bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Contingent Valuation Method in the Study of Ecosystem Services on the Example of the Urban Natural System of Lubartów
Authors: Lipinska Halina , Klopotowska Agnieszka , Wlosek Dorota
Published: September 2019

The living standards and quality in the city are determined mainly by the urban ecosystem. When the locals are more aware of the advantages provided by the services of this ecosystem, they have a positive approach to the presence of green areas in the city. The research of the economic values of ecosystem services is currently one of the strongest arguments in favour of protection and may turn out to be especially effective in support of sustainable urban development. This is the reason for initiation of research aimed at assessment of the values of the ecosystem services provided by specific elements of the urban ecosystem in Lubartów. The survey was conducted online in 2017. The monetary value of UNS was evaluated with the use of the contingent valuation method. For this purpose, the amount defined by the respondents in the survey which they were willing to pay (WTP) for the improvement of the quality of the environment and other advantages resulting from UNS, or for the sole certainty that a particular asset existed, or the amount of compensation (WTA) expected for the loss of that asset or limited access to it. The urban natural system of Lubartów (approx. 265 ha) was estimated by the residents at PLN 5,832,756 for WTP, and PLN 5,502,600 for WTA. Moreover, the respondents declared that annually they were willing to pay PLN 212 to ensure a non-degraded and correctly functioning natural environment or they were willing to accept a compensation of PLN 200 for its loss. The respondents considered the urban park to be of the greatest importance, but they earmarked the highest amount of money to the upkeep of home gardens and garden allotments.
Earthen Forms in the Landscape of Cities as Structures of Symbolic
Authors: Porada Karolina , Zachariasz Agata
Published: September 2019

The intentional arrangement of earthen forms in the landscape is a measure that has been used since ancient times. Their significance changed over the centuries, similarly to the scale of the structures that were being built. All manners of escarpments, mounds and embankments functioned as integral elements of a visual, religious, sepulchral and commemorative significance within the landscape, in addition to constituting the basis of the compositions of garden and park layouts. In prehistory there appeared a tradition of the forming of artificial hills, examples of which were the most numerous in areas of Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Scandinavia and central Europe (including, among other areas, Poland). During later periods, along with the disappearance of pagan cultures, the tendency had disappeared as well until the late Middle Ages, when earthen embankments were used, among other things, as tombs or in order to delineate the borders of landed estates. During the Renaissance and the Baroque the building of so-called parnassi (from the name Parnassus), which were garden mounds, gained in popularity. In modern times, in turn, mounds and other artificial embankments were erected mainly as monuments commemorating national heroes and important evens (e.g. the Kościuszko and Piłsudski mounds in Krakow). Since the second half of the twentieth century landscape architects have often employed these types of spatial elements. This fascination with the use of earthworks - both for practical (e.g. waste treatment, reducing noise and air pollution), as well as artistic reasons - provides excellent effects in the spaces of cities. It aids in the individualisation of the landscape and of individual places, in building their identity and distinctness. Despite the fact that the reasons for using earthen forms in the landscape have been changing since ancient times all the way to the present, in many cases it is the symbolic value constitutes the overarching creative idea. This phenomenon has been presented in the article. Selected case studies, primarily from Europe and the United States of America, were analysed. The use of these forms throughout history has been presented - ranging from prehistoric geoglyphs or tombs, mounds used as monuments, e.g. those in Krakow, to contemporary layouts, e.g. the Vietnam Veterans Memorial by M. Lin, the Jacobs Javitz Plaza by M. Schwartz or the built projects by Ch. Jencks. The mutual correlations between structures built during different historical periods - for instance common archetypes or the idea of visual and spatial connections - is also an interesting problem. Elevating the landscape to the rank of a symbol causes space to gain an intangible value and provides visitors with new experiences. The placement of these types of structures within the contemporary landscape appears to be a beneficial measure making it possible to create not only a harmonious or beautiful space, but also one that has meaning.
Selected Aspects of Revitalisation in the Land Development of the City Moat in Jeziorany
Authors: Zagroba Marek , Pawlowicz Joanna
Published: September 2019

Historic town quarters, as an area often referred to as the Old Town, used to be and still are perceived as playing the role of the town centre. This is almost invariably true about small towns, as there the Old Town is associated with the site where the town was established and is a manifestation of the town’s historic identity. Therefore, the functional and spacial problems in many small localities face tend to concentrate in their historic centres, where they are compounded by the high density of buildings. The complexity of elements which compose the structure of historic town centres calls for such actions that will ensure a more prominent exposition of the Old Town against the backdrop of the other urban areas. This entails the necessity to solve numerous problems, not only spatial but also economic and social ones. Every town is a living organism, and a place where people live. The key to solving the above problems to by developing revitalisation programmes to improve the quality of space and to ensure sustainable development of centres in historic towns. An example is the historic quarter in Jeziorany, a town with medieval roots which lies in Warmia, a historic region situated in north-eastern Poland. This paper is devoted to a revitalisation project carried out in Jeziorany. Selected aspects are presented of a land development plan designed to revitalise the former moat in Jeziorany, a historic town in Warmia. The moat lies within the Symsarna River Valley Protected Landscape Area. Until recently, it had looked like a belt of untrimmed greenery stretching around the town’s centre. Part of the programme for revitalisation of Jeziorany’s centre, it was the first accomplished stage on the way of giving the town centre a new quality. Once reorganised and improved, this area now contributes to the centre-forming character of the Old Town, enables a better exposition of the Old Town’s historic buildings, has a positive influence on the public urban space and attains a social dimension by improving the local community’s life quality.

Revitalisation of the moat in Jeziorany is an example of implementation of some positive spatial solutions in the centre of a small historic town. The process of renewing this area with respect to its functional and visual assets demonstrates that the execution of programmes dedicated to the improvement of urban structures produces a positive impact on the functions performed by town centres and on towns’ economic and social growth. Analogous actions in other towns may have a profound influence on the atmosphere (genius loci) of certain areas in urban landscapes, which can considerably strengthen the bonds within local communities.
The Attractiveness of City as Place to Live: The Case of Yekaterinburg
Authors: Antonova Natalya , Abramova Sofia , Pimenova Olga , Tomberg Olga
Published: September 2019

Within increasing competition between cities for human resources a problem to enhance attractiveness of urban life is coming to the fore. While planning and designing urban environment major focus is given to the needs and interests of different population groups. Hence, a city should become a place of attracting creative people, individuals and groups which possess special knowledge and skills necessary for promoting, developing and improving an area that could become appealing to business, investors, tourists, etc.. With this purpose much attention should be paid to student-age youth as a potential driver of the area development by transforming a place of residence into an attractive urban environment. The purpose of this study is to analyze how student-age young people of Yekaterinburg perceive and assess attractiveness of the city as a place to live. Yekaterinburg is the biggest Russian industrial city that claims to be the “third” capital (after Moscow and Saint Petersburg). In 2017 we worked out an author’s questionnaire containing 10 questions and conducted a standardized sociological poll of students of Yekaterinburg. 71 men and 129 women aged 18-25 of different academic fields participated in the survey. 42% of poll participants are local residents of Yekaterinburg (they were born in it and live here on a permanent basis), 58% came here from other places (80% of respondents moved to Yekaterinburg to study in higher educational establishments). Research findings showed that Yekaterinburg as a place to live is attractive for students due to a wide range of malls and shops, extended cultural and leisure facilities, opportunities for higher education and self-actualization. Meanwhile, the students pointed out some problem zones of the city like ecological situation, pavement condition, pollution, corruption and impossibility to take part in solving city problems. The young people consider park areas, transport accessibility (subway availability), extended network of cultural and recreational centers to be major attractive factors of urban life. General results of the poll and students’ assessments indicate that a city as a place to live has two facets: a “comfortable” city with parks and gardens, cultural and leisure facilities, conditions for creative self-fulfillment and innovation and an “instrumental” city as a place for career development and material welfare.
Systemic integrated method as the basis for high-quality planning of construction production
Authors: Abramov I.L.
Published: September 2019

The construction production technology of a large-scale investment project is an integrated process that involves diverse contracting organizations each with its own mechanical equipment, managers, engineers and workers. Operations of hundreds of participants are interrelated. These interrelations give rise to multiple factors of various nature and frequency that introduce substantial changes in the construction technology due to disruption of the preset progress rate. Multiple diverse factors affecting the behavior of a construction system call for appropriate research in this area and developing adequate managerial tools in order to achieve the project’s quality targets. It should be noted that a contracting organization is an important structural subdivision of a construction system. In this connection, there is a need for setting integrated scientifically complex tasks and holding appropriate research with a view to developing models and tools of integrated operational management of a construction project. Before a management system for construction of buildings and structures is designed, information should be collected about external and internal factors affecting a structural subdivision of a construction project. An integrated nature of a construction subdivision is among the critical indicators in this regard. Having analyzed and weighted each factor, a certain tool should be developed to identify the dependence of the integration indicator of the construction subdivision on these factors. It implies the development of an algorithm and models based on a mathematical approach with subsequent experiments, description of the findings and increasing the flexibility of the management system being developed. This research will apply a systemic approach based on system engineering that involves the study of characteristics of a project as an integrated whole, a unified system proceeding from the idea that the integrated whole has some qualities that are extrinsic to its constituent parts. Consistent and predicted results are achieved more efficiently and successfully when operations are coordinated, and all processes are interrelated and focused on attaining a common objective. It is important to note a prevailing problem of combining various professionals in a single team tackling a shared engineering task. Understanding an organization’s environment is a process. This process involves a number of factors that affect the intention, objectives and sustainability of construction companies.
Life-Cycle Assessment of Sustainable Foundation Systems of Buildings
Authors: Kraus Michal , Juhasova Senitkova Ingrid
Published: September 2019

According to laws in force, the construction process is required to be as efficient as possible in terms of energy. The reason is that the building sector is growing and more and more energy is needed. Buildings are responsible for 40% of energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions in the member states of the European Union. Sustainable foundation systems of buildings are not only energy efficient but also environmentally friendly. According to the research project Heartland Green Sheets, the recommended criteria for evaluating sustainable buildings materials are low embodied energy, recyclable, use renewable resources, locally or regionally produced, energy efficient, low environmental impact, durable, minimize waste, positive social impact and affordable. This study focuses on selecting the most sustainable foundation system based on life-cycle assessment (LCA) and sustainability assessment of alternate shallow foundation systems. The multi-criteria analysis of the most used and modern foundation systems with sustainable materials in term of life cycle assessment is presented within the paper. Sustainability assessment of alternate shallow foundations is performed based on three pillars of the sustainability (environmental, economic, and social). The variants are assessed in terms of labor, time and financial demands, energy and environmental performance.
Material VOC Emissions and Indoor Air Quality Simulation
Authors: Kraus Michal , Juhasova Senitkova Ingrid
Published: September 2019

The contribution reports on a simulation study of indoor air quality in relation to different ventilation rates specified for 3 categories of the indoor environment according to EN 15 251. Indoor air quality and energy management are often at the opposite ends of the building management spectrum. The buildings are polluted by occupants of the building themselves. The indoor air quality can be expressed at the required level of ventilation or Carbon Dioxide (CO2) concentration. Actually, the indoor air quality is influenced by emission from building surface materials and furnishing, occupants and their activities. VOCs play an important role in the indoor air quality evaluation process. VOC emissions adversely affect both occupant comfort and health. Most of the health hazards associated with VOC emissions occur during the first few weeks of building use. The Indoor Air Quality Emission Simulation Tool developed by National Research Council is used for simulating the VOCs emission impact of selected materials based on the amount of materials used and the ventilation rates in a model room, in this case study. IA-Quest predicts the emission of VOCs from building surface materials and furnishings, helping to select low-emission materials and effective ventilation strategies. The results showed the benefit of removing the increased amount of TVOC generated in time of the unoccupied period. The differences in TVOC concentrations were not obvious between two higher ventilation conditions (2.00 and 1.40 l/s.m2). More significant difference was estimated between categories A, B and category C (0.80 l/s.m2).
Green Technology for Motorway Overpasses
Authors: Zak Jaroslav
Published: September 2019

Overpasses are essential to establish permeability of highways for the wildlife. Width and length are the key technical parameters influencing the overpass effectiveness. It is crucial to secure the proper technology and correct water management on its surface. Wildlife behaviour and their requirements for the above stated technical parameters of overpasses have also been investigated. In all cases, the overpass performance increases with enlarging the width and drop with an increasing length. The goal is therefore to achieve a balanced compromise allowing sufficient functionality while also sustaining reasonable costs. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) provides a method to select a “good” solution in the sense of sufficient overpass performance with moderate total expenses. Overpass performance calculations were made on the original methodology pioneered by the author. Overall expenses were provided based on actual construction costs in the Czech Republic, including expenses for preparations, design, construction, maintenance, and demolition. The results show that DEA has proven to be a very appropriate method for identifying suitable solutions that can be effective in designing measures to secure the highway’s permeability for the wildlife.
Price indices for residential premises in small areas on the example of a selected market in Poland
Authors: Forys Iwona
Published: September 2019

The discussion about the real estate price indices in Poland dates back to the beginning of the transformation period. Despite the statutory regulations, the creation of these indices continues to face formal, organizational as well as methodological obstacles. The methodology for building these indices, despite the rich foreign experience in this area, is also not established. The proposed article refers to the Nobel Prize winner from 2013 prof. Robert Shiller, who pointed to the need to build house price indices in homogeneous areas, for example, due to the level of urbanization, population size and based on them, the construction of aggregated price indices for larger areas. The foundation of the construction of property price indices in this concept is the definition of a typical home, which is a permanent reference point in subsequent periods of the study. In the proposed article discusses the problem of constructing price indices of housing in small areas, indicating a typical dwelling in trading on the secondary market. On this basis, an attempt was made to determine the price index for a small area, i.e. a homogeneous area due to the price-setting factors important for the residential real estate market. Each transaction is described by a set of several quantitative and qualitative features. Price indices will be determined to take into account the methodology used to determine them in the literature. The research hypothesis concerning the discrepancy of the indices values will be verified using various criteria for selecting the spatial extent of the studied area. The obtained results are a contribution to further research on other local markets and for other types of real estate.
Monitoring the current state of the Czech section of the horse-drawn railway České Budějovice – Linz and the design of its revitalization – part 2
Authors: Sal Jiri , Novakova Petra
Published: September 2019

This article follows the article “Monitoring of the current state of the Czech section of horse-drawn railway České Budějovice - Linz and the design of its revitalization” and deals with mapping of the remains of the Czech part of the České Budějovice - Linz line. The article lists the remaining parts of the track that were not listed in the first article. In the first article, we dealt with parts from Holkov to the state border with Austria. In the current article, we focus on parts from České Budějovice to Holkov. Relics Horse-drawn tracks are kept as national cultural monuments, each separately. Unfortunately, for this reason, it is impossible to work with the railroad as a whole, and therefore, it is very difficult to revitalize this track, even though the horse-drawn railway is one of the first large logistics operations in the Czech Republic. In České Budějovice, all relics are in good condition, after previous renovations and regular maintenance. All these relics are buildings located in the city center. The track in these places can no longer be restored to connect the objects to a single unit as these sites are built. The remaining parts of this section of the track are neglected and often in a catastrophic technical condition. In this work, we propose measures to increase tourism on the remains of the track. The possibility of revitalizing a section of the track to make tourists more attractive could be seen as possible. The work proposes new educational trails on horse-drawn track on the remains of the track. Trails, positions and stops are suggested for the nature trails, and what they should be concerned about, but the panels themselves are not designed. It is also proposed to use modern technologies, usable in smart devices.
Synergy effect of speed management and development of road vicinity in Wrzosowo
Authors: Kacprzak Dominik , Solowczuk Alicja
Published: September 2019

In the era of increasing traffic volumes and traffic calming problems, the challenges that connect a number of related, although at face value independent, issues involving different social groups seem to be fundamental. The fundamental problem in smaller towns and villages is to ensure the road safety at pedestrian crossings on through roads. The domestic and international guidelines of road design recommend introducing traffic calming devices at places where the traffic enters a built-up area and in central zones, to reduce speeds along the road cutting through a village. One solution is to construct traffic calming devices in the entry zones. As a result, one obtains the so-called speed zoning even before a zone directly related to the scattered or dense housing development. The second issue is to apply traffic calming means in the built-up area. It would seem that the task should pose no difficulty and that it should be the responsibility of the road workers. However, research and analysis into the effectiveness of traffic calming devices show that the best effect is obtained through synergistic efforts of road builders, local authorities, urban planners and many other specialists. The example discussed in the paper, a village of Wrzosowo, clearly supports the thesis. The mere application of traffic calming devices may not necessarily bring the expected results. Combined efforts of road builders and urban planners can, however, be successful in the effective control of speed zoning and reduction in some road sections. The paper presents results of speed reduction measurements of a pedestrian crossing on a regional road in an exemplary village. Measurements of road conditions were conducted three times, before the reconstruction, after it and after the introduction of all the elements of traffic calming, as designed by road builders and urban planners responsible for the development of the vicinity of the road. Analysis of results showed that the chicanes constructed in the entry zones to the village, if used alone, did not provide speed reduction along the throughway cutting through the village. It was only a combination of traffic calming devices and elements of road vicinity development that brought about the expected speed reduction, providing better environmental conditions and improved road safety. Conclusions drawn on the basis of the conducted analysis confirm that the location of chicanes, the use of central reservation strip and traffic barriers must be closely linked to the development of the road vicinity and the location of the road signs that inform motorists about the built-up area.
Assessment of the condition, cause and possible other defects on the wooden façade of ThermoWood in terms of blackening the entire facade of the family house
Authors: Dedic Martin
Published: September 2019

The aim of the paper was to provide information about defects and causes of faults on the wooden facade of ThermoWood. The examined failure is the blackening of wooden elements on the entire area of the family house facade. The family house is now in a finished form and is therefore permanently used for housing people. Current damage does not jeopardize the stability of the object. A test sample of the blackened facade from the north-east side of the building at locations available and with a predominant blackening ratio was taken to determine the cause of the failure. The evaluation was based on general technical requirements for carrying out the work related to the implementation of the facade, technological details. Local examination of the facade revealed that the blackening occurs across the surface and shows signs of fungus. For this reason, a sample of the facade was taken from the north-eastern part and the opinion of the Czech Mycological Society was requested based on the photo documentation including the description of the impregnation used. At the end of the paper, we propose a comprehensive solution to the facade failure with the provision of the disposal and elimination of possible sources supporting the mold formation.
New NaCl-simulated concrete pore solution (New NaCl-SPS) for superhydrophobic coating of galvanized steel
Authors: Naing Thet Htet , Janudom Somjai , Rachpech Vishnu , Mahathaninwong Narissara , Thiwong Somkid
Published: September 2019

An anti-corrosive superhydrophobic surface was successfully fabricated on a galvanized coating of a porcelain insulator’s pin in HVAC transmission line, using the New NaCl-SPS immersion method and stearic surface modification. After 3 days immersion in New NaCl-SPS solution, the stable passive layer was formed on the galvanized surface and it was confirmed as highly crystallized ZnO layer with hexagonal wurtzite structure, which is environmentally friendly. This work represents a new route for the synthesis of ZnO micro and nano-structures on the galvanized coating by immersion in New NaCl-SPS solution. Moreover, the superhydrophobic surface has been successfully fabricated on the synthesized ZnO surfaces. The corrosion resistance of galvanized surfaces with or without superdydrophobicity has been investigated. The results demonstrate that the superhydrophobicity can effectively enhance corrosion resistance, to counter pin corrosion problems of electrical insulators and porcelain breakage by volume expansion of corrosion products on the zinc sleeve.
The elusive actin cytoskeleton of a green alga expressing both conventional and divergent actins
Authors: Craig Evan W. , Mueller David M. , Bigge Brae M. , Schaffer Miroslava , Engel Benjamin D. , Avasthi Prachee
Published: September 2019

The green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a leading model system to study photosynthesis, cilia, and the generation of biological products. The cytoskeleton plays important roles in all of these cellular processes, but to date, the filamentous actin network within Chlamydomonas has remained elusive. By optimizing labeling conditions, we can now visualize distinct linear actin filaments at the posterior of the nucleus in both live and fixed vegetative cells. Using in situ cryo-electron tomography, we confirmed this localization by directly imaging actin filaments within the native cellular environment. The fluorescently labeled structures are sensitive to the depolymerizing agent latrunculin B (Lat B), demonstrating the specificity of our optimized labeling method. Interestingly, Lat B treatment resulted in the formation of a transient ring-like filamentous actin structure around the nucleus. The assembly of this perinuclear ring is dependent upon a second actin isoform, NAP1, which is strongly up-regulated upon Lat B treatment and is insensitive to Lat B–induced depolymerization. Our study combines orthogonal strategies to provide the first detailed visual characterization of filamentous actins in Chlamydomonas, allowing insights into the coordinated functions of two actin isoforms expressed within the same cell.
Mrx6 regulates mitochondrial DNA copy number inSaccharomyces cerevisiaeby engaging the evolutionarily conserved Lon protease Pim1
Authors: Göke Aylin , Schrott Simon , Mizrak Arda , Belyy Vladislav , Osman Christof , Walter Peter
Published: September 2019

The cellular mechanisms regulating mtDNA levels are poorly understood. We performed high-throughput genetic screening and identified Mrx6 as a regulator of mtDNA copy number in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Our work showed that Mrx6, in conjunction with the Lon protease Pim1, colocalizes with mtDNA and regulates mtDNA copy number.
Usefulness of Dual Immunohistochemistry Staining in Detection of Hairy Cell Leukemia in Bone Marrow
Authors: Gupta Gaurav K , Sun Xiaoping , Yuan Constance M , Stetler-Stevenson Maryalice , Kreitman Robert J , Maric Irina
Published: September 2019

Objectives

We evaluated efficacy of two dual immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining assays in assessing hairy cell leukemia (HCL) involvement in core biopsies and compared the results with concurrently collected flow cytometric data.

Methods

Overall, 148 patients with HCL (123 male, 25 female; mean age: 59.8 years; range: 25-81 years) had multiparameter flow cytometry performed using CD19, CD20, CD22, CD11c, CD25, CD103, CD123, surface light chains, CD5, and CD23. In parallel, bone marrow IHC was done using PAX5/CD103 and PAX5/tartrate-resistant alkaline phosphatase (TRAP) dual IHC stains.

Results

Overall sensitivity of dual IHC stains was 81.4%, positive predictive value was 100%, and negative predictive value was 81.7%. All IHC-positive cases concurred with flow cytometry data, even when HCL burden was extremely low in the flow cytometry specimens (as low as 0.02% of all lymphoid cells).

Conclusions

Dual IHC stain is a sensitive tool in detecting HCL, even in cases with minimal disease involvement.
Associations Between Midlife (but Not Late-Life) Elevated Coronary Heart Disease Risk and Lower Cognitive Performance: Results From the Framingham Offspring Study
Authors: Armstrong Nicole M , Bangen Katherine J , Au Rhoda , Gross Alden L
Published: September 2019

It is unclear how coronary heart disease (CHD) risk across the adult life span affects late-life cognition. We estimated associations of midlife and late-life elevated CHD risk with cognitive trajectories (general cognitive performance, processing speed/executive function, memory) in later life (after age 55 years or age 70 years) among 2,892 Framingham Offspring Study participants who had completed CHD risk assessments approximately every 4 years since 1971 and had undergone neuropsychological testing between 1999 and 2014. We stratified analyses by apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) Ɛ4 allele carrier status. Using linear mixed-effects models, elevated CHD risk in midlife (age 55 years) was associated with lower levels of general cognitive performance (β = −0.560 standard deviation (SD) units, 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.874, −0.246), executive function (β = −0.624 SD units, 95% CI: −0.916, −0.332), and memory (β = −0.560 SD units, 95% CI: −0.907, −0.213) at age 70 years but not with rates of cognitive change. Late-life (age 70 years) elevated CHD risk, however, was associated with somewhat better levels of general cognitive performance and memory. There were associations between duration of elevated CHD risk during midlife and levels (but not trajectories) of later-life cognitive outcomes. Associations were not modified by APOE-ɛ4 status. These findings suggest that midlife elevated CHD risk is associated with lower cognition, independently of APOE-ɛ4 status, suggesting that risk of vascular disease may not contribute a “second hit” to AD risk.
Consumption of Cow’s Milk in Early Childhood and Fracture Risk: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Allison Riley M , Birken Catherine S , Lebovic Gerald , Howard Andrew W , L’Abbe Mary R , Morency Marie-Elssa , Maguire Jonathon L ,   The TARGet Kids! Collaboration
Published: September 2019

Cow’s milk is consumed by most North American children, yet the relationships between the volume and fat content of cow’s milk consumed and childhood fracture risk are unclear. Our primary objectives in this study were to evaluate whether the volume or fat content of cow’s milk consumed at 1–3 years of age was associated with the risk of fracture between 3 and 10 years of age. This was a prospective cohort study of 2,466 children enrolled in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, between 2008 and 2016. The primary exposure was volume of cow’s milk consumed between the ages of 1 and 3 years, and the secondary exposure was average percentage of milk fat consumed by each child during the same period. The primary outcome was a parental report of child fracture at ages 3–10 years. In the primary and secondary adjusted analyses, no association between milk volume and fracture risk (adjusted relative risk = 1.04, 95% confidence interval: 0.87, 1.26) or between milk-fat content and fracture risk (adjusted relative risk = 1.05, 95% confidence interval: 0.84, 1.31) was observed. In this study, we did not identify a protective association of early childhood cow’s milk volume or fat consumption with fracture risk in later childhood. Future prospective research is needed to understand whether cow’s milk is beneficial for fracture prevention through the life course.
Cerebral Hemorrhage and Alcohol Exposure: A Review
Authors: Peng Jialing , Wang Hongxuan , Rong Xiaoming , He Lei , Xiangpen L , Shen Qingy , Peng Ying
Published: September 2019

Aims

To investigate the dose–response relationships between alcohol and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), the impact of alcohol on the outcome of ICH and possible mechanisms underlying hypertensive ICH (HICH) caused by heavy drinking.

Methods

Literature search from 1985 to August 2019 in the PubMed database.

Results

The relationship between low-middle alcohol consumption and ICH remains controversial for various reasons, whereas chronic heavy drinking increases the incidence of ICH and exerts worse outcome. More attention is needed to clarify the characteristics of chronic alcohol intake and binge drinking. Chronic alcohol abuse tends to elevates blood pressure, resulting in increased occurrence of HICH and exaggerated HICH-contributed brain injury.

Conclusion

It is important to develop strategies to promote reasonable intake categories, prevent alcoholism and thus reduce the risk of ICH.
Far from Home and All Alone: The Impact of Prison Visitation on Recidivism
Authors: Lee Logan M
Published: September 2019

Tightening corrections budgets, the lack of a legal right to in-person prison visitation, and the increasing availability of video visitation have led many prison and jail administrators to consider limiting opportunities for in-person visitation. This is concerning given the large literature which argues inmates receiving in-person visits are less likely to recidivate upon release. On the other hand, these studies have not determined whether this relationship is causal or is instead driven by the correlation between receiving visits and having a network of family and friends that can offer support upon release. In this article, I estimate the causal effect of in-person visitation on recidivism using unique, administrative data from the Iowa Department of Corrections. I find that visitation itself, as currently implemented in Iowa, has no impact on recidivism. Instead, my results suggest prison policies that create meaningful support networks available to prisoners upon release may yield significant benefits.
Black Women’s Geographies and the Afterlives of the Sugar Plantation
Authors: McInnis Jarvis C
Published: September 2019

This essay examines how several contemporary black women artists—Attica Locke, Natalie Baszile, Beyoncé, Ava DuVernay, and Kara Walker—interrogate the afterlives of the sugar plantation in present day literature, performance, and visual art. Drawing on Katherine McKittrick’s conceptualization of “black women’s geographies,” I show how these artists turn to the landscape and built environment of the sugar plantation and factory to restore black women and the US South to the global history of sugar. Part one, “Plantation Pasts,” examines Locke’s 2012 novel, The Cutting Season, alongside Kara Walker’s 2014 installation, A Subtlety, or the Marvelous Sugar Baby, as critiques of the sugar plantation’s ongoing economic viability through plantation tourism and modern agribusiness. By foregrounding a “logic of perishability” that insists on the plantation’s dissolution and demise, Locke and Walker interrogate these sugar plantation afterlives to exhume, expose, and ultimately revise buried histories of racial dispossession and consumption in the US and global sugar industries. Part two, “Plantation Futures,” examines how Natalie Baszile’s 2014 novel, Queen Sugar, its television adaptation created by Ava DuVernay, and several of Beyoncé’s music videos—“Déjà Vu” (2006), “Formation” (2016), and the visual album Lemonade (2016)—“return” to Louisiana’s sugar plantation geographies to confront the violent histories of slavery and Jim Crow and to reconcile African Americans’ contentious relationship to land, agriculture, and contemporary southern identity in the post-Civil Rights era. Given the limits of colonial and state archives of slavery, I argue that these artists reestablish the landscape and architecture of the sugar plantation and factory as counter-archives, wherein the slave cabin, big house, refinery, and cane fields are figured as contested sites of official history and memory. In doing so, they “respatialize” hegemonic geographies, exposing and indicting the persisting legacies of racial-sexual dispossession and violence, on one hand, and positing embodied practices of pleasure, mourning, and collectivity as modes of “reterritorialization” on the other, imagining a new relationship to land, agriculture, and the earth.
Chronic Antibiotic Dependent Pouchitis Is Associated With Older Age at the Time of Ileal Pouch Anal Anastomosis (J-pouch) Surgery
Authors: Weaver Kimberly N , Kochar Bharati , Hansen Jonathan J , Isaacs Kim L , Jain Animesh , Sheikh Shehzad Z , Fichera Alessandro , Chaumont Nicole , Sadiq Tim , Koruda Mark , Long Millie D , Herfarth Hans H , Barnes Edward L
Published: September 2019

Background

Risk factors for the development of chronic antibiotic dependent pouchitis (CADP) are not well understood.

Methods

Using multivariable logistic regression, we compared clinical factors between 194 patients with acute antibiotic responsive pouchitis or CADP.

Results

Individuals with CADP were significantly older (40.9 vs 30.8 years, P < 0.001) and demonstrated a longer disease duration before IPAA (10.3 vs 7.0 years, P = 0.004). Age ≥55 years at the time of IPAA was significantly associated with CADP (adjusted odds ratio = 4.35, 95% confidence interval = 1.01–18.7).

Conclusions

Although older age should not represent a barrier to IPAA, further studies evaluating etiologies of this association are warranted.
Bumping into the Novelistic Scaffolding: Narrative Structure in Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels
Authors: Zarour Zarzar Victor Xavier
Published: September 2019

This article aims to arrive at a thematics of emplotment by scrutinizing Elena Ferrante’s use of plot in the Neapolitan Novels. It investigates theories of structure and narrative advanced by critics like Hannah Arendt, Peter Brooks, Adriana Cavarero, and Henry James to examine these texts’ narrative complexity. It contends that the novels exhibit a liminal narrative orientation: looking outward, from the inside of the plotted ground, onto the forces that threaten to disintegrate plot. To support this contention, the article finds narrative correlatives for certain phenomena of disintegration that Ferrante has discussed at length, proceeding to examine the novels’ strongest moment of smarginatura (dissolving margins) – the earthquake – in an effort to understand how the novels incorporate or indirectly address forces that are antithetical to plot.
TASUKE+: a web-based platform for exploring GWAS results and large-scale resequencing data
Authors: Kumagai Masahiko , Nishikawa Daiki , Kawahara Yoshihiro , Wakimoto Hironobu , Itoh Ryutaro , Tabei Norio , Tanaka Tsuyoshi , Itoh Takeshi
Published: September 2019

Recent revolutionary advancements in sequencing technologies have made it possible to obtain mass quantities of genome-scale sequence data in a cost-effective manner and have drastically altered molecular biological studies. To utilize these sequence data, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have become increasingly important. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop a visualization tool that enables efficient data retrieval, integration of GWAS results with diverse information and rapid public release of such large-scale genotypic and phenotypic data. We developed a web-based genome browser TASUKE+ (https://tasuke.dna.affrc.go.jp/), which is equipped with the following functions: (i) interactive GWAS results visualization with genome resequencing data and annotation information, (ii) PCR primer design, (iii) phylogenetic tree reconstruction and (iv) data sharing via the web. GWAS results can be displayed in parallel with polymorphism data, read depths and annotation information in an interactive and scalable manner. Users can design PCR primers for polymorphic sites of interest. In addition, a molecular phylogenetic tree of any region can be reconstructed so that the overall relationship among the examined genomes can be understood intuitively at a glance. All functions are implemented through user-friendly web-based interfaces so that researchers can easily share data with collaborators in remote places without extensive bioinformatics knowledge.
Egg Albumin as a Protein Marker to Study Dispersal of Noctuidae in the Agroecosystem
Authors: Tavares C S , Paula-Moraes S V , Valencia-Jimenez A , Hunt T E , Vélez A M , Pereira E J G
Published: September 2019

Knowledge of dispersal and spatial dynamics of pest populations is fundamental for implementation of integrated pest management and integrated resistance management. This study evaluated 1) the effectiveness of egg white albumin protein to mark larvae and adults of two polyphagous and highly mobile pests, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (fall armyworm) and Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (corn earworm) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), and 2) the sensitivity of polyvinylidene difluoride membrane (dot blot) in detecting albumin on marked insects. Laboratory and field experiments tested egg albumin as a protein marker, which was detected using two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), microplate, and dot blot. In the laboratory, 100% of the moths sprayed with 20% egg white solution acquired the albumin marker, which was detected through the last time point tested (5 d) after application. Egg albumin was not effective at long-term marking of larvae, detected only prior the molting to the next instar. Albumin application in field cages resulted in a high percentage of moths detected as marked at 24 h and 5 d for both species. Egg albumin applied in the open field resulted in 15% of the recaptured corn earworm moths marked with most of them collected 150 m from the application area, although some were captured as far as 1,600 m within approximately 6 d after adult emergence. The results indicated egg albumin is a suitable marker to study the dispersion of fall armyworm and corn earworm in the agroecosystem and dot blot was as effective to detect egg albumin as was indirect ELISA.
Utility of emergency call centre, dispatch and ambulance data for syndromic surveillance of infectious diseases: a scoping review
Authors: Duijster Janneke W , Doreleijers Simone D A , Pilot Eva , van der Hoek Wim , Kommer Geert Jan , van der Sande Marianne A B , Krafft Thomas , van Asten Liselotte C H I
Published: September 2019

Background

Syndromic surveillance can supplement conventional health surveillance by analyzing less-specific, near-real-time data for an indication of disease occurrence. Emergency medical call centre dispatch and ambulance data are examples of routinely and efficiently collected syndromic data that might assist in infectious disease surveillance. Scientific literature on the subject is scarce and an overview of results is lacking.

Methods

A scoping review including (i) review of the peer-reviewed literature, (ii) review of grey literature and (iii) interviews with key informants.

Results

Forty-four records were selected: 20 peer reviewed and 24 grey publications describing 44 studies and systems. Most publications focused on detecting respiratory illnesses or on outbreak detection at mass gatherings. Most used retrospective data; some described outcomes of temporary systems; only two described continuously active dispatch- and ambulance-based syndromic surveillance. Key informants interviewed valued dispatch- and ambulance-based syndromic surveillance as a potentially useful addition to infectious disease surveillance. Perceived benefits were its potential timeliness, standardization of data and clinical value of the data.

Conclusions

Various dispatch- and ambulance-based syndromic surveillance systems for infectious diseases have been reported, although only roughly half are documented in peer-reviewed literature and most concerned retrospective research instead of continuously active surveillance systems. Dispatch- and ambulance-based syndromic data were mostly assessed in relation to respiratory illnesses; reported use for other infectious disease syndromes is limited. They are perceived by experts in the field of emergency surveillance to achieve time gains in detection of infectious disease outbreaks and to provide a useful addition to traditional surveillance efforts.
Differential pressure dependence of the complex conductivity of sandstones
Authors: Revil A , Ghorbani A , Mapeli C , Livo K , Prasad M
Published: September 2019

An experimental work is undertaken to understand the effect of the differential pressure (in the range 3–20.7 MPa) upon the complex conductivity of sedimentary rocks. We use five sandstone core samples from outcrops and a sandstone analog built from sintered glass beads. The spectra were fitted with a Cole–Cole complex conductivity model and the four Cole–Cole parameters were plotted as a function of the differential stress (in the range 3–20.7 MPa). The Cole–Cole relaxation times are analysed in terms of the evolution of the pore size with the differential pressure. Neither the relaxation time nor the Cole–Cole exponent show a strong dependence with the differential pressure indicating that the distribution of the relaxation times remains here roughly the same when the differential stress increases. More specifically, the Cole–Cole exponent does not describe the entire distribution of relaxation times, but the broadness of this distribution. Since the relaxation times are related to the pore sizes, this means that the pore sizes do not depend on the differential pressure in this case. The chargeability is essentially independent of the differential pressure and close to the upper value that can be reached in rocks without metallic particles. This also means that the conductivity of these rocks is dominated by their surface conductivity contribution considering the low pore water salinity used in this work. These results are interpreted thanks to the Stern layer polarization model. The Stern layer denotes the inner part of the electrical double layer coating the surface of the grains. The predictions of this model are mostly consistent with the data.