bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Creating value using public big data: comparison of driving factors from the provider's perspective
Authors: Cho Ji Yeon , Lee Bong Gyou
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The revitalization of big data has gained attention in the public sector. However, such open government data (OGD) is facing major challenges with respect to data quality and limited use. To solve this problem, this study analyzes the factors driving the use of OGD from the perspective of data providers in the public sector.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the analytic hierarchy process and analytic network process methodologies, the importance of the factors driving the use of big data in the public sector was ranked. In addition, the different characteristics of tasks among the departments in a public agency were compared based on expert interviews.

Findings

The factors driving OGD use are not only political environment or the technological environment. The importance of the institutional culture within the organization increases with the motivation of the data provider. The priorities of the OGD factors also depend on the objectives of the department involved.

Originality/value

This study provides implications for improving the publication of open data by analyzing the priorities of the factors driving its use from the perspective of big data providers. It focuses on different perceptions of the factors valued by public officials in charge of data in institutions. The results suggest the need to explore officials' perceptions of value creation in big data fields.
The effect of fake news in marketing halal food: a moderating role of religiosity
Authors: Wisker Zazli Lily
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This study aims to explore how consumers process and respond to fake news on halal food in a Muslim-majority country. The study hypothesises that fake news that violates one’s moral code could induce anger resulting in brand hate. Religiosity plays a role as a moderating variable for the relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected in two studies using quasi-experiment repeated measures factorial design, 2 × 2 between subjects. In Study 1, 219 participated, whereas in Study 2, a total of 173 was recruited for the experiment. The study uses one-way repeated measures design ANOVA and MEMORE to test the effects of moderation for repeated measures.

Findings

The findings indicate that fake news that violates one’s moral code, belief and values could induce anger and brand hate. Religiosity moderates the relationship between anger and brand hate

Research limitations/implications

The study’s limitations include the limited dimension measured for religiosity and brand hate.

Originality/value

The study of brand hate as opposed to brand love is relatively scarce. This study has observed how fake news that violates one’s moral code is detrimental to the brand, which in turn induces hate. Marketing managers have to be cautious in marketing their products in more religious countries. Besides, they have to be proactive in combating fake news that might tarnish their brand.
Dimensions of police culture – a quantitative analysis
Authors: Gutschmidt Daniela , Vera Antonio
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Many authors describe police culture as a relevant determinant of officers' health, policing behavior and reaction to change. Investigation of such relationships requires an appropriate instrument for measuring police culture.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposes a questionnaire containing 20 values that are characteristic of police culture (e.g. masculinity, loyalty, solidarity). In an online survey, 153 German police officers described their last workgroups in terms of how typical these values are. Besides conducting item and factor analyses, multiple regression models were tested to explore the effect of group characteristics on police culture.

Findings

A four-factor solution, comprising (1) conservative-male culture, (2) institutional pride culture, (3) team culture and (4) diligence culture, seems to fit the data best. Significant predictors of the police culture total score are percentage of male officers, average age of the group and service in a problematic district.

Research limitations/implications

Overall, the results indicate that police culture is a measurable multidimensional construct, which substantially depends on the composition and the operational area of the workgroup. A limitation of the study is the retrospective and subjective assessment of cultural values.

Originality/value

The questionnaire presented in this paper depicts the culture of police workgroups in a differentiated way and is able to detect cultural variation within the police. Future research could draw on the questionnaire to investigate determinants and consequences of police culture.
Deploying ecosystem services to develop sustainable energy landscapes: a case study from the Netherlands
Authors: Picchi Paolo , Verzandvoort Simone , Geneletti Davide , Hendriks Kees , Stremke Sven
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The transition to a low carbon future is an emerging challenge and requires the planning and designing of sustainable energy landscapes – landscapes that provide renewable energy while safeguarding the supply of other ecosystem services. The aim of this paper is to present the application of an ecosystem services trade-off assessment in the development of sustainable energy landscapes for long-term strategic planning in a case study in Schouwen-Duivenland, The Netherlands.

Design/methodology/approach

The application consists in three activities: in (1) stakeholder mapping hot spots of ecosystem services and renewable energy technologies in a workshop, (2) landscape design principles being discussed by a focus group, (3) experts gathering the information and proceeding with an assessment of the potential synergies and trade-offs.

Findings

The case study indicates that (1) deploying the ecosystem services framework in planning and design can enhance the development of sustainable energy landscapes, (2) diversified and accurate spatial reference systems advance the trade-off analysis of both regulating and cultural ecosystem services and (3) the involvement of local stakeholders can advance the trade-off analysis and, ultimately, facilitates the transition to a low-carbon future with sustainable energy landscapes.

Originality/value

The originality of this research lies in the creation of an approach for the deployment of ecosystem services in the planning and design of energy transition. This is useful to advance energy transition by enhancing research methods, by providing methods useful for planners and designers and by supporting communities pursuing energy self-sufficiency in a sustainable manner.
Context‐dependent variability in the population prevalence and individual fitness effects of plant–fungal symbiosis
Authors: Donald Marion L. , Bohner Teresa F. , Kolis Kory M. , Shadow R. Alan , Rudgers Jennifer A. , Miller Tom E. X.
Published: October 2020

Heritable symbionts are often observed at intermediate prevalence within host populations, despite expectations that positive fitness feedbacks should drive beneficial symbionts to fixation. Intermediate prevalence may reflect neutral dynamics of symbionts with weak fitness effects, transient dynamics of symbionts trending towards fixation (or elimination), or a stable intermediate outcome determined by the balance of fitness effects and failed symbiont transmission. Theory suggests that these outcomes should depend on symbiont‐conferred demographic effects and vertical transmission efficiency, which may both depend on environmental context.

We established experimental populations of winter bent grass Agrostis hyemalis across a range of prevalence of the heritable fungal endophyte Epichloë amarillans. Using irrigation, we elevated the precipitation for half of the populations, which we hypothesized would weaken the benefits of symbiosis. Across two annual transitions, we assayed 5,485 individuals to determine prevalence and censused 954 individuals for demographic (survival, flowering, reproduction and recruitment) and vertical transmission data. We used hierarchical Bayesian models to infer long‐run equilibria from short‐term changes in symbiont prevalence and estimated demographic vital rates to link individual‐level effects to population‐level outcomes.

We found evidence for all three proposed mechanisms for intermediate symbiont prevalence, but the outcome differed qualitatively across years and precipitation treatments. In the first year, symbionts trended towards fixation under drought conditions but drifted neutrally under elevated precipitation. Fixation likely arose from symbiont‐conferred recruitment benefits outweighing reproductive costs under the drought conditions, while elevated precipitation tempered these effects. In the second transition year, we inferred stable intermediate prevalence across both precipitation treatments, which indicated a balance between symbiont conferred recruitment benefits that allowed low‐prevalence populations to increase and imperfect transmission that caused high‐prevalence populations to decrease.

Synthesis. We find support for neutral, transient and stable mechanisms underlying symbiont prevalence, indicating that symbiont prevalence is often pushed and pulled in different directions by the composite outcome of symbiont effects on demographic rates and transmission efficiency, and the way in which these processes respond to environmental context.
Bamboo phenology and life cycle drive seasonal and long‐term functioning of Amazonian bamboo‐dominated forests
Authors: Fadrique Belen , Gann Daniel , Nelson Bruce W. , Saatchi Sassan , Feeley Kenneth J.
Published: October 2020

Bamboo‐dominated forests (BDF) extend over large areas in the drought‐prone Southwestern Amazon, yet little is known about the dynamics of these ecosystems. Here, we investigate the hypothesis that bamboo modulates large‐scale ecosystem dynamics through competition with coexisting trees for water.

We examined spatio‐temporal patterns of remotely sensed metrics (Enhanced Vegetation Index [EVI], Normalized Difference Moisture Index [NDMI]) in >300 Landsat images as proxies for canopy leaf phenology and water content at two time scales: (1) a complete bamboo life cycle (~28 years), and (2) the seasonal cycle; and at two spatial scales: (a) comparing adjacent areas of BDF vs. Terra‐firme forests (TFF) to investigate regional dynamics, and (b) comparing the vegetation classes of bamboo, trees in BDF, and trees in TFF to investigate the effects of bamboo on coexisting trees.

At the regional scale, BDF showed higher EVI (leaf area density) and lower NDMI (water content) than nearby TFF but these differences disappeared as bamboo died, suggesting a strong influence of bamboo life stage in the functioning of these forests. BDF seasonal cycle showed a bimodal EVI pattern as trees and bamboos had asynchronized leaf production peaks.

At the scale of vegetation classes, trees in BDF showed lower NDMI (i.e. water content) than trees in TFF except after bamboo mortality, indicating a release from competition with bamboo for water. Canopy water content of trees in BDF was also reduced during bamboo dry‐season greening (increased EVI ~ leaf production) due to increased water demands. Nevertheless, long‐term and seasonal phenology of trees in BDF did not differ from that of trees in TFF suggesting a potential selection for drought‐tolerant trees in BDF.

Synthesis. Bamboo‐dominated forests have received less attention than other Amazonian forests and their functional dynamics are commonly ignored or misinterpreted. Using remote sensing to characterize forest phenology and water content, we show the distinctive seasonal and long‐term dynamics of BDF and coexisting trees and the importance of bamboo competition for water in shaping this ecosystem. Our results suggest a potential selection for drought‐tolerant trees in BDF since they maintain the same EVI as trees in bamboo‐free forests but with lower water content. A better characterization of BDF and their cyclical dynamics is crucial for accurately interpreting Amazonian forests' responses to extreme climatic events such as high temperatures and droughts.
Variations in tree growth provide limited evidence of species mixture effects in Interior West USA mixed‐conifer forests
Authors: Looney Christopher E. , Previant Wilfred J. , Nagel Linda M.
Published: October 2020

In mixed stands, species complementarity (e.g. facilitation and competition reduction) may enhance forest tree productivity. Although positive mixture effects have been identified in forests world‐wide, the majority of studies have focused on two‐species interactions in managed systems with high functional diversity. We extended this line of research to examine mixture effects on tree productivity across landscape‐scale compositional and environmental gradients in the low functional diversity, fire‐suppressed, mixed‐conifer forests of the U.S. Interior West.

We investigated mixture effects on the productivity of Pinus ponderosa, Pseudotsuga menziesii and Abies concolor. Using region‐wide forest inventory data, we created individual‐tree generalized linear mixed models and examined the growth of these species across community gradients. We compared the relative influences of stand structure, age, competition and environmental stress on mixture effects using multi‐model inference. We analysed growth of neighbouring tree species to infer whether a mixture effect in a single species translated to the stand‐level.

We found support for a positive mixture effect in P. menziesii, although our results were equivocal in light of a weaker but still plausible alternative model. Growth of P. menziesii neighbouring species in mixed stands declined or held constant depending on aridity, suggesting that a positive mixture effect in P. menziesii does not necessarily extend to the stand level. We found no evidence for mixture effects in P. ponderosa, A. concolor or their neighbouring species.

Complementarity appears to have a limited influence on tree growth in the mixed‐conifer systems of the U.S. Interior West, reflecting limited functional diversity. Historical changes in stand structure following fire exclusion, particularly high stand densities, may limit the potential for positive species mixture effects. The limited species pool of Interior West forests increases the risk that, without careful management, what functional diversity exists could be lost to compositional changes resulting from stand dynamics or disturbance.
Transcription of CLDND1 in human brain endothelial cells is regulated by the myeloid zinc finger 1
Authors: Shima Akiho , Matsuoka Hiroshi , Yamaoka Alice , Michihara Akihiro
Published: October 2020

Increased permeability of endothelial cells lining the blood vessels in the brain leads to vascular oedema and, potentially, to stroke. The tight junctions (TJs), primarily responsible for the regulation of vascular permeability, are multi‐protein complexes comprising the claudin family of proteins and occludin. Several studies have reported that downregulation of the claudin domain containing 1 (CLDND1) gene enhances vascular permeability, which consequently increases the risk of stroke. However, the transcriptional regulation of CLDND1 has not been studied extensively. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the transcription factors (TFs) regulating CLDND1 expression. A luciferase reporter assay identified a silencer within the first intron of CLDND1, which was identified as a potential binding site of the myeloid zinc finger 1 (MZF1) through in silico and TFBIND software analyses, and confirmed through a reporter assay using the MZF1 expression vector and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. Moreover, the transient overexpression of MZF1 significantly increased the mRNA and protein expression levels of CLDND1, conversely, which were suppressed through the siRNA‐mediated MZF1 knockdown. Furthermore, the permeability of FITC‐dextran was observed to be increased on MZF1 knockdown as compared to that of the siGFP control. Our data revealed the underlying mechanism of the transcriptional regulation of CLDND1 by the MZF1. The findings suggest a potential role of MZF1 in TJ formation, which could be studied further and applied to prevent cerebral haemorrhage.
Forgetfulness without memory: reconstruction, landscape, and the politics of the everyday in post‐earthquake Gujarat, India
Authors: Simpson Edward
Published: October 2020

For many good reasons, after natural disasters it is common to work with ‘memory’ as part of a collective catharsis and a globalized humanitarian logic. Long‐term anthropological research on the aftermath of the 2001 earthquake in Gujarat, however, also demonstrates the significance of forgetting in local practice. Immediately after the disaster, people vowed to abandon the sites of their loss, leave the ruins as monuments, and rebuild anew on safer ground. In time, though, life returned to the ruins as the terrible proximity of death receded, as memories and new salience were shaped by acts of reconstruction. The article explores some of the political and social factors that make this form of forgetting possible – or even necessary. Evidence of earlier earthquakes in the same region indicates that such ‘forgetting’ has an established history. Together, ethnographic and archival materials combine to cast doubt over the emphasis on ‘remembering’ as the only ‘memory solution’ to suffering.
‘The Evil of the Age’: The New York Times and the Politicisation of Abortion, 1871
Authors: Thyer Danielle
Published: October 2020

In August 1871, the New York Times published the findings of an undercover investigation undertaken by one of its reporters into the abortionists who operated in the city. This coincided with the discovery of the body of Alice Bowlsby in a travelling trunk at a railroad depot, who had died as a result of surgical abortion. For the New York Times, abortion was a great ‘evil of the age’ that flourished due to its hidden nature and public indifference towards it. Its pervasiveness was aided by newspaper advertising – particularly in the New York Herald – alongside legislation that failed to prevent untrained physicians from risking women's lives. This paper uses the undercover investigation to historicise the early American anti‐abortion movement. Rather than agitate for foetal rights or personhood as later twentieth‐century anti‐abortion activists would, this article argues that the New York Times politicised the practice through its sustained campaign by connecting abortion with a range of social concerns. This included the role of women in society, the nature of class distinctions and the advancement of medical professionalisation. Further, this article revises our understanding of the close relationship between the press and abortion in nineteenth‐century America.
Neurologic outcomes following the introduction of a policy for using soft cervical collars in suspected traumatic cervical spine injury: A retrospective chart review
Authors: Asha Stephen E , Curtis Kate , Healy Georgina , Neuhaus Lauren , Tzannes Alexander , Wright Kelly
Published: October 2020

Objective

In trauma patients with potential cervical spine injury, immobilisation with a rigid cervical collar is widely recommended to prevent a secondary spinal cord injury. There is a lack of evidence for the effectiveness of this practice, but increasing evidence for complications from rigid collars. Soft foam collars may mitigate some of these issues and are used in our health service in place of rigid collars in selected patients at risk for traumatic cervical spine injury. The objective of the present study was to describe the neurological outcome of patients according to the cervical stabilisation technique used.

Methods

A multi‐centre, retrospective, consecutive, case series of all patients assessed for a traumatic cervical spine injury from October 2017 to July 2018 was conducted. Data were obtained by a medical chart review. The primary outcome was the development of a new neurological deficit because of spinal cord injury while in hospital.

Results

Inter‐rater reliability of data abstraction demonstrated very strong agreement (kappa 0.85, 95% confidence interval 0.80–0.90). Of 2036 patients, 1133 were managed in a soft collar. A new neurological deficit because of spinal cord injury developed in two patients managed in a rigid collar. One case managed in a soft collar was uncertain because of an incomplete baseline neurological examination.

Conclusion

The use of soft foam cervical collars in patients at risk for a cervical spine injury does not appear to increase the risk for secondary spinal cord injury but larger prospective studies are required before a robust conclusion on safety can be claimed.
Roles of LmCDA1 and LmCDA2 in cuticle formation in the foregut and hindgut of Locusta migratoria
Authors: Zhang Min , Ma Peng‐Juan , Zhang Ting‐Ting , Gao Zhi‐Mei , Zhao Pan , Liu Xiao‐Jian , Zhang Xue‐Yao , Liu Wei‐Min , Yu Rong‐Rong , Moussian Bernard , Zhang Jian‐Zhen
Published: October 2020

Chitin deacetylases (CDAs, including CDA1 and CDA2) are considered key enzymes for body cuticle formation and tracheal morphogenesis in various insect species. However, their functions in the formation of the cuticular intima of the foregut and hindgut are unclear. Here, we investigated the roles of their respective genes LmCDA1 and LmCDA2 in this process, in the hemimetabolous insect Locusta migratoria. Transcripts of LmCDA1 and LmCDA2 were highly expressed both before and after molting in the foregut. In the hindgut, their expression was high only before molting. In both the foregut and hindgut, LmCDA1 protein was localized in the basal half of the chitin matrix (procuticle), whereas LmCDA2 was detected in the upper half of the procuticle. Knockdown of LmCDA1 by RNA interference (RNAi) in 5th‐instar nymphs caused no visible defects of the hindgut cuticle. By contrast, the chitinous lamellae of the cuticular intima in the foregut of knockdown animals were less compact than in control animals. RNAi against LmCDA2 led to thickening of both the foregut and hindgut cuticles, with a greater number of thinner laminae than in the respective control cuticles. Taken together, our results show that LmCDA1 and LmCDA2 have distinct, but overlapping, functions in chitin organization in the foregut cuticle. However, in the hindgut, this process seems independent of LmCDA1 activity but requires LmCDA2 function. Thus, the CDAs reflect tissue‐specific differences in cuticular organization and function, which need further detailed molecular and histological analyses for full comprehension.
Radicle pruning by seed‐eating animals helps oak seedlings absorb more soil nutrient
Authors: YI Xianfeng , WANG Minghui , XUE Chao , JU Mengyao
Published: October 2020

Although radicle pruning has well been observed in plant–animal interactions, research has not been conducted to determine how radicle pruning by seed‐eating animals regulates nutrition mobilization of cotyledonary reserves and absorption of soil nutrients. We used stable nitrogen isotopes to test how acorns of early‐germinating oak species (Quercus variabilis, Q. aliena, and Q. mogolica) trade off nutrients in the cotyledons and those in the soil in response to radicle pruning by seed‐eating rodents. Radicle pruning by rodents resulted in root branching in the 3 early‐germinating oak species. Moreover, radicle pruning increased shoot dry weight and substantially reduced the root‐to‐shoot ratio of oak species. Corresponding to the decreased dry weight of roots and root‐to‐shoot ratio, the dry weight of the remnant cotyledons was higher after radicle pruning in the 3 oak species. We provided first evidence that radicle pruning by seed‐eating animals improved seedling performance of early‐germinating oaks by increasing absorption of nutrients from soil. The results indicate that early‐germinating oak seedlings trade off nutrition budget by altering nutrient absorption from soil and reserve mobilization from cotyledons in response to radicle pruning by seed‐eating animals. Our study provided new insight into the nutrition allocation mechanism of young seedlings in response to radicle pruning by seed‐eating animals, reflecting a mutualistic interaction between early‐germinating oak and food‐hoarding animals.
Females’ ability to discriminate MSG from NaCl influences perceived intensity but not liking of MSG added vegetable broths
Authors: Hartley Isabella E. , Liem Dijn G. , Keast Russell SJ.
Published: October 2020

This study investigated whether ability to taste monosodium glutamate (MSG) is associated with liking and intensity of sodium‐reduced vegetable broths with added MSG. Six vegetable broths, with varying concentrations of added NaCl and MSG, were evaluated for overall intensity, and liking, by n = 115 female participants, mean age 24.1 ± 5.4. Broths evaluated included: control broth (0 g NaCl, 0 g MSG), high NaCl broth (0.8 g/100 mL), medium NaCl (0.4 g/100 mL), low NaCl (0.2 g/100 ml), medium NaCl (0.4 g/100 ml) + 29 mM MSG and, low NaCl (0.2 g/100 mL) + 29 mM MSG. Participant's umami discrimination status was determined using forced‐choice triangle tests (29 mM MSG vs 29 mM NaCl), and suprathreshold salt taste intensity (NaCl) was measured. A 7% Na reduction was possible by partially replacing NaCl with MSG without influencing intensity or liking in the low NaCl broth, in comparison to the highest liked NaCl only broth (medium NaCl). There was no significant difference in liking of broths between MSG discriminators (n = 37) and nondiscriminators (n = 78) (P > 0.2). MSG discriminators rated all broths as significantly more intense overall (except for control broth, P > 0.2) than nondiscriminators (P < 0.05). A significant relationship was found between MSG discrimination status, and salt taste intensity tertiles (χ2 (2, N = 115) = 8.45; P < 0.02) indicating that the Na ion dominates taste profile.

The ability to discriminate MSG from NaCl does not influence liking of salt‐reduced broths with added MSG. MSG discrimination status was associated with NaCl taste intensity, indicating that the sodium ion is dominant in influencing intensity (common to both MSG and NaCl).

Practical Application

The addition of MSG to vegetable broths is an effective way to reduce total sodium in the broths without reducing liking of the broths, this is irrespective of an individual's ability to taste MSG or salt. Salt taste and umami taste (MSG) appear to be associated, indicating the sodium is important in influencing taste intensity for both salty and umami taste.
Ultrafiltration isolation, physicochemical characterization, and antidiabetic activities analysis of polysaccharides from green tea, oolong tea, and black tea
Authors: Xu Leilei , Chen Yue , Chen Zhongqin , Gao Xudong , Wang Chunli , Panichayupakaranant Pharkphoom , Chen Haixia
Published: October 2020

Both fermentation degree and preparation method of polysaccharides could influence the bioactivity of tea polysaccharides. The aim of this study was to compare the physicochemical characterization and biological activities of the polysaccharides isolated by ultrafiltration method from three kinds of tea (green tea, oolong tea, and black tea). The bioactivities of tea polysaccharide fractions were compared from four aspects, including antioxidant activities, antiglycation activities, α‐glucosidase inhibitory capability, and hypoglycemic effects on L6 myotubes. Results showed that six polysaccharides (GTPS1, GTPS2, OTPS1, OTPS2, BTPS1, and BTPS2) had different contents of neutral sugar and uronic acid, and they showed different morphologies. Six polysaccharides were composed of the seven monosaccharides with different molar ratios. BTPS1 exhibited the highest DPPH scavenging activity and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity (P < 0.05), and BTPS1 also showed the strongest antiglycation inhibitory effects (P < 0.05). BTPS1 and BTPS2 showed strong inhibitory capacity on α‐glucosidase and hypoglycemic effects in L6 skeletal muscle cells. The result suggested that the degree of fermentation of tea could improve their bioactivities (BTPS > OTPS >GTPS), and TPS1 with smaller molecular weight distribution showed higher bioactivities than TPS2. This study can provide a scientific foundation for the application of tea polysaccharides and related functional products.
Anthropogenic chemicals and their impacts on microbes living in buildings
Authors: Hu Jinglin , Hartmann Erica M.
Published: October 2020

Humans spend the vast majority of their time indoors where complex interactions occur among indoor anthropogenic chemicals, indoor microbiomes and human occupants. This paper summarizes previous work addressing interactions between anthropogenic chemicals associated with indoor household products and building materials, and microorganisms found within the built environment. Water availability seems to determine the extent to which microbes are impacted by anthropogenic chemicals, since desiccation remains one of the primary stressors regulating microbial viability indoors. Several lines of evidence suggest that both fungi and bacteria are capable of transforming biodegradable ingredients originating from various products used indoors when water is present. Previous research also establishes positive and significant correlations between anthropogenic chemicals that are antimicrobial and antibiotic resistance gene abundance. As researchers move towards understanding complex indoor environments as well as the role of anthropogenic chemicals in shaping microbiomes, in situ activities associated with the viable indoor microbial population merit more attention.
Contaminations contaminate common databases
Authors: Bensch Staffan , Inumaru Mizue , Sato Yukita , Lee Cruz Larisa , Cunningham Andrew A. , Goodman Simon J. , Levin Iris I. , Parker Patricia G. , Casanueva Patricia , Hernández Maria‐Angeles , Moreno‐Rueda Gregorio , Rojo Maria‐Angeles
Published: October 2020

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a very powerful method to detect and identify pathogens. The high sensitivity of the method, however, comes with a cost; any of the millions of artificial DNA copies generated by PCR can serve as a template in a following experiment. If not identified as contaminations, these may result in erroneous conclusions on the occurrence of the pathogen, thereby inflating estimates of host range and geographic distribution. In the present paper, we evaluate whether several published records of avian haemosporidian parasites, in either unusual host species or geographical regions, might stem from PCR contaminations rather than novel biological findings. The detailed descriptions of these cases are shedding light upon the steps in the work process that might lead to PCR contaminations. By increasing the awareness of this problem, it will aid in developing procedures that keep these to a minimum. The examples in the present paper are from haemosporidians of birds, however the problem of contaminations and suggested actions should apply generally to all kinds of PCR‐based identifications, not just of parasites and pathogens.
Big Science Collaborations; Lessons for Global Governance and Leadership
Authors: Robinson Mark
Published: October 2020

Big Science communities have been remarkably effective in evolving complex processes and mechanisms to enable international collaborations. Major powers such as the People's Republic of China, Russia and the USA, who are fierce rivals in other domains, form lasting alliances. Three of the most relevant case examples are the Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire (CERN) community, the International Thermonuclear Experiential Reactor (ITER) nuclear fusion project community and the International Space Station (ISS) community. Beyond Gridlock theory identifies eight pathways through and beyond gridlock and their mechanisms. It is through the combination of these pathways that international collaborations can be initiated, maintained and delivered. Extensive field work in each of the three case study communities reveal winning combinations of pathways for Big Science collaborations. Shifts in major powers’ core interests and multiple, diverse organisations and institutions coalescing around common goals emerge as the two core pathways. They are supported in their implementation by two enabling pathways: innovative leadership and innovative funding. The relationship between all four provides clues on mechanisms that can be used to good effect in other international relations domains that are caught up in the debilitating global gridlock phenomenon.
The effects of drought stress and type of fertiliser on generalist and specialist herbivores and their natural enemies
Authors: Shehzad Muhammad , Gulzar Asim , Staley Joanna T. , Tariq Muhammad
Published: October 2020

Abiotic stresses such as drought and nutrient availability can affect invertebrate herbivores feeding on plants, and potentially cascade up to impact their predators and parasitoids. Although these two factors separately been the subject of many studies, there are few tests of their combined effects in the context of pest species and their natural enemies on cultivated plants. Climate change models predict an increase in the frequency and severity of droughts, while the type and amount of fertiliser applied to crops is more under the control of growers. Understanding how these two abiotic factors may interact is key to utilising the potential of natural enemies to control pests under a future climate. To address this, a range of drought and fertiliser type treatments were applied to a model Brassica system in a factorial design, and the performance of two ubiquitous aphid species and their parasitoids was assessed. One aphid species was a specialist on Brassicas (Brevicoryne brassicae, with parasitoid Diaeretiella rapae) and the second a generalist aphid species (Myzus persicae, with parasitoid Aphidius colemani). The performance of both aphid species responded in a similar way to the treatments, and was maximised on plants growing in organic fertilisers under medium levels of drought stress. The strongest effects of drought and fertiliser cascaded up to affect parasitoids. Parasitoid performance responded in a broadly similar way to their aphid host performance in relation to fertiliser type. Some of the smaller effects of fertiliser treatments on aphid performance were not found for parasitoid performance. Aphid performance was greatest on plants under medium drought stress, but the parasitoids only responded consistently to the high drought stress treatment, on which their performance was reduced. Interactions between the drought and fertiliser did not have a large effect on aphid or parasitoid performance, compared with the strong main effects found for each treatment. These results are discussed in the context of previous and future research on the impacts of abiotic stresses on invertebrate herbivores and their natural enemies.
The Feasibility, Tolerability, and Safety of Administering a Very High Alcohol Dose to Drinkers with Alcohol Use Disorder
Authors: Vena Ashley , Howe Meghan , Fridberg Daniel , Cao Dingcai , King Andrea C.
Published: October 2020

Introduction

There remains a paucity of research quantifying alcohol’s effects in drinkers with alcohol use disorder (AUD), particularly responses to very high alcohol doses (≥0.8 g/kg). As drinkers with AUD frequently engage in very heavy drinking (8 to 10 drinks/occasion), doses of ≤0.8 g/kg may lack ecological validity. The present study examined the feasibility, tolerability, and safety of administering a very high alcohol dose (1.2 g/kg) to non–treatment‐seeking AUD participants.

Methods

Sixty‐one young adult AUD drinkers enrolled in the Chicago Social Drinking Project and completed 3 laboratory sessions at which they consumed a beverage with 1.2, 0.8, and 0.0 g/kg alcohol. Physiological responses (vital signs, nausea and vomiting, breath alcohol concentrations [BrAC]) were monitored throughout the sessions. After each session, participants completed a next‐day survey of substance use, engagement in risky behaviors, and related consequences.

Results

Overall, the sample demonstrated good compliance with study procedures; 93% of participants adhered to presession alcohol abstinence requirements (indicated by BrAC < 0.003 g/dl), with no participants exhibiting serious alcohol withdrawal symptoms at arrival to study visits. The 1.2 g/kg alcohol dose achieved an expected mean peak BrAC of 0.13 g/dl at 60 minutes after drinking, which was well tolerated; the majority of the sample did not experience nausea (70%) or vomiting (93%), and dose effects on vital signs were not clinically significant. Finally, we demonstrated that the 1.2 g/kg alcohol dose is safe and not associated with postsession consequences, including reduced sleep time, atypical substance use, accidents or injuries, and severe hangovers.

Conclusion

Results support the feasibility, tolerability, and safety of administering a very high alcohol dose to young adult drinkers with AUD within the context of a well‐validated laboratory alcohol challenge paradigm. Utilizing an alcohol dose more consistent with naturalistic drinking patterns may foster greater ecological validity of laboratory paradigms for persons with moderate to severe AUD.
Recovery from alcohol problems in the absence of treatment: a qualitative narrative analysis
Authors: Mellor Richard , Lancaster Kari , Ritter Alison
Published: October 2020

Background and aims

Recovery from alcohol problems in the absence of treatment or mutual‐aid is very common, but under‐researched. This study explores the lives of people who had resolved their alcohol problems without treatment, seeking to situate experiences of recovery in social contexts and broader life narratives.

Design

The in‐depth qualitative interviews were aided by a life‐history methodology that invited participants to account retrospectively for their lives. A narrative analysis was undertaken.

Setting

Two major cities (Sydney and Melbourne) in Australia.

Participants

People who had resolved an alcohol problem in the absence of treatment (n = 12) were recruited from the general community using convenience sampling.

Measurements

Eligible participants had received ‘minimal treatment’ for an alcohol use disorder: fewer than three sessions in an outpatient treatment programme or nine sessions with mutual‐aid groups (e.g. Alcoholics Anonymous), or having accessed mental health treatment for problems other than drinking at least 2 years prior or 1 year after having resolved an alcohol problem. Participants were considered to have had an alcohol use disorder if they reported two or more symptoms (DSM‐V) within a 1‐year period prior to the past year, using questions endorsed by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). People were considered to have resolved their alcohol use disorder by responding to the recruitment message calling for people who "used to have an alcohol problem but no longer do". The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT‐C) was used to understand participant’s drinking behaviours in the past 12 months.

Findings

Four different narratives were identified in the analysis. In the emancipation narrative, identity development and major changes across the life‐curve were associated with separating oneself from an oppressive circumstance. In discovery narratives, art culture and other consciousness‐expanding experiences were sources of identity development, but sometimes a barrier to alcohol recovery. In mastery narratives, life events were understood as failures or successes, and recovery was positioned as an individual journey accomplished through increased problem awareness. Finally, in coping narratives, changes were understood as a series of continuous struggles, and recovery was made sense of through diagnostic discourses.

Conclusions

People who resolve an alcohol use disorder in the absence of treatment or mutual‐aid appear to explain their recovery in terms of at least four different life narratives: emancipation, discovery, mastery or coping. Social contexts and cultures outside the treatment setting, and the various identities and narratives they provide, shape change processes.
Diet overlap of non‐native common carp and native Nile tilapia: A potential cause for population reduction of Nile tilapia stock in Lake Ziway, Ethiopia
Authors: Tesfaye Abebe , Getahun Abebe , Fetahi Tadesse
Published: October 2020

Lake Ziway harbours indigenous and exotic fish species including Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Nile tilapia was the dominant and preferred fish. However, its contribution to total catch has dramatically declined from 89.3% in 1994 to 27% in 2014 while the introduced common carp has increased from 0% before 2012 to 25% in 2014. Common carp potentially compete with Nile tilapia for available resources and could be a cause for the decline. Thus, the study explored the dietary overlap of the two species from April to August 2017. Schoener's overlap index (α) revealed significant dietary overlap between the two species (α = 0.84, between juveniles and α = 0.63, between adults). Juveniles fed mainly on animal origin (zooplankton and insects), while adult Nile tilapia have consumed plant origin (macrophyte and phytoplankton), and adult common carp fed on macrophytes and detritus. The presence of significant dietary overlap between the two species, particularly due to intense competition among juveniles, might cause the reduction of Nile tilapia stock because the native species has shown a competitive disadvantage for food in the presence of common carp. This study provides baseline information to researchers and decision makers working towards the sustainable resource utilisation of the system.
Ragweed plants grown under elevated CO2 levels produce pollen which elicit stronger allergic lung inflammation
Authors: Rauer Denise , Gilles Stefanie , Wimmer Maria , Frank Ulrike , Mueller Constanze , Musiol Stephanie , Vafadari Behnam , Aglas Lorenz , Ferreira Fatima , Schmitt‐Kopplin Philippe , Durner Jörg , Winkler Jana Barbro , Ernst Dieter , Behrendt Heidrun , Schmidt‐Weber Carsten B. , Traidl‐Hoffmann Claudia , Alessandrini Francesca
Published: October 2020

Background

Common ragweed has been spreading as a neophyte in Europe. Elevated CO2 levels, a hallmark of global climate change, have been shown to increase ragweed pollen production, but their effects on pollen allergenicity remain to be elucidated.

Methods

Ragweed was grown in climate‐controlled chambers under normal (380 ppm, control) or elevated (700 ppm, based on RCP4.5 scenario) CO2 levels. Aqueous pollen extracts (RWE) from control‐ or CO2‐pollen were administered in vivo in a mouse model for allergic disease (daily for 3‐11 days, n = 5) and employed in human in vitro systems of nasal epithelial cells (HNECs), monocyte‐derived dendritic cells (DCs), and HNEC‐DC co‐cultures. Additionally, adjuvant factors and metabolites in control‐ and CO2‐RWE were investigated using ELISA and untargeted metabolomics.

Results

In vivo, CO2‐RWE induced stronger allergic lung inflammation compared to control‐RWE, as indicated by lung inflammatory cell infiltrate and mediators, mucus hypersecretion, and serum total IgE. In vitro, HNECs stimulated with RWE increased indistinctively the production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines (IL‐8, IL‐1β, and IL‐6). In contrast, supernatants from CO2‐RWE‐stimulated HNECs, compared to control‐RWE‐stimulated HNECS, significantly increased TNF and decreased IL‐10 production in DCs. Comparable results were obtained by stimulating DCs directly with RWEs. The metabolome analysis revealed differential expression of secondary plant metabolites in control‐ vs CO2‐RWE. Mixes of these metabolites elicited similar responses in DCs as compared to respective RWEs.

Conclusion

Our results indicate that elevated ambient CO2 levels elicit a stronger RWE‐induced allergic response in vivo and in vitro and that RWE increased allergenicity depends on the interplay of multiple metabolites.
Explaining the widening distribution of Body Mass Index: A decomposition analysis of trends for England, 2002–2004 and 2012–2014
Authors: Green Mark A. , Rowe Francisco
Published: October 2020

The aim of our study is to examine whether the widening of the distribution of body mass index (BMI) for England can be explained by compositional changes within the population or contextual changes in the relationships between explanatory variables and BMI. Race, socio‐economic status, and physical activity were important factors in explaining trends at the 90th centile of BMI, with contextual changes more influential than compositional changes.
Do Perceptions of Warmth and Competence Explain Moral Norms Regarding Different Social Roles?
Authors: Nejat Pegah , Bagherian Fatemeh , Hatami Javad
Published: October 2020

Taking Moral Foundations Theory as the morality framework, this study asked whether moral norms are prescribed differentially for various social roles, and what mechanism can be deemed responsible for that. We tested social perception as formulated by Stereotype Content Model as one such mediating mechanism. High‐ and low‐status roles from three social contexts varying in solidarity were presented to participants who expressed their perception of the roles’ warmth and competence, as well as moral prescriptions/proscriptions regarding them as both actor and target of acts. Perceived warmth mediated the relationship between solidarity and role‐as‐actor Fairness, Sanctity, and Liberty, and role‐as‐target Care and Sanctity, whereas competence mediated the link between perceived status and role‐as‐target Care and Fairness. Moreover, the interaction of warmth and competence predicted role‐as‐actor Authority and role‐as‐target Liberty. Overall, we found evidence for the role‐dependency of moral norms, partially explained through perception of the social roles, thereby involving the underlying motive of protecting ingroups’ and reference groups’ position as suggested by SCM. However, given a number of unmediated links, other motives are also suspected to be involved, which remain to be explored.