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OECD reports a mismatch between field of study and job content for Humanities students, while at the same time signalling labour market shortages for skills that seem clearly linked with the Humanities, e.g. delivering information. In order to investigate which skills Humanities students associate with their university studies, we conducted a survey among 1306 European Humanities and 231 non-Humanities students. The survey asked these students whether they felt they acquired skills during their Humanities university education which were identified in a pilot phase. The students’ answers were analysed quantitatively, arriving at a Humanities self-perception skills profile of 70 detailed descriptions of skills that fall under six clusters. We argue that this profile could be a crucial step to improve the employability of Humanities students, as students’ perceptions of their skills greatly determine the quality of transition to the labour market.

This study compared acoustic and neural changes accompanying two treatments matched for intensive dosage but having two different treatment targets (voice or articulation) to dissociate the effects of treatment target and intensive dosage in speech therapies. Nineteen participants with Parkinsonian dysphonia (11 F) were randomized to three groups: intensive treatment targeting voice (voice group, n = 6), targeting articulation (articulation group, n = 7), or an untreated group (no treatment, n = 6). The severity of dysphonia was assessed by the smoothed cepstral peak prominence (CPPS) and neuronal changes were evaluated by cerebral blood flow (CBF) recorded at baseline, posttreatment, and 7-month follow-up. Only the voice treatment resulted in significant posttreatment improvement in CPPS, which was maintained at 7 months. Following voice treatment, increased activity in left premotor and bilateral auditory cortices was observed at posttreatment, and in the left motor and auditory cortices at 7-month follow-up. Articulation treatment resulted in increased activity in bilateral premotor and left insular cortices that were sustained at a 7-month follow-up. Activation in the auditory cortices and a significant correlation between the CPPS and CBF in motor and auditory cortices was observed only in the voice group. The intensive dosage resulted in long-lasting behavioral and neural effects as the no-treatment group showed a progressive decrease in activity in areas of the speech motor network out to a 7-month follow-up. These results indicate that dysphonia and the speech motor network can be differentially modified by treatment targets, while intensive dosage contributes to long-lasting effects of speech treatments.

Objective Falls are common in people with multiple sclerosis. There is rising interest in how the multifactorial and chronic nature of fall risk among people with multiple sclerosis can be addressed through self-management. Thus, the aims were to investigate the extent and the scope of publications on self-management of falls in people with multiple sclerosis, and to identify how the concept of self-management was defined and used. Data sources A systematic literature search in Medline, Cochrane, Web of Science and PsycInfo was conducted to identify publications until July 2022. Review methods Published methodological guidance was followed. Articles targeting: (1) people with multiple sclerosis, (2) falls, and (3) self-management were selected. Of 1656 records, 203 publications were assessed for eligibility, of which 173 did not meet the inclusion criteria, and 16 publications did not contain empirical data. The type of publication, study focus, and study design was extracted. If applicable, key findings, self-management tasks and skills, and the definition of self-management were extracted. Results Fourteen original articles met all inclusion criteria. Ten articles represented six different fall prevention interventions. Three publications were randomized controlled trials. Self-management content was variable and not comprehensive in nature. None of the 14 publications included a self-management definition. Conclusion The limited number of original articles and the even fewer intervention studies show that the research on self-management of falls in people with multiple sclerosis is in its infancy. To progress in the research area of self-management of falls, a more robust, consensus-based description of self-management frameworks and activities is needed.

The global reach of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing localized policy reactions provides a case to uncover how a global crisis translates into linguistic discourse. Based on the JSI Timestamped Web Corpora that are automatically POS-tagged and accessible via SketchEngine, this study compares French, German, Dutch, and English. After identifying the main names used to denote the virus and its disease, we extracted a total of 1,697 associated terms (according to logDice values) retrieved from news media data from January through October 2020. These associated words were then organized into categories describing the properties of the virus and the disease, their spatio-temporal features and their cause–effect dependencies. Analyzing the output cross-linguistically and across the first 10 months of the pandemic, a fairly stable semantic discourse space is found within and across each of the four languages, with an overall clear preference for visual and biomedical features as associated terms, though significant diatopic and diachronic shifts in the discourse space are also attested.

UropathogenicEscherichia coli(UPEC) can undergo extensive filamentation in the host during acute urinary tract infections (UTIs). It has been hypothesised that this morphological plasticity allows bacteria to avoid host immune responses such as macrophage engulfment. However, it is still unclear what properties of filaments are important in macrophage-bacteria interactions. The aim of this work was to investigate the contribution of bacterial biophysical parameters, such as cell size and shape, and physiological parameters, such as cell surface and the environment, to macrophage engulfment efficiency. Viable, reversible filaments of known lengths and volumes were produced in the UPEC strain UTI89 using a variety of methods, including exposure to cell-wall targeting antibiotics, genetic manipulation and isolation from anin vitrohuman bladder cell model. Quantification of the engulfment ability of macrophages using gentamicin-protection assays and fluorescence microscopy demonstrated that the ability of filaments to avoid macrophage engulfment is dependent on a combination of size (length and volume), shape, surface and external environmental factors. UTI89 filamentation was also found to occur independently of the SOS-inducible filamentation genes,sulAandymfM, demonstrating the non-essential requirement of these genes for UTI89 filamentation and their ability to avoid macrophage engulfment. With several strains of UPEC now resistant to current antibiotics, our work identifies the importance of bacterial morphology during infection and may provide new ways to prevent or treat these infections via immune modulation or antimicrobials.Author SummaryUrinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common bacterial infections worldwide with 50% of women suffering from a UTI during their lifetime. Escherichia coli is the primary bacteria responsible for UTIs and is usually found in short rod forms. However, during UTIs E. coli can elongate into extremely long thin shapes called ‘filaments’. Filaments are thought to be advantageous during infections because they are too long to be engulfed and killed by immune cells called macrophages. Due to increasing antibiotic resistance in bacteria there is a strong need for the discovery of new ways to treat infections and this is only possible once we thoroughly understand the mechanisms bacteria employ to overcome our immune response. Therefore, we investigated the effect of E. coli filamentation on macrophage engulfment along with other aspects of bacteria reported to influence engulfment. We found that the ability of filaments to avoid macrophage engulfment is dependent on a combination of size (length and volume), shape, surface and external environmental factors. Our research has highlighted the importance of bacterial shape changes during infections and provided a foundational understanding of macrophage engulfment of filaments. Eventually, this knowledge may reveal new targets for treatment of infections.

This multidisciplinary volume reflects the shifting experiences and framings of Finnishness and its relation to race and coloniality. The authors centre their investigations on whiteness and unravel the cultural myth of a normative Finnish (white) ethnicity. Rather than presenting a unified definition for whiteness, the book gives space to the different understandings and analyses of its authors. This collection of case-studies illuminates how Indigenous and ethnic minorities have participated in defining notions of Finnishness, how historical and recent processes of migration have challenged the traditional conceptualisations of the nation-state and its population, and how imperial relationships have contributed to a complex set of discourses on Finnish compliance and identity. With an aim to question and problematise what may seem self-evident aspects of Finnish life and Finnishness, expert voices join together to offer (counter) perspectives on how Finnishness is constructed and perceived. Scholars from cultural studies, history, sociology, linguistics, genetics, among others, address four main topics: 1) Imaginations of Finnishness, including perceived physical characteristics of Finnish people; 2) Constructions of whiteness, entailing studies of those who do and do not pass as white; 3) Representations of belonging and exclusion, making up of accounts of perceptions of what it means to be ‘Finnish’; and 4) Imperialism and colonisation, including what might be considered uncomfortable or even surprising accounts of inclusion and exclusion in the Finnish context. This volume takes a first step in opening up a complex set of realities that define Finland’s changing role in the world and as a home to diverse populations.

English is the dominant lingua franca of the modern world, used by an estimated 1.5 billion people (Peterson 2020; 2 billion people according to MacKenzie 2018). The ubiquity of English is in large part due to its colonial history, which resulted in extreme pluricentricity (Clyne 1992). English is also the world’s most commonly taught foreign language, for example in places like Finland, where the majority population claims to be proficient in English (Leppänen, Nikula and Kääntä 2008). By some measures, the “best” non-native speakers of English are the Nordic populations, including Finland (European Commission 2012). Contemporary ideologies of the Nordic countries, Finland included, are at odds with the linguistic attitudes and discrimination that are a composite component of English. That is, Nordic countries value ideologies of equality (Keskinen, Skaptadóttir and Toivanen 2019), yet the English language is known to reflect social biases and to perpetuate social inequality based on race, economic status and gender (Lippi-Green 2012; Milroy and Milroy 1999). How then, does the use of English play out in a setting like Finland? Does English perpetuate Nordic values of equality, or colonial values of whiteness and elitism? The chapter explores these notions through the lens of the Extra and Intra-territorial Force Model (Buschfeld and Kautzsch 2017), a model designed to apply to non-postcolonial settings of English.

Discourse-pragmatic markers are central to everyday language, yet many aspects of their use and functions remain elusive or under-investigated. Bringing together a global team of leading scholars, this volume presents a representative showcase of work currently being conducted in the field of discourse-pragmatic variation and change, including investigations of features such as uh/um, please, sentence-final is all, and discourse-pragmatic features from a number of languages. The book emphasizes that not only have researchers answered the call to address complex issues such as cross-linguistic reliability, extending research across languages, and expanding and improving on methods and analysis, but that they continue to address perennial questions in the field of language variation and change. With sections on theoretical and methodological issues, innovative variables, and language contact situations, the volume offers a robust overview of best practices for both new and experienced researchers.

Purpose A genetic test predicting susceptibility for the development of toxicities after prostate cancer radiation therapy is in development. This test intends to help physicians with treatment decision making. Methods and Materials Radiation oncologists were surveyed using a web-based questionnaire to gauge their interest in using a genetic test predictive of increased risk of radiation therapy toxicities as an aid in determining therapy for men with prostate cancer. Responses were summarized using frequencies, and a χ2 test compared responses among participants. Multivariable ordinal regression identified factors associated with anticipated adoption or nonadoption of such a genetic test by radiation oncologists. Results Among 204 radiation oncologists (64% from the United States, 36% from other countries), 86.3% would order a genetic test and 80.2% said the test would be useful for treatment discussions. There was wide acceptance (76.7%) to offer a genetic test to all patients considering radiation therapy for prostate cancer. Additionally, 98.1% indicated that patients would be receptive to the test information. There were no significant differences in the likelihood of ordering a genetic test based on practice setting, familiarity with scientific literature, time spent on research, or geographic location (all P > .05). Conclusions Radiation oncologists who treat prostate cancer are interested in and willing to order a genetic test predictive of susceptibility to radiation therapy toxicity to aid their treatment decision making.

The Oregon Theater Project (OTP) dataset is part of an ongoing collaborative research project by undergraduate students enrolled in successive iterations of “Exhibition & Audiences,” a Cinema Studies course at the University of Oregon. It will be updated with additional data each time the course is taught. The data set comprises geo/historical data about movie theaters (cinemas) and exhibition in the state from approximately 1894 to 1929. The data is presented on a public website (https://oregontheaterproject.uoregon.edu/) which includes maps and individual theater profiles produced by the students. All profiles, and the underlying data, are reviewed by the course instructors and edited as needed for clarification or accuracy. Profiles include, where available, the theater name, address, city, state, latitude, longitude, number of seats, owner/manager names, and a narrative description. The underlying data, shared as Excel documents and tab-delimited spreadsheets, invites historical comparative analysis of film exhibition practices across time and locale, both local and global.

The papers in this volume are a collection of those presented at the 12th annual meeting of the Workshop on Immigrant Languages in the Americas, a conference series co-founded by heritage language researchers from Norway and the United States. The collection of papers demonstrates the sharing of ideas and advancements in the field that have occured as an outcome of the research network’s annual conference and its dedicated and collaborative research members. Some papers make use of various components of the Corpus of American Norwegian Speech, some present results from a survey on postvernacular heritages languages and other sociolinguistic topics, while others focus on morphology and syntax of bilingual situations. The volume contains papers on Dutch, Frisian, German, Greek, Norwegian and Turkish in North America. Together, the collection can be considered a showcase of the state of the field of studies of heritage languages, languages that are non-dominant languages in a given setting, often with little local prestige.

Growing Up in New Zealand is this country’s largest contemporary longitudinal study of child development. The study has been designed to provide insight into the lives of children and young people growing up in the context of twenty-first century New Zealand. The Growing Up in New Zealand cohort recruited 6853 children representative of the current ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of births in Aotearoa, New Zealand in 2009 and 2010. The developmental wellbeing of the children has been tracked in detail over their first thousand days of life and every two to three years since. While the majority of the cohort are growing up healthy and happy, a significant proportion of children are growing up in families who have been persistently burdened with multiple stressors associated with economic, material and social hardship. This has created a disproportionate burden of poorer overall wellbeing outcomes and limited life course opportunities for these children from an early age. This paper will explore some of the evidence collected from the diverse cohort of New Zealand children and their families and whānau from before birth to middle childhood, highlighting the key findings and the utility of the evidence to improve wellbeing.

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Highlights • Spontaneous dog cancers closely resemble human cancer. • Dogs with EGFR associated tumors were immunized with an EGFR/HER2 peptide vaccine. • EGFR peptide vaccinated dogs developed anti-EGFR/HER2 antibodies. • Vaccinated dogs have anti-EGFR antibody and T cells infiltrating tumors. • Vaccinated dogs with osteosarcoma had tumor regression and increased survival., Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed on a number of human cancers, and often is indicative of a poor outcome. Treatment of EGFR/HER2 overexpressing cancers includes monoclonal antibody therapy (cetuximab/trastuzumab) either alone or in conjunction with other standard cancer therapies. While monoclonal antibody therapy has been proven to be efficacious in the treatment of EGFR/HER2 overexpressing tumors, drawbacks include the lack of long-lasting immunity and acquired resistance to monoclonal therapy. An alternative approach is to induce a polyclonal anti-EGFR/HER2 tumor antigen response by vaccine therapy. In this phase I/II open-label study, we examined anti-tumor immunity in companion dogs with spontaneous EGFR expressing tumors. Canine cancers represent an outbred population in which the initiation, progression of disease, mutations and growth factors closely resemble that of human cancers. Dogs with EGFR expressing tumors were immunized with a short peptide of the EGFR extracellular domain with sequence homology to HER2. Serial serum analyses demonstrated high titers of EGFR/HER2 binding antibodies with biological activity similar to that of cetuximab and trastuzumab. Canine antibodies bound both canine and human EGFR on tumor cell lines and tumor tissue. CD8 T cells and IgG deposition were evident in tumors from immunized dogs. The antibodies inhibited EGFR intracellular signaling and inhibited tumor growth in vitro. Additionally, we illustrate objective responses in reducing tumors at metastatic sites in host animals. The data support the approach of amplifying anti-tumor immunity that may be relevant in combination with other immune modifying therapies such as checkpoint inhibitors.

IntroductionFalls among people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) are common and associated with injuries, fear of falling and low health-related quality of life. Considerations of behavioural, environmental, psychological and physical influences (including ambulation status) are needed to meet fall prevention needs for PwMS. Thus, using a codesign process involving key stakeholders a novel online self-management fall prevention intervention was created specifically for ambulatory and non-ambulatory PwMS. The feasibility, acceptability, fidelity and outcome of this complex intervention will be explored. Findings will inform a future full-scale randomised controlled trial.Methods and analysisA mixed-method design will be used. Forty-eight PwMS, stratified for ambulation level, will be randomised to control (n=24) or intervention (n=24). Both groups will receive a brochure about fall risk factors and fall prevention. The intervention is group-based (eight PwMS in each group); will be delivered online; and involve six, 2-hour weekly sessions and a booster session 8 weeks after the sixth session. Each intervention group will be led by a trained facilitator. Data collection will be performed at baseline, and after seven and 18 weeks. Outcome measures will capture data on fall prevention behaviours, fear of falling, falls self-efficacy, social and everyday activities, perceived impact of MS and number of falls. Feasibility of recruitment process, data collection procedures, outcome measures, and delivery, and intervention acceptability, fidelity and outcomes will be evaluated. Both quantitative and qualitative methods will be used.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval has been obtained from the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (registration number 2021-04817). Results will be disseminated in peer-review journals, at conferences, research meetings, in social media and through the patient organisation Neuro Sweden.Trial registration numberNCT04317716.

In Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), undergraduate research experiences provide students with invaluable opportunities to improve scientific skills. However, less is known about its impact on higher-order thinking skills. Therefore, we sought to determine if engagement in undergraduate research would improve academic performance in students engaged in research compared to those that were not. To accomplish this, biology majors were enrolled in courses that taught research methodology and techniques. Results indicated that students who were selected for the research program outperformed their peers in their other classes during the research program, based on t-test statistics. However, these students had also outperformed their peers during the previous fall semester, prior to receiving additional instruction. Furthermore, students who merely applied for inclusion in the program had significantly higher grades than students who did not apply. In addition, writing samples from research and non-research students were significantly different. Taken together, these data suggest that while undergraduate research may indeed enhance a student&rsquo, s academic performance and interest in science, a student&rsquo, s personal interest and drive for research may themselves indicate superior academic performance. Further, science departments aiming to offer research early in their curricula may benefit from such a self-selection strategy, especially in cases where there are limited resources available for undergraduate research.

Characterisation of protein function based solely on homology searches may overlook functions under specific environmental conditions, or the possibility of a protein having multiple roles. In this study we investigated the role of YtfB, a protein originally identified in a genome-wide screen to cause inhibition of cell division, and has demonstrated to localise to the Escherichia coli division site with some degree of glycan specificity. Interestingly, YtfB also shows homology to the virulence factor OapA from Haemophilus influenzae, which is important for adherence to epithelial cells, indicating the potential of additional function(s) for YtfB. Here we show that E. coli YtfB binds to N’acetylglucosamine and mannobiose glycans with high affinity. The loss of ytfB results in a reduction in the ability of the uropathogenic E. coli strain UTI89 to adhere to human kidney cells, but not to bladder cells, suggesting a specific role in the initial adherence stage of ascending urinary tract infections. Taken together, our results suggest a role for YtfB in adhesion to specific eukaryotic cells, which may be additional, or complementary, to its role in cell division. This study highlights the importance of understanding the possible multiple functions of proteins based on homology, which may be specific to different environmental conditions.

Innate and adaptive leukocytes rapidly mobilize to ischemic tissues after myocardial infarction in response to damage signals released from necrotic cells. Leukocytes play important roles in cardiac repair and regeneration such as inflammation initiation and resolution; the removal of dead cells and debris; the deposition of the extracellular matrix and granulation tissue; supporting angiogenesis and cardiomyocyte proliferation; and fibrotic scar generation and resolution. By organizing and comparing the present knowledge of leukocyte recruitment and function after cardiac injury in non-regenerative to regenerative systems, we propose that the leukocyte response to cardiac injury differs in non-regenerative adult mammals such as humans and mice in comparison to cardiac regenerative models such as neonatal mice and adult zebrafish. Specifically, extensive neutrophil, macrophage, and T-cell persistence contributes to a lengthy inflammatory period in non-regenerative systems for adverse cardiac remodeling and heart failure development, whereas their quick removal supports inflammation resolution in regenerative systems for new contractile tissue formation and coronary revascularization. Surprisingly, other leukocytes have not been examined in regenerative model systems. With this review, we aim to encourage the development of improved immune cell markers and tools in cardiac regenerative models for the identification of new immune targets in non-regenerative systems to develop new therapies.

Introduction to the special issue : Linguistic and pragmatic outcomes of contact with English

This article first presents an overview of the social and demographic phenomena specific to the language shift situation in Sanpete County, Utah, focusing on the biggest non-English-speaking group, the Danes. This overview includes the assimilation norms that were present in the community (including from the dominant religion, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), social and geographical isolation, and related issues of identity and language maintenance. Using interdisciplinary methods under the rubric of sociocultural linguistic research, our analysis presents an overview of the state of Danish in today’s Sanpete County, then further divides the Danish linguistic elements into two main categories: overt and covert. The analysis of these items makes use of the notion of postvernacular language use, as well as highlighting the female and domestic-related networks of transmission. This study of the Danish-language situation in Sanpete County offers a glimpse of the final stages of complete language shift, revealing information about a rare and under-examined linguistic community within the American context.

The effectiveness of multifactorial fall risk assessment and intervention strategies is well documented. Although identifying feet/footwear-related influences on fall risk is a vital fall risk assessment component, few evidence-based resources or screening tools are available. To address this need, we developed the Screening Tool for Feet/Footwear-Related Influences on Fall Risk. Our tool is designed for older adults who are identified as at risk for falling, based on the CDC’s Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries (STEADI) Algorithm for Fall Risk Screening, Assessment, and Intervention. Tool development was informed by results of our systematic review of lower-limb factors associated with balance and falls. Our initial tool was evaluated by an external group of 9 interprofessional content experts. Those experts recommended modification of 8 items and rated the tool’s clarity as 81.2/100, appeal as 79.1/100, and clinical feasibility as 76.1/100. After incorporating recommended changes, we completed a modified Delphi study using 8 new interprofessional experts (average years of experience: 19.3). During Phase 1, Delphi participants recommended we combine items with similar treatment recommendations, add a question about orthoses, and increase the specificity of 9 items. This refinement resulted in a 20-item screening tool, which met approval after two rounds of consensus voting. Approval was defined based on the Item Content Validation Index, percentage of agreement > 80% on each item. The high level of agreement illustrates the tool’s content validity. Using our tool, an older adult’s feet/footwear-related risk factors can be identified and incorporated into an effective multifactorial fall prevention intervention.