bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Leaf silicification provides herbivore defence regardless of the extensive impacts of water stress
Authors: Vandegeer Rebecca K. , Cibils‐Stewart Ximena , Wuhrer Richard , Hartley Susan E. , Tissue David T. , Johnson Scott N.
Published: March 2021

Altered precipitation patterns due to climate change are likely to impose water‐deficit stress in plants resulting in changes to specific leaf mass, leaf water content and chemical defences that may impact herbivorous arthropods. Grasses, in particular, accumulate large concentrations of silicon (Si) which provides physical defence against herbivores. Although Si uptake by plants may be affected by water availability, very few studies have investigated the combined effect of water‐deficit stress and Si on insect herbivore performance.

We grew tall fescueFestuca arundinaceaSchreb. hydroponically, with and without Si, and half of the plants were treated with 20% polyethylene glycol (PEG) to impose osmotic stress. In all, 11 leaf traits (physiological, chemical and structural) were measured, silicified phytoliths on the leaf surface were visualised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in conjunction with X‐ray mapping, and plants were exposed to a chewing insect herbivore [Helicoverpa armigeraHübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)].

Although osmotic stress was associated with changes to leaf physiological and chemical traits, including increased specific leaf mass, decreased leaf relative water content and increased leaf nitrogen (N), there was no significant effect onH. armigerarelative growth rate (RGR). However, Si reduced RGR ofH. armigeraby 80%–98% while generating few changes to physiological and chemical leaf traits. Instead, the decline in RGR with Si was associated with changes to leaf structural traits, in particular, a greater density of silicified phytoliths on the leaf surface.

Comparison of effect sizes indicated that leaf traits were primarily affected by osmotic stress but not Si, and that herbivore RGR was strongly negatively affected by Si but not osmotic stress. There was no interactive effect between the osmotic stress and Si treatments onH. armigeraRGR or plant traits except for leaf nitrogen and phenolic concentrations. This study provides further support that Si may prove to be beneficial to plants against chewing insect pests and remains robust regardless of water‐deficit stress conditions.

A freePlain Language Summarycan be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Across borders: External factors and prior behaviour influence North Pacific albatross associations with fishing vessels
Authors: Orben Rachael A. , Adams Josh , Hester Michelle , Shaffer Scott A. , Suryan Robert M. , Deguchi Tomohiro , Ozaki Kiyoaki , Sato Fumio , Young Lindsay C. , Clatterbuck Corey , Conners Melinda G. , Kroodsma David A. , Torres Leigh G.
Published: March 2021

Understanding encounters between marine predators and fisheries across national borders and outside national jurisdictions offers new perspectives on unwanted interactions to inform ocean management and predator conservation. Although seabird–fisheries overlap has been documented at many scales, remote identification of vessel encounters has lagged because vessel movement data often are lacking.

Here, we reveal albatrosses–fisheries associations throughout the North Pacific Ocean. We identified commercial fishing operations using Global Fishing Watch data and algorithms to detect fishing vessels. We compiled GPS tracks of adult black‐footed Phoebastria nigripes and Laysan Phoebastria immutabilis albatrosses, and juvenile short‐tailed albatrosses Phoebastria albatrus. We quantified albatrosses‐vessel encounters based on the assumed distance that birds perceive a vessel (≤30 km), and associations when birds approached vessels (≤3 km). For each event we quantified bird behaviour, environmental conditions and vessel characteristics and then applied Boosted Regression Tree models to identify drivers and the duration of these associations.

In regions of greater fishing effort short‐tailed and Laysan albatrosses associated with fishing vessels more frequently. However, fishing method (e.g. longline, trawl) and flag nation did not influence association prevalence nor the duration short‐tailed albatrosses attended fishing vessels. Laysan albatrosses were more likely to approach longer vessels. Black‐footed albatrosses were the most likely to approach vessels (61.9%), but limited vessel encounters (n = 21) prevented evaluation of meaningful explanatory models for this species of high bycatch concern.

Temporal variables (time of day and month) and bird behavioural state helped explain when short‐tailed albatrosses were in close proximity to a vessel, but environmental conditions were more important for explaining interaction duration. Laysan albatrosses were more likely to associate with vessels while searching and during the last 60% (by time) of their trips.

Our results provide specific species–fisheries insight regarding contributing factors of high‐risk associations that could lead to bycatch of albatrosses within national waters and on the high seas.

Policy implications. Given the availability of Global Fishing Watch data, our analysis can be applied to other marine predators—if tracking data are available—to identify spatio‐temporal patterns, vessel specific attributes and predator behaviours associated with fishing vessel associations, thus enabling predictive modelling and targeted mitigation measures.
Selective effects of small barriers on river‐resident fish
Authors: Jones Peter E. , Champneys Toby , Vevers Jessica , Börger Luca , Svendsen Jon C. , Consuegra Sofia , Jones Joshua , Garcia de Leaniz Carlos
Published: March 2021

Habitat fragmentation is a principal threat to biodiversity and artificial river barriers are a leading cause of the global decline in freshwater biota. Although the impact of barriers on diadromous fish is well established, impacts on river‐resident fish communities remain unclear, especially for low‐head barriers.

We examined the movement of five contrasting freshwater fish (topmouth gudgeon, European minnow, stone loach, bullhead and brown trout) in an experimental cascade mesocosm with seven pools separated by small vertical barriers.

Passage rates differed significantly among species and increased with body size and sustained swimming speed (Usus), ranging from an average of 0.2 passes/hr in topmouth gudgeon to 3.4 passes/hr in brown trout. A random‐walk simulation indicated that barriers can result in net downstream movement and shifts in community composition.

Passage rates in brown trout were leptokurtic, that is, most individuals were relatively sedentary while a small proportion showed frequent movements. Upstream passage rates of brown trout increased with body length and boldness while fish with lower aerobic scope tended to move downstream. Passage rates showed significant individual repeatability in brown trout, independent of body size, indicating the potential for in‐stream barriers to exert selective effects on fish populations.

Our results show that barrier effects can be more complex than simply blocking fish passage, and that river‐resident fish can be impacted even by very small barriers. We show that fish passage depends on a wide range of morphological, physiological and behavioural drivers, and that barriers can exert selective effects on these traits and cause shifts in community composition.

Policy implications. Barrier mitigation measures need to embrace interspecific and intraspecific variation in fish passage to avoid inadvertent artificial selection on fish communities. Given the high abundance of low‐head structures in river systems worldwide, a paradigm shift is needed to recognise the subtle impacts of small barriers on freshwater biodiversity. Removal of small barriers or nature‐like fishways should allow better passage of the wider fish community compared to widely used salmonid‐centric fish passage options.
Narrating inequality, eliding empire
Authors: Bhambra Gurminder K.
Published: March 2021

Piketty’s call for a historically informed, global analysis of inequality is timely, as is the need for a corresponding transformation of our current politics. However, I believe there to be a fundamental flaw in his analysis which reproduces a Eurocentric approach to understanding global inequality. The key issue is that Piketty organizes his historical comparative analysis in terms of inequality within nations. Yet, the polities he is discussing were rarely just nations over the long durée. Rather, they were imperial formations constituted by a colonizing state and the territories and populations that were incorporated. His approach separates the logic of what he calls the modern proprietarian regime of inequality from enslavement and colonialism when both were integral to it. In contrast, I argue for them to be seen as necessarily interconnected with a lasting legacy in contemporary configurations of global inequality.
Material conditions and ideas in global history
Authors: Motadel David , Drayton Richard
Published: March 2021

Since the rise of a “scientific” historiography in the nineteenth century, the role of ideas in history versus that of material forces has been a key philosophical problem. Thomas Piketty's Capital and Ideology (2019), read as a work of global history, offers a provocative rehearsal of this question. On the one hand, the book is an attempt to provide a narrative historical frame for the hard data of the World Inequality Database. On the other, paradoxically, it offers a defiant conclusion that ideology is, or at least could be, the key driver in social and institutional change towards universal progress. St Simon, Comte and Spencer have found their twenty‐first century heir. How can we historicize Piketty's impetus, both understanding its provenance and making sense of its limitations? One key issue is its roots in the traditions of National Accounts, which leads to an approach to the global which is stresses comparison over connection, and to an uncritical reproduction of the portrait of an egalitarian non‐capitalist Twentieth century painted by Kuznets during the Cold War. Another is its presentism, with the historical argument driven by an attempt to understand the c.1980–2020 conjuncture and its alternatives, and a connected overdependence on the support of a few historians. A third, a consequence in part of the inequalities between the quality of data we have for different parts of the world, and of Piketty's provenance and imagined audience, is a Eurocentric, even Gallocentric approach. A fourth is a very French republican refusal to address how class is complicated by identities of race and nation so that neither egalitarian policies nor ideologies provide remedies for the populist politics of right. None of these criticisms are in contradiction with our view that Capital and Ideology is a work of social theory of world historical importance.
Black lives matter, capital, and ideology: Spiraling out from India
Authors: Shah Alpa , Lerche Jens
Published: March 2021

Piketty's propositions for arresting inequality are discussed through the lens of racism/casteism. We focus on the case of India's George Floyds—the persistence of caste and tribe oppression under economic growth in India—through the insights of our long‐term ethnographic research. We show that inequalities are intimately tied to dynamics of capitalist accumulation in which racial/ethnic/caste/tribe and gender difference is crucial. We argue for an analysis that truly integrates ideology and the dynamics of political economy. The wider implications, we argue are political; they lie in the question of what is to be done. Despite his ambitions to decenter economics, Piketty remains trapped in the logic of economics for what he proposes are essentially economic reforms within capitalism. Moreover, ideological change cannot be a matter of choice only, and cannot be challenged solely at the level of ideas around economic inequality. It will also have to be fought as a direct contest of oppressive ideologies such as racism, casteism, and patriarchy, leading to new counter‐hegemonic positions. We will argue that this takes us from a global history of ideology to a global anthropology of praxis. A first step is to genuinely center conversations with disciplines like anthropology, sociology, and subaltern history studying people and voices from below and from the margins, and the perspectives of scholars and activists from below and from the margins.
Forensic comparison analysis of plastic vehicle headlamp lens by gel permeation chromatography and statistical methods
Authors: Guo Hongling , Wang Ping , Hu Can , Mei Hongcheng , Zheng Jili , Zhu Jun
Published: March 2021

Comparison analysis of vehicle headlamp lens fragments can help establish links between the relevant vehicle with crime scenes or provide useful information to search the related vehicles. Headlamp lenses are mainly made of polycarbonate with very few signature additives, which makes them difficult to be discriminated by commonplace examination methods of infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope coupled with energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. In this study, molecular weights (Mw) and the polydispersity index (PDI) value of 50 vehicle headlamp lens fragments from different vehicles were measured by gel permeation chromatography, and Hotelling's T2 statistical method was applied to facilitate interpretation of the data. Among the total pairs of comparisons between 50 samples, 62 pairs cannot be distinguished, resulting in a discrimination rate of 94.94%. It suggested that the method of gel permeation chromatography and Hotelling's T2 statistical analysis were powerful to make further discrimination between plastic vehicle headlamp lens fragments.
Bioactivity of two marine algae extracts and their synthesized silver nanoparticles as safe controls against Musca domestica housefly
Authors: Mahyoub Jazem A.
Published: March 2021

In this study, two marine algae, Avrainvillea amadelpha and Codium edule, and their synthesized silver nanoparticles were evaluated against the second larval instars of the housefly Musca domestica. The marine algae‐fabricated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X‐ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The precolored aqueous silver solution changed from pale yellow to brown by mixing the algae extracts, revealing Ag nanocomposite production. There was a maximum UV–vis absorption at 400 nm for A. amadelpha and 420 nm for C. edule. SEM results showed that the A. amadelpha‐ and C. edule‐fabricated AgNPs were spherical and irregular in shape. A. amadelpha extract alone gave higher effective mortalities against M. domestica larvae, which were 22.1–98.3% in the tested concentrations (62.5–1,000 ppm), while a highly significant increased mortality (36.9–99.7%) was obtained from concentrations ranging from 6.3–100 ppm when A. amadelpha extract was mixed with silver nanoparticles. C. edule extract alone gave moderate effective control with 15.9–90.3% mortality using the above concentrations, whereas the mortality significantly increased (21.8–95.8%) with concentrations ranging from 6.3–100 ppm when C. edule extract was mixed with silver nanoparticles. According to the LC50 values, A. amadelpha with silver nanoparticles (LC50 9.66 ppm) provided more effective control against larval stages of M. domestica than A. amadelpha alone (LC50 133.08 ppm) by a factor of 13.776. Additionally, C. edule alone provided moderately effective control (LC50 300.37 ppm), while when mixed with silver nanoparticles, it provided highly effective control (LC50 21.34 ppm) by a factor of 14.075. Some algae extracts that synthesize silver nanoparticles offer a promising role in housefly integrated pest management (IPM) and may be an effective alternative to conventional synthetic insecticides.
Insights into the cyanosphere: capturing the respective metabolisms of cyanobacteria and chemotrophic bacteria in natural conditions?
Authors: Pascault Noémie , Rué Olivier , Loux Valentin , Pédron Jacques , Martin Véronique , Tambosco Jennifer , Bernard Cécile , Humbert Jean‐François , Leloup Julie
Published: March 2021

Specific interactions have been highlighted between cyanobacteria and chemotrophic bacteria within the cyanosphere, suggesting that nutrients recycling could be optimized by cyanobacteria/bacteria exchanges. In order to determine the respective metabolic roles of the cyanobacterial and bacterial consortia (microbiome), a day–night metatranscriptomic analysis was performed on Dolichospermum sp. (N2‐fixer) and Microcystis sp. (non N2‐fixer) natural blooms occurring successively within a French peri‐urban lake. The taxonomical and functional analysis of the metatranscriptoms have highlighted specific association of bacteria within the cyanosphere, driven by the cyanobacteria identity, without strongly modifying the functional composition of the microbiomes, suggesting functional redundancy within the cyanosphere. Moreover, the functional composition of these active communities was driven by the living mode. During the two successive bloom events, it appeared that NH4+ (newly fixed and/or allochthonous) was preferentially transformed into amino acids for the both the microbiome and the cyanobacteria, while phosphate metabolism was enhanced, suggesting that due to a high cellular growth, P limitation might take place within the cyanosphere consortium.
A machine learning approach for classifying and quantifying acoustic diversity
Authors: Keen Sara C. , Odom Karan J. , Webster Michael S. , Kohn Gregory M. , Wright Timothy F. , Araya‐Salas Marcelo
Published: March 2021

Assessing diversity of discretely varying behaviour is a classical ethological problem. In particular, the challenge of calculating an individuals’ or species’ vocal repertoire size is often an important step in ecological and behavioural studies, but a reproducible and broadly applicable method for accomplishing this task is not currently available.

We offer a generalizable method to automate the calculation and quantification of acoustic diversity using an unsupervised random forest framework. We tested our method using natural and synthetic datasets of known repertoire sizes that exhibit standardized variation in common acoustic features as well as in recording quality. We tested two approaches to estimate acoustic diversity using the output from unsupervised random forest analyses: (a) cluster analysis to estimate the number of discrete acoustic signals (e.g. repertoire size) and (b) an estimation of acoustic area in acoustic feature space, as a proxy for repertoire size.

We find that our unsupervised analyses classify acoustic structure with high accuracy. Specifically, both approaches accurately estimate element diversity when repertoire size is small to intermediate (5–20 unique elements). However, for larger datasets (20–100 unique elements), we find that calculating the size of the area occupied in acoustic space is a more reliable proxy for estimating repertoire size.

We conclude that our implementation of unsupervised random forest analysis offers a generalizable tool that researchers can apply to classify acoustic structure of diverse datasets. Additionally, output from these analyses can be used to compare the distribution and diversity of signals in acoustic space, creating opportunities to quantify and compare the amount of acoustic variation among individuals, populations or species in a standardized way. We provide R code and examples to aid researchers interested in using these techniques.
Development and validation of a new nursing diagnosis: Perioperative thirst
Authors: Alves do Nascimento Leonel , de Oliveira Lopes Marcos Venicius , Fahl Fonseca Ligia
Published: March 2021

Purpose

To develop and validate the content of the nursing diagnosis proposal for perioperative thirst.

Methods

A content analysis by 34 judges. An online Delphi panel was used in one round, evaluating criteria of relevance, clarity and precision. Wilcoxon's one‐tailed test was used and the content validity index to maintain the item was set to 0.80.

Findings

The content validity index in relation to the evaluated items reached levels between 0.87–1.00. The final components of the diagnosis proposal included the following items as defining characteristics: dry mouth, dry throat, dry lips, thick saliva, thick tongue, constant swallowing of saliva, desire to drink water, bad taste in the mouth, and caregiver's report. Related factors are as follows: pre‐ and postoperative fasting, oral breathing, dehydration, hypovolemia, insensitive loss of hydration by breathing, dry mouth, habit of drinking water, high room temperature. Associated conditions: intubation, use of muscarinic and nicotinic anticholinergics and water restriction.

Conclusions

All components of the nursing diagnosis were validated in relation to relevance, clarity, and accuracy, demonstrating high levels of agreement between experts. Qualitative observations were found to be fundamental for both combining and excluding some items.

Implications for Nursing Practice

Improvement of refinement and clarity levels of this nursing diagnosis proposal aiding its inclusion in the NANDA International taxonomy and thus enabling greater understanding of the phenomenon of thirst in surgical patients. This study helps to explain and facilitate the identification of defining characteristics, related factors, and associated conditions for nurses, nursing students, and researchers on this subject.
miR‐425 regulates ovarian cancer proliferation, metastasis, and apoptosis by repressing PAK4 expression
Authors: Wang Yichen , Shao Feng , Chen Lu
Published: March 2021

Aim

To explore the biological function of miR‐425/PAK4 axis in proliferation, metastasis, and apoptosis of ovarian cancer (OC) cells.

Methods

qRT‐PCR and Western blot were adopted to examine miR‐425 and PAK4 expressions in OC tissues and cell lines. Cell counting kit‐8 (CCK‐8) and BrdU assays were applied to detect the proliferation ability of OC cells, and Transwell assay was adopted to assess the migration and invasion of OC cells. Flow cytometry was employed to evaluate the apoptosis of OC cells. The interaction between miR‐425 and PAK4 was predicted and verified by bioinformatics analysis and dual luciferase reporter gene assay, respectively.

Results

miR‐425 was reduced in OC tissues and cell lines, and its underexpression was in evident correlation with the shorter overall survival time of OC patients. miR‐425 impeded OC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and accelerated apoptosis. Additionally, PAK4 was validated as the target of miR‐425, and the cotransfection of PAK4 reversed the antitumor effect of miR‐425.

Conclusion

miR‐425 suppresses the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OC cells and enhances apoptosis via inhibiting PAK4, and it is expected to be a prognostic indicator and therapeutic target for the patients with OC.
Incidence and mortality rates of lung cancer in Qingdao, China (2013‐2017)
Authors: Sun Xiaohui , Xu Xiang , Wang Yumei , Hou Binghui , Luo Tingting , Meng Di , Wang Shaojie , Ning Feng
Published: March 2021

Aims

To analyze lung cancer incidence and mortality rates from 2013 to 2017 in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China.

Methods

The lung cancer new cases and death data during 2013‐2017 were collected from the Qingdao Cancer Surveillance System. The crude incidence and mortality rates were calculated by residential area and gender. The annual percentage change (APC) was determined to evaluate the incidence and mortality rate trends.

Results

Between 2013 and 2017, 31 653 new lung cancer cases and 24 965 deaths from lung cancer were retrieved. The age‐standardized incidence rates by Chinese standard population (ASIRC) were 42.1 per 100 000. The crude incidence rates for men and women increased from 85.2 and 46.3 per 100 000 in 2013 to 124.0 and 67.4 per 100 000 in 2017, respectively. The APCs were 7.8% for men (P < .001) and 7.5% (P = .027) for women. The crude mortality rates increased from 56.3 per 100 000 in 2013 to 68.0 per 100 000 in 2017. The age‐standardized mortality rates by ASIRC were 32.3 per 100 000. The APCs of mortality rates were higher in men than in women and were higher in rural than in urban areas. Age‐specific incidence and mortality rates were lower in individuals aged <40 years, increased sharply in those aged >40 years, and were the highest in 80‐year‐old individuals.

Conclusion

These data show different patterns of incidence and mortality rate according to gender and resident area during 2013‐2017. Early screening and targeted prevention should be implemented to control the increased trend of lung cancer.
Quality of life and sexual function after a pregnancy complicated by placenta accreta spectrum
Authors: Bartels Helena C. , Terlizzi Kristen , Cooney Naomi , Kranidi Athina , Cronin Martina , Lalor Joan G. , Brennan Donal J.
Published: March 2021

Background and Aims

Little is known about the impact of Placenta Accreta Spectrum (PAS) on quality of life (QoL). This study aims to explore QoL and sexual function after a pregnancy complicated by PAS.

Methods

Women who experienced a pregnancy complicated by PAS were invited to complete an online survey. Two validated surveys were completed: Short Form 36 (SF‐36) and Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). The mean scores were calculated and were compared between women by pregnancy outcomes. Continuous variables were presented as mean (standard deviation (SD)) and were compared to assess for significance between groups using independent t‐test and one‐way analysis of variance. Categorical variables were compared using χ2 test.

Results

A total of 142 women responded to the survey. For the SF‐36, physical health was significantly higher for women at 24–36 months postpartum compared to those from 0–6 months postpartum for physical functioning (mean difference 21.9 (95% confidence interval (CI) 10.2, 33.5), role limitation due to physical function (mean difference 32.1 (95% CI 9.4, 54.7)) and pain (mean difference 15.5 (95% CI 3.4, 30.9)). For the mental health domains, only vitality improved at 24–36 months compared to the first six months postpartum (mean difference 12.8 (95% CI 0.2, 25.5)). The mean FSFI score was 24.8 (±5.8), lower than the critical score of 26.5 indicating sexual dysfunction, and 56.8% (n = 75), scored less than 26.5.

Conclusion

Women after a pregnancy complicated by PAS had high scores on the physical health domains of SF‐36. The mental health scores were lower for all women regardless of time since birth.
Welfare assessment in intensive and semi‐intensive dairy cattle management system in Sicily
Authors: Pugliese Michela , Biondi Vito , Passantino Annamaria , Licitra Francesca , Alibrandi Angela , Zanghi Antonina , Conte Francesca , Marino Gabriele
Published: March 2021

The present study aimed to compare the welfare of dairy cows kept in two traditional husbandry systems (semi‐intensive and intensive farming) in south‐eastern Sicily. A total of 18 dairy farms (nine semi‐intensive and nine intensive) were evaluated with a multicriteria system adapted for Sicilian conditions and obtained simplifying the model of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Values of welfare measures, collected by inspections of the farms (general well‐being indicators, ventilation system, resting areas [cubicles or bedding], flooring, milking parlours and waiting area, manger and watering equipment), and those of health categories (cases of abortions, hypocalcemia, displacement of abomasum, acidosis/ketosis, enteritis, hoof problems, and mastitis) obtained through the farm records, were compared using Mann–Whitney and Chi‐squared tests, respectively. Data showed significant differences (p ≤ .05) about the variables related to welfare categories such as housing ventilation system, resting area, manger, and water equipment that were better in the semi‐intensive system than the intensive system. No significant differences were observed about the variables related to health indicators. The results demonstrated that in Sicily the semi‐intensive farm is better than the intensive to satisfy the conditions of animal welfare.
Barriers to employment as experienced by disabled university graduates in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Authors: Lessy Zulkipli , Kailani Najib , Jahidin Asep
Published: March 2021

Because of experiencing discrimination, denial, stress, and rejection from prospective employers, disabled university graduates struggle to find jobs. By interviewing eight participants and conducting a focus group discussion with them at Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University Yogyakarta, the findings revealed that the teaching procedures in larger inclusive classrooms seemed to be a barrier for most disabled university students. Consequently, the students needed vocational training in addition to their courses before integrating into the workforce. Recalling when being students, these disabled university graduates found it difficult to prepare for jobs that required math or science because their university courses had not included assistance with different kinds of media. Additionally, they did not feel prepared for writing curriculum vitae and preparing job applications. They indicated that the university setting did not prepare them to deal with the typically fierce competition in job markets. They also found getting a job in the labor market to be difficult because a scarcity of formal employment opportunities suitable to their fields, and employers do not provide feedback or even any reply at all, to their job applications. In summary, academic, social, cultural, economic, psychological barriers, and discriminatory practices were encountered for disabled university graduates seeking employment.
Effects of a physician‐ and pharmacist‐managed clinic on pain management in cancer patients in China
Authors: Liu Keke , Huang Hangxing , Zhang Lu , Huang Yamin , Sun Shusen , Chen Xiaoping , Chen Yao , Liu Wenhui , Xiao Jian
Published: March 2021

In China, pharmacists have started to manage cancer pain at outpatient clinics. This retrospective study performed at a tertiary teaching hospital was aimed to evaluate the effects of a physician‐pharmacist joint clinic for cancer pain management. The study was performed between December 2016 and August 2019 and included 113 outpatients with moderate to severe cancer‐related pain. Patients were divided into two groups according to the clinic each patient visited: the physician‐pharmacist joint clinic (joint group, n = 59) or physician‐only clinic (usual group, n = 54). Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and Morisky Medication Adherence Measure (MMAM) were used to collect data on pain intensity, interference and medication adherence. Pain Management Index (PMI) was also calculated. BPI, MMAM and PMI were assessed at baseline (patients’ first visit, week 0) and week 4 follow‐up. The Chinese version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire‐Core 30 (EORTC QLQ‐C30) was used to assess patients’ health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) at week 4. The primary outcomes were the improvement in pain intensity, adequacy of pain management and medication adherence. The secondary outcome was the improvement in HRQoL. At week 4, compared to the usual group, the BPI pain intensity categories except the pain right now were significantly lower in the joint group: worst pain, 4 (3‐7) vs 6 (4‐8), P = .020; least pain, 1 (0‐2) vs 2 (1‐3), P = .010; average pain, 3 (2‐4) vs 4 (2‐5), P = .023; pain right now, 2 (1‐3) vs 2 (0‐4), P = .796. For the seven pain interference categories, there were no significant improvements in the joint group (P > .05). Significantly more patients achieved adequate pain control in the joint group than the usual group ((P = .002). There was also a significant difference in medication adherence between the two groups (P = .001). There were no significant differences in HRQoL between the two groups. The study suggests that pharmacist participation in outpatient cancer pain management is associated with improvement of patients' pain control and medication adherence.
Distinct bone marrow immunophenotypic features define the splicing factor 3B subunit 1 (SF3B1)‐mutant myelodysplastic syndromes subtype
Authors: Duetz Carolien , Westers Theresia M. , in ’t Hout Florentien E. M. , Cremers Eline M. P. , Alhan Canan , Venniker‐Punt Bianca , Visser‐Wisselaar Heleen A. , Chitu Dana A. , de Graaf Aniek O. , Smit Linda , Jansen Joop H. , van de Loosdrecht Arjan A.
Published: March 2021

Splicing factor 3B subunit 1 (SF3B1) mutations define a distinct myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patient group with a relatively favourable disease course and high response rates to luspatercept. Few data are available on bone marrow phenotype beyond ring sideroblasts in this subgroup of patients with MDS. In the present study, we identified immunophenotypic erythroid, myelomonocyte and progenitor features associated with SF3B1 mutations. In addition, we illustrate that SF3B1‐mutation type is associated with distinct immunophenotypic features, and show the impact of co‐occurrence of a SF3B1 mutation and a deletion of chromosome 5q on bone marrow immunophenotype. These genotype–phenotype associations and phenotypic subtypes within SF3B1‐MDS provide leads that may further refine prognostication and therapeutic strategies for this particular MDS subgroup.
Compliance without fear: Individual‐level protective behaviour during the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Jørgensen Frederik , Bor Alexander , Petersen Michael Bang
Published: March 2021

Objectives

The outbreak of the COVID‐19 pandemic required rapid public compliance with advice from health authorities. Here, we ask who was most likely to do so during the first wave of the pandemic.

Design

Quota‐sampled cross‐sectional and panel data from eight Western democracies (Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States).

Methods

We fielded online public opinion surveys to 26,508 citizens between 19 March and 16 May. The surveys included questions about protective behaviour, perceptions of the pandemic (threat and self‐efficacy), as well as broader attitudes towards society (institutional and interpersonal trust). We employ multilevel and fixed‐effects regression models to analyse the relationship between these variables.

Results

Consistent with prior research on epidemics, perceptions of threat turn out as culturally uniform determinants of both avoidant and preventive forms of protective behaviour. On this basis, authorities could foster compliance by appealing to fear of COVID‐19, but there may be normative and practical limits to such a strategy. Instead, we find that another major source of compliance is a sense of self‐efficacy. Using individual‐level panel data, we find evidence that self‐efficacy is amendable to change and exerts an effect on protective behaviour. Furthermore, the effects of fear are small among those who feel efficacious, creating a path to compliance without fear. In contrast, two other major candidates for facilitating compliance from the social sciences, interpersonal trust and institutional trust, have surprisingly little motivational power during the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Conclusions

To address future waves of the pandemic, health authorities should thus focus on facilitating self‐efficacy in the public.
On the floristic identity of Amazonian vegetation types
Authors: Oliveira‐Filho Ary T. , Dexter Kyle G. , Pennington R. Toby , Simon Marcelo F. , Bueno Marcelo L. , Neves Danilo M.
Published: March 2021

The Amazon forest is far from uniform, containing different forest types and even savannas, but quantitative analyses of this variation are lacking. Here, we applied ordination analyses to test the floristic differentiation among Amazonian vegetation types using data for virtually all known tree species occurring in the Amazon (8224), distributed across 1584 sites. We also performed multiple regressions to assess the role of climate and substrate in shaping continental‐scale patterns of community composition across Amazonia. We find that the traditional classification of Amazonian vegetation types is consistent with quantitative patterns of tree species composition. High elevation and the extremes of substrate‐related factors underpin the floristic segregation of environmentally “marginal” vegetation types and terra firme forests with climatic factors being relatively unimportant. These patterns hold at continental scales, with sites of similar vegetation types showing higher similarity between them regardless of geographic distance, which contrasts with the idea of large‐scale variation among geographic regions (e.g., between the Guiana Shield and southwestern Amazon) representing the dominant floristic pattern in the Amazon. In contrast to other tropical biomes in South America, including the Mata Atlântica (second largest rain forest biome in the neotropics), the main floristic units in the Amazon are not geographically separated, but are edaphically driven and spatially interdigitated across Amazonia. Two thirds of terra firme tree species are restricted to this vegetation type, while among marginal vegetation types, only white‐sand forests (campinaranas) have a substantial proportion of restricted species, with other vegetation types sharing large numbers of species.
Turning 18 in specialised residential therapeutic care: Independence or a cliff edge?
Authors: Field Alice , Sen Robin , Johnston Claire , Ellis Katie
Published: March 2021

This article describes research undertaken in 2018 in a therapeutic residential home for young women with multiple and complex needs in out‐of‐home care in England. Based on qualitative interviews with five young women, aged 16–18, and four professionals working with the home, the article analyses the under‐researched leaving care needs and experiences of this group of young women. The findings highlight the tensions between notions of childhood and expectations of adulthood surrounding this group of young people. These converge around reaching the age of 18 and foreground vulnerability on the one side, and responsibility on the other.
Contact sensitizations to disinfectants containing alcohols or quaternary ammonium compounds are rarely of clinical relevance
Authors: Kreipe Katharina , Forkel Susann , Heinemann Kim‐Elisabeth , Amschler Katharina , Fuchs Thomas , Geier Johannes , Buhl Timo
Published: March 2021

Background

The use of disinfectants is part of the everyday life of people, especially in the medical profession. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic, the use of disinfectants continues to increase and is of fundamental importance in infection control.

Objectives

To determine the frequency of sensitization and the value of patch testing to didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC) and the alcohols ethanol, 1‐propanol, and isopropanol.

Methods

Clinical patch test data of 145 patients with suspected contact allergy to disinfectants were retrospective analysed.

Results

Among the 145 patients patch tested with the different alcohols, only one nurse was detected with a possible allergy to 1‐propanol. Additional patch testing in 84 patients with DDAC 0.05% resulted in five patients with weakly positive reactions only, without clinical relevance. Patch testing with DDAC 0.03% showed no positive reactions at all on day 3 readings.

Conclusions

DDAC and alcohols are rarely responsible for allergic contact dermatitis. The accused products of the patients should be checked for other allergens and further additives with skin‐irritating properties. Individual susceptibility and mishandling of the disinfectants should be considered.
Ecosystem integrity is neither real nor valuable
Authors: Rohwer Yasha , Marris Emma
Published: March 2021

We argue that “ecological integrity” is a bad fit as a value for conservation biology and restoration ecology. Both fields are organized around shared values, but it is important to be clear about the specific values and reasons motivating protection of or interventions in specific ecosystems. In practice, appeals to ecological integrity often fail to account for losses in value when ecosystems change. Ultimately, we do not believe ecosystems are the kinds of things that have integrity. Ecosystems are simply too dynamic in space and time, their complex interconnections, including coevolved relationships, ultimately fleeting at the geological scale. Any impression of “wholeness” is an artifact of the brevity of human lives and the shallowness of our historical records. We believe “ecological integrity” as it is currently used is typically a proxy for the values of diversity, complexity, and cultural connections with beloved ecosystem states. We should simply say what we mean and retire the concept of “ecological integrity.”
The Re‐making of the Turkish Crisis
Authors: Orhangazi Özgür , Yeldan A. Erinç
Published: March 2021

By the end of 2018 Turkey had entered a new economic crisis and a lengthy recession period. In contrast to the previous financial crises of 1994, 2001 and 2009, when the economy shrank abruptly with a spectacular collapse of asset values and a severe contraction of output, the 2018 economic crisis was characterized by a prolonged recession with persistent low (negative) rates of growth, dwindling investment performance, debt repayment problems, secularly rising unemployment, spiralling currency depreciation and high inflation. The mainstream approach attributes this dismal performance to a lack of ‘structural reforms’ and/or exogenous policy factors. However, this analysis shows that the underlying sources of the crisis are to be found not in the conjunctural cycles of reform fatigue, but rather in the post‐2001, neoliberal, speculation‐led growth model that relied excessively on hot‐money inflows and external debt accumulation. This article argues that following the post‐2001 orthodox reforms, a foreign capital inflow‐dependent, debt‐led and construction‐centred economic growth model dominated the economy and caused a long build‐up of imbalances and increased fragilities that led to the 2018 crisis. The Covid‐19 pandemic of 2020‒21 further exposed these fragilities, pushing the economy back into a recession with rapid capital outflows causing another round of sharp currency depreciation.
Prototype of an evidence‐based tool to aid individualized treatment for type 2 diabetes
Authors: Buse John B. , Holst Ingrid , Knop Filip K. , Kvist Kajsa , Thielke Desirée , Pratley Richard
Published: March 2021

Data‐driven tools are needed to inform individualized treatment decisions for people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). To show how treatment might be individualized, an interactive outline tool was developed to predict treatment outcomes. Individualized predictions were generated for change in HbA1c and body weight after initiation of newer antidiabetes drugs recommended by current guidelines. These predictions were based on data from randomized controlled trials of glucose‐lowering drugs. The data included patient demographics and clinical characteristics (sex, age, body mass index, weight, diabetes duration, HbA1c level, current diabetes treatment and renal function). Predicted outcomes were determined using prespecified statistical models from original trial protocols and estimated coefficients for selected baseline characteristics. This prototype illustrates how evidence‐based individualized treatment might be facilitated in the clinic for people with T2D. Further and ongoing development is required to improve the tool's prognostic value, including the addition of disease co‐morbidities and patient‐orientated outcomes. Patient engagement and data‐sharing by sponsors of clinical trials, as well as real‐world evidence, are needed to provide reliable predicted outcomes to inform shared patient–physician decision‐making.
The management, outcome, and postpartum disease course of 41 pregnancies in 20 women with polycythemia vera
Authors: Wille Kai , Bernhardt Johannes , Sadjadian Parvis , Becker Tatjana , Kolatzki Vera , Huenerbein Karlo , Griesshammer Martin
Published: March 2021

Objectives

Pregnancies in women with polycythemia vera (PV) are associated with an increased risk of PV‐related maternal complications and often result in miscarriage. Recommendations for the management of PV pregnancies are mainly based on studies with a small number of patients. A correlation between pregnancy outcome and postpartum course has been reported for essential thrombocythemia, but corresponding data for PV are lacking so far.

Methods

In 41 PV pregnancies, the pregnancy outcome, the use of PV‐specific therapies (ie, acetylsalicylic acid, low‐molecular weight heparin and/or interferon‐alpha), and the postpartum PV course were investigated.

Results

A live birth rate of 51.2% (21/41 pregnancies) was observed. 43.9% of pregnancies ended in spontaneous abortion and 4.9% in stillbirth. A significantly increased live birth rate occurred in pregnancies with PV‐specific therapies compared to standard antenatal care (69.0% vs. 8.3%; P < .0019). The use of PV‐specific therapy significantly increased the number of maternal hemorrhages (P = .021) without increasing the risk of fetal complications. During the median postpartum follow‐up period of 1.2 years (range 0.1‐13.7), complicated postpartum PV occurred significantly more often after miscarriages (P = .035).

Conclusions

According to our analysis, PV‐specific therapy improved the live birth rate. Significantly more complicated postpartum PV courses were observed after miscarriages.
Azacitidine for relapse of acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, multicenter PALG analysis
Authors: Drozd‐Sokołowska Joanna , Karakulska‐Prystupiuk Ewa , Biecek Przemysław , Kobylińska Katarzyna , Piekarska Agnieszka , Dutka Magdalena , Waszczuk‐Gajda Anna , Mądry Krzysztof , Kopińska Anna , Gołos Aleksandra , Góra‐Tybor Joanna , Szwedyk Paweł , Bołkun Łukasz , Czyż Anna , Giebel Sebastian , Basak Grzegorz Władysław , Dwilewicz‐Trojaczek Jadwiga
Published: March 2021

Objectives

Relapse of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo‐HSCT) belongs to the major causes of treatment failure.

Methods

Retrospective multicenter analysis of patients diagnosed with AML or MDS who had hematological relapse after allo‐HSCT and were treated with azacitidine for this indication.

Results

Twenty‐three patients receiving azacitidine as the first treatment of relapse (Group_1) and 8 patients receiving azacitidine after other treatment of relapse (Group_2) were included. There were 68% males, median age at initiation of azacitidine was 53 years (15‐66). Median time to relapse was 3.5 months and 6.3 months in Group_1 and Group_2, respectively; median time from relapse to azacitidine 0.2 and 2.3 months. Azacitidine 75 mg/m2, days 1‐7, was administered in 78% and 75% of patients in Group_1 and Group_2, concomitant DLI in 48% and 50%. With median follow‐up of 4.7 and 13.6 months, the median overall survival was 5.9 and 9.5 months. 17% and 37.5% patients proceeded to salvage allo‐HSCT, with median OS of 11.6 months and not reached respectively.

Conclusions

Azacitidine treatment for hematological relapse is associated with poor outcome; nevertheless, a proportion of patients may benefit from it, including patients receiving subsequent salvage allo‐HSCT.