bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
“Your westernized habits”: contextual nuances of qualitative research in Russia
Authors: Earl Anna 
Published: May 2021

PurposeFieldwork in emerging economies can be unpredictable and somewhat dangerous. The purpose of this article is to ascertain problematic issues that may arise when conducting qualitative research in emerging economies.Design/methodology/approachThe author reflects on her fieldwork in Russia in 2014 and 2015. Specifically, the author provides a reflection on her investigation on how the Russian government influences Russian MNEs' ability to deal with domestic institutional complexity and gain external legitimacy.FindingsThe author has encountered a number of unforeseen difficulties: the ethical dilemma, sensitivity of the topic, translation challenges and unexpected group interviews. Through this reflection, he develops specific tactics on how to deal with these circumstances when conducting research outside a Western context. He also provides recommendations on how researchers in emerging economies can deal with ethical dichotomy created by the pressure to follow ethical guidelines. Finally, he identifies a list of opportunities that Russia presents as a research site.Research limitations/implicationsThe reflections on fieldwork discussed in this paper can prove to be useful for qualitative researchers interested in conducting qualitative research in Russia. In particular, it provides specific recommendations on how to navigate Russia as a research site.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature on issues related to methodological issues related to conducting research in emerging economies, as well as under research contexts, such as Russia.
Shark tooth collagen stable isotopes (δ15N and δ13C) as ecological proxies
Authors: Shipley Oliver N. , Henkes Gregory A. , Gelsleichter James , Morgan Clark R. , Schneider Eric V. , Talwar Brendan S. , Frisk Michael G. 
Published: May 2021

Abstract

The isotopic composition of tooth‐bound collagen has long been used to reconstruct dietary patterns of animals in extant and palaeoecological systems. For sharks that replace teeth rapidly in a conveyor‐like system, stable isotopes of tooth collagen (δ13CTeeth & δ15NTeeth) are poorly understood and lacking in ecological context relative to other non‐lethally sampled tissues. This tissue holds promise, because shark jaws may preserve isotopic chronologies from which to infer individual‐level ecological patterns across a range of temporal resolutions.

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values were measured and compared between extracted tooth collagen and four other non‐lethally sampled tissues of varying isotopic turnover rates: blood plasma, red blood cells, fin and muscle, from eight species of sharks. Individual‐level isotopic variability of shark tooth collagen was evaluated by profiling teeth of different ages across whole jaws for the shortfin mako shark Isurus oxyrinchus and sandbar shark Carcharhinus plumbeus.

Measurements of δ13CTeeth and δ15NTeeth were positively correlated with isotopic values from the four other tissues. Collagen δ13C was consistently 13C‐enriched relative to all other tissues. Patterns for δ15N were slightly less uniform; tooth collagen was generally 15N‐enriched relative to muscle and red blood cells, but congruent with fin and blood plasma (values clustered around a 1:1 relationship).

Significant within‐individual variability was observed across whole shortfin mako shark (δ13C range = 1.4‰, δ15N range = 3.6‰) and sandbar shark (δ13C range = 1.2‰–2.4‰, δ15N range = 1.7‰–2.4‰) jaws, which trended with tooth age.

We conclude that amino acid composition and associated patterns of isotopic fractionation result in predictable isotopic offsets between tissues. Within‐individual variability of tooth collagen stable isotope values suggests teeth of different ages may serve as ecological chronologies, that could be applied to studies on migration and individual‐level diet variation across diverse time‐scales. Greater understanding of tooth replacement rates, isotopic turnover and associated fractionation of tooth collagen will help refine potential ecological inferences, outlining clear goals for future scientific inquiry.
Estimating spatiotemporal availability of transboundary fishes to fishery‐independent surveys
Authors: O'Leary Cecilia A. , Kotwicki Stan , Hoff Gerald R. , Thorson James T. , Kulik Vladimir V. , Ianelli James N. , Lauth Robert R. , Nichol Daniel G. , Conner Jason , Punt André E. 
Published: May 2021

Abstract

Taxa can expand beyond historical scientific survey footprints and into new areas with different survey protocols as they move to track their preferred climate. In global groundfish fisheries, for example, scientists estimate population dynamics within the spatial extent of a fishery‐independent survey using an index known as a design‐based estimator. Observed changes in species distribution in recent years suggest that some groundfish are moving beyond the spatial extent of single surveys. We must intercalibrate disparate data that cover a larger spatial extent to maintain our ability to accurately index populations as their availability to historical surveys changes.

We combine US and Russian data from the northern, eastern and western Bering Sea to understand the proportion of fish biomass within the extent of the eastern survey (‘availability’). Surveys are within close proximity to each other, but with different sampling protocols (hence catch a different proportion of local densities, termed ‘sampling efficiency ratio’). We use Alaska pollock Gadus chalcogrammus, Pacific cod Gadus macrocephalus and Alaska plaice Pleuronectes quadrituberculatus as case studies to calculate survey efficiency ratios and two area‐swept estimators, termed local and conventional, to summarize groundfish biomass over various spatial scales across the Bering Sea.

We estimated variation in spatial availability of transboundary stocks to the eastern Bering Sea (EBS) survey. In 2017, the most recent available year of survey coverage that included all three Bering Sea regions, estimated availability in the EBS of pollock biomass was ~33%, cod biomass was ~27% and plaice biomass was ~26%, down from ~58%, ~71% and ~30%, respectively, in 2010.

Synthesis and applications. This is the first study to provide an empirical way to combine Russian and US data in the Bering Sea to assess changes in the availability of groundfish biomass, which, in turn, will alter the interpretations and values of population indices used in regional management. We recommend leveraging this approach using existing global fishery‐independent datasets that span different spatiotemporal footprints to monitor transboundary stocks, and as a template to initiate international cooperation on the assessment of spatial availability of stocks common to multiple countries.
Tree diversity reduces the risk of bark beetle infestation for preferred conifer species, but increases the risk for less preferred hosts
Authors: Berthelot Sylvie , Frühbrodt Tobias , Hajek Peter , Nock Charles A. , Dormann Carsten F. , Bauhus Jürgen , Fründ Jochen 
Published: May 2021

Abstract

In recent decades, European temperate forests have repeatedly suffered from severe droughts. Drought‐weakened forests have often become more susceptible to pest outbreaks such as bark beetle infestations. Tree species diversity is expected to increase resistance to drought and pests, but evidence for a positive tree diversity effect on insect pest reduction is largely circumstantial.

Here we tested the effects of tree diversity and biogeographic origin of tree species on bark beetle infestation in a large, young tree diversity experiment, with six broadleaved and six conifer species from Europe and North America. Lower infestation risk was expected for the exotic tree species in each congeneric pair (spruce, larch and pine) and for mixtures with higher species richness and higher broadleaf proportion. Following a severe drought in summer 2018, the conifer trees were attacked by the six‐toothed spruce bark beetle Pityogenes chalcographus. Bark beetle boreholes were recorded in winter 2018/2019 on all conifer species.

Norway spruce Picea abies and European larch Larix decidua were the most infested species and thus considered main hosts of the bark beetle. For these two species, probability of infestation decreased with increasing tree diversity (although this was only significant for Larix). In contrast, Pinus, which were less infested overall, were more likely to be infested in plots with high tree diversity. Exotic trees tended to be less infested, with clearest support for enemy release found at the level of infestation intensity when considering pure conifer stands. Overall, the effects of tree diversity and tree species origin were not as strong as the effect of position within the experimental site, where higher rates of infestation were observed at the edge than in the centre.

Synthesis. Increasing tree diversity may reduce the risk of bark beetle infestation for genera prone to high infestation rates (Picea and Larix), but risk for less preferred genera (Pinus, and to some extent the exotic tree species) may increase with tree diversity due to spillover from preferred hosts. In mixed forests, the risk of infestation, even by relatively specialized insect pests, may be redistributed among tree species rather than reduced for all.
The quorum‐sensing systems of Vibrio campbellii DS40M4 and BB120 are genetically and functionally distinct
Authors: Simpson Chelsea A. , Petersen Blake D. , Haas Nicholas W. , Geyman Logan J. , Lee Aimee H. , Podicheti Ram , Pepin Robert , Brown Laura C. , Rusch Douglas B. , Manzella Michael P. , Papenfort Kai , van Kessel Julia C. 
Published: May 2021

SummaryVibrio campbellii BB120 (previously classified as Vibrio harveyi) is a fundamental model strain for studying quorum sensing in vibrios. A phylogenetic evaluation of sequenced Vibrio strains in Genbank revealed that BB120 is closely related to the environmental isolate V. campbellii DS40M4. We exploited DS40M4's competence for exogenous DNA uptake to rapidly generate greater than 30 isogenic strains with deletions of genes encoding BB120 quorum‐sensing system homologues. Our results show that the quorum‐sensing circuit of DS40M4 is distinct from BB120 in three ways: (i) DS40M4 does not produce an acyl homoserine lactone autoinducer but encodes an active orphan LuxN receptor, (ii) the quorum regulatory small RNAs (Qrrs) are not solely regulated by autoinducer signalling through the response regulator LuxO and (iii) the DS40M4 quorum‐sensing regulon is much smaller than BB120 (~100 genes vs. ~400 genes, respectively). Using comparative genomics to expand our understanding of quorum‐sensing circuit diversity, we observe that conservation of LuxM/LuxN proteins differs widely both between and within Vibrio species. These strains are also phenotypically distinct: DS40M4 exhibits stronger interbacterial cell killing, whereas BB120 forms more robust biofilms and is bioluminescent. These results underscore the need to examine wild isolates for a broader view of bacterial diversity in the marine ecosystem.
Nonpharmacological interventions to reduce sedation/general anaesthesia in paediatric patients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging: A systematic review and meta‐analysis protocol
Authors: Hybschmann Jane , Povlsen Nanna E. , Sørensen Jette L. , Afshari Arash , Borgwardt Lise , Berntsen Marianne , Madsen Thurid W. , Gjærde Line K. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBackgroundMagnetic resonance imaging is frequently used in paediatrics and requires the child/adolescent to remain still for 45 min or more. The long and narrow scanner gantry makes loud noises and may cause anxiety. To complete the procedure, children and adolescents are often sedated or receive general anaesthesia. Our primary aim is to determine whether nonpharmacological interventions designed to mentally prepare, support or distract children, and adolescents are effective in reducing the need for sedation and general anaesthesia.MethodsWe will conduct a systematic review with meta‐analysis by searching the following electronic databases: Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase and CENTRAL, as well as databases for ongoing trials. Eligibility criteria are based on the participants, intervention, comparator and outcome (PICO) framework. We will include intervention studies with comparator group(s) with no restriction on date. Two reviewers will independently screen titles/abstracts, and three reviewers will assess the full texts of potentially relevant studies. Data will be extracted, and the methodological quality will be assessed using Cochrane risk of bias tools. If the data allow, we will perform a meta‐analysis using a random effects model on the primary outcome, sedation/general anaesthesia. A narrative synthesis will supplement the statistical analysis. Quality of evidence for the primary outcome will be assessed using the grading of recommendations, assessment, development and evaluations (GRADE) approach.DiscussionOur findings will provide directions for future research and may guide clinicians in terms of which type(s) of intervention(s) to implement to reduce the use of sedation/general anaesthesia during paediatric magnetic resonance imaging.
Associations of developmental imbalance between sensation seeking and premeditation in adolescence and heavy episodic drinking in emerging adulthood
Authors: McCabe Connor J. , Wall Tamara L. , Gonzalez Marybel R. , Meruelo Alejandro D. , Eberson‐Shumate Sonja C. , Clark Duncan B. , Nooner Kate B. , Brown Sandra Ann , Tapert Susan F. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBackgroundDual systems theories suggest that greater imbalance between higher reward sensitivity and lower cognitive control across adolescence conveys risk for behaviors such as heavy episodic drinking (HED). Prior research demonstrated that psychological analogues of these systems, sensation seeking and premeditation, change from childhood through emerging adulthood, and each has been independently linked with HED. However, few studies have assessed whether change over time in these developing analogues is prospectively associated with HED. Moreover, we know of no research that has shown whether within‐person differences between higher sensation seeking and relatively lower premeditation across the adolescent period predict HED in emerging adulthood.MethodsProspective data from the National Consortium on Alcohol and NeuroDevelopment in Adolescence study (n = 715) were used to examine the association of sensation seeking and premeditation with HED among adolescents ages 16 to 20 years. We used novel applications of latent difference score modeling and growth curve analysis to test whether increasing sensation seeking, premeditation, and their imbalance over time are associated with HED across the study period, and whether these associations differed by sex.ResultsWhereas premeditation increased linearly from adolescence through emerging adulthood across sexes, males reported growth and females reported decline in sensation seeking. Sensation seeking in adolescence (and not premeditation) was associated with higher levels of HED by emerging adulthood. Importantly, greater imbalance between sensation seeking and premeditation was associated with higher levels of HED by emerging adulthood though we note that variability capturing this imbalance correlated highly (r = 0.86) with baseline levels of sensation seeking.ConclusionsDevelopmental imbalance between higher sensation seeking and lower premeditation in late adolescence may be a risk factor for greater HED in emerging adulthood.
Raising the bar: improving methodological rigour in cognitive alcohol research
Authors: Pennington Charlotte R. , Jones Andrew , Bartlett James E. , Copeland Amber , Shaw Daniel J. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBackground and AimsA range of experimental paradigms claim to measure the cognitive processes underpinning alcohol use, suggesting that heightened attentional bias, greater approach tendencies and reduced cue‐specific inhibitory control are important drivers of consumption. This paper identifies methodological shortcomings within this broad domain of research and exemplifies them in studies focused specifically on alcohol‐related attentional bias.Argument and analysisWe highlight five main methodological issues: (i) the use of inappropriately matched control stimuli; (ii) opacity of stimulus selection and validation procedures; (iii) a credence in noisy measures; (iv) a reliance on unreliable tasks; and (v) variability in design and analysis. This is evidenced through a review of alcohol‐related attentional bias (64 empirical articles, 68 tasks), which reveals the following: only 53% of tasks use appropriately matched control stimuli; as few as 38% report their stimulus selection and 19% their validation procedures; less than 28% used indices capable of disambiguating attentional processes; 22% assess reliability; and under 2% of studies were pre‐registered.ConclusionsWell‐matched and validated experimental stimuli, the development of reliable cognitive tasks and explicit assessment of their psychometric properties, and careful consideration of behavioural indices and their analysis will improve the methodological rigour of cognitive alcohol research. Open science principles can facilitate replication and reproducibility in alcohol research.
Extracellular superoxide produced by Enterococcus faecalis reduces endometrial receptivity via inflammatory injury
Authors: Zhang Zhanhu , Li Tianqi , Xu Lili , Wang Qiuhong , Li Haibo , Wang Xingmin 
Published: May 2021

AbstractProblemChronic endometritis (CE) can cause infertility. Enterococcus faecalis is an opportunistic pathogen that is often found in the endometrium of CE patients. However, the mechanisms by which E. faecalis affects endometrial health are still unclear. In this study, we investigated the mechanism how extracellular superoxide produced by E. faecalis affected the endometrial receptivity.Method of StudySuperoxide production was blocked by deleting menB gene in E. faecalis OG1RF. Endometrial epithelial cells were infected by superoxide‐producing E. faecalis OG1RF and superoxide‐deficient strain WY84. Inflammatory cytokines, apoptosis, and biomarkers for the endometrial receptivity were analyzed.ResultsInfection of endometrial epithelial cells with superoxide‐producing E. faecalis OG1RF induced expression of inflammatory cytokines, promoted apoptosis, and down‐regulated expression of receptivity biomarkers compared to uninfected control. In contrast, superoxide‐deficient E. faecalis WY84 had little effect on inflammatory cytokine production, apoptosis, and endometrial receptivity biomarkers.ConclusionsExtracellular superoxide produced by E. faecalis is an important virulence factor for E. faecalis‐induced endometritis leading to reduced receptivity of endometrial epithelial cells.
Accurate and reproducible diagnosis of peanut allergy using epitope mapping
Authors: Suárez‐Fariñas Mayte , Suprun Maria , Kearney Paul , Getts Robert , Grishina Galina , Hayward Clive , Luta David , Porter Alex , Witmer Marc , du Toit George , Lack Gideon , Chinthrajah Rebecca Sharon , Galli Stephen J. , Nadeau Kari , Sampson Hugh A. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBackgroundAccurate diagnosis of peanut allergy is a significant clinical challenge. Here, a novel diagnostic blood test using the peanut bead‐based epitope assay (“peanut BBEA”) was developed utilizing the LEAP cohort and then validated using two independent cohorts.MethodsThe development of the peanut BBEA diagnostic test followed the National Academy of Medicine's established guidelines with discovery performed on 133 subjects from the non‐interventional arm of the LEAP trial and an independent validation performed on 82 subjects from the CoFAR2 and 84 subjects from the POISED study. All samples were analyzed using the peanut BBEA methodology, which measures levels of IgE to two Ara h 2 sequential (linear) epitopes and compares their combination to a threshold pre‐specified in the model development phase. When a patient has an inconclusive outcome by skin prick testing (or sIgE), IgE antibody levels to this combination of two epitopes can distinguish whether the patient is “Allergic” or “Not Allergic.” Diagnoses of peanut allergy in all subjects were confirmed by double‐blind placebo‐controlled food challenge and subjects’ ages were 7–55 years.ResultsIn the validation using CoFAR2 and POISED cohorts, the peanut BBEA diagnostic test correctly diagnosed 93% of the subjects, with a sensitivity of 92%, specificity of 94%, a positive predictive value of 91%, and negative predictive value of 95%.ConclusionsIn validation of the peanut BBEA diagnostic test, the overall accuracy was found to be superior to existing diagnostic tests for peanut allergy including skin prick testing, peanut sIgE, and peanut component sIgE testing.
Efficacy of the novel, innovative, single‐use grasper integrated flexible cystoscope for ureteral stent removal: a systematic review
Authors: Adam Ahmed , Lawrentschuk Nathan , Bhattu Amit S. , Nagdee Jameel 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBackgroundWe aimed to define the published impact, efficacy, cost‐effectiveness and precise role of the Isiris‐α device: the world's first sterile, single‐use grasper integrated flexible cystoscope (SUGIFC) for ureteral stent removal.MethodsAfter PROSPERO registration (CRD42021228755), the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were utilized. The search terms “Grasper Integrated Flexible Cystoscope,” and “Isiris,” within the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and EMBASE were searched.ResultsIn this review, a cumulative total experience (10 publications) included 970 “SUGIFC” procedures (755 patients). However, only 366/970 procedures were actually used for “ureteral stent removal,” with the remainder being surveillance cystoscopy only (603/970) or foreign body retrieval (1/970). Procedure‐related and device failures in planned “removal of ureteral stents,” was reported in 8/366 (346 patients) and 1/366 (346 patients), respectively.The cost–benefit utilizing the SUGIFC device is advantageous compared to “in‐theatre” stent removals and favours less busy centres where maintenance, repair and replacement costs are more relevant. Other listed benefits include shorter stent indwelling times, shorter procedure duration, lower rates of bacteriuria and urinary tract infections, fewer emergency department visits and lower readmission rates. Technical limitations include the absence of an independent working channel, a narrower visual field and the lack of image universality since the monitor is device‐specific.ConclusionThe SUGIFC device needs to be outweighed against local costs and individual health systems. Its application in ambulatory ureteral stent removal may become significant due to the accessibility and convenience that it offers the attending urologist.