bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding sustainability – the case of building blocks in Tanzania and Uganda
Authors: Isaksson Raine , Buregyeya Apollo
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe sustainability of hollow and solid blocks in sub-Saharan Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

Indicators of stakeholder value are proposed for measuring block sustainability based on comparisons of user building value price and carbon emissions. Block manufacturing processes in Tanzania and Uganda are described and assessed in this context.

Findings

The results from Uganda indicate that there are economic and environmental advantages in using hollow blocks as long as they are produced to statutory compliance levels. However, where blocks are not produced to standard requirements, the results indicate that it is better to use solid blocks. This surprising result seems to indicate that blocks prepared using low additions of cement might have sufficient functional quality for simple residential building applications even though they might not meet current standard strength requirements and have low cement productivity. These results also indicate that the improvement potential indicated previously cannot be realised when hollow blocks are used for simple construction needs.

Research limitations/implications

Clear benchmarks for the best practical level of cement block sustainability seem to be missing. The first reasons is that the lowest acceptable compressive strength has not been defined since standard requirements might not be relevant in the studied context. The second one is that the lowest possible practically achievable cement content with acceptable cement productivity has not been established.

Practical implications

Understanding sustainability can be very difficult and substantial work needs to be done to introduce operational sustainability indicators.

Originality/value

The results contribute to the discussion of understanding, defining and measuring sustainability.
Effect of vibrator position and frequency on heat transfer enhancement in counter flow concentric pipe heat exchanger
Authors: Arasavelli Shanmukh Sudhir , Konijeti Ramakrishna , Budda Govinda Rao
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to deal with heat transfer enhancement because of transverse vibration on counter flow concentric pipe heat exchanger. Experiments were performed at different vibrator positions with varying amplitudes and frequencies.

Design/methodology/approach

Tests are carried out at 4 different vibration frequencies (20, 40, 60 and 100 Hz), 3 vibration amplitudes (23, 46 and 69 mm) and at 3 vibrator positions (1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 of pipe length) with respect to hot water inlet under turbulent flow condition.

Findings

Experimental results indicate that Nusselt number is enhanced to a maximum extent of 44% with vibration when compared to Nusselt number without vibration at a frequency of 40 Hz, an amplitude of 69 mm and at a vibrator position of one-fourth of pipe length with respect to hot water inlet.

Originality/value

Empirical correlation is developed from experimental data to estimate the heat transfer coefficient with vibration for experimental frequency range with an error estimate of approximately ±10%.
Expression of discoidin domain receptor 1 and E‐cadherin in epidermis affects melanocyte behavior in rhododendrol‐induced leukoderma mouse model
Authors: Abe Yuko , Hozumi Yutaka , Okamura Ken , Suzuki Tamio
Published: August 2020

Vitiligo is a depigmentation disease characterized by gradual loss of melanin and melanocytes from the epidermis. The mechanism of melanocyte loss is not yet known. In this report, we showed that the expression of discoidin domain receptor 1 and E‐cadherin, known adhesion molecules, was variable or absent in the epidermis of rhododendrol‐induced leukoderma (RDIL) mice during the depigmentation process. Our findings suggest that melanocyte damage by rhododendrol promotes reduction of adhesion molecules not only in melanocytes but also in keratinocytes, and this is associated with the detachment of melanocytes from the basal layer.
Photosynthetic heat tolerances and extreme leaf temperatures
Authors: Perez Timothy M. , Feeley Kenneth J.
Published: August 2020

Photosynthetic heat tolerances (PHTs) have several potential applications including predicting which species will be most vulnerable to climate change. Given that plants exhibit unique thermoregulatory traits that influence leaf temperatures and decouple them from ambient air temperatures, we hypothesized that PHTs should be correlated with extreme leaf temperatures as opposed to air temperatures.

We measured leaf thermoregulatory traits, maximum leaf temperatures (TMO) and two metrics of PHT (Tcrit and T50) quantified using the quantum yield of photosystem II for 19 plant species growing in Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (Coral Gables, FL, USA). Thermoregulatory traits measured at the Garden and microenvironmental variables were used to parameterize a leaf energy balance model that estimated maximum in situ leaf temperatures (TMIS) across the geographic distributions of 13 species.

TMO and TMIS were positively correlated with T50 but were not correlated with Tcrit. The breadth of species' thermal safety margins (the difference between T50 and TMO) was negatively correlated with T50.

Our results provide observational and theoretical support based on a first principles approach for the hypothesis that PHTs may be adaptations to extreme leaf temperature, but refute the assumption that species with higher PHTs are less susceptible to thermal damage. Our study also introduces a novel method for studying plant ecophysiology by incorporating biophysical and species distribution models, and highlights how the use of air temperature versus leaf temperature can lead to conflicting conclusions about species vulnerability to thermal damage.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Biocontrol of a prickly pear cactus in South Africa: Reinterpreting the analogous, renowned case in Australia
Authors: Hoffmann John H. , Moran Vincent C. , Zimmermann Helmuth G. , Impson Fiona A. C.
Published: August 2020

We report on a long‐term evaluation of biological control of an invasive cactus, Opuntia stricta, in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. By forming large impenetrable thickets, this weed species posed a major threat to the integrity and biodiversity of the park, and to agroecosystems more widely.

Over 22 years, from 1992 to 2013, counts were made along fixed transects at four different sites to measure the abundance of O. stricta and the prevalence of two of its biological control agents: (a) Cactoblastis cactorum, whose larvae feed in the plants’ cladodes and (b) a sap‐sucking cochineal insect, Dactylopius opuntiae. With only C. cactorum present, the numbers of O. stricta cladodes and fruit remained unchanged at two of the sites but increased annually at the other two. Within 5 years of the introduction of D. opuntiae, the numbers of cladodes and fruit decreased substantially at all the sites and the residual cactus populations have been held at inconsequentially low levels ever since.

Both the C. cactorum and D. opuntiae populations on O. stricta in South Africa were sourced from founder stocks in Australia. This allows direct comparisons of biological control of O. stricta in South Africa with the world‐famous program against O. stricta, in Queensland and in New South Wales, that peaked in the 1920s and 1930s.

Synthesis and applications. Almost all accounts acclaim Cactoblastis cactorum as the dominant contributor to the sustained decline of populations of prickly pears in Australia in the 1930s. Our results provide evidence that this now widely accepted conclusion is incorrect and that cochineal was and is the key role player. Managers and biological control practitioners concerned with the apparent underperformance of C. cactorum in the suppression of invasive Opuntia cacti should interpret the entrenched reports in the literature with circumspection. There may also be less cause for concern about the anticipated devastation of native Opuntia prickly pear species in the southern United States where C. cactorum has become an invasive pest species.
Trade‐off between standing biomass and productivity in species‐rich tropical forest: Evidence, explanations and implications
Authors: Kohyama Takashi S. , Potts Matthew D. , Kohyama Tetsuo I. , Niiyama Kaoru , Yao Tze Leong , Davies Stuart J. , Sheil Douglas
Published: August 2020

Despite its broad implications for community structure and dynamics, we lack a clear understanding of how forest productivity is partitioned among tree species. As leaf mass per unit of standing biomass declines with tree size, species achieving larger stature should show lower relative productivity as compared to smaller stature species. However, many observations indicate large‐stature species grow faster than small‐stature species. In this study, we address this apparent paradox, and clarify interspecific trade‐offs between turnover rates and maximum size in terms of forest‐level productivity and biomass storage.

We examined data from the 1990 and 2000 surveys of the Pasoh 50‐ha plot of Malaysian rain forest. In these data, individual stems ≥1 cm stem diameter (dbh) have been identified, marked, measured and mapped. We applied site‐specific equations to estimate tree biomass from dbh. We estimated species‐level productivity and loss rates that are less influenced by census interval‐related effects and biases.

Among 390 abundant tree species, species with high stand‐level biomass were predominantly those large‐stature species where individuals could achieve large sizes. We found that relative (= per‐species‐biomass) productivity and loss rate, per‐capita recruitment and mortality of species were all negatively correlated to species biomass and maximum size, but not to species abundance.

Large‐stature species grew faster than small‐stature species at the same tree sizes up to 36 cm dbh. However, the relative growth of large species at their maximum size markedly declined. As a result, tree‐level relative growth at maximum size and species‐level relative productivity decreased with species‐level biomass.

Performing further analyses using smaller plots in four old‐growth forests in Indonesia and Japan, we observed a similar interspecific negative relationship between relative productivity and biomass. We expect this phenomenon is widespread across species‐rich forests.

Synthesis. How productivity is partitioned among species determines and reflects forest ecosystem functioning and species coexistence. Many species with low biomass and small maximum stem sizes disproportionally contribute to forest primary productivity, rapid recovery and resilience. In contrast, long‐lived, high‐biomass species contribute disproportionally to ecosystem stability and carbon storage. This complementarity reflects differentiation by adult stature among species.
Creative Cities, Graffiti and Culture‐Led Development in South Africa: Dlala Indima (‘Play Your Part’)
Authors: Sitas Rike
Published: August 2020

Creative cities and culture‐led development discourses have come under increasing scrutiny as elite‐centric economic development agendas tend to trump ‘civic creativity’ ideals as imagined by Charles Landry. In South Africa, culture‐led development and cultural policy tends to primarily mimic that of the global North, largely focusing on culture as a catalyst for economic and property development. Public art commissioning processes tend to focus on decorative projects as part of urban upgrading, which are often associated with ensuing gentrification and displacement of the urban poor. In contrast to focusing on these kinds of regeneration strategies, this article investigates Dlala Indima, a hip‐hop‐led graffiti project in a rural township in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. This article situates graffiti as a critical social and spatial practice to argue that this case challenges normative cultural planning paradigms. Dlala Indima's work is an alternative approach to cultural development by and for young people who are usually marginalized by the mainstream practice of culture‐led economic development. The project challenges dominant creative cities and culture‐led development discourses in three ways: first, it challenges the normative processes of regeneration; secondly, it grounds participatory practice; and finally, it shifts participation from ‘tyranny to transformation’ through the ubuntu of hip‐hop, the notion of ubuntu being based on the communitarian notion of ‘ubuntu, ngubuntu ngabantu’—‘I am because you are’.
Infrastructure Disruption in ‘Silicon Savannah’: Exploring the Idea of the Creative Class and their Relation to Quality of Place in Nairobi, Kenya
Authors: Rosenberg Lauren , Brent Alan
Published: August 2020

Debates around urbanization, infrastructure disruption and the creative class rarely appear alongside each other in research on African cities. This article connects these different narratives, which are currently exerting their influence on the future direction of these cities. The economic value of the creative class is that their work centres on innovation—a quality seen as essential to ‘new‐economy’ urban growth. Quality of place (that which makes ‘New York New York’) is said to attract the creative class to certain cities, as lifestyle amenities are valued as much as employment opportunities. Nairobi is an example of an African city currently attracting both Kenyan and expatriate creative class workers, particularly in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector. In this article we take Richard Florida's creative class theory as a departure point to offer insights into why this group chooses to live in Nairobi and to describe Nairobi's quality of place, with a particular focus on infrastructure disruption. The case study reveals that Nairobi's quality of place differs fundamentally from the normative attributes prescribed by creative class theory and, in some instances, it is considered to be highly frustrating and unattractive.
The Creative Night‐Time Leisure Economy of Informal Drinking Venues
Authors: Charman Andrew , Govender Thiresh
Published: August 2020

In response to debates on emergent and rogue forms of urbanism that are reshaping the African city, this article examines the night‐time leisure economy as one particular social context in which the tensions and opposition between regulation/deregulation and informality play out. This article shows how ideas that centre on Northern entertainment spaces and drinking venues (bound with policy initiatives to reposition the city) have come to inform policy initiatives to regulate working‐class public spaces in South African cities with the objective of controlling unruliness. Through a case study of informal and illegal drinking venues in Sweet Home Farm, a slum settlement in Cape Town, we provide an insight into the ways in which people seek to reclaim social space and impose their own vision of the creative city. The article demonstrates that while illegal drinking venues can be imagined as ‘unruly, unpredictable, surprising [and] confounding’, they are characterized by a responsive agility to the social, cultural and physical environment. We argue that the capacity and tenacity of informal drinking venues to adapt to regulatory pressures present a range of possibilities for reimaging the night‐time leisure economy in ways that are inclusive of the poor and conducive to negotiation.
Stillbirths in China: a nationwide survey
Authors: Zhu J , Zhang J , Xia H , Ge J , Ye X , Guo B , Liu M , Dai L , Zhang L , Chen L , Wang Y , Wang X , Liu H , Chen C , Wang Y , Wang G , Cai M , Yang X , Li F , Fan C , Ruan Y , Yu L , Zhang R , Xu H , Zhang J , Ma X , Yuan D , Zhu Y , Wang D , Betran AP , Qi H , Duan T , Zhang J ,   for the China Labor and Delivery Survey
Published: August 2020

Objective

To estimate a stillbirth rate at 24 or more gestational weeks in 2015–2016 and to explore potentially preventable causes in China.

Design

A multi‐centre cross‐sectional study.

Setting

Ninety‐six hospitals distributed in 24 (of 34) provinces in China.

Population

A total of 75 132 births at 24 completed weeks of gestation or more.

Methods

COX Proportional Hazard Models were performed to examine risk factors for antepartum and intrapartum stillbirths. Population attributable risk percentage was calculated for major risk factors. Correspondence analysis was used to explore region‐specific risk factors for stillbirths.

Main outcome measures

Stillbirth rate and risk factors for stillbirth.

Results

A total of 75 132 births including 949 stillbirths were used for the final analysis, giving a weighted stillbirth rate of 13.2 per 1000 births (95% CI 7.9–18.5). Small for gestational age (SGA) and pre‐eclampsia/eclampsia increased antepartum stillbirths by 26.2% and 11.7%, respectively. Fetal anomalies increased antepartum and intrapartum stillbirths by 17.9% and 7.4%, respectively. Overall, 31.4% of all stillbirths were potentially preventable. Advanced maternal age, pre‐pregnant obesity, chronic hypertension and diabetes mellitus were important risk factors in East China; low education and SGA were major risk factors in Northwest, Southwest, Northeast and South China; and pre‐eclampsia/eclampsia and intrapartum complications were significant risk factors in Central China.

Conclusions

The prevalence of stillbirth was 13.2 per 1000 births in China in 2015–2016. Nearly one‐third of all stillbirths may be preventable. Strategies based on regional characteristics should be considered to reduce further the burden of stillbirths in China.

Tweetable abstract

The stillbirth rate was 13.2 per 1000 births in China in 2015–2016 and nearly one‐third of all stillbirths may be preventable.
Between fit and flexibility? The benefits of high‐performance work practices and leadership capability for innovation outcomes
Authors: Gahan Peter , Theilacker Max , Adamovic Mladen , Choi Daejeong , Harley Bill , Healy Joshua , Olsen Jesse E.
Published: August 2020

The idea that human resource management (HRM) plays a strategic role in generating sustainable competitive advantage for organisations or intermediate outcomes such as innovation is a central tenet in HRM theory and research. Yet, the explanation for this relationship remains unclear. We contribute to understanding how HRM plays a role by integrating insights drawn from HRM and strategic management. We explore how configurations of high‐performance work systems (HPWS) and leadership competence (LC) provide micro‐foundations for organisational capabilities associated with innovation. We also examine the moderating role of external environmental conditions. We find support for the proposition that HPWS and LC contribute to capabilities associated with innovation. Importantly, in stable environments, the formation of the capabilities required for innovation is more strongly associated with HPWS, whereas in more dynamic environments, LC plays a more pronounced role. These findings have implications for understanding the strategic role HRM plays and for management practice.
Chronic Voluntary Binge Ethanol Consumption Causes Sex‐Specific Differences in Microglial Signaling Pathways and Withdrawal‐associated Behaviors in Mice
Authors: Rath Meera , Guergues Jennifer , Pinho Joao P.C. , Zhang Ping , Nguyen Truc G. , MacFadyen Kaley A. , Peris Joanna , McLaughlin Jay P. , Stevens Stanley M. , Liu Bin
Published: August 2020

Background

Microglia are the resident immune cells in the brain where they play essential roles in the development and maintenance of physiological functions of this organ. Aberrant activation of microglia is speculated to be involved in the pathogenesis of a variety of neurological disorders, including alcohol use disorders. Repeated binge ethanol (EtOH) consumption can have a profound impact on the function and integrity of the brain resulting in changes in behaviors such as withdrawal and reward. However, the microglial molecular and cellular pathways associated with EtOH binge consumption remain poorly understood.

Method

In this study, adult C57BL/6J male and female mice were subjected daily to a gelatin‐based drinking‐in‐the‐dark voluntary EtOH consumption paradigm (3 h/d for 4 months) to characterize EtOH consumption and withdrawal‐associated and anxiety‐like behaviors. Brain microglia were isolated at the end and analyzed for protein expression profile changes using unbiased mass spectrometry‐based proteomic analysis.

Results

Both male and female mice consistently consumed binge quantities of EtOH daily, resulting in blood EtOH levels > 80 mg/dl measured at the end of the 3‐hour daily consumption period. Although female mice consumed a significantly greater amount of EtOH than male mice, EtOH withdrawal‐associated anxiety‐like behaviors measured by marble‐burying, light‐dark box, and elevated plus maze tests were predominantly observed in male mice. Proteomic analysis of microglia isolated from the brains of animals at the end of the 4‐month binge EtOH consumption identified 117 and 37 proteins that were significantly up‐ or downregulated in EtOH‐exposed male and female mice, respectively, compared to their pair‐fed controls. Protein expression profile‐based pathway analysis identified several cellular pathways that may underlie the sex‐specific and EtOH withdrawal‐associated behavioral abnormalities.

Conclusion

Taken together, our findings revealed sex‐specific changes in EtOH withdrawal‐associated behaviors and signaling pathways in the mouse brain microglia and may help advance our understanding of the molecular, cellular, and behavioral changes related to human binge EtOH consumption.
Multifactorial Genetic and Environmental Hedgehog Pathway Disruption Sensitizes Embryos to Alcohol‐Induced Craniofacial Defects
Authors: Everson Joshua L. , Batchu Rithik , Eberhart Johann K.
Published: August 2020

Background

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is perhaps the most common environmental cause of human birth defects. These exposures cause a range of structural and neurological defects, including facial dysmorphologies, collectively known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). While PAE causes FASD, phenotypic outcomes vary widely. It is thought that multifactorial genetic and environmental interactions modify the effects of PAE. However, little is known of the nature of these modifiers. Disruption of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway has been suggested as a modifier of ethanol teratogenicity. In addition to regulating the morphogenesis of craniofacial tissues commonly disrupted in FASD, a core member of the Hh pathway, Smoothened, is susceptible to modulation by structurally diverse chemicals. These include environmentally prevalent teratogens like piperonyl butoxide (PBO), a synergist found in thousands of pesticide formulations.

Methods

Here, we characterize multifactorial genetic and environmental interactions using a zebrafish model of craniofacial development.

Results

We show that loss of a single allele of shha sensitized embryos to both alcohol‐ and PBO‐induced facial defects. Co‐exposure of PBO and alcohol synergized to cause more frequent and severe defects. The effects of this co‐exposure were even more profound in the genetically susceptible shha heterozygotes.

Conclusions

Together, these findings shed light on the multifactorial basis of alcohol‐induced craniofacial defects. In addition to further implicating genetic disruption of the Hh pathway in alcohol teratogenicity, our findings suggest that co‐exposure to environmental chemicals that perturb Hh signaling may be important variables in FASD and related craniofacial disorders.
Wearable Transdermal Alcohol Monitors: A Systematic Review of Detection Validity, and Relationship Between Transdermal and Breath Alcohol Concentration and Influencing Factors
Authors: van Egmond Kelly , Wright Cassandra J. C. , Livingston Michael , Kuntsche Emmanuel
Published: August 2020

Background

Research on alcohol consumption mostly relies on self‐reported data, which are subject to recall bias. Wearable transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC) monitors address this limitation by continuously measuring the ethanol excreted via the skin. This systematic review aims to provide an overview of TAC monitors’ reliability to detect alcohol consumption and methods to estimate breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) and number of standard drinks consumed in a given time frame.

Methods

The databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, SCOPUS, Engineering Village, and CINAHL were systematically searched to identify 1,048 empirical research papers published from 2013 onwards, of which 13 were included after full‐text screening. The selected studies included 3 TAC monitors: SCRAM™, WristTAS™, and Skyn™.

Results

TAC measures of SCRAM, WrisTAS, and Skyn are found to be positively correlated with BrAC (r = 0.56 to 0.79) and/or self‐reports (r = 0.62). Using the AMS criteria for detection results in low sensitivity, adjusted criteria can increase the sensitivity of the SCRAM from 39.9 to 68.5%. The WrisTAS and an early prototype of the Skyn showed high failure rates (17 to 38%). Recent advances toward transforming the TAC data into more clinically relevant measures have led to the development of mathematical models and the BrAC Estimator Software. Using TAC data, both approaches produce estimates explaining 70 to 82% of actual BrAC and self‐reported drinking or to highly correlate with the actual BrAC measures (β = 0.90 to 0.91).

Conclusions

Transdermal alcohol monitors offer an opportunity to measure alcohol consumption in a valid and continuous way with mathematical models and software estimating BrAC values improving interpretation of TAC data. However, the SCRAM seems unable to detect low‐to‐moderate drinking levels using the thresholds and criteria set by the manufacturer. Moreover, the WrisTAS and the Skyn prototype show a high failure rate, raising questions about reliability. Future studies will assess the validity of new‐generation wristbands, including the next Skyn generations.
Is body size a good indicator of fecundity in the genus Thaumetopoea? A story told by two intrageneric Mediterranean forest defoliators
Authors: El Mokhefi M'hamed , Chakali Gahdab , Rahim Noureddine , Bouchou Lynda , Battisti Andrea
Published: August 2020

Body size correlates with several factors such as reproductive fitness, environmental changes, the quality and quantity of food during critical development stages, and the feeding season. For the Palearctic moths of the genus Thaumetopoea (Lepidoptera; Notodontidae), the larval development is crucial and differs between species according to their feeding season; larvae of the pine processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis & Schiffermüller 1775) feed during winter while larvae of its congeneric cedar processionary moth Thaumetopoea bonjeani (Powell 1922) develop during summer in North Africa.

This discrepancy in lifecycles leads to different reproductive traits such as egg batch length, number of eggs per batch, eggs protection mechanisms and female body size.

According to Darwin's fecundity advantage hypothesis (1871), female body size should have a positive influence on reproductive fitness, since larger females supposedly have higher fecundity. The universal allometric scaling phenomenon rule proposed by Rensch (1950) predicts that the degree of sexual size dimorphism tends to decrease with the increase of female body size.

Here, two morphometrical parameters that is, body size and scale size, estimated from body measurements of individuals of both species, feeding on the same host Atlantic cedar Cedrus atlantica (Manetti & Carrière 1855) (Pinales; Pinaceae) in Algeria were proposed. The aim was to find out traits that might rule the competition for food and space, in particularly fecundity and body size.

Results of the present study highlight a female‐biased sexual size dimorphism in both species. The positive correlation between female body size and fecundity shown in this study weakly supports Darwin's hypothesis. Finally, the intrageneric test performed leads to conclude that Rensch's rule does not hold in the considered species.
Potential damage by Acromyrmex ant species in pine plantations in southern Brazil
Authors: Nickele Mariane A. , Reis Filho Wilson , Penteado Susete do R. C. , de Queiroz Elisiane C. , Schaitza Erich G. , Pie Marcio R.
Published: August 2020

Acromyrmex species primarily attack Pinus taeda plantations during the first months after planting, with more intense damage in the first 30 days.

We evaluated potential damage by Acromyrmex crassispinus and Acromyrmex subterraneus in 30‐day‐old P. taeda plantations in southern Brazil by assessing the number of attacked plants and the distance reached by each colony, along with the losses in plant development resulting from different levels of defoliation.

Both species were significant pests in newly established pine plantations. A single colony can attack a substantial number of seedlings (up to 453 seedlings). Colonies with larger nests attacked more plants and ranged farther; A. crassispinus reached 59 m and A. subterraneus 87 m.

After 10 years, no significant losses in plant development were seen in seedlings defoliated less than 50% at 30 days after planting. But when defoliation of the young plants attained 75%, 100%, and 100%, including the cut of the apical meristem, volume losses reached 32%, 37%, and 43%, respectively.

Leaf‐cutting ant controls should be carried out in plantations of P. taeda within 30 days of planting to avoid attacks. When seedlings are defoliated more than 75%, they should be replanted to avoid future losses in final wood volume.
Screening and testing for COVID‐19 before surgery
Authors: Kovoor Joshua G. , Tivey David R. , Williamson Penny , Tan Lorwai , Kopunic Helena S. , Babidge Wendy J. , Collinson Trevor G. , Hewett Peter J. , Hugh Thomas J. , Padbury Robert T. A. , Frydenberg Mark , Douglas Richard G. , Kok Jen , Maddern Guy J.
Published: August 2020

Background

Preoperative screening for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) aims to preserve surgical safety for both patients and surgical teams. This rapid review provides an evaluation of current evidence with input from clinical experts to produce guidance for screening for active COVID‐19 in a low prevalence setting.

Methods

An initial search of PubMed (until 6 May 2020) was combined with targeted searches of both PubMed and Google Scholar until 1 July 2020. Findings were streamlined for clinical relevance through the advice of an expert working group that included seven senior surgeons and a senior medical virologist.

Results

Patient history should be examined for potential exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). Hyposmia and hypogeusia may present as early symptoms of COVID‐19, and can potentially discriminate from other influenza‐like illnesses. Reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction is the gold standard diagnostic test to confirm SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, and although sensitivity can be improved with repeated testing, the decision to retest should incorporate clinical history and the local supply of diagnostic resources. At present, routine serological testing has little utility for diagnosing acute infection. To appropriately conduct preoperative testing, the temporal dynamics of SARS‐CoV‐2 must be considered. Relative to other thoracic imaging modalities, computed tomography has the greatest utility for characterizing pulmonary involvement in COVID‐19 patients who have been diagnosed by reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction.

Conclusion

Through a rapid review of the literature and advice from a clinical expert working group, evidence‐based recommendations have been produced for the preoperative screening of surgical patients with suspected COVID‐19.
Vegetative States: Potatoes, Affordances, and Survival Ecologies
Authors: Nally David , Kearns Gerry
Published: August 2020

The potato has been critical to plant–human assemblages both in South America and in Europe. A study of the capacities, or affordances of this plant within diverse political economies highlights its mutability in some circumstances and vulnerability in others. The contrasts are stark. In South America, peasant agriculture took the potato across a large and diverse ecumene allowing its elaboration into many varieties and sustaining extensive state systems that taxed its production. Spanish colonialism repurposed the plant as the calorific basis for concentrations of coerced labour at silver mines. Back in Europe it was initially the resistance of the potato to state violence that encouraged peasants to turn over their fields to a tuberous plant that “concealed” its food underground. But its calorific productivity per acre again saw it repurposed as peasants were converted to proletarians, allowed to subsist on only the smallest plots while working for landlords on larger estates.
Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation prevents the development of, and reverses, established oesophageal pain hypersensitivity
Authors: Farmer Adam D. , Albusoda Ahmed , Amarasinghe Gehanjali , Ruffle James K. , Fitzke Heather E. , Idrees Ruqaya , Fried Ron , Brock Christina , Aziz Qasim
Published: August 2020

Background

The vagus nerve exerts an anti‐nociceptive effect on the viscera.

Aim

To investigate whether transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation (t‐VNS) prevents the development of and/or reverses established visceral hypersensitivity in a validated model of acid‐induced oesophageal pain.

Methods

Before and after a 30‐minute infusion of 0.15M hydrochloric acid into the distal oesophagus, pain thresholds to electrical stimulation were determined in the proximal non‐acid exposed oesophagus. Validated sympathetic (cardiac sympathetic index) and parasympathetic (cardiac vagal tone [CVT]) nervous system measures were recorded. In study 1, 15 healthy participants were randomised in a blinded crossover design to receive either t‐VNS or sham for 30 minutes during acid infusion. In study 2, 18 different healthy participants were randomised in a blinded crossover design to receive either t‐VNS or sham, for 30 minutes after acid infusion.

Results

Study 1: t‐VNS increased CVT (31.6% ± 58.7 vs −9.6 ± 20.6, P = 0.02) in comparison to sham with no effect on cardiac sympathetic index. The development of acid‐induced oesophageal hypersensitivity was prevented with t‐VNS in comparison to sham (15.5 mA per unit time (95% CI 4.9 ‐ 26.2), P = 0.004). Study 2: t‐VNS increased CVT (26.3% ± 32.7 vs 3 ± 27.1, P = 0.03) in comparison to sham with no effect on cardiac sympathetic index. t‐VNS reversed established acid‐induced oesophageal hypersensitivity in comparison to sham (17.3mA/unit time (95% CI 9.8‐24.7), P = 0.0001).

Conclusions

t‐VNS prevents the development of, and reverses established, acid‐induced oesophageal hypersensitivity. These results have therapeutic implications for the management of visceral pain hypersensitivity.
“I simply don't know, because I don't know which drugs I get”: Perspectives on deprescribing among older adults with limited life expectancy and their relatives
Authors: Graabæk Trine , Lundby Carina , Ryg Jesper , Søndergaard Jens , Pottegård Anton , Nielsen Dorthe Susanne
Published: August 2020

Use of medications of questionable benefit is common in end of life care. In order to effectively carry out deprescribing, it is important to gain insight into the perspectives of patients and their relatives. Thus, our objective was to explore perspectives on deprescribing among older adults with limited life expectancy and their relatives. We conducted semi‐structured interviews with ten nursing home residents and nine relatives. Interviews were analysed using systematic text condensation. Four main themes were identified: “Medication as a necessity and to feel well,” “Frailty as a barrier for taking responsibility,” “Patient autonomy and faith in authority” and “A wish for being involved.” Most participants had not considered the possibility of deprescribing but were open towards medication change if proposed by a healthcare professional. Most participants did not have in‐depth knowledge about medication but would like to be informed or involved in decisions. The participants generally had faith in healthcare professionals despite limited contact. Our study implies that older adults with limited life expectancy and their relatives are generally interested in deprescribing activities; however, the initiative of deprescribing lies with the healthcare professionals.
Prevalence of germline GATA2 and SAMD9/9L variants in paediatric haematological disorders with monosomy 7
Authors: Yoshida Masanori , Tanase‐Nakao Kanako , Shima Hirohito , Shirai Ryota , Yoshida Kaoru , Osumi Tomoo , Deguchi Takao , Mori Makiko , Arakawa Yuki , Takagi Masatoshi , Miyamura Takako , Sakaguchi Kimiyoshi , Toyoda Hidemi , Ishida Hisashi , Sakata Naoki , Imamura Toshihiko , Kawahara Yuta , Morimoto Akira , Koike Takashi , Yagasaki Hiroshi , Ito Shuichi , Tomizawa Daisuke , Kiyokawa Nobutaka , Narumi Satoshi , Kato Motohiro
Published: August 2020

Monosomy 7 (−7) occurs in various types of paediatric myeloid disorders and has a poor prognosis. Recent studies have demonstrated that patients with germline gain‐of‐function SAMD9/9L variants and loss‐of‐function GATA2 variants are prone to developing myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) associated with −7. However, the prevalence of the genetic variants among paediatric haematologic disorders with −7 is unknown. The present study screened germline variants of GATA2 and SAMD9/9L in 25 patients with various types of paediatric haematological disorders associated with −7. The diagnoses of the 25 patients included MDS (n = 10), acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and myeloid sarcomas (n = 9), juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia (n = 3) and other disorders (n = 3). Seven patients with a germline pathogenic GATA2 variant were found. For SAMD9/9L screening, next‐generation sequencing was used to detect low‐abundance variants and found four novel germline variants. Functional analysis revealed that three out of the four variants showed growth‐restricting capacity in vitro and thus, were judged to be pathogenic. Cases with GATA2 mutation tended to be older, compared to those with SAMD9/9L mutations. In conclusion, GATA2 and SAMD9/9L were sequenced in 25 patients with paediatric haematologic disorders associated with −7, and 40% of them were found to have some pathogenic germline variants in the three genes.
Targeting RNA helicase DHX33 blocks Ras‐driven lung tumorigenesis in vivo
Authors: Wang Xingshun , Feng Weimin , Peng Cheng , Chen Shiyun , Ji Hongbin , Zhong Hanbing , Ge Wei , Zhang Yandong
Published: August 2020

Ras has been found to be mutated in 30% of non‐small cell lung cancers, and its mutation has been regarded as a causal factor underlying tumorigenesis. However, no successful medicine has been developed so far to inhibit Ras for lung cancer treatment. We have previously identified DHX33 as a Ras downstream effector, promoting cell cycle progression and cell growth. In this study, with the K‐Ras (G12D);DHX33 (lox/lox) mouse model, we discovered that genetic ablation of DHX33 inhibited tumor development. We further found that ablation of DHX33 altered the expression of nearly 2000 genes which are critical in cancer development such as cell cycle, apoptosis, glycolysis, Wnt signaling, and cell migration. Our study for the first time demonstrates the pivotal role of the DHX33 in Ras‐driven lung cancer development in vivo and highlights that pharmacological targeting DHX33 can be a feasible option in treating Ras‐mutant lung cancers.
Caprylic acid (C8:0) promotes bone metastasis of prostate cancer by dysregulated adipo‐osteogenic balance in bone marrow
Authors: Wang Cuizhe , Wang Jingzhou , Chen Keru , Pang Huai , Li Xue , Zhu Jiaojiao , Ma Yinghua , Qiu Tongtong , Li Wei , Xie Jianxin , Zhang Jun
Published: August 2020

Prostate cancer (PCa) continues to be the most common, noncutaneous cancer in men. Bone is the most frequent site of PCa metastases, and up to 90% of patients with advanced PCa develop bone metastases. An altered bone marrow microenvironment, induced by obesity, is a significant mediator for the bone tropism of PCa. However, the specific molecular mechanisms by which obesity causes changes in the bone marrow microenvironment, leading to PCa bone metastasis, are not fully understood. Our results demonstrate that a high‐fat diet (HFD) leads to dyslipidemia and changes in bone marrow of nude mice: an increase in the area and number of adipocytes and a reduction in the area and number of osteoblasts. Moreover, a HFD promoted cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) expression and inhibited osteoprotegerin (OPG) expression in the bone microenvironment. Additionally, the total level of free fatty acids (FFAs) and caprylic acid (C8:0) was significantly higher in PCa patients with bone metastases. In vitro, caprylic acid (C8:0) promoted bone mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)‐derived adipocytic differentiation, COX2 expression, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) secretion, whereas osteoblastic differentiation and OPG expression were reduced. Furthermore, caprylic acid (C8:0)‐treated adipocytes promoted the invasion and migration of PCa cells. Taken together, our findings suggest caprylic acid (C8:0) promotes bone metastasis of PCa by dysregulated adipo‐osteogenic balance of bone marrow.
Iron chelation cancer therapy using hydrophilic block copolymers conjugated with deferoxamine
Authors: Komoto Kana , Nomoto Takahiro , El Muttaqien Sjaikhurrizal , Takemoto Hiroyasu , Matsui Makoto , Miura Yutaka , Nishiyama Nobuhiro
Published: August 2020

Cancer cells have high iron requirements due to their rapid growth and proliferation. Iron depletion using iron chelators has a potential in cancer treatment. Previous studies have demonstrated that deferoxamine (DFO) specifically chelates Fe(III) and exhibited antitumor activity in clinical studies. However, its poor pharmacokinetics has limited the therapeutic potential and practical application. Although polymeric iron chelators have been developed to increase the blood retention, none of previous studies has demonstrated their potential in iron chelation cancer therapy. Here, we developed polymeric DFO by the covalent conjugation of DFO to poly(ethylene glycol)‐poly(aspartic acid) (PEG‐PAsp) block copolymers. The polymeric DFO exhibited iron‐chelating ability comparable with free DFO, thereby arresting cell cycle and inducing apoptosis and antiproliferative activity. After intravenous administration, the polymeric DFO showed marked increase in blood retention and tumor accumulation in subcutaneous tumor models. Consequently, polymeric DFO showed significant suppression of the tumor growth compared with free DFO. This study reveals the first success of the design of polymeric DFO for enhancing iron chelation cancer therapy.
How Does Children’s Theory of Mind Become Explicit? A Review of Longitudinal Findings
Authors: Sodian Beate , Kristen‐Antonow Susanne , Kloo Daniela
Published: August 2020

How does theory of mind become explicit? In this article, we provide a brief overview of theoretical accounts and then review longitudinal findings on the development of theory of mind from infancy to the preschool years. Long‐term predictive relations among conceptually related measures of implicit and explicit theory‐of‐mind reasoning support a conceptual continuity view of the transition from an implicit to an explicit understanding of the mind. We discuss alternative, minimalist accounts of infant psychological reasoning (e.g., two‐systems models, submentalizing theory) and their implications for the development of theory of mind in light of the evidence. Longitudinal findings further support a developmental enrichment view of joint attention as a foundation of theory of mind and early social interaction as a powerful mechanism in the development of this ability. Finally, we highlight the importance of longitudinal data for our understanding of conceptual development from infancy to the preschool years.
A Daily Examination of African American Adolescents’ Racial Discrimination, Parental Racial Socialization, and Psychological Affect
Authors: Cheeks Bridget L. , Chavous Tabbye M. , Sellers Robert M.
Published: August 2020

This study examined 164 African American adolescents’ (Mage = 15) daily reports of racial discrimination and parental racial socialization over 21 days. The study examined same‐day and previous‐day associations of adolescents’ discrimination and socialization experiences with their positive and negative psychological affect. It further explored whether racial socialization messages buffered discrimination’s effects on affect when messages were received during the same day and on the day prior to discrimination. Findings indicated the deleterious effect of racial discrimination (associated with more negative affect) and highlighted the importance of examining youth’s short‐term coping in critical developmental years. Findings also showed how messages promote positive youth emotions. However, daily moderating associations differed from prior survey studies, suggesting the importance of examining short‐term processes.
Progressive Acquisition of SVBRDF and Shape in Motion
Authors: Ha Hyunho , Baek Seung‐Hwan , Nam Giljoo , Kim Min H.
Published: August 2020

To estimate appearance parameters, traditional SVBRDF acquisition methods require multiple input images to be captured with various angles of light and camera, followed by a post‐processing step. For this reason, subjects have been limited to static scenes, or a multiview system is required to capture dynamic objects. In this paper, we propose a simultaneous acquisition method of SVBRDF and shape allowing us to capture the material appearance of deformable objects in motion using a single RGBD camera. To do so, we progressively integrate photometric samples of surfaces in motion in a volumetric data structure with a deformation graph. Then, building upon recent advances of fusion‐based methods, we estimate SVBRDF parameters in motion. We make use of a conventional RGBD camera that consists of the colour and infrared cameras with active infrared illumination. The colour camera is used for capturing diffuse properties, and the infrared camera‐illumination module is employed for estimating specular properties by means of active illumination. Our joint optimization yields complete material appearance parameters. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method with extensive evaluation on both synthetic and real data that include various deformable objects of specular and diffuse appearance.