bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Short Communication: Presence of the vulnerable freshwater goby Sicyopus auxilimentus (Gobiidae, Sicydiinae) on Sangihe Island, Indonesia
Authors: HASAN VERYL , VALEN FITRI SIL , ISLAMY R. ADHARYAN , Widodo Maheno , SAPTADJAJA ADITYA MIRZAPAHLEVI , ISLAM IZZUL
Published: January 2021

Abstract. Hasan V, Valen FS, Islamy RA, Widodo MS, Saptadjaja AM, Islam I. 2021. Short Communication: Presence of the vulnerable freshwater goby Sicyopus auxilimentus (Gobiidae, Sicydiinae) on Sangihe Island, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22: 571-579. A single specimen of freshwater goby Sicyopus auxilimentus was photographed and collected using fish traps between 8 and 15 September 2019 in the Laine waterfall, Sangihe island district, North Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. S. auxilimentus is amphidromous that live in both freshwater and marine environments. This species is currently listed as Vulnerable (VU) within the IUCN Red List Status. The specimen was identified as male S. auxilimentus based on the coloration of the preserved specimen: background yellowish; scale edges brown; posterior flanks and caudal peduncle orange; first dorsal fin black, second dorsal fin dusky black; pectoral fin slightly brown; ventral fin slightly dusky; anal fin blackish; caudal fin dusky brown. Specific morphological features were as follows: the base of the first dorsal fin was not connected to the second dorsal fin base; distance between the base of first and second dorsal fin was generally less than half of eye diameter; ventral fin rays were fused to belly only between fifth rays; posterior margin of caudal fins rays was rounded; scales were all ctenoid; scales appeared on the caudal peduncle, and between anal and second dorsal fins; anterior to which, scales became widely spaced and did not imbricate. Meristic characters were as follows: first dorsal fin rays VI; second dorsal fin rays I+9; ventral fin rays I+5; pectoral-fin rays 14; anal-fin rays I+9; caudal-fin rays 13; scales in lateral series 13; scales in zigzag series 7; scales in transverse series backward 7; scales in transerves series forward 4. This finding is considered the first record in Sulawesi and the fifth from Indonesian waters after findings in Halmahera, Java, Bali and Lombok. This record enhances the understanding of the distribution of S. auxilimentus in Indonesian waters. Monitoring is needed to assess the possibility of Sangihe Island being a growth ground, spawning ground, and/or on the migration route of S. auxilimentus. In the Laine waterfall, Sangihe island, freshwater conditions were as follows: salinity 3.5 psu, temperature 23-25°C, and dissolved oxygen 7.7-9.2 mg/l, which were ideal habitat for S. auxilimentus. S. auxilimentus from Sangihe Island, had 0.000 genetic distance than from S. auxilimentus from Bali, while the next closest genetic distance was S. zosterophorus at genetic distance of 0.090. In addition to onsite conservation, domestication programs are needed to increase commercial availability without depending on natural catches.
Phytoremediation of iron in ex-sand mining waters by water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)
Authors: Hasani Qadar , PRATIWI NIKEN T.M. , WARDIATNO YUSLI , EFFENDI HEFNI , MARTIN ARTHO NUGRAHA , PIRDAUS PURNA , WAGIRAN WAGIRAN
Published: January 2021

Hasani Q, Pratiwi NTM, Wardiatno Y, Effendi H, Martin AN, Efendi E, Pirdaus P. 2020. Phytoremediation of Iron (Fe) in Ex-sand Mining Waters by Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms). The high concentration of iron (Fe) has allegedly caused the water quality of puddles at sand mining area. The poor water quality, in which high contentrations of iron will to a reduction in aquaculture production. This study verified the ability of water hyacinths (Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms.)) as a phytoremediation agent for iron (Fe) concentration in water at the sand mining area, in East Lampung Regency, Indonesia. The study was carried out with 3 treatments and 3 replication each, including the treatment of (i) 25% water surface coverage, (ii) 50% water surface coverage, and (iii) 75% water surface coverage of water hyacinth. Measurement of Fe concentrations, bioconcentration factor (BCF) and translocation factor (TF) once a week, until Fe concentrations in water are adequate for aquaculture. This was achieved for 21 days. The results showed that the highest percentage reduction of Fe (97.49%) was observed at water hyacinth cover area 50%. The highest value of BCF was 2385.51, while the highest TF was 1.14 in stems and 1.02 in leaves. The results of this study open up opportunities for use water in ex-sand mining areas for aquaculture by the community and its management by the Government of East Lampung Regency, Lampung, Indonesia.
Determinants of Nile tilapia’s (Oreochromis niloticus) growth in aquaculture pond in Batu, Indonesia
Authors: Lusiana Evellin Dewi , Musa Muhammad , Ramadhan Syahril
Published: January 2021

Abstract. Lusiana ED, Musa M, Ramadhan S. 2021. Determinants of Nile tilapia’s (Oreochromis niloticus) growth in aquaculture pond in Batu, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22: 999-1005. Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) has been commonly cultured all over the world, especially in Indonesia, due to high market demand. The success of Nile tilapia culture production depends on the fish growth during cultivation as well as pond environment. Many studies have revealed that quality of water strongly affects fish growth in an aquaculture pond. This study aims to investigate the relationship among water quality like Physico-chemical (temperature, transparency, pH, dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrate, and phosphate) and biological (phytoplankton abundance) factors and the specific growth rate of Nile tilapia in a freshwater cultivation pond in Batu City, Indonesia. The data was analyzed using the path model. Results indicated that the most significant factor for fish growth was the phytoplankton abundance. However, since nitrate and phosphate also played roles as determinants of phytoplankton abundance, they can be considered indirect water quality factors of Nile tilapia growth.
Density and characteristics of Green mussels (Perna viridis) in Percut Sei Tuan coastal, North Sumatra, Indonesia
Authors: SUSETYA IPANNA ENGGAR , Basyuni Mohammad , DESRITA DESRITA , SUSILOWATI ARIDA , KAJITA TADASHI
Published: January 2021

Percut Sei Tuan is a coastal area on the east coast of North Sumatra which has a lot of natural resource potential, one of them which is green mussels (Perna viridis). Green mussels have many benefits, namely for consumption, cultivation and bioindicator. This study aimed to determine the density, habitat location, growth pattern, frequency distribution of green mussels, physical-chemical parameters of water, a substrate of the bottom waters, and the relationship of green clams density to water and substrate parameters. The study was conducted in July-September 2020. Data analysis included density, the relationship of total length and weight of green mussels, the frequency distribution of shell lengths, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The results showed that the density of green mussels at stations I, II, and III were 352 ind/m2, 3 ind/m2, and 1 ind/m2, respectively. The relationship between the length and weight of green shells shows that the growth was negative allometric. The water condition, seen from the physical, chemical, and substrate parameters, was still suitable for P. viridis. Water and substrate parameters that were positively related to the density of green mussels were water temperature, nitrate, phosphate, C-organic, percentage of silt and clay. Parameters that were negatively related were salinity, pH, and percentage of sand in the bottom substrate. The present study suggested that Station I was an appropriate area for the growth and reproduction of green mussels.
Dying for the Economy: Disposable People and Economies of Death in the Global North
Authors: Darian-Smith Eve
Published: January 2021

This essay explores the idea of dying for the economy that has been a proposition supported by President Trump and the Republican Party in discussions about how to reopen the economy in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and massive lockdowns. While to most of us this seems like crazy talk, I argue that the loss of some peoples' lives in order to sustain a buoyant economy is a rationale acceptable to many in the corporate sector as well as their pro-business political partners. I first explore theoretical discussions about biopolitics, necropolitics, and the long historical relationship between capitalism and death. I then point to an emerging literature on “economies of death” and apply that to the opioid epidemic in the United States as an illustrative case of a “necroeconomy”. I reflect upon parallels between the opioid epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic, turning to current debate in the United States about reopening the economy versus the associated public health risks of further lives being lost. The rhetoric of these debates reflects widespread economic values that prioritize some lives over others, making explicit who is ultimately “killable” in the quest to return to a flourishing and efficient economy.
COVID-19 and the U.S. Health Care Industry: Towards a “Critical Health Criminology” within State Crime Studies
Authors: Friedrichs David O. , Vegh Weis Valeria
Published: January 2021

The core claim of this article is that critical criminology offers us an especially potent framework for interpreting state-corporate crime with the health care industry in the United States as one illustrative case, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. The unprecedented, surreal pandemic crisis that surfaced in 2020 brought into especially sharp relief many of the core claims of critical criminology in relation to domination, inequality and injustice within a contemporary capitalist political economy, while it also raised the need to broaden critical criminology studies to incorporate the specificities of the health care systems and the pharmaceutical industry. Following this challenge, the article proposes to foster a “critical health criminology” within state-corporate crime research. To do so, this article explores the “big picture” in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis and reveals how it can be understood as a criminological phenomenon. Such a project incorporates the identification of some conceptual issues requiring attention in relation to advancing an enriched form of criminological analysis in these times, and toward building a foundation for a more fully realized twenty-first century criminology.
Amplified Vulnerabilities and Reconfigured Relations: COVID-19, Torture Prevention and Human Rights in the Global South
Authors: Jefferson Andrew M. , Caracciolo Giorgio , Kørner Jeanette , Nordberg Nina
Published: January 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has reconfigured personal, organisational and political landscapes in quite radical ways. This paper reflects on the differentiated impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and responses to it. We unpack some of the effects of the crisis on populations already subject to harassment, persecution and deprivation due to their marginal position in society or their resistance to state power. We illuminate how the current crisis is much more than a health crisis; the ways it exacerbates already existing deprivations; and how it might reveal hitherto unrecognised opportunities through which to make the world a more, rather than less, just and equitable place. Focus is on the way the crisis calls forth amplified forms of repression and consonantly amplified forms of vulnerability as well as reconfigured spaces for the operation of civil society organisations. We forward one key proposition, namely that while securitised responses to the crisis reveal an inherent conservatism, civil society responses reveal an agility and a capacity to innovate. While the inherent conservatism of securitised responses gives cause for serious concern, there is some hope to be found in the potential for innovation of civil society organisations. The revelation of humankind's shared vulnerability that is a feature of the crisis may serve as a springboard for the propagation of progressive change if we keep in mind the fundamentally human, and thus relational, nature of human rights and anti-torture work.
The Harms of State, Free-Market Common Sense and COVID-19
Authors: Coleman Roy , Mullin-McCandlish Beka
Published: January 2021

The markedly high levels of preventable death and injury from COVID-19 in the UK have been refracted by government appeals to “British common-sense” in response to the crisis. We critically explore this appeal as a generator of harm continuous with free-market common-sense (FMCS) that stretches back to the start of the 1980s and the Thatcherite assault on state protections, “enemies within” and expertise in the public realm, driving and legitimating a broad landscape of harm under neoliberal restructuring. This is the context for understanding government responses to COVID-19 and the Grenfell fire, both of which have resulted in avoidable death and injury and both of which illustrate the role of “common-sense” in the demonisation and blaming of the victims of state violence along with a deligitimation of expertise in public health. Following Gramsci's conceptualisation of common-sense and its role in cultivating a never-guaranteed consensus for the continuance of capitalist state power, we explore the emergence of Gramsci's “good sense” in the current juncture and its challenge to the harms of state that FMCS has generated.
Time-division and color multiplexing light-field display using
liquid-crystal display panels to induce focal accommodation
Authors: Watanabe Yuta , Kakeya Hideki
Published: February 2021

A super-multiview light-field display with horizontal and vertical
parallax is realized by time-division and color multiplexing to
deliver full-color images to each viewpoint. In the conventional
study, an image of a different color is delivered to each viewpoint to
induce focal accommodation. In the proposed method, we deliver images
of different colors sequentially to generate a full-color image by an
after-image effect. Though the number of time-divisions increases in
the proposed method, perceived flicker is suppressed by showing
different colors at different timings. We compare the observed images
given by the proposed method with those given by the conventional
method to find out that the former reproduces a natural blur effect
when the image is defocused. We also confirm with a psychophysical
experiment using a refractometer that the proposed method induces a
stronger focal accommodation than other super-multiview methods with a
smaller number of time-divisions or with a stronger flicker. The
proposed optics is applicable to a near-eye display with a natural
focal effect.
Tunable dual-wavelength absorption switch with graphene based on an asymmetric guided-mode resonance structure
Authors: Park Gyeong Cheol , Park Kwangwook
Published: February 2021

We propose a tunable dual-wavelength absorption (TDWA) switch based on an asymmetric guided mode resonance (AGMR) structure. A TDWA switch consists of a graphene layer and an AGMR structure sandwiched by cap and slab layers on a buffer/silicon substrate. The AGMR structure adds a smaller grating unit cell next to a larger one, exciting a second resonance close to but distinct from the first resonance. For switching, the TDWA between an absorptive or reflective mode with each on-/off-state, the chemical potential of graphene is tuned from 0.0 eV to 0.6 eV. For the absorptive mode, two absorption peaks of ≥ 96.2% are separated by 23 nm, both having an on-off ratio of ∼15.52. For the reflective mode, two reflectance peaks of ≥ 93.8% are separated by 23 nm, having on-off ratios of 15.56 dB and 18.95 dB. The maximum on-off ratios of 39.98 dB and 34.55 dB are achieved near the reflectance peaks. Both the period of the AGMR and the cap thickness alters the two peak wavelengths linearly, while the grating width of the AGMR varies nonlinearly from 17 nm to 28 nm. The buffer excites a weak Fabry-Perot resonance, which interacts with the TDWA structure, the result of which is the two absorption peaks are varied. Finally, as the incidence angle of light increases up to 5.3°, the distance of the two peak wavelengths is tuned from ∼22 nm to ∼77 nm with ≥ 96% absorption or ≥ 93% reflectance in each mode.
Red-sensitive organic nanoparticle-polymer composite materials for volume holographic gratings with large refractive index modulation amplitudes
Authors: Narita Asako , Oshima Juro , Iso Yuko , Hasegawa Shuma , Tomita Yasuo
Published: February 2021

We demonstrate volume holographic recording  at a wavelength of 640 nm in a photopolymerizable nanoparticle-polymer composite (NPC) film dispersed with ultrahigh refractive index hyperbranched-polymer (HBP) organic nanoparticles. We employ a new photosensitizer-initiator system consisting of cyanine dye, triazine compound and borate salt for efficient radical generation in the red. We investigate the electron transfer and radical generation processes of the system by measuring fluorescence quenching and photopolymerization dynamics to find the optimum composition of the system for volume holographic recording. We show that recorded volume gratings of 0.5-µm spacing possess the saturated peak-to-mean refractive index modulation amplitudes as large as 3×10−2 at a readout wavelength of 640 nm. Our results show the usefulness of photopolymerizable HBP-dispersed NPCs for volume holographic recording materials for various photonic applications including security and color holograms, and volume Bragg grating devices in head-mounted displays.
Breaking voltage–bandwidth limits in integrated lithium niobate modulators using micro-structured electrodes
Authors: Kharel Prashanta , Reimer Christian , Luke Kevin , He Lingyan , Zhang Mian
Published: February 2021

Electro-optic modulators with low voltages and large bandwidths are crucial for both analog and digital communication. Recently, thin-film lithium niobate modulators have emerged as a strong candidate for next generation electro-optic solutions. These modulators offer significantly improved voltage–bandwidth performances over the existing bulk lithium niobate modulators while preserving key material advantages such as linear response, high extinction ratio, high optical power handling ability, and low optical losses. However, reduced electrode gaps in miniaturized thin-film modulators lead to higher microwave losses, which limit electro-optic performances at high frequencies. Here we overcome this limitation to achieve a record combination of low RF half-wave voltage (

V
π

) of 1.3 V while maintaining electro-optic response with 1.8 dB roll-off at 50 GHz using micro-structured electrodes. Our demonstration represents a significant improvement in voltage–bandwidth performance, one that is comparable to the performance gain in switching from legacy bulk to thin-film lithium niobate modulators. Such a micro-structured electrode design could enable sub-volt modulators with

>

100

G
H
z

bandwidth.
Carbogen inhalation during non-convulsive status epilepticus: A quantitative exploratory analysis of EEG recordings
Authors: Ramaraju S. , Reichert S. , Wang Y. , Forsyth R. , Taylor P. N.
Published: February 2021

Objective

To quantify the effect of inhaled 5% carbon-dioxide/95% oxygen on EEG recordings from patients in non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE).

Methods

Five children of mixed aetiology in NCSE were given high flow of inhaled carbogen (5% carbon dioxide/95% oxygen) using a face mask for maximum 120s. EEG was recorded concurrently in all patients. The effects of inhaled carbogen on patient EEG recordings were investigated using band-power, functional connectivity and graph theory measures. Carbogen effect was quantified by measuring effect size (Cohen’s d) between “before”, “during” and “after” carbogen delivery states.

Results

Carbogen’s apparent effect on EEG band-power and network metrics across all patients for “before-during” and “before-after” inhalation comparisons was inconsistent across the five patients.

Conclusion

The changes in different measures suggest a potentially non-homogeneous effect of carbogen on the patients’ EEG. Different aetiology and duration of the inhalation may underlie these non-homogeneous effects. Tuning the carbogen parameters (such as ratio between CO2 and O2, duration of inhalation) on a personalised basis may improve seizure suppression in future.
Individual variation in role construal predicts responses to third-party biases in hiring contexts
Authors: Vial Andrea C. , Bosak Janine , Flood Patrick C. , Dovidio John F.
Published: February 2021

We theorize that individuals’ pre-existing beliefs about the hiring manager role (role construal) are associated with their tendency to condone bias accommodation in hiring contexts, in which a person aligns hiring decisions with the perceived biases of others. In two studies, we focus on human resources (HR) professionals’ endorsement of the role demand to prioritize candidate fit with others (e.g., supervisor) when making hiring decisions. Study 1 examined bias accommodation from a vicarious perspective, revealing that role demand endorsement is positively associated with viewing it as acceptable and common foranotherhiring manager to accommodate third-party bias against women. Study 2 examined bias accommodation experimentally from an actor’s perspective, showing lower preference for and selection of a female (vs. male) job candidate in the presence of cues to third-party bias against women, but only when role demand endorsement is relatively high. HR professionals in both studies indicated that third-party bias influences in hiring are relatively common. Responses in Study 2 provide preliminary evidence that the phenomenon of third-party bias accommodation might be relevant in the context of employment discrimination based on group characteristics other than gender (e.g., race/ethnicity, age). We discuss the practical implications of our findings for hiring professionals and for organizations seeking to increase diversity in their workforce.
Climate change risk perception in the USA and alignment with sustainable travel behaviours
Authors: Fletcher Jean , Higham James , Longnecker Nancy
Published: February 2021

In an online survey of 1071 Americans conducted in October 2016, we found technological optimism, environmental beliefs, and gender to be better predictors of climate change concern than respondents’ perceived ability to visualize the year 2050 and their future optimism. An important finding from this study is that in October 2016, just before the 2016 Presidential election, 74% of responding Americans were concerned about climate change. Climate change ranked as their second most serious global threat (behind terrorism). However, when asked to describe travel in the year 2050 only 29% of participants discussed lower carbon options, suggesting that actively envisioning a sustainable future was less prevalent than climate change concern. Enabling expectations and active anticipation of a low carbon future may help facilitate mitigation efforts.
Mental health and psychosocial support strategies in highly contagious emerging disease outbreaks of substantial public concern: A systematic scoping review
Authors: Kunzler Angela M. , Stoffers-Winterling Jutta , Stoll Marlene , Mancini Alexander L. , Lehmann Sophie , Blessin Manpreet , Gilan Donya , Helmreich Isabella , Hufert Frank , Lieb Klaus
Published: February 2021

Background

Acute disease outbreaks such as the COVID-19 pandemic cause a high burden of psychological distress in people worldwide. Interventions to enable people to better cope with such distress should be based on the best available evidence. We therefore performed a scoping review to systematically identify and summarize the available literature of interventions that target the distress of people in the face of highly contagious disease outbreaks.

Methods

MEDLINE, Cochrane CENTRAL, Web of Science (January 2000 to May 7, 2020), and reference lists were systematically searched and screened by two independent reviewers. Quantitative and qualitative studies investigating the effects of psychological interventions before, during, and after outbreaks of highly contagious emerging infectious diseases, such as SARS, MERS, Ebola, or COVID-19 were included. Study effects were grouped (e.g. for healthcare professionals, community members, people at risk) and intervention contents at the individual and organizational level summarized. We assessed the level of evidence using a modified scheme from the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine and the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.

Results

Of 4030 records found, 19 studies were included (two RCTs). Most interventions were delivered during-exposure and face-to-face, focused on healthcare workers and crisis personnel, and combined psychoeducation with training of coping strategies. Based on two high-quality studies, beneficial effects were reported for resilience factors (e.g. positive cognitive appraisal) and professional attitudes of healthcare workers, with mixed findings for mental health (e.g. depression). Across all studies, there was positive qualitative feedback from participants and facilitators. We identified seven ongoing studies mostly using online- and mobile-based deliveries.

Conclusions

There is preliminary evidence for beneficial effects of interventions to enable people to better cope with the distress of highly contagious emerging disease outbreaks. Besides the need for more high-quality studies, the summarized evidence may inform decision makers to plan interventions during the current pandemic and to develop pandemic preparedness plans.
Heightened immigration enforcement impacts US citizens’ birth outcomes: Evidence from early ICE interventions in North Carolina
Authors: Tome Romina , Rangel Marcos A. , Gibson-Davis Christina M. , Bellows Laura
Published: February 2021

We examine how increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities impacted newborn health and prenatal care utilization in North Carolina around the time Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act was first being implemented within the state. Focusing on administrative data between 2004 and 2006, we conduct difference-in-differences and triple-difference case-control regression analysis. Pregnancies were classified by levels of potential exposure to immigration enforcement depending on parental nativity and educational attainment. Contrast groups were foreign-born parents residing in nonadopting counties and all US-born non-Hispanic parents. The introduction of the program was estimated to decrease birth weight by 58.54 grams (95% confidence interval [CI], −83.52 to −33.54) with effects likely following from reduced intrauterine growth. These results are shown to coexist with a worsening in the timing of initiation and frequency of prenatal care received. Since birth outcomes influence health, education, and earnings trajectories, our findings suggest that the uptick in ICE activities can have large socioeconomic costs over US-born citizens.
Negligible-cost microfluidic device fabrication using 3D-printed interconnecting channel scaffolds
Authors: Felton Harry , Hughes Robert , Diaz-Gaxiola Andrea
Published: February 2021

This paper reports a novel, negligible-cost and open-source process for the rapid prototyping of complex microfluidic devices in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) using 3D-printed interconnecting microchannel scaffolds. These single-extrusion scaffolds are designed with interconnecting ends and used to quickly configure complex microfluidic systems before being embedded in PDMS to produce an imprint of the microfluidic configuration. The scaffolds are printed using common Material Extrusion (MEX) 3D printers and the limits, cost & reliability of the process are evaluated. The limits of standard MEX 3D-printing with off-the-shelf printer modifications is shown to achieve a minimum channel cross-section of 100×100 μm. The paper also lays out a protocol for the rapid fabrication of low-cost microfluidic channel moulds from the thermoplastic 3D-printed scaffolds, allowing the manufacture of customisable microfluidic systems without specialist equipment. The morphology of the resulting PDMS microchannels fabricated with the method are characterised and, when applied directly to glass, without plasma surface treatment, are shown to efficiently operate within the typical working pressures of commercial microfluidic devices. The technique is further validated through the demonstration of 2 common microfluidic devices; a fluid-mixer demonstrating the effective interconnecting scaffold design, and a microsphere droplet generator. The minimal cost of manufacture means that a 5000-piece physical library of mix-and-match channel scaffolds (100 μm scale) can be printed for ~$0.50 and made available to researchers and educators who lack access to appropriate technology. This simple yet innovative approach dramatically lowers the threshold for research and education into microfluidics and will make possible the rapid prototyping of point-of-care lab-on-a-chip diagnostic technology that is truly affordable the world over.
Relapse and post-discharge body composition of children treated for acute malnutrition using a simplified, combined protocol: A nested cohort from the ComPAS RCT
Authors: Lelijveld Natasha , Musyoki Eunice , Adongo Susan Were , Mayberry Amy , Wells Jonathan C. , Opondo Charles , Kerac Marko , Bailey Jeanette
Published: February 2021

Introduction

Severe and moderate acute malnutrition (SAM and MAM) affect more than 50 million children worldwide yet 80% of these children do not access care. The Combined Protocol for Acute Malnutrition Study (ComPAS) trial assessed the effectiveness of a simplified, combined SAM/MAM protocol for children aged 6–59 months and found non-inferior recovery compared to standard care. To further inform policy, this study assessed post-discharge outcomes of children treated with this novel protocol in Kenya.

Methods

Six ‘combined’ protocol clinics treated SAM and MAM children using an optimised mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC)-based dose of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF). Six ‘standard care’ clinics treated SAM with weight-based RUTF rations; MAM with ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF). Four months post-discharge, we assessed anthropometry, recent history of illness, and body composition by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Data was analysed using multivariable linear regression, adjusted for age, sex and allowing for clustering by clinic.

Results

We sampled 850 children (median age 18 months, IQR 15–23); 44% of the original trial sample in Kenya. Children treated with the combined protocol had similar anthropometry, fat-free mass, fat mass, skinfold thickness z-scores, and frequency of common illnesses 4 months post-discharge compared the standard protocol. Mean subscapular skinfold z-scores were close to the global norm (standard care: 0.24; combined 0.27). There was no significant difference in odds of relapse between protocols (SAM, 3% vs 3%, OR = 1.0 p = 0.75; MAM, 10% vs 12%, OR = 0.90 p = 0.34).

Conclusions

Despite the lower dosage of RUTF for most SAM children in the combined protocol, their anthropometry and relapse rates at 4 months post-discharge were similar to standard care. MAM children treated with RUTF had similar body composition to those treated with RUSF and neither group exhibited excess adiposity. These results add further evidence that a combined protocol is as effective as standard care with no evidence of adverse effects post-discharge. A simplified, combined approach could treat more children, stretch existing resources further, and contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goal Two.
Protection of dopamine neurons by CDNF and neurturin variant N4 against MPP+ in dissociated cultures from rat mesencephalon
Authors: Jaumotte Juliann D. , Saarma Mart , Zigmond Michael J.
Published: February 2021

Parkinson’s disease is associated with the loss of dopamine (DA) neurons in ventral mesencephalon. We have previously reported that no single neurotrophic factor we tested protected DA neurons from the dopaminergic toxin 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) in dissociated cultures isolated from the P0 rat substantia nigra, but that a combination of five neurotrophic factors was protective. We now report that cerebral DA neurotrophic factor (CDNF) and a variant of neurturin (NRTN), N4, were also not protective when provided alone but were protective when added together. In cultures isolated from the substantia nigra, MPP+(10 μM) decreased tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells to 41.7 ± 5.4% of vehicle control. Although treatment of cultures with 100 ng/ml of either CDNF or N4 individually before and after toxin exposure did not significantly increase survival in MPP+-treated cultures, when the two trophic factors were added together at 100 ng/ml each, survival of cells was increased 28.2 ± 6.1% above the effect of MPP+alone. In cultures isolated from the ventral tegmental area, another DA rich area, a higher dose of MPP+(1 mM) was required to produce an EC50in TH-positive cells but, as in the substantia nigra, only the combination of CDNF and N4 (100 ng/ml each) was successful at increasing the survival of these cells compared to MPP+alone (by 22.5 ± 3.5%). These data support previous findings that CDNF and N4 may be of therapeutic value for treatment of PD, but suggest that they may need to be administered together.
Biallelic loss-of-function in NRAP is a cause of recessive dilated cardiomyopathy
Authors: Koskenvuo Juha W. , Saarinen Inka , Ahonen Saija , Tommiska Johanna , Weckström Sini , Seppälä Eija H. , Tuupanen Sari , Kangas-Kontio Tiia , Schleit Jennifer , Heliö Krista , Hathaway Julie , Gummesson Anders , Dahlberg Pia , Ojala Tiina H. , Vepsäläinen Ville , Kytölä Ville , Muona Mikko , Sistonen Johanna , Salmenperä Pertteli , Gentile Massimiliano , Paananen Jussi , Myllykangas Samuel , Alastalo Tero-Pekka , Heliö Tiina
Published: February 2021

Background

Familial dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is typically a monogenic disorder with dominant inheritance. Although over 40 genes have been linked to DCM, more than half of the patients undergoing comprehensive genetic testing are left without molecular diagnosis. Recently, biallelic protein-truncating variants (PTVs) in the nebulin-related anchoring protein gene (NRAP) were identified in a few patients with sporadic DCM.

Methods and results

We determined the frequency of rare NRAP variants in a cohort of DCM patients and control patients to further evaluate role of this gene in cardiomyopathies. A retrospective analysis of our internal variant database consisting of 31,639 individuals who underwent genetic testing (either panel or direct exome sequencing) was performed. The DCM group included 577 patients with either a confirmed or suspected DCM diagnosis. A control cohort of 31,062 individuals, including 25,912 individuals with non-cardiac (control group) and 5,150 with non-DCM cardiac indications (Non-DCM cardiac group). Biallelic (n = 6) or two (n = 5) NRAP variants (two PTVs or PTV+missense) were identified in 11 unrelated probands with DCM (1.9%) but none of the controls. None of the 11 probands had an alternative molecular diagnosis. Family member testing supports co-segregation. Biallelic or potentially biallelic NRAP variants were enriched in DCM vs. controls (OR 1052, p<0.0001). Based on the frequency of NRAP PTVs in the gnomAD reference population, and predicting full penetrance, biallelic NRAP variants could explain 0.25%-2.46% of all DCM cases.

Conclusion

Loss-of-function in NRAP is a cause for autosomal recessive dilated cardiomyopathy, supporting its inclusion in comprehensive genetic testing.
Wheat rust epidemics damage Ethiopian wheat production: A decade of field disease surveillance reveals national-scale trends in past outbreaks
Authors: Meyer M. , Bacha N. , Tesfaye T. , Alemayehu Y. , Abera E. , Hundie B. , Woldeab G. , Girma B. , Gemechu A. , Negash T. , Mideksa T. , Smith J. , Jaleta M. , Hodson D. , Gilligan C. A.
Published: February 2021

Wheat rusts are the key biological constraint to wheat production in Ethiopia—one of Africa’s largest wheat producing countries. The fungal diseases cause economic losses and threaten livelihoods of smallholder farmers. While it is known that wheat rust epidemics have occurred in Ethiopia, to date no systematic long-term analysis of past outbreaks has been available. We present results from one of the most comprehensive surveillance campaigns of wheat rusts in Africa. More than 13,000 fields have been surveyed during the last 13 years. Using a combination of spatial data-analysis and visualization, statistical tools, and empirical modelling, we identify trends in the distribution of wheat stem rust (Sr), stripe rust (Yr) and leaf rust (Lr). Results show very high infection levels (mean incidence for Yr: 44%; Sr: 34%; Lr: 18%). These recurrent rust outbreaks lead to substantial economic losses, which we estimate to be of the order of 10s of millions of US-D annually. On the widely adopted wheat variety, Digalu, there is a marked increase in disease prevalence following the incursion of new rust races into Ethiopia, which indicates a pronounced boom-and-bust cycle of major gene resistance. Using spatial analyses, we identify hotspots of disease risk for all three rusts, show a linear correlation between altitude and disease prevalence, and find a pronounced north-south trend in stem rust prevalence. Temporal analyses show a sigmoidal increase in disease levels during the wheat season and strong inter-annual variations. While a simple logistic curve performs satisfactorily in predicting stem rust in some years, it cannot account for the complex outbreak patterns in other years and fails to predict the occurrence of stripe and leaf rust. The empirical insights into wheat rust epidemiology in Ethiopia presented here provide a basis for improving future surveillance and to inform the development of mechanistic models to predict disease spread.
Effect of meteorological factors on the activity of influenza in Chongqing, China, 2012–2019
Authors: Qi Li , Liu Tian , Gao Yuan , Tian Dechao , Tang Wenge , Li Qin , Feng Luzhao , Liu Qiyong
Published: February 2021

Background

The effects of multiple meteorological factors on influenza activity remain unclear in Chongqing, the largest municipality in China. We aimed to fix this gap in this study.

Methods

Weekly meteorological data and influenza surveillance data in Chongqing were collected from 2012 to 2019. Distributed lag nonlinear models (DLNMs) were conducted to estimate the effects of multiple meteorological factors on influenza activity.

Results

Inverted J-shaped nonlinear associations between mean temperature, absolute humidity, wind speed, sunshine and influenza activity were found. The relative risks (RRs) of influenza activity increased as weekly average mean temperature fell below 18.18°C, average absolute humidity fell below 12.66 g/m3, average wind speed fell below 1.55 m/s and average sunshine fell below 2.36 hours. Taking the median values as the references, lower temperature, lower absolute humidity and windless could significantly increase the risks of influenza activity and last for 4 weeks. A J-shaped nonlinear association was observed between relative humidity and influenza activity; the risk of influenza activity increased with rising relative humidity with 78.26% as the break point. Taking the median value as the reference, high relative humidity could increase the risk of influenza activity and last for 3 weeks. In addition, we found the relationship between aggregate rainfall and influenza activity could be described with a U-shaped curve. Rainfall effect has significantly higher RR than rainless effect.

Conclusions

Our study shows that multiple meteorological factors have strong associations with influenza activity in Chongqing, providing evidence for developing a meteorology-based early warning system for influenza to facilitate timely response to upsurge of influenza activity.
Feasibility of using an energy balance to measure evapotranspiration in green stormwater infrastructure
Authors: Krasowski Devin Thomas , Wadzuk Bridget , Jacko Brian
Published: February 2021

Effective green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) design requires comprehensive quantification of the volume of water that can be treated or removed over a given time period. It is recognized that evapotranspiration (ET) can be a substantial pathway for stormwater volume reduction in bioretention systems. However, measuring ET is often difficult and expensive, such as with lysimeters or a mass balance approach. This research focused on a new technique for quantifying ET in bioretention systems by exploring an approach using thermal imaging to calculate ET by measuring the flux of energy at the canopy surface. This thermal imaging approach was compared to ET measurements given by a traditional mass balance approach. The experimental setup had three benchtop scale vegetated lysimeters planted with Switchgrass. Time lapse thermal images of the Switchgrass plants were taken at 10 second intervals and paired with meteorological data. The data were used in an energy balance to estimate the mass of water lost from the lysimeter plant/soil system. That mass was compared to the change in weight measured by weighing the lysimeter before and after the data collection period. For comparison, reference ET was also calculated for the vegetated systems using three common reference ET equations. The uncalibrated energy balance equation developed here estimated an averaged ET over 12 data collection days within 1 mm of the mass balance measured ET. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of using a thermal image energy balance technique to estimate ET.
Spatial distribution of advanced stage diagnosis and mortality of breast cancer: Socioeconomic and health service offer inequalities in Brazil
Authors: Oliveira Nayara Priscila Dantas de , Cancela Marianna de Camargo , Martins Luís Felipe Leite , de Souza Dyego Leandro Bezerra
Published: February 2021

Breast cancer presents high incidence and mortality rates, being considered an important public health issue. Analyze the spatial distribution pattern of late stage diagnosis and mortality for breast cancer and its correlation with socioeconomic and health service offer-related population indicators. Ecological study, developed with 161 Intermediate Region of Urban Articulation (IRUA). Mortality data were collected from the Mortality Information System (MIS). Tumor staging data were extracted from the Hospital Cancer Registry (HCR). Socioeconomic variables were obtained from the Atlas of Human Development in Brazil; data on medical density and health services were collected from the National Registry of Health Institutions (NRHI) and Supplementary National Health Agency. Global Moran's Index and Local Indicator of Spatial Association (LISA) were utilized to verify the existence of territorial clusters. Multivariate analysis used models with global spatial effects. The proportion of late stage diagnosis of breast cancer was 39.7% (IC 39.4–40.0). The mean mortality rate for breast cancer, adjusted by the standard world population was 10.65 per 100,000 women (± 3.12). The proportion of late stage diagnosis presented positive spatial correlation with Gini’s Index (p = 0.001) and negative with the density of gynecologist doctors (p = 0.009). The adjusted mortality rates presented a positive spatial correlation with the Human Development Index (p<0.001) and density of gynecologist doctors (p<0.001). Socioeconomic and health service offer-related inequalities of the Brazilian territory are determinants of the spatial pattern of breast cancer morbimortality in Brazil.
Anti-inflammatory activity of soluble chito-oligosaccharides (CHOS) on VitD3-induced human THP-1 monocytes
Authors: Jitprasertwong Paiboon , Khamphio Munthipha , Petsrichuang Phornsiri , Eijsink Vincent G. H. , Poolsri Wanangkan , Muanprasat Chatchai , Rangnoi Kuntalee , Yamabhai Montarop
Published: February 2021

Chito-oligosaccharides (CHOS) are oligomers of D-glucosamine and N-acetyl-glucosamine. Anti-inflammatory activities of a wide variety of CHOS mixtures have previously been reported, mainly based on studies with mouse models and murine macrophages. Since the mouse and human immune systems are quite different, gaining insight into the activity of CHOS on human cell lines, using well-characterized CHOS mixtures, is of considerable interest. Bacillus subtilis chitosanase (BsCsn46A) can efficiently convert chitosan to mixtures of water soluble low molecular weight CHOS. Here, the anti-inflammatory activity of a properly characterized CHOS mixture was studied, using human THP-1 cells that were differentiated to mature monocytes using vitamin D3. Addition of CHOS reduced the production of multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines associated with bacterial lipopolyssacharide (LPS)-stimulated inflammation, in a dose-dependent manner and without affecting cell viability. Interestingly, only minimal effects of CHOS were observed in similar experiments with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate- (PMA-) differentiated, macrophage-like, THP-1 cells. Altogether, in addition to showing promising biological effects of well-characterized low molecular weight soluble CHOS in a human system, the present study also points at Vitamin D3-stimulated THP-1 cells as a favorable system for assessing the anti-inflammatory activity of bioactive compounds.
A redox-active crosslinker reveals an essential and inhibitable oxidative folding network in the endoplasmic reticulum of malaria parasites
Authors: Cobb David W. , Kudyba Heather M. , Villegas Alejandra , Hoopmann Michael R. , Baptista Rodrigo P. , Bruton Baylee , Krakowiak Michelle , Moritz Robert L. , Muralidharan Vasant
Published: February 2021

Malaria remains a major global health problem, creating a constant need for research to identify druggable weaknesses in P. falciparum biology. As important components of cellular redox biology, members of the Thioredoxin (Trx) superfamily of proteins have received interest as potential drug targets in Apicomplexans. However, the function and essentiality of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-localized Trx-domain proteins within P. falciparum has not been investigated. We generated conditional mutants of the protein PfJ2—an ER chaperone and member of the Trx superfamily—and show that it is essential for asexual parasite survival. Using a crosslinker specific for redox-active cysteines, we identified PfJ2 substrates as PfPDI8 and PfPDI11, both members of the Trx superfamily as well, which suggests a redox-regulatory role for PfJ2. Knockdown of these PDIs in PfJ2 conditional mutants show that PfPDI11 may not be essential. However, PfPDI8 is required for asexual growth and our data suggest it may work in a complex with PfJ2 and other ER chaperones. Finally, we show that the redox interactions between these Trx-domain proteins in the parasite ER and their substrates are sensitive to small molecule inhibition. Together these data build a model for how Trx-domain proteins in the P. falciparum ER work together to assist protein folding and demonstrate the suitability of ER-localized Trx-domain proteins for antimalarial drug development.