bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fire and landscape context shape plant and butterfly diversity in a South African shrubland
Authors: Topp Emmeline N. , Tscharntke Teja , Loos Jacqueline
Published: April 2021

Aim

To understand effects of fire history and landscape composition on butterfly diversity in a fragmented agricultural landscape.

Location

We studied critically endangered renosterveld remnants within the fynbos biome in the Swartland municipality, Western Cape, South Africa, a global biodiversity hotspot.

Method

We selected survey sites on renosterveld fragments in the agricultural landscape along a gradient of fire history to test the response of biodiversity patterns to fire and landscape composition. We surveyed butterfly species richness, abundance and community composition as well as vegetation structure in five survey rounds on 58 sites between August 2018 and April 2019. We analysed data through linear modelling and multidimensional scaling.

Results

Fire was associated with reduced shrub and understorey plant cover and with increased plant species richness. Butterfly species richness was three to four times higher when natural habitat increased in the surrounding landscape (within a 2 km radius), while butterfly abundance was negatively associated with increasing time since fire, with approximately 50% fewer individuals after 9 years. Fire was indirectly associated with increased butterfly species richness and abundance through the alteration of vegetation structure, particularly through removal of shrubs and enhanced plant diversity. Low‐mobility butterfly species were more positively associated with less vegetation cover than were high‐mobility species, which were more associated with sites characterized by long absence of fire.

Main conclusions

Our findings suggest that species respond differently to fire, so a diversity of fire frequencies is recommended. Partially burning areas approximately every 10 years may benefit particularly low‐mobility butterfly species through gap creation and fostering plant diversity. Hence, including fire into management activities can benefit butterfly and plant populations alike in critically endangered renosterveld.
Insect predation reduces the abundance of a nidicolous ectoparasite
Authors: Salido Angela , Veiga Jesús , Reyes‐López Joaquín L. , Nieves‐Aldrey Jose L. , Valera Francisco
Published: April 2021

1. Parasites are one of the main actors in host–parasite interactions. Still, their role as a prey and the related consequences for such interactions and in other respects, such as food webs, are frequently overlooked.

2. This paper analyses predation pressure on a ubiquitous avian ectoparasitic fly,Carnus hemapterus, identifies their main natural enemies and quantifies their relative effect on the abundance of the parasite. Also, the effect of nest‐site type on their main enemies' predation pressure was analysed.

3. Several ant species were found in the nest boxes of the host species, the European roller (Coracias garrulus), during the breeding season and preyed upon adult and larval stages ofCarnus.

4. Ants were also the putative predators of carnid pupae after the breeding season, when significant reduction (on average, by half) in the abundance of carnid pupae occurred in 75% of nest boxes within few months.

5. Carnid pupae are also reported here, for the first time, to be parasitised by the parasitoid waspChartocerus conjugalis, whose prevalence was around 21%.

6. Nest‐site type had no clear effect on the predation rate of carnid pupae after the breeding season.

7. It was concluded that predation is an important factor regulating the abundance of ectoparasites, and thus, it may influence the outcome of host–parasite relationships.
Brain circuit dysfunction in specific symptoms of depression
Authors: Lv Qun Y. , Chen Ming M. , Li Yu , Yu Yang , Liao Hong
Published: April 2021

Since the depressive disorder manifests complex and diverse symptoms clinically, its pathological mechanism and therapeutic options are difficult to determine. In recent years, the advent of optogenetics, chemogenetics and viral tracing techniques, along with the well‐established rodent model of depression, has led to a shift in the focus of depression research from single molecules to neural circuits. In virtue of the powerful tools above, psychiatric disorder such as depression could be well related to the disfunction of brain's connection. Moreover, compelling studies also support that the diversity of depressive behaviour could be involved with the discrete changes in a distinct circuit of the brain. Therefore, summarising the differential changes of the neural circuits in mice with depression‐like behaviour may provide a better understanding of the causal relationships between neural circuit and depressive behaviour. Here, we focus on the changes in the neural circuitry underlying various depression‐like phenotypes, including motivation, despair, social avoidance and comorbid sequelae, which may provide an explanation to circuit‐specific discrepancy in depression‐like behaviour.
Tactile stimuli induce deimatic antipredator displays in ringneck snakes
Authors: Cox Christian L. , Chung Albert K. , Blackwell Christopher , Davis Maura M. , Gulsby Miranda , Islam Hasib , Miller Nathan , Lambert Carson , Lewis Olivia , Rector Ian V. , Walsh Marleigh , Yamamoto Alannah D. , Davis Rabosky Alison R.
Published: April 2021

Adaptations for predator defense are often complex traits with integrated display components spanning multiple signaling modalities. For antipredator coloration like deimatic or startle coloration, behavioral variation controlling dynamic color displays is an important but poorly understood component of the predator defense in most taxa. We studied antipredator behavior in North American ringneck snakes (Diadophis punctatus), which possess a brightly colored (red to yellow) ventral surface of the body and the tail compared to the mostly gray dorsal coloration. We sought to (a) characterize intraspecific variation in antipredator behaviors in ringneck snakes and (b) test which stimuli can induce antipredator displays. First, we assessed antipredator displays in the field and during routine handling during data collection by comparing categorical classifications of all displayed behavior across 25 individuals. Second, we performed experimental assays with tactile and visual stimuli to determine the cues that can elicit an antipredator display in ringneck snakes. We found that antipredator displays include ventral displays and tail‐coiling and that these components were induced by tactile cues in the field and the lab, but not visual cues. Our work is the first to show that a snake species with bright ventral coloration uses this behavior in response to tactile cues from a potential predator, but only in response to relatively strong stimuli (i.e., handling). This experimental evidence that tactile stimuli can induce a behavior revealing bright ventral coloration highlights the importance of correlated evolution of antipredator coloration and behavior.
Emerging paradigms in activation, signaling, and regulation of G protein‐coupled receptors
Authors: Shukla Arun K.
Published: April 2021

This Special Issue of The FEBS Journal brings together a set of review articles focused on recent developments in the field of GPCR biology, with particular emphasis on novel paradigms of their activation, signaling, and regulation. These articles cover a broad repertoire of cellular, physiological, and structural aspects ranging from the interaction of GPCRs with their signal transducers, allosteric modulation of these receptors with therapeutic implications, and emerging technologies aimed to probe critical aspects of receptor signaling and regulation.
When and where are catfish fat fish? Hydro‐ecological determinants of energy reserves in the fork‐tailed catfish, Neoarius graeffei, in an intermittent tropical river
Authors: Beesley Leah S. , Pusey Bradley J. , Douglas Michael M. , Keogh Chris S. , Kennard Mark J. , Canham Caroline A. , Close Paul G. , Dobbs Rebecca J. , Setterfield Samantha A.
Published: April 2021

The cultural and ecological importance of fork‐tailed catfish, Neoarius graeffei, in northern Australia is linked to its energy stores, or how fat fish are. Water resource development that alters river flow has the potential to impact the energy stores of fork‐tailed catfish.

We investigated the influence of flow and habitat on the energy reserves of fork‐tailed catfish during the dry season in an intermittent wet–dry tropical river using data collected in three years with different flow volumes from a variety of habitats, i.e. different mesohabitats (tributary, main‐channel) and pool sizes. Julian day was included to describe seasonal trends. We used mesohabitat and pool size to reveal where fork‐tailed catfish had the most energy reserves and flow‐year and Julian day to reveal when reserves were greatest.

Body condition and the quantity of intramuscular and coelomic fat were used to describe energy reserves. Predictive models created for each metric revealed that fork‐tailed catfish body condition and intramuscular fat were greater in years following moderate to high wet‐season flow, smallest in a year following very low flows and decreased as the dry season progressed. Coelomic and intramuscular fat of fork‐tailed catfish was also lower in smaller pools. There was no association between mesohabitat and energy store.

These when and where hydro‐ecological patterns highlight the importance of wet season flows and groundwater‐fed refuge pools for fork‐tailed catfish energetics in this wet–dry tropical river.

Intermittent rivers flowing through wet–dry tropical savanna habitats are under increasing threat globally and the results of the present study illustrate how flow variation may impact on biota and influence their continued survival and functional roles.
Bios and arrows: On time in health geographies
Authors: Andrews Gavin J.
Published: April 2021

Time has not often been the subject of dedicated conceptual attention in health geography, but one does not need to dig very deep in the literature to uncover diverse engagements with it across empirical research. Framed by particular theoretical understandings of time, this paper reviews these engagements and how they have helped shape geographical knowledge of disease, health and care. Whilst these engagements are welcomed, the paper also highlights the possibility of going further by focusing on systems fundamental to 21st‐century society. Specifically, it describes the need to develop approaches that might ‘keep time with the trouble’ by capturing and intervening in the timings of the new faster, technologically mediated, affective capitalism in its use, creation and diminishing of health and well‐being.
Confirmed long‐term safety and efficacy of prophylactic treatment with BAY 94–9027 in severe haemophilia A: final results of the PROTECT VIII extension study
Authors: Reding Mark T. , Pabinger Ingrid , Holme Pal Andre , Poulsen Lone , Negrier Claude , Chalasani Pavani , Maas Enriquez Monika , Wang Maria , Meijer Karina , Mancuso Maria Elisa , Lalezari Shadan
Published: April 2021

Introduction

The phase 2/3 PROTECT VIII main study demonstrated efficacy and safety of BAY 94–9027 (damoctocog alfa pegol; Jivi®), a B‐domain‐deleted recombinant factor VIII (FVIII), site‐specifically PEGylated to extend its half‐life.

Aim

To report the final efficacy and safety data for BAY 94–9027 from the PROTECT VIII extension.

Methods

Previously treated males aged 12–65 years with severe haemophilia A (FVIII <1%) who completed the multicentre, open‐label PROTECT VIII main study were eligible for the extension. Patients received either on demand or prophylaxis treatments (30‒40 IU/kg twice weekly [2 × W], 45‒60 IU/kg every 5 days [E5D], or 60 IU/kg every 7 days [E7D]) and could switch to any prophylaxis regimen (variable frequency) as needed. Annualised bleeding rates (ABR), zero bleeds and safety outcomes were included in this final analysis.

Results

At extension completion, patients (n = 121) received BAY 94–9027 for a median (range) total time of 3.9 (0.8–7.0) years. Median (Q1; Q3) total ABR was 1.49 (0.36; 4.80) for prophylaxis patients (n = 107), compared with 34.09 (20.3; 36.6) for on‐demand patients (n = 14). Median total ABRs for 2 × W (n = 23), E5D (n = 33), E7D (n = 23) and variable frequency (n = 28) groups were 1.57, 1.17, 0.65 and 3.10, respectively. Of prophylaxis patients, 20.6% were bleed‐free during the entire extension (median time, 3.2 years) and 50.0% were bleed‐free during the last 6 months. No patient developed FVIII inhibitors. No deaths or thrombotic events were reported.

Conclusions

Efficacy and safety of BAY 94–9027 was confirmed, with extension data supporting its use as a long‐term treatment option for patients with haemophilia A.
Shared decision making in consultations for hypertension: Qualitative study in general practice
Authors: Johnson Rachel , Turner Katrina , Feder Gene , Cramer Helen
Published: April 2021

Background

Hypertension is mainly managed in primary care. Shared decision making is widely recommended as an approach to treatment decision making. However, no studies have investigated; in detail, what happens during primary care consultations for hypertension.

Aim

To understand patients’ and clinicians’ experience of shared decision making for hypertension in primary care, in order to propose how it might be better supported.

Design

Longitudinal qualitative study.

Setting

Five general practices in south‐west England.

Method

Interviews with a purposive sample of patients with hypertension, and with the health‐care practitioners they consulted, along with observations of clinical consultations, for up to 6 appointments. Interviews and consultations were audio‐recorded and observational field notes taken. Data were analysed thematically.

Results

Forty‐six interviews and 18 consultations were observed, with 11 patients and nine health‐care practitioners (five GPs, one pharmacist and three nurses). Little shared decision making was described by participants or observed. Often patients’ understanding of their hypertension was limited, and they were not aware there were treatment choices. Consultations provided few opportunities for patients and clinicians to reach a shared understanding of their treatment choices. Opportunities for patients to engage in choices were limited by structured consultations and the distribution of decisions across consultations.

Conclusion

For shared decision making to be better supported, consultations need to provide opportunities for patients to learn about their condition, to understand that there are treatment choices, and to discuss these choices with clinicians.

Patient or Public Contribution

A patient group contributed to the design of this study.
Influence of CVD parameters on Co‐TiO2/CNT properties: A route to enhance energy harvesting from sunlight
Authors: Campos Guaglianoni Waleska , Garcia Ana Paula , Basegio Tania Maria , Arcari Bassani Marcel Antonio , Arcaro Sabrina , Pérez Bergmann Carlos
Published: April 2021

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been employed to enhance the photoactivity of titanium dioxide (TiO2). In this work, CNTs were deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) onto the surface of anodized Co‐TiO2 nanotubes. The influence of CVD parameters (time and temperature) on the Co‐TiO2/CNT structure and properties was investigated. We studied three synthesis times (10, 20, and 30 min) and two synthesis temperatures (700 and 800°C). The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). The photocurrent performance of the electrodes was determined by linear voltammetry. The results showed the successful formation of Co‐TiO2/CNT hybrid structures. The shortest synthesis time produced higher quality CNTs. The samples synthesized at 700 and 800°C for 10 min exhibited a current density of 1.13 mA.cm−2 and 7.84 mA.cm−2, respectively, which is 9 and 65 times greater than the Co‐TiO2 sample. The synergistic effect of the CNT deposition and the crystalline phase composition significantly improved the photoresponse of TiO2. The proper choice of synthesis parameters allowed the control of the sample structure, leading to the production of electrodes with better light‐harvesting performance.
Robust stimulus of private investment: Tax rate cut or investment subsidy?
Authors: Niu Yingjie , Yang Jinqiang , Zhao Siqi
Published: April 2021

This paper examines the net benefit accruing to a government when choosing between a lower tax rate on future profits and an investment subsidy as investment stimulation. We hypothesize that either the firm or the government faces Knightian uncertainty in contemplating investment. In the presence of the firm's Knightian uncertainty, the government prefers the investment cost subsidy to tax rate reduction as the conventional wisdom in prior literature. However, if the government is concerned about the model uncertainty, the optimal policy depends on the varying characteristics in reality, such as the ambiguity level, the growth rate, the volatility, as well as the interest rate environment. The tax rate cut is favorable when the growth rate, the discount rate, and the volatility are lower, and when the ambiguity parameter is higher. By taking into account Knightian uncertainty, we provide a potential rationale behind evaluating stimulus policies in different economic environments.
Competence‐based human resource management to improve managerial competence of first‐line nurse managers: A scale development
Authors: Gunawan Joko , Aungsuroch Yupin , Fisher Mary L. , McDaniel Anna M. , Liu Ying
Published: April 2021

Aim

This study aimed to develop and psychometrically test a competence‐based human resource management scale to improve managerial competence of first‐line nurse managers in public hospitals.

Background

To ensure the high competence of the first‐line nurse managers, the competence‐based human resource management should be evaluated using the best‐fit instrument. However, no instrument has been identified in the hospital setting.

Methods

This methodological study consists of three main steps: (1) generating scale items based on literature review and expert interviews, (2) pilot testing of face and content validity and (3) evaluating psychometric properties with 300 first‐line nurse managers from 16 public hospitals in Indonesia selected using a multistage sampling. Data were collected from May to December 2017. Principal component analysis and Cronbach's α were used for construct validity and internal consistency reliability.

Results

The final scale consists of 30 items in five dimensions, which explained 65.48% of the total variance. The dimensions include ‘training and evaluation, career planning and development, rewards scheme, recruitment and selection, and appraisal system’. Cronbach's α for the scale was .89, with a range of .85 to .88.

Conclusion

The competence‐based human resource management scale is reliable and valid to use in public hospital settings.
‘You Shall Be Actualized, for I Am Pure Actuality’: Holiness and the Perfecting Relation of Grace
Authors: Bankston Will
Published: April 2021

This article presents holiness as actuality, a concept that analogically connects God as pure infinite act to our own finite actualization as human agents. Grace constitutes the means by which we become holy. That is, grace will be construed as an actualizing relation. This relation regenerates and purifies fallen human nature, but it also perfects our nature according to humanity's original, creational telos. The communicable contours of holiness provided by Leviticus 19 will ground the discussion, and these contours will be canonically coordinated with the Gospel of Matthew. Throughout, the article will draw deeply from the theology of Thomas Aquinas in bridging divine holiness with God’s unique mode of agency.
The effects of collective bargaining systems on the productivity function of firms: An analysis of bargaining structures and processes and the implications for policy making
Authors: Brandl Bernd , Braakmann Nils
Published: April 2021

In recent years, individual and company bargaining have increasingly supplanted sector and country collective bargaining leading to increasingly heterogeneous and perforated, that is, hybrid, national collective bargaining systems. Little is known about the relative effects of these different systems. In this paper, the authors derive and test a comprehensive categorization of collective bargaining systems and argue that different systems are associated with different production functions and therefore have different effects on labour productivity. The hypotheses are tested using representative workplace‐level data for all member states of the European Union. It is found that the performance of coordinated sector collective bargaining systems is higher than for all other forms of collective and individual bargaining. Policy implications of the results are discussed as these results challenge attempts to reform collective bargaining in Europe.
Viral epidemiology and SARS‐CoV‐2 co‐infections with other respiratory viruses during the first COVID‐19 wave in Paris, France
Authors: Le Hingrat Quentin , Bouzid Donia , Choquet Christophe , Laurent Odile , Lescure François‐Xavier , Timsit Jean‐François , Houhou‐Fidouh Nadhira , Casalino Enrique , Lucet Jean‐Christophe , Descamps Diane , Visseaux Benoit
Published: April 2021

Objectives

Our work assessed the prevalence of co‐infections in patients with SARS‐CoV‐2.

Methods

All patients hospitalized in a Parisian hospital during the first wave of COVID‐19 were tested by multiplex PCR if they presented ILI symptoms.

Results

A total of 806 patients (21%) were positive for SARS‐CoV‐2, 755 (20%) were positive for other respiratory viruses. Among the SARS‐CoV‐2‐positive patients, 49 (6%) had viral co‐infections. They presented similar age, symptoms, except for fever (P = .013) and headaches (P = .048), than single SARS‐CoV‐2 infections.

Conclusions

SARS‐CoV‐2‐infected patients presenting viral co‐infections had similar clinical characteristics and prognosis than patients solely infected with SARS‐CoV‐2.
Do sectoral material efficiency improvements add up to greenhouse gas emissions reduction on an economy‐wide level?
Authors: Lu Yingying , Schandl Heinz
Published: April 2021

This article aims to provide a better understanding of the contribution of material efficiency (ME) improvements to climate mitigation from an economy‐wide perspective. We employ the Global Trade and Environment Model to investigate and quantify the part played by ME gains at different stages of the supply chain and in different sectors of the economy to an economy‐wide reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Our study focuses on three material categories: iron and steel, non‐ferrous metals, and non‐metallic minerals for construction. We find that ME improvements in iron and steel production and consumption processes can contribute to reducing GHG emissions, but only by a small amount. Eco‐design and novel technologies that use less materials in general, can also contribute to GHG emission reduction. Such mitigation potential is especially large for the construction of buildings and infrastructure due to the sector's massive use of non‐metallic minerals with a large climate impact (e.g., cement). However, process efficiency and reduced demand for the three materials do not necessarily lead to reduced GHG emissions on an economy‐wide level and can even result in increased GHG emissions due to a rebound effect in other sectors and other processes. As expected, ME policies were more effective for climate mitigation when combined with a more sustainable socio‐economic pathway.
Oral leukoplakia, leukoerythroplakia, erythroplakia and actinic cheilitis: Analysis of 953 patients focusing on oral epithelial dysplasia
Authors: de Azevedo Alexandro Barbosa , dos Santos Teresa Cristina Ribeiro Bartholomeu , Lopes Márcio Ajudarte , Pires Fábio Ramoa
Published: April 2021

Background

To analyse the clinical and histological characteristics from a series of oral leukoplakias, leukoerythroplakias, erythroplakias and actinic cheilitis diagnosed in a 14‐year period.

Methods

The files were reviewed and all cases diagnosed as leukoplakia, leukoerythroplakia, erythroplakia and actinic cheilitis were selected. Clinical information was obtained from the biopsy submission forms, and histological review was performed in all cases.

Results

Final sample included 953 lesions, mostly affecting females (534, 56%), and 87.5% of the patients were 41 to 80 years old. The most commonly affected regions were the lower lip (20.1%), tongue (18.1%) and buccal mucosa (16.9%). Leukoplakias, actinic cheilitis, leukoerythroplakias and erythroplakias represented, respectively, 74.6%, 15.2%, 9.3% and 0.8% of the sample. Most cases presented no dysplasia (42.1%) or mild dysplasia (33.5%). Lesions in the tongue, floor of mouth and lower lip, as well as lesions that presented hyperparakeratosis, showed higher frequencies of moderate dysplasia and severe dysplasia/carcinoma in situ. The most common histological criteria were the increase in number and size of nucleoli, loss of polarity of the basal cells and variations in cellular size and shape. Classification by the binary system showed that 7% were high‐risk lesions.

Conclusion

All histological criteria for classification of oral epithelial dysplasia recommended by the World Health Organization showed increased frequency as grading increased. Additional criteria seem to be useful in grading oral epithelial dysplasia, such as the presence of normal and abnormal superficial mitotic figures and endophytic epithelial proliferation.
Pharmacokinetics of oral firocoxib in un‐weaned calves
Authors: Wagner Sarah A. , Fajt Virginia R. , Lo Chih‐Ping , Byrd Christopher J.
Published: April 2021

The objective of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics of firocoxib after oral administration in un‐weaned calves. Eight Holstein calves with a mean age of 36 days and a mean weight of 55 kg were administered a single oral dose of 227 mg firocoxib. The resulting mean dosage was 4.2 mg/kg (range 3.5–5.0 mg/kg). Blood was collected prior to drug administration and at 2, 4, 6, 8, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h after treatment. Firocoxib concentrations in plasma were determined using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Using computer software, pharmacokinetic parameters were found to fit best with a one‐compartment model. Mean Cmax was 0.9 μg/ml (range 0.570–1.254), and Tmax was estimated to be 7 h (range 4–8 h). The estimated T1/2 was 15.3 h. The pharmacokinetics of firocoxib after oral dosing are similar to those in dogs, with the exception of a T1/2 that is approximately twice as long. Based on the similar pharmacokinetics, it is possible that a dose of 227 mg firocoxib orally could provide an analgesic effect in un‐weaned calves.
The impact of unfair dismissal regulation: Evidence from an Australian natural experiment
Authors: Freyens Benoit Pierre , Oslington Paul
Published: April 2021

This paper assesses the outcomes of a unique Australian natural experiment with dismissal regulation introduced in 1996, radically reformed in 2006 and reregulated in 2009. Drawing on a large database of unfair dismissal cases, we assess the impact of dismissal regulation on unfair dismissal claims, how they are resolved, and on the determination of compensation amounts. Regulatory changes affect claims and success rates, but there is little change in compensation payments across the three regimes as legal conventions about their calculation were unaffected by the regulatory changes. One theme through all our findings is the large impact of administrative procedures on outcomes.
The classification of relict extraterrestrial chrome spinels using STEM techniques on silicate inclusions
Authors: Caplan Caroline E. , Huss Gary R. , Ishii Hope A. , Bradley John P. , Schmitz Birger , Nagashima and Kazuhide
Published: April 2021

Remnant extraterrestrial chrome spinels from terrestrial sediments provide information on how the mixture of meteoritic materials falling to Earth has changed over Earth’s history. The parent meteorite type of each grain can be identified by characteristic elemental and oxygen‐isotope abundances. Some meteorite types can be difficult to classify because their chrome‐spinel compositional ranges overlap. Silicate inclusions within chrome spinels of modern ordinary chondrites have been shown to have discriminating power among meteorite subclasses. We employed energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and in a (scanning) transmission electron microscope (S/TEM) to investigate inclusions in chrome‐spinel grains from Ordovician and Jurassic sediments. Unaltered Ordovician inclusions allowed us to establish the size limits for reliable SEM analysis of inclusions. The Jurassic grains were more altered, but the use of STEM techniques on small inclusions (<3 μm diameter at their polished surfaces) allowed us to determine chemical compositions and mineral structures of inclusions in three chrome spinels. The parent meteorite type was determined for one Jurassic grain based on its inclusion compositions. Our study confirms that silicate inclusions can be used to classify parent meteorite types of chrome‐spinel grains, but the size of the inclusions and the complex effects of terrestrial alteration must be taken into account. During our study, we also found some interesting exsolution phenomena in the host chrome‐spinel grains.
Not just a methane source: Amazonian floodplain sediments harbour a high diversity of methanotrophs with different metabolic capabilities
Authors: Gontijo Júlia B. , Paula Fabiana S. , Venturini Andressa M. , Yoshiura Caio A. , Borges Clovis D. , Moura José Mauro S. , Bohannan Brendan J.M. , Nüsslein Klaus , Rodrigues Jorge L. Mazza , Tsai Siu M.
Published: April 2021

The Amazonian floodplain forests are dynamic ecosystems of great importance for the regional hydrological and biogeochemical cycles and function as a significant CH4 source contributing to the global carbon balance. Unique geochemical factors may drive the microbial community composition and, consequently, affect CH4 emissions across floodplain areas. Here, we report the in situ composition of CH4 cycling microbial communities in Amazonian floodplain sediments. We considered how abiotic factors may affect the microbial community composition and, more specifically, CH4 cycling groups. We collected sediment samples during wet and dry seasons from three different types of floodplain forests, along with upland forest soil samples, from the Eastern Amazon, Brazil. We used high‐resolution sequencing of archaeal and bacterial 16S rRNA genes combined with real‐time PCR to quantify Archaea and Bacteria, as well as key functional genes indicative of the presence of methanogenic (mcrA) and methanotrophic (pmoA) microorganisms. Methanogens were found to be present in high abundance in floodplain sediments, and they seem to resist the dramatic environmental changes between flooded and nonflooded conditions. Methanotrophs known to use different pathways to oxidise CH4 were detected, including anaerobic archaeal and bacterial taxa, indicating that a wide metabolic diversity may be harboured in this highly variable environment. The floodplain environmental variability, which is affected by the river origin, drives not only the sediment chemistry but also the composition of the microbial communities. These environmental changes seem also to affect the pools of methanotrophs occupying distinct niches. Understanding these shifts in the methanotrophic communities could improve our comprehension of the CH4 emissions in the region.
Development and validation of a novel microfluidic device for the manipulation of skeletal muscle microvascular blood flow in vivo
Authors: Russell McEvoy Gaylene M. , Shogan Hamza , Sové Richard J. , Fraser Graham M.
Published: April 2021

Objective

To develop and validate a novel liquid microfluidic approach to deliver drugs to microscale regions of tissue while simultaneously allowing for visualization and quantification of microvascular blood flow.

Methods

Microfluidic devices were fabricated using soft lithographic techniques, molded in polydimethylsiloxane, and bound to a coverslip with a 600 × 300 μm micro‐outlet. Sprague‐Dawley rats, anesthetized with pentobarbital, were instrumented to monitor systemic parameters. The extensor digitorum longus muscle was dissected, externalized, and reflected across the device mounted on the stage of an inverted microscope. Doses (10−8 to 10−3 M) of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), acetylcholine, and phenylephrine (PE) were administered to the muscle via perfusion through the device. Microvascular blood flow directly overlying the micro‐outlet was recorded at multiple focal depths. Red blood cell (RBC) velocity, supply rate, and hematocrit were measured from recordings.

Results

ATP significantly increased RBC velocity and supply rate. Increasing concentrations of PE caused a decrease in RBC velocity and supply rate. Perfusion changes were restricted to areas directly overlying the micro‐outlet and within 500 μm.

Conclusions

This novel microfluidic device allows for a controlled delivery of dissolved substances to constrained regions of microvasculature while simultaneously allowing for visualization and measurement of blood flow within discrete vessels and networks.
Evaluating the current condition of a threatened marine mammal population: Estimating northern sea otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) abundance in southwest Alaska
Authors: Beatty William S. , St. Martin Michelle , Wilson Ryan R.
Published: April 2021

We estimated density and abundance of the threatened southwest Alaska distinct population segment of northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) in two management units. We conducted aerial surveys in Bristol Bay and South Alaska Peninsula management units in 2016, and modeled sea otter density and abundance with Bayesian hierarchical distance sampling models and spatial environmental covariates (depth, distance to shore, depth × distance to shore). Spatial environmental covariates substantially impacted sea otter group density in both management units, but effects sizes differed between the two management units. Abundance (9,733 otters, 95% CrI 6,412–17,819) and density (0.82 otters/km2, 95% CrI 0.54–1.49) estimates for Bristol Bay indicated a moderate population size. In contrast, abundance (546 otters, 95% CrI 322–879) and density (0.06 otters/km2, 95% CrI 0.03–0.09) estimates indicated a relatively low population size in South Alaska Peninsula. Overall, our results highlight the importance of accounting for the detection process in monitoring at‐risk species to reduce the uncertainty associated with making conclusions about population declines.
Comparison of perceptions and barriers to mobilization in critical care: A comparison of nursing staff and physiotherapists—A single‐site service evaluation
Authors: Lewis Megan , Cumming Luke , Twose Paul
Published: April 2021

Background

Mobilization is a key component in the recovery of those admitted to critical care. However, previous research has demonstrated challenges in the implementation of mobilization within critical care, including staff knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours.

Aim

The aim of the current study was to explore the perceived barriers and limitations to mobilization from the perspective of nursing staff, and to compare these with physiotherapists.

Study Design

Single‐site service evaluation utilizing the patient mobilizations attitudes and beliefs survey for ICU and locally developed barriers to rehabilitation questionnaire.

Results

About 135 participants (126 nurses and 9 physiotherapists) were invited to anonymously complete the questionnaires (either paper or electronic), with a response rate of 73.0% (n = 92) for nursing staff and 100% for physiotherapists. Nursing staff reported significantly higher perceived barriers to rehabilitation on both questionnaires when compared with physiotherapy staff, which was not associated with years of experience within critical care. Behavioural barriers were most frequent in both professions which included items such as time availability and presence of perceived contra‐indications to mobilization.

Conclusion

Nursing staff reported greater perceived barriers to rehabilitation when compared with physiotherapists. Further quality improvement projects are now required to reduce these barriers and assist the implementation of mobilization as part of the rehabilitation process.

Relevance to Clinical Practice

Rehabilitation is an essential element of practice within critical care. Understanding the system, local and personal barriers will allow for improvement projects to enhance the delivery of care and improve clinical outcomes.
Adherence to the CONSORT statement and extension for nonpharmacological treatments in randomized controlled trials of bariatric surgery: A systematic survey
Authors: Liu Meilu , Chen Jianrong , Wu Qingni , Zhu Weifeng , Zhou Xu
Published: April 2021

Reporting is critical for establishing the value of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). This study evaluated the adherence of bariatric surgery RCT reporting to the CONsolidated Standards Of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement 2010 and its 2017 extension for non‐pharmacologic treatments (NPT extension). We identified all RCTs comparing bariatric surgery with conservational therapy or alternative bariatric surgery up to June 30, 2020. Reporting quality was assessed using criteria developed from the CONSORT statement and the NPT extension and scored as a percentage. The factors associated with reporting quality were explored by univariate and multivariate analysis. In total, 102 RCTs of bariatric surgery were included. The median scores according to the CONSORT statement and NPT extension were 63.3 and 26.8 of a maximum possible 100, respectively. Two‐thirds of NPT extension items were reported in less than 25% of the RCTs. The median score improved over time for the CONSORT statement but not the NPT extension. A higher CONSORT score was associated with publication in core clinical journals, protocol registration, and funding. No factors associated with the NPT extension score were identified. Substantial efforts are warranted from authors, journals, registration platforms, and funders to overcome the flaws in the reporting of bariatric surgery RCTs.
1984: A Love Letter
Authors: Dotson Kristie
Published: April 2021

Dear Kris,

I know you will read this letter if it ever manages to get to you. You like reading.

I’m not sure what you’ll think of it though. I just know I had to make this attempt to talk to you about the summer of 1984.

There are some things you and I come to know in the summer of 1984 that will take us 35 years to learn to talk about. They were not an easy 35 years. And I want to help change that.
Phylogeny and divergence dating of the ladybird beetle tribe Coccinellini Latreille (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Coccinellinae)
Authors: Nattier Romain , Michel‐Salzat Alice , Almeida Lucia M. , Chifflet‐Belle Pascaline , Magro Alexandra , Salazar Karen , Kergoat Gael J.
Published: April 2021

We reconstruct a comprehensively sampled molecular phylogeny for the second most species‐rich tribe of the ladybird beetle family Coccinellidae, the charismatic Coccinellini. We analysed a dataset consisting of five nuclear and three mitochondrial gene fragments from 150 taxa to provide a detailed phylogeny and estimates of historical divergence times using Bayesian relaxed clocks and primary fossil calibrations and an assessment of the evolution of feeding habits. The results of phylogenetic analyses provide strong support for the monophyly of the tribe Coccinellini, highlight the existence of four major clades and most sampled Coccinellini genera (30 out of 34) were recovered monophyletic. Our dating analyses suggest an Early Cretaceous origin for Coccinellidae atca. 140 millions years ago (Ma) and a Late Cretaceous origin for the tribe Coccinellini atca. 83.8 Ma. Ancestral character state estimation of feeding habits highlights a high level of phylogenetic niche conservatism on aphids and indicates that the most common recent ancestor of Coccinellini likely also fed on aphids. Our reconstruction of feeding habits and assessment of the aphid fossil record suggests that the diversification of Coccinellini paralleled that of Aphididae, although with substantial variation in host‐breadth and the tendency for a few specialized lineages towards non‐aphid feeding.
Fatigue Under Combined Pulsating Stresses
Authors: Majors H. , Mills B. D. , MacGregor C. W.
Published: April 2021

A special combined stress pulsator is described which was used to subject thin-walled cylindrical tubes to various ratios of combined (in phase) pulsating stresses. The material investigated was annealed SAE-1020 steel. Stress ratios in both the (+, +) and the (+, −) quadrants were applied. In addition, tension tests and uniaxial completely reversed rotating bending fatigue tests were made in the axial and tangential directions to study the anisotropy of the material. The combined stress-fatigue tests agreed best with the distortion-energy theory of strength.
Press-Forging Thin Sections: Effect of Friction, Area, and Thickness on Pressures Required
Authors: Schroeder William , Webster D. A.
Published: April 2021

The application of press forging to parts with thin sections is desirable in many instances. It is generally recognized that in forging such parts, the pressure required may be very high. That this high pressure required is due to friction has been reported; however, very little specific information on the effects of friction, area, and thickness is available. The results of this analysis resemble, in some respects, those presented in an analysis of forces required in rolling by Nadai.
The Dynamic Response of a Simple Elastic System to Antisymmetric Forcing Functions Characteristic of Airplanes in Unsymmetric Landing Impact
Authors: Woodson Joseph B.
Published: April 2021

This paper presents an analysis of the dynamic response of an undamped mechanical system with one degree of freedom subjected to disturbances which are described by antisymmetric forcing functions. The analysis was undertaken to throw light on the effect on the vibration of the wings caused by unsymmetric landing impact of an airplane. Two types of disturbances are considered; a full-sine-wave pulse, and a pulse which is the difference between two overlapping half sine waves. The results are presented in the form of dynamic-response curves and dynamic-response-factor curves. The numerically greatest dynamic-response factors, approximately 3.24 and −3.26, resulted for a full-sine-wave pulse disturbance with a ratio of duration of impact to natural period, Ti/T ≅ 1.11. When Ti/T is in the neighborhood of 1, the first positive peak of dynamic response is numerically less than the negative and positive peaks which follow it. For much of the range, the positive and negative dynamic-response factors are numerically approximately equal. The analysis was confined to values of Ti/T between 0.33 and 12. As Ti/T increases without limit, the positive and negative dynamic-response factors tend to 1 and −1, respectively.
Relation of Experiments to Mathematical Theories of Plasticity
Authors: Drucker D. C.
Published: April 2021

Several classes of mathematical theories of plasticity for work-hardening materials are surveyed and their advantages, disadvantages, and agreement with experiment discussed. Consideration is given to the proper correlation of tests on thin-walled tubes subjected to tension, torsion, and internal pressure in fixed but arbitrary ratio. The continuing debate between octahedral-shearing-stress and maximum-shearing-stress criteria of plastic deformation is re-examined and the more general alternatives are restated. Through an analysis of Osgood’s experimental results, it is made apparent that the more general point of view is required for the best correlation. A series of experiments are outlined which make the distinction between the various criteria of loading or deformation very large instead of just a few per cent as in previous work. In the evaluation of present mathematical theories it is shown that incremental-strain theories avoid obvious drawbacks of the so-called deformation type of theory. The concept of isotropic work hardening, assumed in practically all stress-strain relations, is explored and generalized. Strong limitations indicated by the Bauschinger effect, which cannot appear properly in such theories, are pointed out.
Bending Vibration of a Rotating Blade Vibrating in the Plane of Rotation
Authors: Sutherland R. L.
Published: April 2021

An analysis is developed for the uncoupled bending vibration of a rotating blade which is vibrating in the plane of rotation. The numerical method used permits the determination of any mode of vibration by a series of tabular calculations. Expressions are found for relative amplitudes of deflection, moment, and shear along the blade. A wedge-shaped steel blade is taken as an example, and the natural frequency and relative amplitudes of deflections, moments, and shears are found for: (a) non-rotating vibration; (b) vibration perpendicular to the plane of rotation; and (c) vibration in the plane of rotation, using for (a) and (b) the analysis developed by Myklestad (1).
On Torsion of Plastic Bars
Authors: Hodge P. G.
Published: April 2021

This paper is concerned with two aspects of the problem of plastic torsion which do not seem to have received much attention so far. An approximate formula for the warping under large angles of twist is derived and certain conclusions concerning repeated loadings are established.
Determination of the Buckling Load for Columns of Variable Stiffness
Authors: Miesse C. C.
Published: April 2021

A method is given for determining both upper and lower bounds on the critical or buckling load for variable-section columns with axial loading. This method, which is an extension of the Rayleigh principle, is illustrated by three examples.
Beam-Vibration Analysis With the Electric-Analog Computer
Authors: McCann G. D. , MacNeal R. H.
Published: April 2021

The authors have developed a true dynamic analogy which has been used with the Cal Tech electric-analog computer for the rapid and accurate solution of both steady-state and transient beam problems. This analogy has been found well suited to the study of beams having several coupled degrees of freedom, including torsion, simple bending, and bending in a plane. Damping and effects such as rotary inertia may be handled readily. The analogy may also be used in the study of systems involving combined beams and “lumped-constant” elements.
Introduction to the Comprex
Authors: Barry F. W.
Published: April 2021

This paper describes the construction and operation of a comprex, or pressure exchanger, together with its application to a gas-turbine cycle. A simple analysis is also developed, which is intended to indicate the performance characteristics of a comprex. This analysis shows that the pressure ratio, relative gas flow, and the ratio of the temperature of the leaving gas to that of the entering air are all functions of scavenging velocity and of the nature of the compression and expansion processes (as is shown graphically). Some irreversibility is found to be essential to the useful operation of a comprex. Finally, formulas for the major dimensions of a comprex are presented.