Maintenance Of Boundaries Research Articles

Inbox message prioritization and management approaches in primary care

Abstract Objectives Patient messaging to clinicians has dramatically increased since the pandemic, leading to informatics efforts to categorize incoming messages. We examined how message prioritization (as distinct from categorization) occurs in primary care, and how primary care clinicians managed their inbox workflows. Materials and Methods Semi-structured interviews and inbox work observations with 11 primary care clinicians at MedStar Health. We analyzed interview and observation transcripts and identified themes and subthemes related to prioritization and inbox workflows. Results Clinicians widely reported that they did not prioritize messages due to time constraints and the necessity of attending to all messages, which made any prioritization purely additive to overall inbox time. We identified 6 themes and 14 subthemes related to managing inbox workloads. The top themes were (1) establishing workflow norms with different teams, primarily medical assistants (MAs); (2) boundary-setting with patients, other clinicians, and with themselves; and (3) message classification heuristics that allowed clinicians to mentally categorize messages that required follow-up, messages that could be quickly deleted or acknowledged, and purely informational messages that ranged in clinical utility from tedious to valuable for care coordination. Discussion Time constraints in primary care prevent clinicians from prioritizing their inbox messages for increased efficiency. Involvement of MAs and co-located staff was successful; however, standardization was needed for messaging workflows that involved centralized resources like call centers. Organizations should consider ways in which they can support the establishment and maintenance of boundaries, to avoid this responsibility falling entirely on clinicians. Conclusion Clinicians generally lack the time to prioritize patient messages. Future research should explore the efficacy of collaborative inbox workflows for time-savings and management of patient messages.

Creating ‘safe’ spaces through exclusionary boundaries: Examining employers’ treatment of domestic workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in India

Our study illustrates how boundary mechanisms exacerbated the marginalization of paid domestic workers in India, after they resumed their employment at the end of the lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. We draw upon in-depth interviews with the middle-class employers of these workers to show how the employers renegotiated boundary rules and created bubbles of safe interaction for themselves. We contribute to boundary theory by explaining how pre-existing symbolic boundaries intensify and materialize into social boundaries. Social boundaries often result in unequal access to resources, further increasing disparities. But how do these boundaries get invoked? What forms do they take? So far, we do not have enough empirical research examining the creation and maintenance of social boundaries. This study shows how social boundaries get created and stabilized within gated communities through deployment of material resources, regulations and routinization of boundary tactics. These exclusionary social boundaries are further strengthened by the presence of an external agency, emerging as a new and significant actor in the hitherto private employer–worker relationship. Finally, we note that these boundaries result in normalized differential treatment of domestic workers, thus accentuating the class divide.

Understanding Species Boundaries that Arise from Complex Histories: Gene Flow Across the Speciation Continuum in the Spotted Whiptail Lizards.

Gene flow between diverging lineages challenges the resolution of species boundaries and the understanding of evolutionary history in recent radiations. Here, we integrate phylogenetic and coalescent tools to resolve reticulate patterns of diversification and use a perspective focused on evolutionary mechanisms to distinguish interspecific and intraspecific taxonomic variation. We use this approach to resolve the systematics for one of the most intensively studied but difficult to understand groups of reptiles: the spotted whiptail lizards of the genus Aspidoscelis (A. gularis complex). Whiptails contain the largest number of unisexual species known within any vertebrate group and the spotted whiptail complex has played a key role in the generation of this diversity through hybrid speciation. Understanding lineage boundaries and the evolutionary history of divergence and reticulation within this group is therefore key to understanding the generation of unisexual diversity in whiptails. Despite this importance, long-standing confusion about their systematics has impeded understanding of which gonochoristic species have contributed to the formation of unisexual lineages. Using reduced representation genomic data, we resolve patterns of divergence and gene flow within the spotted whiptails and clarify patterns of hybrid speciation. We find evidence that biogeographically structured ecological and environmental variation has been important in morphological and genetic diversification, as well as the maintenance of species boundaries in this system. Our study elucidates how gene flow among lineages and the continuous nature of speciation can bias the practice of species delimitation and lead taxonomists operating under different frameworks to different conclusions (here we propose that a two species arrangement best reflects our current understanding). In doing so, this study provides conceptual and methodological insights into approaches to resolving diversification patterns and species boundaries in rapid radiations with complex histories, as well as long-standing taxonomic challenges in the field of systematic biology.

Courtship dance similarity, but not complexity, may explain patterns of hybridization in manakins (Aves: Pipridae)

Abstract Differences in behaviour can play an important role in the emergence of species and the maintenance of species boundaries. In birds, behavioural isolation mechanisms range from simple vocalizations to elaborate courtship displays. The breakdown of these isolation mechanisms could result in the production of viable hybrid offspring. In general, we might expect a negative relationship between the complexity of a behavioural isolation mechanism and the incidence of hybridization. I tested this prediction in manakins, a Neotropical bird family that shows a large variety of courtship displays. I compiled a database of reliable hybrid records and quantified the complexity of species-specific courtship displays. Binary logistic regressions indicated that courtship similarity was a better predictor of hybridization probability than courtship complexity. However, this pattern was strongly influenced by phylogenetic relatedness, in that closely related species exhibited similar courtship displays that were already being performed by their common ancestor. The main limitation of this study concerns the incomplete dataset. I could assess the courtship complexity for only 22 manakin species; consequently, not all hybrid combinations could be included in the analyses. Nonetheless, these findings provide important insights into the role of courtship displays in explaining patterns of hybridization.

Divergent ecological selection maintains species boundaries despite gene flow in a rare endemic tree, Quercus acerifolia (maple-leaf oak).

Strong gene flow from outcrossing relatives tends to blur species boundaries, while divergent ecological selection can counteract gene flow. To better understand how these two forces affect the maintenance of species boundaries, we focused on a species complex including a rare species, maple-leaf oak (Quercus acerifolia), which is found in only four disjunct ridges in Arkansas. Its limited range and geographic proximity to co-occurring close relatives create the possibility for genetic swamping. In this study, we gathered genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) from 190 samples of Q. acerifolia and three of its close relatives, Q. shumardii, Q. buckleyi, and Q. rubra. We found that Q. shumardii and Q. acerifolia are reciprocally monophyletic with low support, suggesting incomplete lineage sorting, introgression between Q. shumardii and Q. acerifolia, or both. Analyses that model allele distributions demonstrate that admixture contributes strongly to this pattern. Populations of Q. acerifolia experience gene flow from Q. shumardii and Q. rubra, but we found evidence that divergent selection is likely maintaining species boundaries: 1) ex situ collections of Q. acerifolia have a higher proportion of hybrids compared to the mature trees of the wild populations, suggesting ecological selection against hybrids at the seed/seedling stage; 2) ecological traits co-vary with genomic composition; and 3) Q. acerifolia shows genetic differentiation at loci hypothesized to influence tolerance of radiation, drought, and high temperature. Our findings strongly suggest that in maple-leaf oak, selection results in higher divergence at regions of the genome despite gene flow from close relatives.

The royal Welsh agricultural society: Patronage and the reproduction of elites in rural Wales

This paper is concerned with the reproduction of rural elites and the role of volunteering and participation in rural civil society institutions. Set in the context of popular discourses of the gentleman farmer and the agricultural elite as historic (as opposed to contemporary) leaders in the countryside, this research extends longstanding debates on rural class politics and gentrification, and resonates with a renewed sociological interest in the elites in society. Focusing on senior volunteer roles in the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society (RWAS), we explore the connections between social and cultural capital, the maintenance of moral boundaries, and the relationship of these processes with recruitment at the committee level. Our findings indicate that systems of patronage remain significant in rural contexts, and that these systems interrelate with professional and business fields, and with embedded social and intergenerational networks. Data depicts an organisation that is looking to balance the sustained benefits to organisational capacity brought through longstanding obligations of public service, duty, and family ties, with an acknowledged need to recognize diversity and foster inclusivity. This requirement, however, is largely articulated and confined to considerations of gender, age and to a lesser extent, multiculturalism.

Group boundaries in the Netherlands: how religion and ethnicity matter for social integration

Abstract Both religion and ethnicity have been found to be important group boundaries for immigrants’ social integration into European societies. However, since both characteristics often overlap, their unique influences remain understudied. Conceptualizing social integration as a form of boundary work, this study aims to disentangle religious and ethnic group distinctions and to examine how they matter for immigrants’ contact with members of the Dutch majority group. Relying on data from four large immigrant groups in the Netherlands, that allows exploiting religious diversity within ethnic groups, we describe differences in contact with Dutch majority members between 13 ethno-religious group combinations, and we perform multiple-group SEM across the 10 largest combinations. Results indicate that while the importance of religious affiliation and ethnicity is group-specific, the strongest boundary for immigrants’ contact with members of the Dutch majority group is that between the religious and non-religious. The relative importance of religion and ethnicity for social integration is explained both by immigrants’ own maintenance of group boundaries and their perception of boundary permeability.

Does selection favour the maintenance of porous species boundaries?

The endpoint of speciation has been viewed as complete isolation and the absence of gene flow between species. If the influx of genes from another species is maladaptive because species have different adaptations and genetic backgrounds, selection should favour the closing of species boundaries and zero gene flow, a process known as reinforcement. Recently, numerous cases of gene flow between species have been identified, many of which involved adaptive introgression of beneficial alleles. These cases could reflect transient states on the way to closed species boundaries or the result of declining strength or efficacy of selection for reinforcement as the level of gene flow approaches zero. An alternative hypothesis, however, is that selection favours porous species boundaries that allow beneficial alleles to cross, especially in changing environments. This perspective evaluates the conditions that would be needed for selection to favour porous species boundaries and the evidence for them. A contrast is made between hybridization in sexual eukaryotes and gene transfer via homologous recombination in bacteria. Current evidence is inconclusive on whether non-zero gene flow is favoured by selection. Studies are needed that quantify selection gradients on rates of gene flow and test for evolution towards intermediate values, especially experiments that manipulate conditions and track evolution for multiple generations. Estimation of gene flow networks for more clades and regional assemblages using emerging genome data will also allow the evolutionary determinants of interspecific gene flow to be better understood.

Development and validation of self-assessment instrument to measure the digital professionalism of healthcare professionals using social media

BackgroundThe use of social media across the globe has risen incrementally. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these sites undeniably provided new avenues for professional networking but also led to a surge in cases of online misconduct. Professionalism instruments and scales do not assess the digital attitude and behaviour of healthcare professionals (HCPs). The purpose of this study was to identify the domains and items of digital professionalism related to social media use and to validate a self-assessment instrument to assess the digital professionalism of HCPs using social media.MethodsAn instrument development multiphase mixed method study (exploratory sequential) was conducted in two phases: item development and qualitative content validation followed by validation of the instrument. Feedback was taken from 15 experts for qualitative content validation in phase 1. In phase 2, content validity was established through three rounds of modified Delphi. Validity evidence was collected for the content (content validity index), response process (cognitive interviews), internal structure (confirmatory factor analysis), and internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha).ResultsThe 48-item preliminary instrument was reduced to a 28-item instrument with eight domains: self-anonymity, privacy settings, maintenance of boundaries and confidentiality, conflict of interest, accountability, respect for colleagues, and ethics. The content validity index of the scale was 0.91. The reliability and construct validity of the instrument was established by responses from 500 healthcare professionals from multiple hospitals. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a model with a goodness-of-fit index of 0.86, root mean square error of approximation of 0.06, and observed normed χ2 of 2.7. The internal consistency through Cronbach's alpha α was 0.96.ConclusionThe digital professionalism self-assessment instrument (DP-SAI) has an appropriate level of content and measures the construct reliably. It can be used by medical doctors, dental clinicians, nurses, physiotherapists, and clinical pharmacists to self-assess and reflect on their social media practices. This will help to address these issues to enhance the quality of online communication through various social media platforms.

Phylogenetic origin of an insect fauna at the boundary of the Palaearctic and Oriental realms: Evidence from ‘site‐based’ mitogenomics

AbstractAimKnowledge of taxonomy and species distributions in highly diverse lineages of invertebrates remains too incomplete for the study of biogeographical patterns at the global scale. This limits the understanding of processes leading to the formation and maintenance of boundaries between major biogeographical realms. Site‐based metagenomic approaches may provide an alternative source of data for inference of historical processes of in situ speciation and interchange among biogeographical regions. We applied the methodology to explore the historical biogeography of the Qinling Mountains at the boundary of the Oriental and Palaearctic regions.LocationThe focal area in the Qinling Mountains; sites in Borneo, Panama, and Spain, representing the Oriental, Neotropical and Palaearctic faunas.Time PeriodContemporary.Major Taxa StudiedChrysomelidae, a group of ~40,000 species with worldwide distribution.MethodsMass‐trapped insects were subjected to deep Illumina DNA sequencing and mitochondrial genome assembly, followed by phylogenetic analysis and historical biogeographical inference on a dated tree. The methodology produced 622 mitogenomes (304 newly sequenced) each representing a morphologically distinct species.ResultsAncestral area reconstruction revealed that the Qinling fauna is a composite of distinct clades that, respectively, have Oriental or Palaearctic ancient origins, while in situ speciation and local clade formation were limited. The global diversity of Chrysomelidae consists of regionalised deep clades at the level of the major zoogeographic realms, which remain recognisable where these realms abut in the Qinling mountains. Yet, the Qinling fauna is clearly distinct from the source areas although local lineage ages are generally <20 Ma.Main ConclusionsThe Qinling fauna is a composite of clades that have either Oriental or Palaearctic origin, indicating the important role of immigration at the realm boundary. Global site‐based phylogenetic analyses based on metagenomic sequencing can address previously intractable questions about the historical biogeography of poorly studied groups even without a fully developed taxonomy.

Airway epithelial cell identity and plasticity are constrained by Sox2 during lung homeostasis, tissue regeneration, and in human disease

Maintenance of the cellular boundary between airway and alveolar compartments during homeostasis and after injury is essential to prohibit pathological plasticity which can reduce respiratory function. Lung injury and disease can induce either functional alveolar epithelial regeneration or dysplastic formation of keratinized epithelium which does not efficiently contribute to gas exchange. Here we show that Sox2 preserves airway cell identity and prevents fate changes into either functional alveolar tissue or pathological keratinization following lung injury. Loss of Sox2 in airway epithelium leads to a loss of airway epithelial identity with a commensurate gain in alveolar and basal cell identity, in part due to activation of Wnt signaling in secretory cells and increased Trp63 expression in intrapulmonary basal-like progenitors. In idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, loss of SOX2 expression correlates with increased WNT signaling activity in dysplastic keratinized epithelium. SOX2-deficient dysplastic epithelial cells are also observed in COVID-19 damaged lungs. Thus, Sox2 provides a molecular barrier that suppresses airway epithelial plasticity to prevent acquisition of alveolar or basal cell identity after injury and help guide proper epithelial fate and regeneration.

Maintenance of species boundaries amid hybridization in two island gingers with similar ecological niches.

Understanding species boundaries maintenance in the face of hybridization/introgression is an intriguing yet complex topic in evolutionary biology. The underlying mechanisms, however, remain elusive. To address this, we propose to investigate the role of climatic shifts in shaping genetic structure and influencing species boundaries. We combine multilocus genetic data and species distribution modeling to explore how past and current climatic shifts affect the genetic structure and demographic history of two Taiwan endemic gingers, Zingiber pleiostachyum and Z. shuanglongense. We identified a well-delimited genetic structure with evidence of admixture, indicating incomplete reproductive isolation between the two gingers. This is likely due to secondary contact and range overlap during the last glacial maximum, leading to sporadic instances of hybridization. Niche overlap tests based on climate and soil data indicate that these two gingers occupy similar but nonidentical ecological niches. Furthermore, we found that the considerable differences in their current geographic distribution and altitude preferences might have resulted from different seed dispersal capabilities and competitive exclusion due to their similar niche preferences. Our results reveal a model where altitudinal differentiation and dispersal strategy synergistically reinforce the species divergence, thereby illuminating the importance of these factors in shaping and maintaining the island's biodiversity.

Diversity on the Altiplano: Geochemical perspectives on 3,000 years of potting practices in the Lake Titicaca basin

Potters in the Lake Titicaca basin produced a wide variety of ceramic styles over the last 3000 years. Archaeologists have drawn on this variety across space and time to track processes such as the development of multi-community polities during the Late Formative (200 BC-AD 600), the origins and expansion of Tiwanaku (AD 600–1000), the creation and maintenance of political boundaries during the Late Intermediate period (AD 1000–1400), and the strategies of Inca conquest and consolidation (AD 1400–1534). We report on LA-ICP-MS research into Titicaca ceramics and clays conducted at the Field Museum’s Elemental Analysis Facility (EAF), and present the first review of raw materials and pottery analyzed from across the region. Ceramic samples from the northern basin include samples from Taraco, Pukara, and neighboring sites, and speak to the diversity of intraregional potting practices during the Late Formative Period. Ceramic samples from the southern basin span the Middle Formative through the Inca periods, and index local and regional practices over two millennia. After presenting our specific case studies, we touch on how shifting scales of locality impact the chemical signatures explored here, the potential for comparative analyses across the region, and future directions for research collaborations.

Transgressive quest/ions? Navigating religion, institutional expectations, and sexuality education in modern Britain

All secondary schools in England have been required to teach Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) since 2019, which has raised particular challenges for – and confrontations with – religious minorities. This paper draws on ethnographic research to centre analysis on the fraught moral binds felt by Jewish parents and educators as they struggle to decide when and how to equip children with knowledge while needing to conform to institutional positions on what protection means. Bodily knowledge is redacted across religious/state models of education, which propagates the maintenance of social boundaries and definitions of sexual transgression, but do not stop the quests and questions that adolescents harbour during puberty and development. The paper draws attention to the use of bracketed words in feminist scholarship to convey how terms are projected as having universal meanings or connotations, which are, in reality, socially situated or at least used in socially sanctioned ways.

A SNAI2/CTCF Interaction is Required for NOTCH1 Expression in Rhabdomyosarcoma.

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a pediatric malignancy of the muscle with characteristics of cells blocked in differentiation. NOTCH1 is an oncogene that promotes self-renewal and blocks differentiation in the fusion negative-RMS sub-type. However, how NOTCH1 expression is transcriptionally maintained in tumors is unknown. Analyses of SNAI2 and CTCF chromatin binding and HiC analyses revealed a conserved SNAI2/CTCF overlapping peak downstream of the NOTCH1 locus marking a sub-topologically associating domain (TAD) boundary. Deletion of the SNAI2-CTCF peak showed that it is essential for NOTCH1 expression and viability of FN-RMS cells. Reintroducing constitutively activated NOTCH1-ΔE in cells with the SNAI2-CTCF peak deleted restored cell-viability. Ablation of SNAI2 using CRISPR/Cas9 reagents resulted in the loss of majority of RD and SMS-CTR FN-RMS cells. However, the few surviving clones that repopulate cultures have recovered NOTCH1. Cells that re-establish NOTCH1 expression after SNAI2 ablation are unable to differentiate robustly as SNAI2 shRNA knockdown cells; yet, SNAI2-ablated cells continued to be exquisitely sensitive to ionizing radiation. Thus, we have uncovered a novel mechanism by which SNAI2 and CTCF maintenance of a sub-TAD boundary promotes rather than represses NOTCH1 expression. Further, we demonstrate that SNAI2 suppression of apoptosis post-radiation is independent of SNAI2/NOTCH1 effects on self-renewal and differentiation.

Ongoing Bidirectional Introgression and the Maintenance of Species Boundaries in Hemiculter Hybrid Zone

Ongoing Bidirectional Introgression and the Maintenance of Species Boundaries in Hemiculter Hybrid Zone

Types of action orientation of primary nurses in building relationships with their patients in forensic psychiatric hospitals

Types of action orientation of primary nurses in building relationships with their patients in forensic psychiatric hospitals Abstract. Background: Building interpersonal relationships with patients is one of the most elementary tasks of mental health nurses in forensic psychiatric hospitals and should be considered as the core of their professional identity. The attitude of forensic psychiatric nurses has a substantial impact on building relationships even though this is often not immediately obvious as an implicit concept. Research question: Which types of action orientation of primary nurses characterize the building of relationships with their patients in forensic psychiatric hospitals? Methodology: To record the collective orientations of nurses, two group discussions were held with eight participants. The evaluation was carried out based on the documentary method. Results: Four types of orientations could be grouped into a generalizable basic typology. The focus is set on the relationship as a necessary precondition for successful cooperation with the patient. Honesty and mutual trust are significant features. Conversations about everyday topics facilitate relationship building. Openness and a genuine interest in the patient are equally as important as the definition and maintenance of personal boundaries. Conclusion: Implicit, action-oriented attitudes of forensic psychiatric nurses should be reflectively accessed in order to define professional relationships and maintain their boundaries. To achieve this, nurses need to have a structured framework to facilitate self-reflection and self-awareness. The goal is the systematic development of personal and interactional competences.

“Speak English”: A Comment on English Language Instruction in an Era of Neo‐Nationalism

AbstractPrevious research on neo‐nationalism has largely focused on the political arena, analyzing voters, parties, and policies. The scholarship featured in this special issue moves beyond the analysis of neo‐nationalism in contemporary politics to show how the ideology is enacted at the micro level. The stage for these dynamic interactions is educational settings related to the teaching of English. In this article, we comment on this new research that illustrates the variety of ways English language instruction can either advance or combat neo‐nationalism. Despite the diversity of roles that English plays across different geographic and national‐level contexts, this corpus of work makes evident the importance of language in maintaining national group boundaries. Inspired by this knowledge, we use data from the International Social Survey Program (ISSP) to explore how attitudes about speaking the national language are related to neo‐nationalist stances cross‐nationally. Our findings, which echo the micro‐level evidence presented in the special issue, show that national languages are inextricably linked to the maintenance of national group boundaries and associated with neo‐nationalist concerns about the erosion of national culture, economy, and political institutions due to perceived foreign threats.

A high-quality de novo genome assembly for clapper rail (Rallus crepitans).

The clapper rail (Rallus crepitans), of the family Rallidae, is a secretive marsh bird species that is adapted for high salinity habitats. They are very similar in appearance to the closely related king rail (R. elegans), but while king rails are limited primarily to freshwater marshes, clapper rails are highly adapted to tolerate salt marshes. Both species can be found in brackish marshes where they freely hybridize, but the distribution of their respective habitats precludes the formation of a continuous hybrid zone and secondary contact can occur repeatedly. This system, thus, provides unique opportunities to investigate the underlying mechanisms driving their differential salinity tolerance as well as the maintenance of the species boundary between the 2 species. To facilitate these studies, we assembled a de novo reference genome assembly for a female clapper rail. Chicago and HiC libraries were prepared as input for the Dovetail HiRise pipeline to scaffold the genome. The pipeline, however, did not recover the Z chromosome so a custom script was used to assemble the Z chromosome. We generated a near chromosome level assembly with a total length of 994.8 Mb comprising 13,226 scaffolds. The assembly had a scaffold N50 was 82.7 Mb, L50 of four, and had a BUSCO completeness score of 92%. This assembly is among the most contiguous genomes among the species in the family Rallidae. It will serve as an important tool in future studies on avian salinity tolerance, interspecific hybridization, and speciation.

Sharpiegate

In this article, we use the case of Hurricane Dorian, which hit the southeastern United States in 2019, to expand on the scholarship about professional vision by taking up how weather is materialized in the negotiation of seeing between members of the scientific community and the state. Attending to the controversy known popularly as Sharpiegate, in which President Donald Trump, the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Birmingham (Alabama) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) offered conflicting accounts of Hurricane Dorian’s predicted path, we use discourse analysis to examine four tweets, a NOAA official statement and the Commerce Department’s investigative report to show how institutional actors negotiated their entitlement to see, accounts of what was seen and accountability to their claims as seers. We argue that Sharpiegate significantly disrupted the relationship between science and the state, which depends upon scientists’ professional re-semiotizing of hurricanes in images which the state can use to legitimize its crisis response. Our findings show how NOAA and the Commerce Department utilize strategic ambiguity, distributed agency and accountability and the careful maintenance of boundaries in their claims of what was seen and what counts as legitimate seeing in weather forecasting.