bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the transaction dynamics of the Ethereum-based cryptocurrency
Authors: Zanelatto Gavião Mascarenhas Juliana , Ziviani Artur , Wehmuth Klaus , Vieira Alex Borges
Published: October 2020

Distributed blockchain-based consensus platforms have witnessed steady growth in recent years. In special, cryptocurrency is one of the main applications of the blockchain technology. Despite the recent interest in blockchain, we still lack in-depth analysis of systems that use such a technology. In fact, most of the existing works focus on Bitcoin. Moreover, blockchain-based cryptocurrency systems are highly dynamic. Their internal mechanisms and consensus algorithms evolve over time. Users also change their interests in a given platform, which in turn, reflect their behaviour. In this article, we model the Ethereum-based cryptocurrency transaction network, a more recent blockchain platform that is gaining a significant share in the cryptocurrency market. We model the transactions of Ethereum as a complex system, representing this complex system as a time-varying graph. Our model and the analysis we conduct rely on a 3-year dataset of Ethereum-based cryptocurrency transactions, comprising more than 38 million users (i.e. unique wallet addresses) and almost 300 million transactions. We analyse the evolution of users and transactions over time. Our study also highlights the centralization tendency of the transaction network on both user and time aspects. Finally, we also analyse the formation of communities and the evolution of connected components considering the dynamics of the Ethereum-based cryptocurrency transaction network.
The Short-Range Movement of Scirtothrips dorsalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and Rate of Spread of Feeding Injury Among Strawberry Plants
Authors: Panthi Babu R , Renkema Justin M , Lahiri Sriyanka , Liburd Oscar E
Published: October 2020

Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood infest strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne, Rosaceae) fields from nearby crop fields and surrounding vegetation and cause injury to plants by feeding on young leaf tissues. Greenhouse and field studies were conducted to determine the short-range movement of S. dorsalis to assess the risk of an early S. dorsalis population to spread to adjacent plants. In a greenhouse, 25 potted strawberry plants were arranged in two concentric rows around a central plant, where plants in inner rows were 20 cm, and those in the outer rows were 40 cm from the central plant. In the field, 20 strawberry plants were arranged in two beds (90 cm apart), ten in each bed, and five plants in each row, with plants 30 cm apart. White sticky cards were placed at 60–120 cm from the central plant. Fifty S. dorsalis adults were released on a centrally located plant, and the numbers of S. dorsalis adults and larvae and feeding injury were recorded for 9–17 d on adjacent plants and sticky cards. Results showed that significantly more S. dorsalis adults and larvae remained on the initially infested plant compared to adjacent plants, although few adults were found up to 120 cm on sticky cards. The rate of spread of feeding injury was low with slight bronzing injury (<10% injury) on adjacent plants by 14–17 d. Since most S. dorsalis remained on initially infested plants for at least 2 wk, it is feasible to delay management actions and ‘rescue’ plants around a plant with minor injury symptoms.
Does local injection of reveromycin A inhibit tooth movement without causing systemic side effects?
Authors: Kako Shunsuke , Tabuchi Masako , Miyazawa Ken , Tanaka Miyuki , Minamoto Chisato , Asano Yuichiro , Kimura Fumika , Aoki Yuki , Sato Takuma , Kawatani Makoto , Osada Hiroyuki , Maeda Hatsuhiko , Goto Shigemi
Published: October 2020

Objective

To determine the feasibility of local inhibition of osteoclast activity and control of tooth movement with local intraoral reveromycin A (RMA) injection in model mice for experimental tooth movement.

Materials and methods

Eight-week-old wild-type mice (n = 6 per group) were divided into four groups consisting of two non-RMA groups that received normal saline for 14 (14-day non-RMA group) or 21 consecutive days (21-day non-RMA group) and 2 RMA groups that received RMA (1.0 mg/kg of weight) for 14 (14-day RMA group) or 21 consecutive days (21-day RMA group). RMA was injected locally into the buccal mucosa of the left first maxillary molar twice daily starting 3 days before placement of the 10-gf Ni-Ti closed coil spring. Tooth movement distance was analysed using micro-computed tomography. The effects on surrounding alveolar bone were evaluated by measuring the ratio of bone surface area to tissue surface area with haematoxylin-eosin-stained sections and counting the number of osteoclasts in periodontal tissue with TRAP-stained sections. Blood tests were performed and bone volume and trabecular separation at the tibial neck were measured to analyse systemic side effects.

Results

Local RMA injection inhibited tooth movement by 40.6 per cent, promoted alveolar bone volume maintenance by 37.4 per cent, and inhibited osteoclast activity around the tooth root at 21 days by 40.8 per cent. Systemic effects on osteoclasts or osteoblasts were not observed.

Conclusion

Local injection of RMA enabled control of tooth movement without systemic side effects in a mouse model.
Sibling Models, Categorical Outcomes, and the Intra-Class Correlation
Authors: Breen Richard , Ermisch John
Published: October 2020

In sibling models with categorical outcomes the question arises of how best to calculate the intraclass correlation, ICC. We show that, for this purpose, the random effects linear probability model is preferable to a random effects non-linear probability model, such as a logit or probit. This is because, for a binary outcome, the ICC derived from a random effects linear probability model is a non-parametric estimate of the ICC, equivalent to a statistic called Cohen’s κ. Furthermore, because κ can be calculated when the outcome has more than two categories, we can use the random effects linear probability model to compute a single ICC in cases with more than two outcome categories. Lastly, ICCs are often compared between groups to show the degree to which sibling differences vary between groups: we show that when the outcome is categorical these comparisons are invalid. We suggest alternative measures for this purpose.
Cadmium transport activity of four mercury transporters (MerC, MerE, MerF and MerT) and effects of the periplasmic mercury-binding protein MerP on Mer-dependent cadmium uptake
Authors: Ohshiro Yuka , Uraguchi Shimpei , Nakamura Ryosuke , Takanezawa Yasukazu , Kiyono Masako
Published: October 2020

Mercury superfamily proteins, i.e. inner membrane-spanning proteins (MerC, MerE, MerF and MerT) and a periplasmic mercury-binding protein (MerP), transport mercury into the cytoplasm. A previous study demonstrated that a Mer transporter homolog exhibits cadmium transport activity; based on this, the present study aimed to evaluate the cadmium transport activity of MerC, MerE, MerF and MerT and the effects of MerP co-expression in Escherichia coli. Bacteria expressing MerC, MerE, MerF or MerT without MerP were more sensitive to cadmium and significantly absorbed more cadmium than did the control strain. Expression of MerP in combination with MerC, MerE, MerF or MerT increased the bacterial sensitivity to cadmium and cadmium accumulation compared to a single expression of MerC, MerE, MerF or MerT. Cadmium uptake mediated by MerC, MerE, MerF or MerT was inhibited under cold or acidic conditions. These findings suggest that MerC, MerE, MerF and MerT are broad-spectrum heavy metal transporters that mediate both mercury and cadmium transport into cells and that MerP accelerates the cadmium transport ability of MerC, MerE, MerF and MerT.
Differential Effects of Sulfur Amino Acid-Restricted and Low-Calorie Diets on Gut Microbiome Profile and Bile Acid Composition in Male C57BL6/J Mice
Authors: Nichenametla Sailendra N , Mattocks Dwight A L , Midya Vishal , Shneyder Jelena
Published: October 2020

Diet can affect health and longevity by altering the gut microbiome profile. Sulfur amino acid restriction (SAAR), like caloric restriction, extends lifespan. But, its effect on the gut microbiome profile and functional significance of such effects are understudied. We investigated whether SAAR alters the gut microbiome profile and bile acid composition, an index of microbial metabolism. We also compared these changes with those induced by a 12% low-calorie diet (LCD). Male 21-week-old C57BL6/J mice were fed control (CD; 0.86% methionine), SAAR (0.12% methionine), and LCD diets (0.86% methionine). After 10 weeks on the diet, plasma markers and fecal microbial profiles were determined. SAAR mice had lower body weights and IGF-1, and higher food intake and FGF-21 than CD mice. Compared to SAAR mice, LCD mice had higher body weights, and lower FGF-21 and food intake, but similar IGF-1. β-Diversity indices were different between SAAR and LCD, and LCD and CD, but not between CD and SAAR. In groupwise comparisons of individual taxa, differences were more discernable between SAAR and LCD than between other groups. Abundances of Firmicutes, Clostridiaceae, and Turicibacteraceae were higher, but Verrucomicrobia was lower in SAAR than in LCD. Secondary bile acids and the ratio of secondary to primary bile acids were lower in SAAR than in LCD. SAAR favored bile acid conjugation with glycine at the expense of taurine. Overall, SAAR and LCD diets induced distinct changes in the gut microbiome and bile acid profiles. Additional studies on the role of these changes in improving health and lifespan are warranted.
A Social–Ecological Model of Grandparenting Experiences: A Systematic Review
Authors: Shorey Shefaly , Ng Esperanza Debby
Published: October 2020

Background and Objectives

Grandparenting trends have been increasing due to rises in female employment, economic stressors, and single-parent families. Because the level of grandparental involvement could either result in beneficial or adverse physical and mental health outcomes, this review aims to use a social–ecological model to compare the childcare experiences of primary and nonprimary grandparent caregivers and the effects of childcare on their physical and emotional health.

Research Design and Methods

This is a systematic review. CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Scopus were searched for qualitative papers. A thematic analysis was conducted, and data were framed using the social–ecological model.

Results

Seventy-four qualitative studies were included. Four themes were generated: intrapersonal: attitudes and motivations (obligation and sense of responsibility, limited physical health, and emotional resources), interpersonal: relationships with grandchildren and adult children (grandparental roles and gendered differences, forging bonds with grandchildren, role ambiguities, conflicts and drawing boundaries, and support and relationships with others), organizational: social services and educational needs, and policy: financial and legal issues. Grandparental well-being is likely to be dependent on the context of the childcare provided, relational bonds with adult children and grandchildren, and the availability of a community and institutional, legal, and financial support.

Discussion and Implications

The act of grandparenting is laden with cost and reward. To ensure a better quality of life in grandparents’ later years, joint efforts between policymakers, educators, and organizations are required to meet their childcare support needs such that they can fulfill their grandparenting roles with ease.
Investigating salience strategies to counteract obesity
Authors: Pinero de Plaza Maria Alejandra , Taghian Mehdi , Marmolejo-Ramos Fernando , Barrera-Causil Carlos J , Hall John
Published: October 2020

The investigation of the characteristics and attributes that make a brand prominent for shoppers is known as salience research. This line of study concentrates on influencing buying behaviors via the manipulation of shopping environments and food products. Such promotional strategies successfully attract massive food sales and therefore have been associated with changes in dietary patterns and the epidemic expansion of non-communicable diseases, like obesity. Marketers have empirically proven that global buying patterns are influenced by their salience strategies and techniques. However, despite the significance of such methods, empirical salience investigations have rarely been extended beyond their primary business focus to the field of health promotion. Therefore, this study is presenting a way of transferring the salience knowledge to the health promotion field in order to track dietary choices and possibly gain information to identify buying and eating behaviors connected to obesity. The salience literature from various disciplines permits to hypothesize that consumers are more likely to have unhealthy diets when food-choices and conditions are saliently manipulated. A quasi-experimental method (combining salience measures with Bayesian analysis) was used to test this proposition. The results support the hypothesis and endorse the introduced research tool. As predicted, data reflect the latest national overweight and obesity statistics and suggest that habitual unhealthy diets are more likely when salience strategies link food products to taste, social and emotional attributes. These preliminary findings encourage further investigation to enhance the method as a possible epidemiological tool.
Prenatal exposure to mercury and precocious puberty: a prospective birth cohort study
Authors: Wang Guoying , Tang Wan-Yee , Ji Hongkai , Wang Xiaobin
Published: October 2020

STUDY QUESTION

Is in utero exposure to mercury associated with the risk of precocious puberty?

SUMMARY ANSWER

Prenatal exposure to high levels of mercury was associated with increased risk of precocious puberty, which was strengthened by concomitant maternal cardiometabolic conditions and adverse birth outcomes.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

The developing fetus is sensitive to mercury, a well-known endocrine disruptor which impacts the endocrine and reproductive system.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

This study included 1512 mother–child pairs from the Boston Birth Cohort, a longitudinal cohort which recruited at birth and followed prospectively up to 21 years of age.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

Mother–child pairs, from a predominantly urban minority population, were enrolled from 2002 to 2013. Prenatal exposure was assessed by maternal mercury concentration in red blood cells (RBCs) collected at 1–3 days after delivery. Precocious puberty was defined based on International Classification of Disease codes. Cox proportional hazards models were applied to the association between maternal mercury concentrations and the risk of precocious puberty.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

The median (interquartile range) of maternal mercury concentrations among children with and without precocious puberty were 3.4 (1.9–4.6) µg/l and 2.0 (1.0–3.7) µg/l, respectively. Compared to those in the lowest tertile for mercury, the highest tertile was associated with increased risk of precocious puberty, with an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 2.41, 95% CI: 1.16–5.03. In addition, concomitant maternal cardiometabolic conditions and adverse birth outcomes strengthened the effects of mercury on the risk of precocious puberty. The highest risk of precocious puberty was observed among children who had adverse birth outcomes and whose mothers had high RBC-mercury concentrations along with cardiometabolic conditions, with an HR of 4.76 (95% CI: 1.66–13.60) compared to children with favorable profiles of all three risk factors.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

Precocious puberty was defined based on medical records, not on a direct assessment, which may have led to underdiagnosis and the inability to make a subclassification. The study included a predominately urban, low-income, minority population and as such our findings may not be widely generalizable.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

Prenatal Hg exposure was associated with an increased risk of precocious puberty. This risk was strengthened by concomitant maternal cardiometabolic conditions during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

This study was funded by the NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH/Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

N/A.
Pneumothorax in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia with invasive mechanical ventilation
Authors: Özdemir Servet , Bilgi Deniz Özel , Köse Selçuk , Oya Gülsüm
Published: October 2020

OBJECTIVES

Our goal was to evaluate the prevalence of and risk factors for pneumothorax in patients with invasive mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit (ICU) diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia.

METHODS

The prevalence of pneumothorax was retrospectively reviewed in 107 patients diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia and treated in an ICU in Turkey between 11 March 2020 and 30 April 2020.

RESULTS

The patients were aged 19–92 years; 37 (34.6%) were women. Pneumothorax developed in 8 (7.5%) of the intubated patients. Four (50%) of the patients with pneumothorax and 68 (68.7%) of those without it died. In the univariable logistic regression analysis of the presence of comorbid diseases (P = 0.91), positive end-expiratory pressure (P = 0.18), compliance (P = 0.93), peak pressure (P = 0.41) and the Horowitz index (P = 0.13) did not show statistically significant effects in increasing the risk of pneumothorax.

CONCLUSIONS

There was no significant increase or decrease in the risk of pneumothorax in patients treated with invasive mechanical ventilation after the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019-related pneumonia/acute respiratory distress syndrome. However, consideration of the risk of pneumothorax in these individuals may have the potential to improve the prognoses in such settings.
Cohomological Invariants in Positive Characteristic
Authors: Totaro Burt
Published: October 2020

We determine the mod $p$ cohomological invariants for several affine group schemes $G$ in characteristic $p$. These are invariants of $G$-torsors with values in étale motivic cohomology, or equivalently in Kato’s version of Galois cohomology based on differential forms. In particular, we find the mod 2 cohomological invariants for the symmetric groups and the orthogonal groups in characteristic 2, which Serre computed in characteristic not 2. We also determine all operations on the mod $p$ étale motivic cohomology of fields, extending Vial’s computation of the operations on the mod $p$ Milnor K-theory of fields.
Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Sentinel Node Tracer Injection: Effects on Breast MRI Quality
Authors: Chapman Molly C , Lee Amie Y , Hayward Jessica H , Joe Bonnie N , Price Elissa R
Published: October 2020

Objective

To evaluate the MRI artifact rendered by the typical injection of a ferromagnetic tracer now being intermittently used for intraoperative sentinel node (SN) identification at our institution, and to explore its impact on postoperative imaging and management.

Methods

This study was Institutional Review Board-approved and granted a waiver of consent. A database search tool was used to identify MRI exams performed on patients who had previously undergone breast-conserving surgery with use of a superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) SN tracer between January 1, 2015, and May 1, 2020. MRI reports, images, and relevant demographic, oncologic, and surgical history were collected. The presence or absence of SPIO residue on breast MRI, as well as its impact on image quality, were extracted from the prospective reports.

Results

A total of 21 MRI exams were identified in 16 patients who had undergone breast-conservation therapy for cancer with use of SPIO SN tracer. Mean time from particle injection to baseline postoperative MRI exam was 10.8 months. All reports (21/21) noted evidence of SPIO residue. Of these, 5/21 were assessed as non-diagnostic; the remainder were assessed as limited.

Conclusion

Radiologists should be aware of the use of superparamagnetic tracers for SN identification and the impact on the quality of future MRI examinations. Alternative injection approaches are being developed and sequence parameters adjusted to minimize artifact.
Health Care Disparities in Breast Cancer: The Economics of Access to Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Authors: Mootz Ann , Arjmandi Firouzeh , Dogan Basak E , Evans W Phil
Published: October 2020

The widespread acceptance of screening mammography for early detection, along with advances in treatment, have combined to decrease the overall mortality rate from breast cancer. However, significant disparities in health outcomes persist. Socioeconomic factors, including the ability to obtain private insurance, income, education, disparities in the quality of healthcare delivery, and race, as well as the ability to access and complete the most advanced breast cancer treatments, form part of a complex constellation of factors that contribute to disparity in breast cancer mortality. Here, we review some of the factors influencing this disparity and discuss some of the methods that have been suggested for closing the gap in breast cancer outcomes, using our perspective as breast imaging physicians serving both a safety-net hospital and tertiary healthcare system.
The North-East Can Make It. Post-war Design Exhibitions at the Laing Art Gallery (Newcastle)
Authors: Anguix Laia
Published: October 2020

In 1945, CB Stevenson, curator of the Laing Art Gallery (Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK), predicted a crisis in the local economy in connection with the changes that the city’s industries underwent during the Second World War. He felt that the Laing could provide creative solutions to the crisis by ‘drawing attention to the importance of good design and craftsmanship in our manufactures’ and by showing ‘the widespread application of art to things of everyday life’.1 Between 1945 and the curator’s death in 1957, the Laing held over twenty design-related exhibitions intended to illustrate the connection between art and industry and to share ‘what the North could make’, following the path opened by the exhibition Britain Can Make it, held in London in 1946.2 This article brings attention to the Laing’s commitment to exhibit transnational and local crafts, graphic arts and industrial design and to support North-Eastern industries within the challenging post-war context. This narrative counteracts the dominant London-based history of British design by offering a case study that evidences the role played by regional art galleries in the promotion of modern design.
Moving to opportunity? The geography of the foreclosure crisis and the importance of location
Authors: Makridis Christos A , Ohlrogge Michael
Published: October 2020

Over 6 million households experienced foreclosure during the financial crisis. Where did they move, how did they fare and why? First, we create a new longitudinal dataset between 2006 and 2011 from households’ date of foreclosure to their relocation. Despite significant heterogeneity in mobility outcomes, we find that individuals move to, on average, higher quality locations. However, these locations are sometimes worse than what a household would have chosen at random, on average, within the same state. Second, to investigate the source behind these plausibly suboptimal moves, we quantify the contributions of three different hypotheses—(i) local labor market conditions, (ii) local composition effects and (iii) state foreclosure institutions—toward mobility outcomes. Third, we find that individuals who move counties relocate to areas with 2.3% higher income, relative to those moving across census tracts in the same county. In sum, while our results suggest that the average foreclosed household ‘moved toward opportunity’, labor market frictions can play an important role in mediating the reallocation of labor over a business cycle.
Impact of postoperative infectious complications on adjuvant chemotherapy administration after gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer
Authors: Tsujimoto Hironori , Kouzu Keita , Sugasawa Hidekazu , Nomura Shinsuke , Ito Nozomi , Harada Manabu , Sugihara Takao , Ishibashi Yusuke , Kishi Yoji , Ueno Hideki
Published: October 2020

Background

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of postoperative infectious complications on adjuvant chemotherapy administration in patients with gastric cancer.

Methods

A retrospective review of 308 patients who underwent curative resection for gastric cancer was performed. Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence (90 patients, 29.2%) or absence (218 patients, 70.8%) of postoperative infectious complications to analyze clinicopathological characteristics, treatment factors and survival.

Results

Fewer patients with postoperative infectious complication received adjuvant chemotherapy compared to those without postoperative infectious complication. The proportion of patients who started treatment within 6 weeks after surgery was significantly lower in patients with postoperative infectious complication. The treatment completion rate was significantly lower in patients with postoperative infectious complication. The number of treatment cycles and relative dose intensity was significantly lower in patients with postoperative infectious complication. In univariate analysis, only postoperative infectious complication was significantly associated with continuation of adjuvant chemotherapy. Multivariate analysis demonstrated tumor depth, nodal involvement, postoperative infectious complication and adjuvant chemotherapy were significantly associated with overall survival.

Conclusion

Postoperative infectious complications are significantly associated with the delay of adjuvant chemotherapy and predict adverse clinical outcome in patients with gastric cancer.
Do-It-Yourself Tick Control: Granular Gamma-Cyhalothrin Reduces Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) Nymphs in Residential Backyards
Authors: Bron Gebbiena M , Lee Xia , Paskewitz Susan M
Published: October 2020

Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States with hotspots in the Northeast and Midwest. Integrated vector control for mosquito-borne disease prevention is often organized at the community level, but tick control is primarily coordinated at the household and individual level. Management of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis (Say), the vector of the causative agent of Lyme disease in the Midwest and eastern United States in peridomestic environments may be critical as many tick encounters are reported to occur in the yard. Therefore, we assessed the effectiveness of a widely available and low-cost pesticide that targets common lawn pests and is labeled for use against ticks. In June 2019, we evaluated a granular form of gamma-cyhalothrin in a placebo-controlled residential backyard study (n = 90) in two communities in Wisconsin. The product applied by the research team reduced nymphal blacklegged ticks in plots established in the lawn part of the ecotone by 97% one week after application at both communities and by 89–97% three to four weeks postapplication. The proportion of homes with at least one nymphal tick postapplication was significantly lower at acaricide-treated homes and ranged from 4.2 to 29.2% compared with placebo homes where at least one nymphal tick was found at 50–81.5% of homes. These results support the efficacy of a low-cost do-it-yourself strategy for homeowners seeking to reduce blacklegged ticks in the yard.
Refugee Children and Families During the COVID-19 Crisis: A Resilience Framework for Mental Health
Authors: Browne Dillon Thomas , Smith Jackson Andrew , Basabose Jean de Dieu
Published: October 2020

Children and families are undergoing unprecedented stress as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, in part, due to the disruption of daily life arising from mandated social distancing protocols. As such, the purpose of the present report is to raise awareness surrounding resilience-challenging and resilience-promoting factors for refugee children and families during the COVID-19 crisis. Issues surrounding family life, parenting, and potential for family conflict are described. Also, cultural and linguistic factors are discussed, which may limit access to information about the pandemic and, accordingly, uptake of public health recommendations. Throughout our analysis, a trauma-informed framework is utilized, whereby potential for pandemic-related disruption in triggering previous traumatic stress is considered. Furthermore, using a developmental resilience framework and building upon the inherent strengths of families and children, suggestions for developing evidence-based programming and policy are reviewed. Responses should be: (1) multilevel, (2) trauma informed, (3) family focused, (4) culturally and linguistically sensitive, and (5) access oriented. The present analysis can serve as a timely guide for informing program design and policy in the context of public health, social services, mental health, health care, resettlement services, and other refugee-serving organizations.
Auxin biosynthesis and cellular efflux act together to regulate leaf vein patterning
Authors: Kneuper Irina , Teale William , Dawson Jonathan Edward , Tsugeki Ryuji , Katifori Eleni , Palme Klaus , Ditengou Franck Anicet
Published: October 2020

Our current understanding of vein development in leaves is based on canalization of the plant hormone auxin into self-reinforcing streams which determine the sites of vascular cell differentiation. By comparison, how auxin biosynthesis affects leaf vein patterning is less well understood. Here, after observing that inhibiting polar auxin transport rescues the sparse leaf vein phenotype in auxin biosynthesis mutants, we propose that the processes of auxin biosynthesis and cellular auxin efflux work in concert during vein development. By using computational modeling, we show that localized auxin maxima are able to interact with mechanical forces generated by the morphological constraints which are imposed during early primordium development. This interaction is able to explain four fundamental characteristics of midvein morphology in a growing leaf: (i) distal cell division; (ii) coordinated cell elongation; (iii) a midvein positioned in the center of the primordium; and (iv) a midvein which is distally branched. Domains of auxin biosynthetic enzyme expression are not positioned by auxin canalization, as they are observed before auxin efflux proteins polarize. This suggests that the site-specific accumulation of auxin, as regulated by the balanced action of cellular auxin efflux and local auxin biosynthesis, is crucial for leaf vein formation.
Facing COVID-19: Early Recognition and Triage Tool for Medical Treatment Facilities With Limited Resources
Authors: Jänig Christoph , Gurney Jennifer M , Froklage Roger , Groth Robin , Wirth Christine , van de Krol Hendrik , Schmidbauer Willi , Güsgen Christoph
Published: October 2020

Introduction

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is spreading all over the world. Health systems around the globe have to deal with decreased capabilities and exhausted resources because of the surge of patients. The need to identify COVID-19 patients to achieve a timely opportunity to treat and isolate them is an ongoing challenge for health care professionals everywhere. A lack of testing capabilities forces clinicians to make the crucial initial decision on the basis of clinical findings and routine diagnostic laboratory test. This article reviews the current literature and presents a new adapted protocol for diagnosing and triaging COVID-19 patients. A special emphasis lies on the stepwise approach guiding the medical provider to a triage decision that is suitable for the individual patient and the situation of the local medical treatment facility.

Materials and Methods

On March 30, 2020, a PubMed based literature research on COVID-19 following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines was performed. A diagnostic and triage tool for COVID-19 was designed based on the major findings in the reviewed literature.

Results

After a selection process, focusing on the topics “epidemiology,” “clinical characteristics,” and “diagnostic tools,” 119 out of a total amount of 1,241 publications were selected to get an overview of the growing evidence.

Conclusions

The designed Early Recognition and Triage Tool enables the medical provider to use the applicable modules of the protocol for capabilities of the local setting to get the most appropriate diagnostic and triage done. The tool should give guidance for the initial approach until specific testing for the COVID-19 virus is available.
Clinical and microbiological features of candiduria in critically ill adult patients in Shiraz, Iran (2016–2018): deviations from international guidelines and fluconazole therapeutic failure
Authors: Arastehfar Amir , Khanjari Sara , Zareshahrabadi Zahra , Fang Wenjie , Pan Weihua , Asadpour Elham , Daneshnia Farnaz , Ilkit Macit , Boekhout Teun , Perlin David S , Zand Farid , Zomorodian Kamiar
Published: October 2020

Candiduria is common among patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs); however, clinical and microbiological data are limited, which accounts for non-compliance with international guidelines, including over treatment of asymptomatic candiduria that promotes antifungal resistance. This prospective study included adult patients admitted to ICUs of five referral hospitals in Shiraz, Iran, during 2016–2018. Species were identified by MALDI-TOF MS, and antifungal susceptibility was assessed according to CLSI M27-A3/S4. Among 2086 patients, 162 and 293 developed candiduria and bacteriuria, respectively. In total, 174 yeast isolates were collected; 88.5% were Candida albicans (91/174; 52.2%), C. glabrata (38/174; 21.8%), and C. tropicalis (25/174; 14.3%). Antifungal resistance was rare; only two isolates (one C. tropicalis and one C. krusei) were fluconazole resistant. Symptomatic candiduria was noted in 31.4% of patients (51/162); only 37% (19/51) of them were treated and 36.82% (7/19) showed fluconazole therapeutic failure. Two symptomatic patients developed candidemia shortly after candiduria. Among asymptomatic patients, 31.5% (35/111) were overtreated with fluconazole. The mortality rate was 25.3% (41/162); it did not differ between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. Our results indicate that deviation from standard-of-care treatment for candiduria is a matter of concern given the high rate of fluconazole therapeutic failure among patients with symptomatic candiduria.
Perspective for elasticity of minerals in the Earth's top lower mantle
Authors: Mao Zhu , Sun Ningyu , Wei Wei
Published: October 2020

The elasticity of minerals under high pressure-temperature conditions is crucial for constraining mantle composition. This perspective highlights recent advances in experimental and theoretical work in determining the elasticity of minerals to resolve the origin of low-velocity layers and the seismic anisotropy in the top lower mantle
Accessing Vaping Products When Underage: A Qualitative Study of Young Adults in Southern California
Authors: Schiff Sara J , Kechter Afton , Simpson Kelsey A , Ceasar Rachel C , Braymiller Jessica L , Barrington-Trimis Jessica L
Published: October 2020

Introduction

California implemented multiple strategies, such as a Tobacco 21 law and compliance checks, to reduce high rates of youth e-cigarette use. However, the prevalence of use among underage youth and young adults continues rising. Little is known about how underage individuals obtain e-cigarettes.

Aims and Methods

We conducted structured qualitative interviews with 61 young adult (18–25 years old) vapers in the Los Angeles, CA area between June 2018 and June 2019. Interviews were comprehensive and designed to elicit information on participants’ thoughts, feelings, and experiences related to vaping. We queried participants on where and how they obtained vaping products, and participants discussed their experiences accessing products while under the legal age for sale. Directed content analysis was used to analyze interviews.

Results

Four concepts emerged: (1) early experimentation of e-cigarettes with peers often occurred in a school setting, (2) continued use of e-cigarettes commonly obtained through peer sales, (3) inconsistent implementation of age restrictions at in-person retailers, and (4) at online retailers. Participants had peers purchase products on their behalf and frequented in-person and online retailers with few to no age verification processes. Few participants faced challenges when purchasing products from retailers.

Conclusions

The current study’s findings offer insight into where and how underage individuals obtain vaping products despite restrictions to prevent them from doing so. Participant accounts of mixed ease of underage purchasing in-person and online suggest retailer education is needed, along with additional research to inform more effective policies to reduce underage access to vaping products.

Implications

Despite legal age restrictions, e-cigarettes remain accessible to underage individuals, but specific strategies that underage youth utilize to evade legal age restrictions are largely unknown. We found that participants often accessed vaping products for the first time at school. Sales between peers were common, and participants also reported frequenting in-person retailers that inconsistently enforced age restrictions. Many participants reported little to no age verification online, though some believed online age verification measures were increasingly difficult to surpass. Knowledge of strategies underage youth utilize to access e-cigarettes can inform enforcement efforts.
Gut microbiome responses to dietary intake of grain-based fibers with the potential to modulate markers of metabolic disease: a systematic literature review
Authors: Williams Georgina M , Tapsell Linda C , O’Brien Claire L , Tosh Susan M , Barrett Eden M , Beck Eleanor J
Published: October 2020

Context

Cereal fiber modulates the gut microbiome and benefits metabolic health. The potential link between these effects is of interest.0

Objective

The aim for this systematic review was to assess evidence surrounding the influence of cereal fiber intake on microbiome composition, microbiome diversity, short-chain fatty acid production, and risk factors for metabolic syndrome.

Data Sources and Extraction

The MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library databases were searched systematically, and quality of studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool. Evidence relating to study design, dietary data collection, and outcomes was qualitatively synthesized on the basis of fiber type.

Data Analysis

Forty-six primary publications and 2 secondary analyses were included. Cereal fiber modulated the microbiome in most studies; however, taxonomic changes indicated high heterogeneity. Short-chain fatty acid production, microbiome diversity, and metabolic-related outcomes varied and did not always occur in parallel with microbiome changes. Poor dietary data were a further limitation.

Conclusions

Cereal fiber may modulate the gut microbiome; however, evidence of the link between this and metabolic outcomes is limited. Additional research is required with a focus on robust and consistent methodology.

Systematic Review Registration

PROSPERO registration no. CRD42018107117
Airports and Urban Development
Authors: Bednarek Janet
Published: October 2020

The connection between airports and urban development is highly contested. From the time airports were first established in the 1920s airport proponents have argued that they would inevitably result in economic benefits for the local area. This boosterism played an important role in efforts to both establish and expand airports. While there is general agreement on a relationship between airports and economic development, its nature has varied over time and with location. Some scholars have questioned whether airports spark economic development or whether local economic development provides the context for airport expansion. Others have pointed out that sometimes the relationship has been a zero-sum game as economic activity simply moves from one part of a metropolitan area to another. And many have argued airport development is most likely to promote wider economic benefits only when it is part of broader planning efforts, but jurisdictional complexities (suburban airports surrounded by multiple jurisdictions, for example) often thwart such efforts. And the question arises as to whether airport-driven economic development merely aids the area immediately surrounding the airport or the broader metropolitan region. For local officials, the greatest barrier to using airports as a tool of economic development, though, has been the persistent problem of airport noise. Especially since the dawn of the jet age in the 1950s, aircraft noise issues have both shaped and limited development around airports. Further, the land use planning process for areas surrounding airports has had to not only show sensitivity to the noise issue but also to ensure that any development would not constitute a hazard to aerial navigation. Therefore, local officials have been most successful in promoting development closely related either directly or indirectly to aviation—activities such as manufacturing, transportation, hotels, and convention centers. The areas around airports have also become the sites of otherwise “undesirable” developments such as prisons. However, any development on or near a public airport must also comply with multiple and complex federal rules and regulations. Most recently, calls for the privatization of airports has given rise to the question as to whether airports are more likely to promote economic development under private or public ownership. Privatization has been most common outside the United States. Within the United States, while privatization has had its champions, public ownership remains the overwhelming norm for larger commercial airports.
Urban Underclass
Authors: Welshman John
Published: October 2020

The term urban underclass is often invoked to describe the urban poor, and particularly those who have allegedly become detached from mainstream society. One recent example is China, where it has been claimed that marketization reforms and rapid economic growth have been accompanied by rising social inequality and new forms of urban poverty. Yet it is also important to note that the underclass has been a contested concept for over 140 years, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom. Its members have been seen as a class below the working class, as a lumpenproletariat, or lower class, with allegedly different lifestyles and values. The concept has appealed to both Left and Right, to the former as those left behind by economic progress and technological advancement and to the latter as those with different values and behavior. The concept has also often been linked with theories of intergenerational continuities in experiences and behaviors. Drawing on older notions of the “deserving” and “undeserving” poor, it has been successively reinvented in the modern period. While various ideas appeared in the period before 1880, anxieties about a “social residuum” emerged in a more coherent form in the United Kingdom from 1880. Debates on the “unemployable” in the early 1900s were followed by those on the “social problem group” in the 1920s. The Eugenics Society played a critical role in propagating the concept as well as its successor, the influential, though equally flawed, concept of the “problem family” of the 1950s. In the United States, the 1960s were characterized by debates over the “culture of poverty,” while the 1970s in the United Kingdom saw discussion about a “cycle of deprivation” or “transmitted deprivation.” The equivalent concept for the 1980s was the “underclass,” initially in the United States and subsequently in the United Kingdom. “Social exclusion” originated in France, but it was taken up by New Labour in the United Kingdom from 1997, though continuities with the underclass discourse were also apparent in specific policies linked to Anti-Social Behavior and Family Intervention Projects. The final construction surveyed here is that of “troubled families,” proposed by the coalition government in 2011. Overall, then, the concept has been contested, and it has remained unproven, despite repeated attempts to demonstrate its empirical existence. For many social scientists, therefore, the concept is seen as socially constructed and with no empirical validity. However, despite this, the concept has a fascinating history, and it is the focus of this article.
Peri-Urban Development
Authors: Yang Yuze , Ye Lin
Published: October 2020

The study of urban periphery has become an emerging theme in urban and regional research in recent decades. Peri-urban development often refers to the space where city meets the countryside and is also often referred to as urban–rural interface, peri-urban area, edge city, and even suburbs. It is hard to exactly identify the urban periphery since it lacks a clear theoretical definition and material boundary. Some regard it as the space between urban and rural, while some consider it as a dynamic process of the transformation from rural to urban. The ambiguity of peri-urban area has led to neglect and ignorance in both urban and rural studies for a long period, but nowadays an increasing number of scholars have begun to realize that the peri-urban area has its unique characteristics, needs, and problems, which may induce great challenges and opportunities to regional development and governance. Peri-urban development is not limited to individual countries or regions; rather, it is pervasive all over the world, not only in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America but also in developed nations in Europe, North America, and Australia. Nor is peri-urban development an isolated process. It is a broad issue related to a wide range of topics including economic growth, land use transformation, public service provision, ecological conservation, urban planning, social equity, and so on. It shows strong diversity and heterogeneity in driving forces, process, and effects, which highly depend on specific contexts and reflect a complex nature and endless possibilities. Both the similarity and variation in peri-urban development in different parts of the world requires careful attention and thorough examination.