Baeder Francesca , McGill Julianne , Dede Yildirim Elif , Gregson Kimberly , Cooper Erin , Burke Leah , Finnegan Vanessa , Jackel Roberta
Published: January 2022

A long‐standing university‐community partnership used a longitudinal randomized control trial to implement and evaluate two couple relationship education (CRE) curricula, ELEVATE and Couples Connecting Mindfully (CCM), among an economically and racially diverse population of adult couples. Married and non‐married couples (n = 929 couples) completed baseline surveys and were randomly assigned to either one of the two program groups or to the control group by implementation site. Follow‐up surveys were collected at 2 months, 6 months, and 1 year after baseline. Using an intent‐to‐treat approach, growth curve modeling comparisons of trajectories indicated program effects at 1 year post‐baseline in key outcome areas. Both the ELEVATE and the CCM group reported significant gains in couple relationship skills, couple quality, and family harmony over time compared to the control group that experienced either no change or declines. Further, the ELEVATE group also demonstrated positive program effects on measures of mental health and sleep quality. An assessment of the central premise of CRE indicated that the immediate post‐program improvements in couple relationship skills predicted later couple quality for both program groups. This study indicates that both ELEVATE and CCM can be considered evidence‐based CRE programs for use with a broad population of couples.
Inhibition MNK‐eIF4E‐β‐catenin preferentially sensitizes gastric cancer to chemotherapy
Authors: Yang Xiaolin , Liu Zhenyang , Yin Xianli , Zeng Yidong , Guo Geyang
Published: January 2022

Aberrant activation of eIF4E contributes to gastric cancer growth and resistance. MAPK‐interacting kinases (MNKs) regulate eIF4E phosphorylation and activity in tumor but not normal cells and are potentially safe targets for the treatment of various cancers. Our work reveals that tomivosertib, a potent and highly selective dual MNK1/2 inhibitor, preferentially sensitizes gastric cancer to chemotherapy via suppressing MNK‐eIF4E‐β‐catenin. We firstly demonstrate that tomivosertib displays higher efficacy than other MNK inhibitors in inhibiting gastric cancer cells. In addition, tomivosertib significantly augments the inhibitory effects of 5‐FU and paclitaxel but not everolimus, suggesting that tomivosertib preferentially sensitizes gastric cancer to chemotherapy. We next show that eIF4E overexpression and phosphorylation coordinately regulate β‐catenin signaling in gastric cancer. Rescue studies confirm that tomivosertib inhibits gastric cancer via targeting MNK‐ eIF4E‐β‐catenin. Finally, we demonstrate that the in vitro functional and mechanism observations are translatable to in vivo gastric cancer model in mice. Tomivosertib is now in Phase 2 clinical trials. Our study provides preclinical evidence to initialize clinical trials for gastric cancer using tomivosertib in combination with chemotherapy.
Towards online delivery of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy: A scoping review
Authors: Lakeman Richard , King Peter , Hurley John , Tranter Richard , Leggett Andrew , Campbell Katrina , Herrera Claudia
Published: January 2022

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) programmes are often the only available treatment for people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and were rapidly converted to online delivery during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Limited research exists surrounding how the major elements of DBT are delivered in an online environment. This scoping review considered the operationalization of online delivery of DBT and its effectiveness. EBSCO host databases were searched using free text. Of 127 papers, 11 studies from 2010 to 2021 investigating online DBT for any clinical population were included in the review. A narrative synthesis of papers selected was undertaken. Seven articles reported results from five clinical trials (n = 437). Most adaptations mirrored face‐to‐face programmes although there was considerable variation in how therapy was facilitated. Attendance was reported to be greater online with comparable clinical improvements to face‐to‐face for those who remained in therapy. Additional challenges included managing risk, therapist preparedness and technology difficulties. Online delivery of DBT programmes is feasible and may be more accessible, acceptable and as safe and effective as face‐to‐face delivery. However, mirroring face to face delivery in an online environment may not be the most effective and efficient way to adapt DBT to online provision. Research is needed to identify areas which require further adaptation.
High‐quality ternary relaxor ferroelectric thin films on Si substrates by pulsed laser deposition method
Authors: Wang Jiasheng , Li Zihao , Zhang Mengyuan , Zhou Lechao , Jiang Xianyao , Duan Zhihua , Wang Feifei , Wang Tao , Tang Yanxue , Zhou Helezi , Zhao Xiangyong
Published: January 2022

In this work, ternary relaxor ferroelectric thin films 0.5mol% Mn‐doped 0.36Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3‐0.36Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3‐0.28PbTiO3 (Mn‐PIMNT) with high Curie point were grown on the Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate with the addition of La0.6Sr0.4CoO3 (LSCO) as a buffer layer. The phase and domain structure, nanoscale piezoelectric response, and macroscopic ferroelectric, dielectric, pyroelectric properties of Mn‐PIMNT thin films were studied. Both the crystalline quality and the crystallographic orientation exhibited strong temperature dependence within the substrate temperature of 450–580°C. Under the optimized temperature of 530°C, the Mn‐PIMNT thin film exhibited excellent global electrical properties with remnant polarization Pr∼35.6 μC/cm2, coercive field Ec∼5.1 kV/mm, dielectric constant ∼3360, and relatively low dielectric loss tanδ∼0.03. It was further found that the pyroelectric coefficient of the Si‐substrated Mn‐PIMNT thin film reached 6.7 × 10−4 C/m2·K. The optimized ferroelectric thin films Mn‐PIMNT on Si substrate with excellent temperature stability show great potential in integrated microelectromechanical systems.
Standardized wild apple fruit extract as a bioactive agent in dermocosmetic products for efficacy skin hydration—In vitro and in vivo evaluation
Authors: Stojiljković Dragana , Nešić Ivana , Tadić Vanja , Najman Stevo , Stojanović Sanja
Published: January 2022

Background

Wild apple fruit is rich source of bioactive substances, which can be potentially used for a production of dermocosmetic products.

Aim

The aim of study was in vitro and in vivo investigation of standardized wild apple fruit extracts (obtained by purified water and maceration‐EM, percolation‐EP, Soxhlet extraction‐ES and ultrasonic extraction‐EU) and dermocosmetic creams of o/w type containing 6%, 12%, and 15% of extract EU, as extract with the best content of polyphenolic compounds (CE6, CE12, and CE15, respectively), in order to determine the optimal concentration of the extract, which manifests the best effect on the biophysical characteristics of the skin after application.

Methods

Content of polyphenolic substances‐PP was investigated using HPLC analysis, while in vitro biological activity was examined on L929 fibroblasts using MTT viability test. In vivo efficacy included screening and comparison of skin hydration potential, transepidermal water loss‐TEWL, and skin pH after 28 days of creams application on healthy volunteers' skin.

Results

Content of identified PP was the highest in the extract EU (2001.57 ± 0.87 mg PP/100 g EU) and satisfactory in cream CE6 (53.83 ± 0.23 mg PP/100 g CE6). Procyanidin B2 was the most common PP. Biological activity analysis showed that extract EU could be considered as non‐cytotoxic for fibroblasts in examined concentrations. In vivo investigation revealed an increase of skin hydration (after 28 days ΔEC was 21.19 ± 7.59, 26.71 ± 7.94, and 29.60 ± 10.95 for CE6, CE12, and CE15, respectively), with unchanged TEWL and skin pH values.

Conclusion

Obtained results indicate that wild apple fruit extract represents a valuable source of bioactive substances, with good hydration effects of creams on human skin (effect of creams increased proportionally to the increase of concentration of incorporated extract), so it might be considered as a great potential for application in dermocosmetic industry.
Adverse effects of E‐cigarettes on head, neck, and oral cells: A systematic review
Authors: Wilson Catherine , Tellez Freitas Claudia M. , Awan Kamran Habib , Ajdaharian Janet , Geiler Jordan , Thirucenthilvelan Pratheeba
Published: January 2022

Background

E‐cigarette sales in the United States (US) are projected to reach 16.5 billion by 2024 according to market analysis. Six deaths and 450 lung illnesses have been linked to e‐cigarette use. To our knowledge, a systematic review of the adverse effects of e‐cigarettes on head, neck, and oral cells does not exist. This review aimed to conduct a systematic review of current literature to determine whether e‐cigarettes caused adverse effects on cells of the head, neck, and oral cavity.

Methods

Five databases including Medline, Dentistry and Oral Sciences, CINAHL, CAPLUS, Web of Science, and gray literature were searched for articles any time up to December 2020. Using Rayyan software, two‐independent researchers screened 233 articles and extracted 41 for further investigation. Based on the inclusion criteria, 18 articles were eligible for this review.

Results

Aberrant morphology, cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, reduced viability, delayed fibroblast migration, and genotoxicity were statistically significant when the head, neck, and oral cells were exposed to e‐cigarettes. Of note, most articles in this systematic review found cigarette smoke to be significantly more toxic to head, neck, and oral cells than e‐cigarettes.

Conclusions

E‐cigarettes are implicated in adverse effects on head, neck, and oral cells, yet very few have been tested against these cells. More longitudinal studies using a wider variety of e‐cigarettes are necessary before we can determine their total adverse effects. Future research must also investigate chronic e‐cigarette use and if it leads to periodontal disease and/or head, neck, or oral cancer.
Children's emotional experiences in and about nature across temporal–spatial entanglements during digital storying
Authors: Byman Jenny , Kumpulainen Kristiina , Wong Chin‐Chin , Renlund Jenny
Published: January 2022

In this study, we investigate how digital storying creates opportunities for children to attend to their emotional experiences in and about nature. Following relational ontology and socio‐cultural theorising, we focus our analysis on the temporal–spatial entanglements of children's emotional experiences. Our inquiry draws on a case study of two children at a Finnish primary school. Liam and Vera engaged in digital storying in their local forest using an augmented storycrafting app, MyAR Julle. The data were collected during two storying workshops by means of observational field notes, video recordings, interviews with the children and digital artefacts. The results illustrate how engaging in the narrative plot of a fictitious augmented character invited the children to create necessary open‐endedness in the activity which further stimulated their storying. The children's experiences were imbued with emotions and distributed across human and non‐human actors. The children's digital storying not only communicated their personal emotional experiences in local surroundings, but was also grounded in broader societal narratives, such as climate change and forest conservation, with considerations of the future of the planet. The results suggest how digital storying offers a pedagogical method for early environmental education that builds on children's emotional experiences.
Fat Is All My Fault: Globalized Metathemes of Body Self‐blame
Authors: Trainer Sarah , SturtzSreetharan Cindi , Wutich Amber , Brewis Alexandra , Hardin Jessica
Published: January 2022

Norms valorizing not‐fat bodies appear to have spread around the world, combined with a globalizing belief that thinness is the result of individual management of self and hard work. We examine themes of blame and felt responsibility for weight and “fat” in four distinct geographic and cultural locations: peri‐urban Georgia, United States; suburban Osaka, Japan; urban Encarnación, Paraguay; and urban Apia, Samoa. Use of a novel metatheme approach that compares and contrasts these four distinct places characterized by different population‐level prevalences of obesity and by specific cultural histories relevant to body norms and ideals provides a flexible toolkit for comparative cross‐cultural/multi‐sited ethnographic research. We show that self‐blame, marked by an articulated sense of individual responsibility for weight and a sense of failing in this responsibility, is present in every field site, but to varying degrees and expressed in different ways.[fat, obesity, metatheme, stigma, self‐blame]
Neo‐sex chromosome evolution and phenotypic differentiation across an elevational gradient in horned larks (Eremophila alpestris)
Authors: Shakya Subir B. , Wang‐Claypool Cynthia Y. , Cicero Carla , Bowie Rauri C. K. , Mason Nicholas A.
Published: January 2022

Genetic structure and phenotypic variation among populations are affected by both geographic distance and environmental variation across species' distributions. Understanding the relative contributions of isolation by distance (IBD) and isolation by environment (IBE) is important for elucidating population dynamics across habitats and ecological gradients. In this study, we compared phenotypic and genetic variation among Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) populations from 10 sites encompassing an elevational gradient from low‐elevation desert scrub in Death Valley (285 a.s.l.) to high‐elevation meadows in the White Mountains of the Sierra Nevada of California (greater than 3000 m a.s.l.). Using a ddRAD data set of 28,474 SNPs aligned to a high‐quality reference genome, we compared genetic structure with elevational, environmental, and spatial distance to quantify how different aspects of the landscape drive genomic and phenotypic differentiation in Horned Larks. We found larger‐bodied birds were associated with sites that had less seasonality and higher annual precipitation, and longer spurs occurred in soils with more clay and silt content, less sand, and finer fragments. Larks have large neo‐sex chromosomes, and we found that associations with elevation and environmental variation were much stronger among neo‐sex chromosomes compared to autosomes. Furthermore, we found that putative chromosomal translocations, fusions, and inversions were associated with elevation and may underlie local adaptation across an elevational gradient in Horned Larks. Our results suggest that genetic variation in Horned Larks is affected more by IBD than IBE, but specific phenotypes and genomic regions—particually on neo‐sex chromosomes—bear stronger associations with the environment.
Association between nonpharmacological strategies and delirium in the intensive care unit
Authors: Bersaneti Mariana Davies Ribeiro , Whitaker Iveth Yamaguchi
Published: January 2022

Background

Several nonpharmacological strategies for the prevention and treatment of delirium have been increasingly used because the aetiology of delirium is multifactorial.

Aims

To verify the association between nonpharmacological strategies (presence of companion, mobilization, absence of physical restraint and natural light) and the occurrence of delirium, and to identify risk factors for delirium in intensive care unit (ICU) patients.

Study Design

The study was conducted in a Brazilian medical and surgical ICU. The sample included patients older than 18 years with length of ICU stay greater than 24 h and without delirium on admission. Delirium was identified by applying the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM‐ICU). The association between the variables and delirium was analysed using Mann–Whitney and chi‐square tests, and multivariate logistic regression to identify the predictive factors.

Results

Of the 356 patients, 64 (18%) had delirium. The presence of a companion, mobilization, and physical restraint were associated with delirium, and the first two were identified as protective factors. That is, the odds of delirium decreased by 88% when a companion was present and by 95% when the patient was mobilized. The risk factors of delirium were length of ICU stay and age.

Conclusions

The presence of a companion and patient mobilization were identified as protective factors against delirium, highlighting their importance as preventive actions, especially in patients with a higher risk of developing this disorder. The findings regarding physical restraint can also be considered evidence indicating the need for careful use of this measure in clinical practice until evidence of its relationship with delirium is confirmed.

Relevance to Clinical Practice

The implementation of strategies such as early mobilization, presence of a companion and careful assessment for the use of physical restraint by the multidisciplinary team can help control the occurrence of delirium in the ICU.
Water‐related innovations in land plants evolved by different patterns of gene cooption and novelty
Authors: Bowles Alexander M. C. , Paps Jordi , Bechtold Ulrike
Published: January 2022

The origin of land plants and their descendants was marked by the evolution of key adaptations to life in terrestrial environments such as roots, vascular tissue and stomata. Though these innovations are well characterized, the evolution of the genetic toolkit underlying their development and function is poorly understood.

We analysed molecular data from 532 species to investigate the evolutionary origin and diversification of genes involved in the development and regulation of these adaptations.

We show that novel genes in the first land plants led to the single origin of stomata, but the stomatal closure of seed plants resulted from later gene expansions. By contrast, the major mechanism leading to the origin of vascular tissue was cooption of genes that emerged in the first land plants, enabling continuous water transport throughout the ancestral vascular plant. In turn, new key genes in the ancestors of plants with true leaves and seed plants led to the emergence of roots and lateral roots.

The analysis highlights the different modes of evolution that enabled plants to conquer land, suggesting that gene expansion and cooption are the most common mechanisms of biological innovation in plant evolutionary history.
Make concentrated trade not war?
Authors: Yakovlev Pavel , Spleen Brandon
Published: January 2022

In a seminal paper, Martin, Mayer, and Thoenig,The Review of Economic Studies, 2008,75(3), 865–900, show that bilateral trade decreases the probability of a militarized interstate dispute (MID), while multilateral trade increases it by allowing countries to decrease the opportunity cost of conflict through trade diversification. Lee and Pyun (2016) challenge this assertion by showing that both bilateral and multilateral trade flows reduce the likelihood of MID. This study develops an alternative measure of trade diversification based on Hirschman's (National power and the structure of foreign trade,1945, Berkley: University of California Press) market concentration index and estimates its effect on the probability of MID. We find that the estimated impact of trade diversification on MID depends crucially on the model's inclusion of the trade–distance interaction terms.
A life cycle approach to environmental assessment of wastewater and sludge treatment processes
Authors: Patel Kulvendra , Singh Santosh Kumar
Published: January 2022

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool for determining a product or a process's environmental effects. In this study, LCA evaluates the critical sources of environmental impacts in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The aim of the study is to conduct a comparative LCA of four wastewater treatment (WWT) methods: activated sludge process, sequential batch reactor, constructed wetlands, and up‐flow anaerobic sludge blanket, including the sludge treatment methods: anaerobic digestion (AD), AD with pretreatment, lime stabilization (LS), and LS with energy recovery. Environmental impacts are analysed using the IMPACT 2002+ approach and Simapro 9.1 software using the Ecoinventv3.6 database. The study result shows that the sequential batch reactor has the highest environmental effects because of its high energy consumption. Electricity used for treatment is the primary contributor to environmental impacts. The study helps in evaluating the potential environmental impacts corresponding to a WWTP and identifying the hotspots associated with the process.
WE HUMANS ARE THE WORST AND THE BEST AND …
Authors: Rolston Holmes
Published: January 2022

We humans have extended culture amplifying our powers. Our genotypes are differentially expressed in phenotypes, increasing our preferring us over them, escalating our worst and best. Our groups are more ruthless than individuals. Our brain/minds are hyperimmense, neuroplastic in advancing our powers in collective technology. We fear reaching a tipping point, a point of no return, pending doom for humans and jeopardizing the planet forever. We humans are the best and the worst and … we have blundered into doubly compounded wickedness. We struggle to gain truth, and live with our biases, religious and secular. We are capable of the highest good, exemplified in individuals in their spiritual communities. We can also fall into enormous evil, made worse by our community allegiances. We are well into the greatest experiment ever, an Anthropocene Epoch in which the dangerous outcome cannot be undone, nor the experiment repeated.
Caenonychus, a senior synonym of Speleorchestes (Acariformes: Nanorchestidae)
Authors: Bolton Samuel J. , Bauchan Gary R.
Published: January 2022

The single known specimen of the monotypic genus Caenonychus Oudemans, 1902 was examined. No distinguishing characters could be found to justify the retention of Speleorchestes Trägårdh, 1909 as a separate genus from Caenonychus. Grandjean (1939) suspected these genera were synonymous but retained Speleorchestes as valid because of a difference between the two genera in opisthosomal shape. An artifactual explanation for the difference in opisthosomal shape is herein accepted based on the effects of applying different pressures to the coverslip over the same specimen. Therefore, Speleorchestes is treated as a junior synonym of Caenonychus.
Photoactivated Ru chemical vapor deposition using (η3-allyl)Ru(CO)3X (X = Cl, Br, I): From molecular adsorption to Ru thin film deposition
Authors: Salazar Bryan G. , Brewer Christopher R. , McElwee-White Lisa , Walker Amy V.
Published: January 2022

We have investigated photoassisted chemical vapor deposition (PACVD) of Ru on functionalized alkanethiolate self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) using (η3-allyl)Ru(CO)3X (X = Cl, Br, I) precursors. Three SAMs were employed with —CH3, —OH, or —COOH terminal groups. Our data show that (η3-allyl)Ru(CO)3Cl molecularly adsorbs on the functionalized SAMs and no Ru(0) is deposited in either the dark or under UV light. Similarly, (η3-allyl)Ru(CO)3I molecularly adsorbs on all substrates studied. For (η3-allyl)Ru(CO)3Br at longer deposition times under UV light, Ru(0) and RuOx are deposited on —CH3- and —OH-terminated SAMs. In contrast for —COOH-terminated SAMs, little or no Ru is deposited, which is attributed to the formation of Ru-carboxylate complexes that block further deposition. Density Functional Theory calculations show that the different deposition behaviors observed are not due to the primary photoprocess, which is the loss of a carbonyl ligand, but rather can be attributed to the energy required to lose a second carbonyl ligand, a secondary photoprocess. Together, these data suggest that PACVD can be employed for area selective deposition.
Reclaiming the Conveyor Belt: Physical Education Teacher Education as a Pipeline to the Professoriate for Black Males
Authors: Wallace Javier L. , Clark Langston , Cooper James E.
Published: January 2022

There is a plethora of scholarship concerning the lack of academic achievement among Black males in the United States. Within higher education, this lack of achievement is represented as the difficult matriculation of Black males through their undergraduate experience and their lack of representation in the doctoral pipeline. The lack of representation has been explicitly documented within physical education teacher education and kinesiology scholarship—having been framed as the extinction of Black professionals in our field. Despite the ongoing deficit research about Black males and education, the purpose of this article is to present a framework for the recruiting, sustaining, and supporting of Black males to the professoriate through physical education teacher education. We utilized our personal experiences in a Black male doctoral pipeline to detail how physical education teacher education can be leveraged to mentor Black males within the field and others.
High-speed fluorescence image–enabled cell sorting
Authors: Schraivogel Daniel , Kuhn Terra M. , Rauscher Benedikt , Rodríguez-Martínez Marta , Paulsen Malte , Owsley Keegan , Middlebrook Aaron , Tischer Christian , Ramasz Beáta , Ordoñez-Rueda Diana , Dees Martina , Cuylen-Haering Sara , Diebold Eric , Steinmetz Lars M.
Published: January 2022

Fast and selective isolation of single cells with unique spatial and morphological traits remains a technical challenge. Here, we address this by establishing high-speed image-enabled cell sorting (ICS), which records multicolor fluorescence images and sorts cells based on measurements from image data at speeds up to 15,000 events per second. We show that ICS quantifies cell morphology and localization of labeled proteins and increases the resolution of cell cycle analyses by separating mitotic stages. We combine ICS with CRISPR-pooled screens to identify regulators of the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway, enabling the completion of genome-wide image-based screens in about 9 hours of run time. By assessing complex cellular phenotypes, ICS substantially expands the phenotypic space accessible to cell-sorting applications and pooled genetic screening.
Kids attend to saliva sharing to infer social relationships
Authors: Fawcett Christine
Published: January 2022

Saliva sharing suggests “thick,” intimate bonds
Genome Sequences of
Apilactobacillus kunkeei
Strains, Mannitol-Producing Bacteria Isolated from Nectariferous Plants
Authors: Gustaw Klaudia , Koper Piotr , Waśko Adam
Published: January 2022

In this announcement, we report the genome sequences of two newly isolated
Apilactobacillus kunkeei
strains, strain 7K11C and strain 7K4AA, which are plasmid harboring and were isolated from flowers in wastelands in Poland. Furthermore, we present the longest sequence of the
A. kunkeei
DSMZ 12361 reference strain.
Complete Genome Sequences of Five Rabies Virus Strains Obtained from Domestic Carnivores in Liberia
Authors: Mauti Stephanie , Voupawoe Garmie , Bonas Simon , Kamara Varney , Bourhy Hervé , Gourlaouen Morgane , De Benedictis Paola , Zinsstag Jakob , Dacheux Laurent
Published: January 2022

Similar to other African countries, canine rabies is endemic in Liberia. However, data concerning the genetic diversity of rabies virus isolates circulating in this country remain limited. We report here the complete genome sequences of five rabies viruses obtained from domestic animals. All of them belonged to subgroup H within the Africa 2 clade.
Genome Sequences of Soft Rot-Causing
Pectobacterium
Isolates from Different Vegetables
Authors: Wasendorf Chloe , Schultz Dylan L. , Schmitz-Esser Stephan , Peters Nick T.
Published: January 2022

Eleven
Pectobacterium
strains were isolated from soft rot-diseased vegetables. Here, we report their genome sequences and characteristics. Five isolates were found to be
Pectobacterium versatile
, while the other six were determined to be
Pectobacterium brasiliense
.
Surgical fixation with K-wires versus casting in adults with fracture of distal radius: DRAFFT2 multicentre randomised clinical trial
Authors: Costa Matthew L , Achten Juul , Ooms Alexander , Png May Ee , Cook Jonathan A , Lamb Sarah E , Hedley Helen , Dias Joseph
Published: January 2022

Objective

To assess wrist function, quality of life, and complications in adult patients with a dorsally displaced fracture of the distal radius, treated with either a moulded cast or surgical fixation with K-wires.

Design

Multicentre randomised clinical superiority trial,

Setting

36 hospitals in the UK National Health Service (NHS).

Participants

500 adults aged 16 or over with a dorsally displaced fracture of the distal radius, randomised after manipulation of their fracture (255 to moulded cast; 245 to surgical fixation).

Interventions

Manipulation and moulded cast was compared with manipulation and surgical fixation with K-wires plus cast. Details of the application of the cast and the insertion of the K-wires were at the discretion of the treating surgeon, according to their normal clinical practice.

Main outcome measures

The primary outcome measure was the Patient Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE) score at 12 months (five questions about pain and 10 about function and disability; overall score out of 100 (best score=0 and worst score=100)). Secondary outcomes were PRWE score at three and six months, quality of life, and complications, including the need for surgery due to loss of fracture position in the first six weeks.

Results

The mean age of participants was 60 years and 417 (83%) were women; 395 (79%) completed follow-up. No statistically significant difference in the PRWE score was seen at 12 months (cast group (n=200), mean 21.2 (SD 23.1); K-wire group (n=195), mean 20.7 (22.3); adjusted mean difference −0.34 (95% confidence interval −4.33 to 3.66), P=0.87). No difference was seen at earlier time points. In the cast group, 33 (13%) of participants needed surgical fixation for loss of fracture position in the first six weeks compared with one revision surgery in the K-wire group (odds ratio 0.02, 95% confidence interval 0.001 to 0.10).

Conclusions

Among patients with a dorsally displaced distal radius fracture that needed manipulation, surgical fixation with K-wires did not improve patients’ wrist function at 12 months compared with a cast.

Trial registration

ISRCTN registry
ISRCTN11980540
.
Flash glucose monitoring in type 2 diabetes managed with basal insulin in the USA: a retrospective real-world chart review study and meta-analysis
Authors: Carlson Anders L , Daniel Timothy Dilon , DeSantis Andrea , Jabbour Serge , Karslioglu French Esra , Kruger Davida , Miller Eden , Ozer Kerem , Elliott Tom
Published: January 2022

Introduction

Evidence supporting use of continuous glucose monitoring in type 2 diabetes treated with basal insulin is unclear. This real-world study aimed to assess the impact on glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) of flash glucose monitoring use in adults with type 2 diabetes managed with basal insulin.

Research design and methods

Medical records were reviewed for adult individuals with type 2 diabetes using basal insulin for ≥1 year with or without additional antihyperglycemic medication, HbA1c 8.0%–12.0% prior to FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring use for ≥90 days and an HbA1c measurement recorded between 90 and 194 days after device use. Exclusion criteria included utilization of bolus insulin. Meta-analysis data are from the current study (USA) and a similar Canadian cohort.

Results

Medical record analysis (n=100) from 8 USA study sites showed significant HbA1c decrease of 1.4%±1.3%, from 9.4%±1.0% at baseline to 8.0%±1.2% after device use, p<0.0001 (mean±SD).

Meta-analysis of medical records from USA and Canada sites (n=191) showed HbA1c significantly decreased by 1.1%±0.14% (mean±SE), from baseline 9.2%±1.0% to 8.1%±1.1%, p≤0.0001, with moderate to high heterogeneity between sites (Q=43.9, I2=74.9, p<0.0001) explained by differences in baseline HbA1c between sites.

The HbA1c improvement in both groups was observed by age group, body mass index, duration of insulin use and sex at birth.

Conclusions

In a real-world retrospective USA study and a meta-analysis of a larger USA and Canada cohort, HbA1c significantly reduced in basal insulin-treated type 2 diabetes, without bolus insulin initiation and following the commencement of ﬂash glucose monitoring technology.
Plasma advanced glycation end products and the subsequent risk of microvascular complications in type 1 diabetes in the DCCT/EDIC
Authors: Monnier Vincent M , Sell David R , Gao Xiaoyu , Genuth Saul M , Lachin John M , Bebu Ionut
Published: January 2022

Introduction

To assess impact of glycemic control on plasma protein-bound advanced glycation end products (pAGEs) and their association with subsequent microvascular disease.

Research design and methods

Eleven pAGEs were measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in banked plasma from 466 participants in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (DCCT/EDIC) study at three time points (TPs): DCCT year 4 (TP1) and year 8 (TP2) and EDIC year 5/6 (TP3). Correlation coefficients assessed cross-sectional associations, and Cox proportional hazards models assessed associations with subsequent risk of microvascular complications through EDIC year 24.

Results

Glucose-derived glycation products fructose-lysine (FL), glucosepane (GSPN) and carboxymethyl-lysine (CML) decreased with intensive glycemic control at both TP1 and TP2 (p<0.0001) but were similar at TP3, and correlated with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). At TP1, the markers were associated with the subsequent risk of several microvascular outcomes. These associations did not remain significant after adjustment for HbA1c, except methionine sulfoxide (MetSOX), which remained associated with diabetic kidney disease. In unadjusted models using all 3 TPs, glucose-derived pAGEs were associated with subsequent risk of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR, p<0.003), clinically significant macular edema (CSME, p<0.015) and confirmed clinical neuropathy (CCN, p<0.018, except CML, not significant (NS)). Adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, diabetes duration and mean updated HbA1c, the associations remained significant for PDR (FL: p<0.002, GSPN: p≤0.02, CML: p<0.003, pentosidine: p<0.02), CMSE (CML: p<0.03), albuminuria (FL: p<0.02, CML: p<0.03) and CCN (FL: p<0.005, GSPN : p<0.003).

Conclusions

pAGEs at TP1 are not superior to HbA1c for risk prediction, but glucose-derived pAGEs at three TPs and MetSOX remain robustly associated with progression of microvascular complications in type 1 diabetes even after adjustment for HbA1c and other factors.
Correlation between chest CT and RT-PCR testing in India’s second COVID-19 wave: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Mehta Vishal , Jyoti Divya , Guria Rishi Tuhin , Sharma Chandra Bhushan
Published: January 2022

Objectives

To assess the diagnostic accuracy of chest CT in clinically suspected patients with COVID-19 using reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) as the reference standard and establish the correlation between CT Severity Score (CTSS) and RT-PCR results.

Design and setting

Retrospective cohort study. Single-centre tertiary care hospital-based study.

Participants

We enrolled 112 clinically suspected patients with COVID-19 between 1 April 2021 and 31 May 2021. Chest CT and RT-PCR tests were performed for all patients at a time interval of no longer than 7 days between the two tests. Patients with prior chronic respiratory illnesses were excluded. The diagnostic performance of chest CT was evaluated using RT-PCR as the reference standard. The CTSS was calculated for all patients with positive chest CT findings, and it was correlated with results of the RT-PCR assay.

Main outcome measures

The primary outcome measures were determination of the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and diagnostic accuracy of chest CT using RT-PCR as the standard of reference. The correlation between CTSS and RT-PCR was the secondary outcome.

Results

85/112 (76%) patients tested positive on the RT-PCR whereas 91/112 (81%) had chest CT findings typical of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Chest CT had a sensitivity of 90.6% (95% CI 82.3% to 95.8%), a specificity of 48.1% (95% CI 28.7% to 68.0%), a PPV of 84.6% (95% CI 79.2% to 88.8%), an NPV of 61.9% (95% CI 43.0% to 77.8%) and an accuracy of 80.4% (95% CI 71.8% to 87.3%). There was a significant correlation between the CTSS and RT-PCR positivity (p value=0.003).

Conclusion

In our experience, chest CT has a good sensitivity and provides a reliable diagnostic tool for moderate-to-severe COVID-19 cases in resource limited settings.
Study protocol of the European Urban Burden of Disease Project: a health impact assessment study
Authors: Nieuwenhuijsen Mark J , Barrera-Gómez Jose , Basagaña Xavier , Cirach Marta , Daher Carolyn , Pulido Maria Foraster , Iungman Tamara , Gasparrini Antonio , Hoek Gerard , de Hoogh Kees , Khomenko Sasha , Khreis Haneen , de Nazelle Audrey , Ramos Ana , Rojas-Rueda David , Pereira Barboza Evelise , Tainio Marko , Thondoo Meelan , Tonne Cathryn , Woodcock James , Mueller N
Published: January 2022

Introduction

Cities have long been known to be society’s predominant engine of innovation and wealth creation, yet they are also hotspots of pollution and disease partly due to current urban and transport practices. The aim of the European Urban Burden of Disease project is to evaluate the health burden and its determinants related to current and future potential urban and transport planning practices and related exposures in European cities and make this evidence available for policy and decision making for healthy and sustainable futures.

Methods and analysis

Drawing on an established comparative risk assessment methodology (ie, Urban and Transport Planning Health Impact Assessment) tool), in nearly 1000 European cities we will (1) quantify the health impacts of current urban and transport planning related exposures (eg, air pollution, noise, excess heat, lack of green space) (2) and evaluate the relationship between current levels of exposure, health impacts and city characteristics (eg, size, density, design, mobility) (3) rank and compare the cities based on exposure levels and the health impacts, (4) in a number of selected cities assess in-depth the linkages between urban and transport planning, environment, physical activity and health, and model the health impacts of alternative and realistic urban and transport planning scenarios, and, finally, (5) construct a healthy city index and set up an effective knowledge translation hub to generate impact in society and policy.

Ethics and dissemination

All data to be used in the project are publicly available data and do not need ethics approval. We will request consent for personal data on opinions and views and create data agreements for those providing information on current and future urban and transport planning scenarios.

For dissemination and to generate impact, we will create a knowledge translation hub with information tailored to various stakeholders.