bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Maskanda, Umkhosi wokukhahlela and the Articulation of Identity in South Africa
Authors: DE JONG NANETTE , THANDISZWE DIKO KING MADZIKANE II
Published: August 2020

Umkhosi wokukhahlela is an annual ceremony in the KwaBhaca Great Kingdom (Eastern Cape, South Africa) that celebrates virginity among young women and girls. Not regularly practiced for decades, it has recently made a comeback, having been strategically adopted by King Madzikane II as a tool of empowerment in the fight against the HIV pandemic, the rise in teen pregnancies, rape and school dropouts, as well as the abuse of women in general. This article investigates the return of Umkhosi wokukhahlela through Antonio Gramsci’s notion of ‘articulation’. As we shall see, the ritual is a particularly engaging and thoroughgoing example of how local communities intertwine the past with the present to reshape their own identity, borrowing from tradition to articulate specific life lessons germane to the present – and future – of the Bhaca people.
SWEDISH COUNTERINTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS AGAINST BRITISH ECONOMIC WARFARE IN SCANDINAVIA, 1939–1940
Authors: SUONPÄÄ MIKA
Published: August 2020

This article examines the Swedish security establishment's counterintelligence measures directed against British preparations for economic warfare in Scandinavia in 1939–40. Although Stockholm was an intense spying location, there exists a gap in the historiography concerning the topic. At the beginning of the war, the British government regarded economic warfare as an efficient tool for shaking the foundations of the German war economy. Economic warfare included blockades, sabotage, psychological warfare, and diplomatic threats. The present study explores Swedish operations against George Binney, who worked for the British government in war-trade-related issues. The article shows that the Swedish security service had difficulties in obtaining intelligence on Binney because of the reliance on casual informants, whose information was imprecise and sometimes misleading. The British succeeded in uncovering some of the Swedish counterintelligence tactics and this led to problems in capturing significant information, for example, via communication monitoring. The Swedish archival sources have added considerable new empirical details regarding British preparations for blockade running in July 1940. The study also shows that British officials operated on very dangerous ground, as some of the individuals they worked with were enemy agents or in a position to forward information in several different directions.
Security Interests in Personal Property and the Nigerian Secured Transactions in Movable Assets Act 2017: An Appraisal
Authors: Igbinosun Betha
Published: August 2020

In a bid to improve financial inclusion and access to affordable debt finance by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), Nigeria's Secured Transactions in Movable Assets Act (STMA) was enacted on 31 May 2017 to regulate the creation, perfection and realization of security interests in movable assets. This article critically examines certain provisions of the STMA, including the potential issues that may arise due to the dual registration system now available under the act and that hitherto existing under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, as well as the implications of the STMA on traditional pledge transactions. It concludes that, while the STMA is an impressive attempt at enabling MSMEs to leverage their assets into capital for investment and expansion, it fails to procure a harmonized legal framework for secured transactions in personal property or to facilitate their effective use as collateral to improve access to credit by businesses in Nigeria.
The Internet of Things enhancing animal welfare and farm operational efficiency
Authors: Michie Craig , Andonovic Ivan , Davison Christopher , Hamilton Andrew , Tachtatzis Christos , Jonsson Nicholas , Duthie Carol-Anne , Bowen Jenna , Gilroy Michael
Published: August 2020

The growth in wirelessly enabled sensor network technologies has enabled the low cost deployment of sensor platforms with applications in a range of sectors and communities. In the agricultural domain such sensors have been the foundation for the creation of decision support tools that enhance farm operational efficiency. This Research Reflection illustrates how these advances are assisting dairy farmers to optimise performance and illustrates where emerging sensor technology can offer additional benefits. One of the early applications for sensor technology at an individual animal level was the accurate identification of cattle entering into heat (oestrus) to increase the rate of successful pregnancies and thus optimise milk yield per animal. This was achieved through the use of activity monitoring collars and leg tags. Additional information relating to the behaviour of the cattle, namely the time spent eating and ruminating, was subsequently derived from collars giving further insights of economic value into the wellbeing of the animal, thus an enhanced range of welfare related services have been provisioned. The integration of the information from neck-mounted collars with the compositional analysis data of milk measured at a robotic milking station facilitates the early diagnosis of specific illnesses such as mastitis. The combination of different data streams also serves to eliminate the generation of false alarms, improving the decision making capability. The principle of integrating more data streams from deployed on-farm systems, for example, with feed composition data measured at the point of delivery using instrumented feeding wagons, supports the optimisation of feeding strategies and identification of the most productive animals. Optimised feeding strategies reduce operational costs and minimise waste whilst ensuring high welfare standards. These IoT-inspired solutions, made possible through Internet-enabled cloud data exchange, have the potential to make a major impact within farming practices. This paper gives illustrative examples and considers where new sensor technology from the automotive industry may also have a role.
Use of kinase inhibitors against schistosomes to improve and broaden praziquantel efficacy
Authors: Nawaratna Sujeevi S. K. , McManus Donald P. , Gasser Robin B. , Brindley Paul J. , Boyle Glen M. , Rivera Vanessa , Ranasinghe Shiwanthi L. , Jones Malcolm K. , You Hong , Gobert Geoffrey N.
Published: August 2020

Praziquantel (PZQ) is the drug of choice for schistosomiasis. The potential drug resistance necessitates the search for adjunct or alternative therapies to PZQ. Previous functional genomics has shown that RNAi inhibition of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) gene inSchistosomaadult worms significantly improved the effectiveness of PZQ. Here we tested thein vitroefficacy of 15 selective and non-selective CaMK inhibitors againstSchistosoma mansoniand showed that PZQ efficacy was improved against refractory juvenile parasites when combined with these CaMK inhibitors. By measuring CaMK activity and the mobility of adultS. mansoni, we identified two non-selective CaMK inhibitors, Staurosporine (STSP) and 1Naphthyl PP1 (1NAPP1), as promising candidates for further study. The impact of STSP and 1NAPP1 was investigated in mice infected withS. mansoniin the presence or absence of a sub-lethal dose of PZQ against 2- and 7-day-old schistosomula and adults. Treatment with STSP/PZQ induced a significant (47–68%) liver egg burden reduction compared with mice treated with PZQ alone. The findings indicate that the combination of STSP and PZQ dosages significantly improved anti-schistosomal activity compared to PZQ alone, demonstrating the potential of selective and non-selective CaMK/kinase inhibitors as a combination therapy with PZQ in treating schistosomiasis.
Haematobium irritans and Haematobium titillans as potential vectors of Parabronema skrjabini in camels (Camelus bactrianus) in Inner Mongolia, China
Authors: Liu Yang , Zhao Zhiguo , Yang Xiaoye , Yang Lianru , Yang Bo , Zheng Wenqing , Li Wensheng , Luo Xiaoping , Wang Rui , Gu Wei , Wang Penglong
Published: August 2020

Parabronema skrjabini is one of the most harmful nematodes to camels and is responsible for economic losses in animal husbandry industry. There is an urgent need for in-depth studies of potential vectors of the nematode due to its scant regarding information. As previous studies indicated that flies may be the vectors of P. skrjabini, we captured flies in the main camel-producing areas of Inner Mongolia. After autopsy of the specimens of two species of horn flies, we observed the morphology of the suspected nematode larvae found in them. Internal transcribed spacer ribosomal-DNA gene sequences were considered the best candidate to confirm the species of the larvae found. Our results showed that the homology compared with P. skrjabini was 99.5% in GenBank. Subsequently, we preliminarily identified two species of horn flies through morphological observation and then sequenced the mitochondrial-DNA-gene cytochrome oxidase subunit I obtained from two species of horn flies, with 100 and 99.2% similarity to sequences deposited in GenBank, respectively. Thus, we identified Haematobia titillans and Haematobia irritans and provided evidence for their potential role as vectors of parabronemosis. Our study provides reference for future research on the life history of the nematode and the vectors of parabronemosis.
Chemical characterization and in vitro biological activity of Cymbopogon citratus extracts against Haemonchus spp. and Trichostrongylus spp. nematodes from sheep
Authors: Rocha Letícia Oliveira da , Lemos Gloria Cristina da Silva , Vieira Ivo José Curcino , Braz-Filho Raimundo , Freitas Silvério de Paiva , Glória Leonardo Siqueira , Santos Clóvis de Paula
Published: August 2020

Medicinal plants have been the focus of several studies due to their nematicide properties which can be used to control nematodes in sheep. No study has examined the morphological effects of Cymbopogon citratus on nematodes. Thus, this study evaluated the chemical composition, nematicidal activity and effects of C. citratus extracts on the morphology of eggs and infective larvae (L3) of sheep. Aqueous and methanolic extracts and fractions of C. citratus were obtained and analysed in vitro. The C. citratus extracts were effective against Haemonchus spp. and Trichostrongylus spp. larvae and eggs. Ten fractions were obtained from C. citratus, six of which had high ovicidal activity at 1000 μg mL−1, and two fractions had high activity at all tested concentrations. The phytochemical analysis identified the presence of compounds such as terpenoids, various ketones, esters, and fatty acids. The ultrastructural analysis showed deformations of the cuticle and wilting along the body of the nematodes at all concentrations. The muscular layer, intestinal cells and the mitochondria profile showed damage compared to the typical pattern. Ultra-thin sections of eggs treated with methanolic fractions of C. citratus presented modifications. This study showed the biological activity and effects of C. citratus on the gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep.
Childhood maltreatment and disordered gambling in adulthood: disentangling causal and familial influences
Authors: Dash Genevieve F. , Martin Nicholas G. , Slutske Wendy S.
Published: August 2020

Background

Despite abundant research on the potential causal influence of childhood maltreatment (CM) on psychological maladaptation in adulthood, almost none has implemented the discordant twin design as a means of examining the role of such experiences in later disordered gambling (DG) while accounting for genetic and family environmental confounds. The present study implemented such an approach to disentangle the potential causal and familial factors that may account for the association between CM and DG.

Methods

Participants were 3750 twins from the Australian Twin Registry [Mage = 37.60 (s.d. = 2.31); 58% female]. CM and DG were assessed separately via two semi-structured telephone interviews. Random-intercept generalized linear mixed models were fit to the data; zygosity, sex, educational attainment, childhood psychiatric disorder, adult antisocial behavior, and alcohol use disorder (AUD) were included as covariates.

Results

Neither quasi-causal nor familial effects of CM predicted DG after adjusting for covariates. Educational attainment appeared to reduce the risk of DG while AUD appeared to increase risk; evidence also emerged for familial effects of antisocial behavior on DG. Post-hoc analyses revealed a familial effect of CM on antisocial behavior, indicating that the association between CM and DG identified in unadjusted models and in prior studies may be accounted for by genetic and shared family environmental effects of antisociality.

Conclusions

These findings add to the meager literature showing that CM does not exert a causal effect on DG, and present novel evidence that familial effects of antisocial behavior may account for the association between CM and DG identified in extant non-twin research.
Can we talk about it? A qualitative study exploring occupational therapists’ decision making in judging when to ask an older person about drinking alcohol
Authors: Maclean Fiona , Dewing Jan , Kantartzis Sarah , Breckenridge Jenna P. , McCormack Brendan
Published: August 2020

Older people now currently drink alcohol more frequently than previous generations, indicating a need to understand how this influences health and wellbeing in older adults. However, knowledge and awareness of the changing role alcohol plays in the lives of older people is not necessarily widely understood by allied health professionals in acute hospital contexts. In turn, conversations about drinking alcohol in later life may not be routinely addressed as part of practice, limiting an older person's choice to make informed decisions about their drinking. This paper qualitatively examines when occupational therapists (N = 17) in an acute hospital setting will initiate a conversation with older people (65+ years) about their drinking, guided by a theoretical lens that encompasses both person-centredness and collective occupation. Adopting a qualitative methodology, this study illustrates a typology of reasoning describing how, and in what circumstances, therapists ask older people about their alcohol use. Three themes were generated that provide further insight into the typology, these being ‘hesitancy in practice’, ‘failure to link life transitions to alcohol use’ and ‘challenges of focusing on healthfulness’. These findings provide a potentially useful tool for therapists, services and organisations to self-assess their approach to asking older people about alcohol use; a necessary element of professional health-care practice as social trends in alcohol use continue to increase.
English-based coroneologisms
Authors: Roig–Marín Amanda
Published: August 2020

In a 2016 article published in this journal (Roig–Marín, 2016), I argued that the coinage of cyber-blends reflects our blended digital/physical relationships in today's world. The current pandemic has put a halt to our everyday lives and all forms of physical contact, and so technologies and digital experiences now play a more conspicuous role than ever. We have gone online and got used to vocabulary whose usage prior to COVID-19 was very limited (e.g. quarantine and pandemic) or known to very few (coronavirus, super-spreader, or the abbreviations PPE ‘personal protective equipment’ or WFH ‘working from home’), while coming to terms with the implications of others such as self-isolation, lockdown, or social distancing (which should be better called physical distancing as social closeness, albeit non-physically, is very much needed to get through these difficult times). Short pieces on coroneologisms have attested to the rise of many new lexical formations, mostly blends. According to Thorne (2020; also cited in CBC, 2020), more than 1,000 new words – both non-specialised and technical terminology – have been created during the current pandemic. Journalists and Twitter users are particularly prone to coin words displaying a high level of linguistic ingenuity; yet, the circulation of that lexis may be very limited. The present note overviews some of the most widely spread vocabulary related to our new COVID-19 reality, coming from the laity rather than from medical or scientific professionals. Alongside terms like social distancing and lockdown, less technical and more playful vocabulary has transcended linguistic boundaries. Particular attention will be paid to examples from European languages whose word-stocks share a common Latinate substratum, likewise central to scientific communication.
Updated Understanding of the Experiences and Perceptions of Alcohol Use in Later Life
Authors: Canham Sarah L. , Humphries Joe , Kupferschmidt Anthony L. , Lonsdale Emily
Published: August 2020

The purpose of this study was to update our understandings of older adults’ experiences and perceptions of alcohol use. Taking a community-based research approach, three Knowledge Café workshops hosted 66 older adults and service providers in Vancouver, BC. Thematic analysis identified three overarching categories: (a) reasons older adults use alcohol, including out of habit, social expectations, or to self-medicate; (b) personal experiences of alcohol use, including reduced consumption over time as a result of the cost of alcohol, the physical effects, and increased knowledge about the effects of alcohol; and (c) older adults’ perceptions of alcohol use outcomes, including positive outcomes from drinking in moderation and negative outcomes that can worsen one’s health, lead to tolerance, and harm others. Developing and promoting healthy drinking behaviours in later life is needed as the general population continues to age.
Faster coroutine pipelines: A reconstruction
Authors: PIETERS RUBEN P. , SCHRIJVERS TOM
Published: August 2020

The three-continuation approach to coroutine pipelines efficiently represents a large number of connected components. Previous work in this area introduces this alternative encoding but does not shed much light on the underlying principles for deriving this encoding from its specification. This paper gives this missing insight by deriving the three-continuation encoding based on eliminating the mutual recursion in the definition of the connect operation. Using the same derivation steps, we are able to derive a similar encoding for a more general setting, namely bidirectional pipes. Additionally, we evaluate the encoding in an advertisement analytics benchmark where it is as performant as pipes, conduit, and streamly, which are other common Haskell stream processing libraries.
Overfeeding and obesity in young children with positive pressure ventilation via tracheostomy following cardiac surgery
Authors: Tsuda Takeshi , Hehir David A. , Thacker Deepika , Lamma Allison , Tearl Donna , Gidding Samuel S.
Published: August 2020

Objectives:

Infants with CHD requiring positive pressure ventilation via tracheostomy are especially vulnerable to malnutrition following cardiac surgery. Current post-operative feeding recommendations may overestimate the caloric needs.

Design:

We retrospectively studied infants requiring tracheostomy after cardiac surgery. Anthropometric and nutritional data were collected, including caloric goals, weight-for-age z score, length-for-age z score, and weight-for-length z score. Changes in anthropometrics over time were compared to ascertain the impact of nutritional interventions. Data were shown as mean ± standard deviation.

Results:

Nineteen infants with CHD required tracheostomy at 160 ± 109 days (7–364 days), 13 had reparative surgery, and 6 had palliative surgery for single ventricle. The indications for tracheostomy consisted of airway abnormality/obstruction (n = 13), chronic respiratory failure (n = 7), and/or vocal cord paresis (n = 2). Initial maintenance nutritional target was set at 100–130 cal/kg per day. Fourteen patients (73.7%) became obese (maximum weight-for-length z score: 2.59 ± 0.47) under tracheostomy and gastrostomy feeding, whereas five patients did not (weight-for-length z score: 0.2 ± 0.83). Eight obese patients (weight-for-length z score: 2.44 ± 0.85) showed effective reduction of obesity within 6 months (weight-for-length z score: 0.10 ± 0.20; p < 0.05 compared with pre-adjustment) after appropriate feeding adjustment (40–90 cal/kg per day). Overall mortality was high (31.6%) in this population.

Conclusion:

Standard nutritional management resulted in overfeeding and obesity in young children with CHD requiring positive pressure ventilation via tracheostomy. Optimal nutritional management in this high-risk population requires close individualised management by multidisciplinary teams.
Saccular “Cauliflower” aneurysm of coarctation of aorta: a hybrid management
Authors: Bansal Neha , Forbes Thomas J. , Aggarwal Sanjeev
Published: August 2020

Aneurysm formation around the site of coarctation of aortic arch is a well-recognised complication of untreated coarctation and is associated with an increased risk of aortic rupture and mortality. We present a rare case in a teenage girl with the combination of significant aortic arch coarctation, a “cauliflower-like” saccular aneurysm, and stenosis at the origin of the left subclavian artery. She was successfully managed with a hybrid approach, which is a combination of an endovascular surgical repair (a bypass graft placement from left carotid artery to subclavian artery by a vascular surgeon) and a transcatheter covered stent placement across the stenosis and aneurysm. This case highlights the successful role of a hybrid approach in patient’s who present with a combination of coarctation of the aorta and aortic arch aneurysms. This approach avoids the conventional surgical aortoplasty, which carries a higher mortality and morbidity risk in teenage patients.
Geospatial analysis of Mediterranean diet adherence in the United States
Authors: Chen Meifang , Creger Thomas , Howard Virginia , Judd Suzanne E , Harrington Kathy F , Fontaine Kevin R
Published: August 2020

Objective:

The current study aims to describe the Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence across the US regions, and explore the predictive factors of MD adherence among US adults.

Design:

Cross-sectional secondary data analysis. MD adherence score (0–9) was calculated using the Block 98 FFQ. Hot spot analysis was conducted to describe the geospatial distribution of MD adherence across the US regions. Logistic regression explored predictors of MD adherence.

Setting:

Nationwide community-dwelling residency in the USA.

Participants:

Adults aged ≥45 years (n20 897) who participated in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study and completed baseline assessment during January 2003 and October 2007.

Results:

The mean of MD adherence score was 4·36 (sd1·70), and 46·5 % of the sample had high MD adherence (score 5–9). Higher MD adherence clusters were primarily located in the western and northeastern coastal areas of the USA, whereas lower MD adherence clusters were majorly observed in south and east-north-central regions. Being older, black, not a current smoker, having a college degree or above, an annual household income ≥ $US 75K, exercising ≥4 times/week and watching TV/video <4 h/d were each associated with higher odds of high MD adherence.

Conclusions:

There were significant geospatial and population disparities in MD adherence across the US regions. Future studies are needed to explore the causes of MD adherence disparities and develop effective interventions for MD promotion in the USA.
Evaluating Coca-Cola’s attempts to influence public health ‘in their own words’: analysis of Coca-Cola emails with public health academics leading the Global Energy Balance Network
Authors: Serodio Paulo , Ruskin Gary , McKee Martin , Stuckler David
Published: August 2020

Objective:

We evaluate the extent to which Coca-Cola tried to influence research in the Global Energy Balance Network, as revealed by correspondence between the company and leading public health academics obtained through Freedom-of-Information (FOI) requests.

Design:

US state FOI requests were made in the years 2015–2016 by US Right to Know, a non-profit consumer and public health group, obtaining 18 030 pages of emails covering correspondence between The Coca-Cola Company and public health academics at West Virginia University and University of Colorado, leading institutions of the Global Energy Balance Network. We performed a narrative, thematic content analysis of 18 036 pages of Coca-Cola Company’s emails, coded between May and December 2016, against a taxonomy of political influence strategies.

Results:

Emails identified two main strategies, regarding information and messaging and constituency building, associated with a series of practices and mechanisms that could influence public health nutrition. Despite publications claiming independence, we found evidence that Coca-Cola made significant efforts to divert attention from its role as a funding source through diversifying funding partners and, in some cases, withholding information on the funding involved. We also found documentation that Coca-Cola supported a network of academics, as an ‘email family’ that promoted messages associated with its public relations strategy, and sought to support those academics in advancing their careers and building their affiliated public health and medical institutions.

Conclusions:

Coca-Cola sought to obscure its relationship with researchers, minimise the public perception of its role and use these researchers to promote industry-friendly messaging. More robust approaches for managing conflicts of interest are needed to address diffuse and obscured patterns of industry influence.
Effect of culinary education curriculum on Mediterranean diet adherence and food cost savings in families: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Razavi Alexander C , Sapin Alexander , Monlezun Dominique J , McCormack Isabella G , Latoff Anna , Pedroza Kathrine , McCullough Colleen , Sarris Leah , Schlag Emily , Dyer Amber , Harlan Timothy S
Published: August 2020

Objective:

Diet-related diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the USA. While the critical aspects of a healthy diet are well known, the relationship between community-based, teaching kitchen education and dietary behaviours is unclear. We examined the effect of a novel culinary medicine education programme on Mediterranean diet adherence and food cost savings.

Design:

Families were randomised to a hands-on, teaching kitchen culinary education class (n= 18) or non-kitchen-based dietary counselling (n= 23) for 6 weeks. The primary outcome was adherence to the validated nine-point Mediterranean diet score, and the secondary outcome was food cost savings per family.

Setting:

The Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine, a community teaching kitchen in New Orleans.

Participants:

Families (n= 41) of at least one child and one parent.

Results:

Compared with families receiving traditional dietary counselling, those participating in hands-on, kitchen-based nutrition education were nearly three times as likely to follow a Mediterranean dietary pattern (OR 2·93, 95% CI 1·73, 4·95;P <  0·001), experiencing a 0·43-point increase in Mediterranean diet adherence after 6 weeks (B =  0·43;P <  0·001). Kitchen-based nutrition education projects to save families $US 21·70 per week compared with standard dietary counselling by increasing the likelihood of consuming home-preparedv. commercially-prepared meals (OR 1·56, 95% CI 1·08, 2·25;P  =  0·018).

Conclusions:

Community-based culinary medicine education improves Mediterranean diet adherence and associates with food cost savings among a diverse sample of families. Hands-on culinary medicine education may be a novel evidence-based tool to teach healthful dietary habits and prevent chronic disease.
Health and health service usage outcomes of case management for patients with long-term conditions: a review of reviews
Authors: Buja Alessandra , Francesconi Paolo , Bellini Irene , Barletta Valentina , Girardi Giovanni , Braga Mario , Cosentino Mimma , Marvulli Mariagrazia , Baldo Vincenzo , Damiani Gianfranco
Published: August 2020

Objective:

There have been plenty of articles published in recent decades on patient care in the form of case management (CM), but conclusions regarding health outcomes and costs have often been discordant. The objective of this study was to examine previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses with a view to assessing and pooling the overwhelming amount of data available on CM-based health outcomes and resource usage.

Methods:

We conducted a review of reviews of secondary studies (meta-analyses and systematic reviews) addressing the effectiveness of CM compared with usual care (or other organizational models) in adult (18+) with long-term conditions. PubMed, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE) were searched from 2000 to the end of December 2017. The outcomes of interest are related to process of care, health measures, and resource usage.

Results:

Twenty-two articles were ultimately considered: 4 meta-analyses and 18 systematic reviews. There is strong evidence of CM increasing adherence to treatment guidelines and improving patient satisfaction, but none of the secondary studies considered demonstrated any effect on patient survival. Based on the available literature, there is contrasting evidence regarding all the other health outcomes, such as quality of life (QOL), clinical outcomes, and functional status. Good-quality secondary studies consistently found nothing to indicate that CM prompts any reduction in the use of hospital resources.

Conclusion:

The source of variability in the literature on the consistency of the evidence for most outcomes is unclear. It may stem from the heterogeneity of CM programs in terms of what their intervention entails, the populations targeted, and the tools used to measure the results. That said, there was consistently strong evidence of CM being associated with a greater adherence to treatment guidelines and higher patient satisfaction, but not with a longer survival or better use of hospital resources.
A Crowdsourcing Approach to Revitalizing Scholarship on Black Women Suffragists
Authors: Dublin Thomas
Published: August 2020

This article draws on a collection of crowdsourced biographical sketches of Black women suffragists to explore the contributions of these activists to the expansion of voting rights that accompanied the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment. It explores the motivations and strategies adopted by Black women suffragists and interracial alliances that emerged in the course of the suffrage struggle, comparing and contrasting the experiences of suffragists across racial lines.
Is small placenta a risk for low birth weight in KOKAN? (Data from a coastal region in the state of Maharashtra, India)
Authors: Patil Suvarna , Dombale Vijay , Joglekar Charudatta , Patil Netaji , Joshi Kiran , Warpe Bhushan , Burute Pushpa
Published: August 2020

KOKAN region is characterized by undernutrition across all stages of lifecycle. Developmental Origins of Health & Disease hypothesis suggests that environmental influences in the early period of growth and development can contribute to the risks of noncommunicable diseases (NCD) in adulthood. Newborns and placentas of 815 pregnant mothers delivered in a rural hospital were studied. We tested the hypothesis that low placental weight will be associated with low birth weight (LBW). Mothers had a mean age of 26 years and were smaller in size at delivery [mean height of 152.1 cm (±6.1 cm), weight 52 kg (±10.2 kg), body mass index (BMI) 22.5 kg/m2 (±4.1 kg/m2)]. Mean placental weight was 488 g (±120 g). Mean birth weight, length, and head circumference of the newborn were 2.54 kg (±0.5 kg), 46.3 cm (±3.1 cm), and 32.7 cm (±1.7 cm), respectively. Prevalence of LBW, stunting, and small head size was 41.6%, 42.2%, and 18.2%, respectively. Maternal height, weight, and BMI at delivery were all positively associated with placental weight (p < 0.01 for all). Mothers with placentas in the lowest placental weight tertile had an increased likelihood of producing an LBW baby [OR 7.7, 95% CI (5.0, 11.8)], a stunted baby [OR 1.9 (1.4, 2.9)], or a baby with a small head circumference [OR 2.4 (1.4, 4.0)]. Mothers in the lowest height tertile had odds of producing a LBW baby [OR 1.8 95% CI (1.2, 2.7)] or a stunted baby [OR 1.6 (1.1, 2.3)]. There is a need to improve the nutritional status of women in KOKAN region which may reduce the risk of NCD.
COVID-19: Twin Research in Progress/Twin Research Reviews: Asthmatic and Nonasthmatic Twins; Stanford University Study of Anal Prints; Twin Mammals and COVID-19; Twin Delivery and the Three ‘Rs’/Mixed Media:The Rainman Twins— The Film; Twins Irish Pub; Twins ‘Covid and Corona’; Death of a Surgeon Who Separated Conjoined Twins; Twinco — Twin-Based Supply Company
Authors: Segal Nancy L.
Published: August 2020

It is likely that genetic factors play a role in the susceptibility to, and recovery from, COVID-19. A survey of ongoing twin research could produce findings likely to help in the prevention and management of this pandemic. This survey is followed by a review of research comparing selected features of asthmatic and nonasthmatic twins, links between twin mammals and COVID-19, and relationships between twin delivery and the three ‘Rs’. The final section of this article presents newsworthy twin-related items, some associated with COVID-19. They include a summary of theRainman Twinsfilm, a study of anal prints, the ‘Twins’ Irish pub, newborn twins ‘Covid and Corona’, the death of a surgeon who separated conjoined twins, and Twinco, a twin-based supply company.
Aerosol Total Volume Estimation From Wavelength‐ and Size‐Resolved Scattering Coefficient Data: A New Method
Authors: Kassianov E. , Pekour M. S. , Berg L. K. , Chirokova G. , Flynn C. J. , Hallar A. G. , Setyan A. , Zhang Q. , Uin J. , Fast J. D.
Published: August 2020

While the importance of supermicron particles on human health and climate is well recognized, knowledge of their size‐related properties remains elusive. Many routine near‐surface in situ measurements of aerosol properties include size spectra of submicron particles and aerosol total scattering coefficient at three visible wavelengths and two size cutoffs. These properties are collected, for example, at the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility. Our study illustrates how these conventional measurements can be used to predict total particle volume (particle size <10 μm). The well‐known fact that small and large particles scatter sunlight very differently forms the basis of a new method. Our study demonstrates a good agreement between estimated and measured total volumes for five climate‐important locations. The agreement suggests that the new method can be used to predict the total particle volume from the routine data collected at numerous sites around the world.
Gap Filling of Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder Data as Applied to Hurricane Warm Core Animations
Authors: Yan Banghua , Liang Ding , Porter Warren , Huang Jingfeng , Sun Ninghai , Zhou Lihang , Zhu Tong , Goldberg Mitch , Zhang Da‐Lin , Liu Quanhua
Published: August 2020

As a microwave radiometer seeing through clouds, Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) observations play a critical role in visually monitoring hurricane warm core structures. However, the presence of orbit gaps within the ATMS observations at low latitudes regions, where hurricanes frequently develop, raises concerns in monitoring hurricanes' spatial variability. To resolve this issue, this study generates gap‐filled ATMS brightness temperature data by using the smoothing algorithm of Penalized Least Square Discrete Cosine Transform. The accuracies of the missing‐filled brightness temperatures for temperature sounding channels are approximately within 1 K. Furthermore, the gap‐filled brightness temperature data from channels 5–12 are utilized to establish a three‐dimensional Hurricane Warm Core Animation System (HWCAS) in near real time (NRT), which helps to visually observe realistic warm core structures of a hurricane system. The information of hurricane warm core over open oceans and coastal areas is derived using a combination of three new regression‐based atmospheric temperature retrieval algorithms, with the averaged error typically within ±1 K at the vertical levels a warm core could occur. Each animation consists of 97 two‐dimensional atmospheric temperature anomaly images at different cross‐sections through hurricane core regions. The retrieved maximum temperature anomalies show well the formation, intensification, weakening, reintensification, and dissipation stages of Hurricane Florence that are similar to those from the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analysis. They also show similar weakening and reintensifying stages to those of the maximum sustained winds by the best track data, albeit with some temporal lead/lag. With its strength in NRT hurricane monitoring, the HWCAS demonstrate its great potential in providing meteorologists with timely information of temperature anomaly fields in the inner‐core regions of a hurricane.
Increased Occurrence and Intensity of Consecutive Rainfall Events in the China's Three Gorges Reservoir Area Under Global Warming
Authors: Zheng Yanxin , Li Shuanglin , Ullah Kalim
Published: August 2020

Consecutive rainfall events (CREs) are important triggers of geological hazards like landslide downhill and mudslide in the Three Gorges Reservoir area (TGR), China. These hazards are not only potential risks for the effective storage capacity of the reservoir but also threats of the safety of the reservoir's Great Dam. The future changes of CREs' occurrence and intensity are analyzed by using the projection experiments from 20 models attending the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) under three different representative concentration pathways (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5). Spring and fall are focused on, during which CREs are most frequent. Considering a common overestimate of rainy days number in the state‐of‐the‐art models, a new approach is developed to define CREs based on the percentile of rainfall distribution in observations. The approach yields a similar CREs climatology in models to that in observations and thus is used to identify CREs in models. The results based on multiple model ensemble (MME) and model spread comparison suggest a significant increase in spring and an overall decrease in fall in CREs' occurrence under all three scenarios. As for the intensity, it is projected to intensify in both spring and fall. Particularly, the higher the emission scenario, the greater the spring accumulated rainfall amount during a single CRE. These results imply an increasing risk of geological hazards in the TGR in the future.
Quantification of Eruption Dynamics on the North Rift at Axial Seamount, Juan de Fuca Ridge
Authors: Le Saout M. , Bohnenstiehl D. R. , Paduan J. B. , Clague D. A.
Published: August 2020

Quantifying eruption dynamics in submarine environments is challenging. During the 2015 eruption of Axial Seamount, the formation of hummocky mounds along the north rift was accompanied by tens of thousands of impulsive acoustic signals generated by the interaction of lava and seawater. A catalog of these sounds was integrated with detailed seafloor mapping to better understand eruptive processes in time and space. Mounds grew over a period of 28 days with average extrusion rates of 22 to 45 m3 s−1. The most distant mounds, ~9.5 to 15.5 km down rift from the caldera, grew primarily over the first few days of the eruption. The focus of eruptive activity then retreated ~5 km toward the caldera where it was sustained. Mounds are constructed as a series of superimposed lobes formed through alternating periods of flow inflation, generating up to 30‐m‐thick hummocks, and periods of flow advancement, with <0.02 m s−1 average speeds typically observed.
Well Proximity Governing Stress Drop Variation and Seismic Attenuation Associated With Hydraulic Fracturing Induced Earthquakes
Authors: Yu Hongyu , Harrington Rebecca M. , Kao Honn , Liu Yajing , Abercrombie Rachel E. , Wang Bei
Published: August 2020

We use broadband seismic data collected within 3 km of a hydraulic fracturing (HF) well in northeast British Columbia, Canada, to estimate the stress drop values of HF‐induced earthquakes and their spatial variation. Applying both spectral ratio and clustered single‐spectra fitting methods to 484 induced earthquakes (M‐1.0 to 3.0), we find that earthquakes close to the injection well have lower stress drop values than those at greater distance. Stress drop values are generally invariant within clusters either proximal (~0.1–1 MPa) or distal (~1–10 MPa) to the well, suggesting that dynamic ruptures in rocks with similar rheological properties tend to have relatively constant stress drop values. Clustered single spectrum fitting also suggests that the seismic quality factor (Q) is lower proximal to the well. We interpret the lower stress drop values and higher seismic attenuation proximal to the well as a result of higher fracture density and/or elevated pore pressure in the rock matrix due to hydraulic stimulation.
Hydromechanical Modeling of Nonplanar Three‐Dimensional Fracture Propagation Using an Iteratively Coupled Approach
Authors: Li Sanbai , Firoozabadi Abbas , Zhang Dongxiao
Published: August 2020

Accurate numerical modeling of fracture propagation and deflection in porous media is important in the development of georesources. To this end, we propose a novel modeling framework to simulate nonplanar three‐dimensional fracture growth within poroelastic media, using an iteratively coupled approach based on time‐/scale‐dependent fracture stiffness. In this approach, the propagating fractures are explicitly tracked and fitted at each growth step using triangular elements that are independent of the matrix discretized by hexahedral grids. The finite volume/finite element method is employed to solve the hydromechanical system, based on the embedded discrete fracture model. The calculated pressure in fractures and the stress state of the host grid of the embedded fractures constitute the boundary conditions for the boundary element method. The boundary element method module, in turn, renders the evolving fracture stiffness and aperture for the finite volume/finite element method module. Finally, the total stresses and the fracture tip displacements are computed at the end of each time step to estimate the velocity and direction of newly created fractures ahead of the fracture tip. The proposed model is first validated against analytical solutions. Then, in three different examples, results are shown from the fracture's footprint under layered stress conditions, simultaneous propagation of two nonplanar three‐dimensional fractures, and the mechanical interaction of en échelon arrays. This work presents an efficient framework to simulate propagation of nonplanar fractures and establishes the foundation to build an integrated simulator for fracture propagation, proppant transport, and production forecasting in unconventional formations.
Broadband Acoustic Inversion for Gas Flux Quantification—Application to a Methane Plume at Scanner Pockmark, Central North Sea
Authors: Li Jianghui , Roche Ben , Bull Jonathan M. , White Paul R. , Leighton Timothy G. , Provenzano Giuseppe , Dewar Marius , Henstock Timothy J.
Published: August 2020

The release of greenhouse gases from both natural and man‐made sites has been identified as a major cause of global climate change. Extensive work has addressed quantifying gas seeps in the terrestrial setting while little has been done to refine accurate methods for determining gas flux emerging through the seabed into the water column. This paper investigates large‐scale methane seepage from the Scanner Pockmark in the North Sea with a new methodology that integrates data from both multibeam and single‐beam acoustics, with single‐beam data covering a bandwidth (3.5 to 200 kHz) far wider than that used in previous studies, to quantify the rate of gas release from the seabed into the water column. The multibeam data imaged a distinct fork‐shaped methane plume in the water column, the upper arm of which was consistently visible in the single‐beam data, while the lower arm was only intermittently visible. Using a novel acoustic inversion method, we determine the depth‐dependent gas bubble size distribution and the gas flux for each plume arm. Our results show that the upper plume arm comprises bubbles with radii ranging from 1 to 15 mm, while the lower arm consists of smaller bubbles with radii ranging from 0.01 to 0.15 mm. We extrapolate from these estimates to calculate the gas flux from the Scanner Pockmark as between 1.6 and 2.7 × 106 kg/year (272 to 456 L/min). This range was calculated by considering uncertainties together with Monte Carlo simulation. Our improved methodology allows more accurate quantification of natural and anthropogenic gas plumes in the water column.
Microbial Biomass Drives Seasonal Hysteresis in Litter Heterotrophic Respiration in Relation to Temperature in a Warm‐Temperate Forest
Authors: Ataka Mioko , Kominami Yuji , Sato Kai , Yoshimura Kenichi
Published: August 2020

CO2 efflux from the litter layer, litter heterotrophic respiration, is an important component of the forest carbon cycle. Litter heterotrophic respiration mediated by microorganisms varies in response to seasonal environmental changes, such as temperature and moisture. Here, we aimed to quantify seasonal variation in litter heterotrophic respiration and determine how the microbial biomass influences microbial activity and hence litter heterotrophic respiration in a warm temperate forest. We performed in situ high‐frequency measurements of litter heterotrophic respiration per unit area (R_area), which are able to capture CO2 pulses during rainfall, for over 2 years. Microbial activity, which is the CO2 efflux per unit weight (R_mass) considering the change in the amount of substrate, was calculated based on R_area. In parallel, we measured substrate‐induced respiration (SIR) each month, as an index of microbial biomass. We identified seasonal hysteresis in R_area, which was higher in spring (January to July) than in fall (August to December), despite the temperature being similar in both periods. Of interest, R_mass and SIR also showed similar seasonal hysteresis in relation to temperature. Additionally, potential microbial activity without the effect of temperature and moisture was positively related to SIR. This result indicates that seasonal hysteresis with temperature in microbial activity was driven by microbial biomass seasonality, and thus, it leads to seasonal hysteresis in litter heterotrophic respiration in relation to temperature. Our findings highlight the importance of not only the environmental factors and substrate depletion but also biotic factors for estimating heterotrophic respiration.