bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diversity of Bactrocera spp. on some mango varieties at Kecamatan Talun, Kabupaten Cirebon
Authors: Susanto A , Djaya L , Roziana E
Published: April 2020

Fruit fly (Bactrocera spp.) is a major pest of horticultural crops, especially fruits. Fruit fly larvae feed on the flesh of fruit, and cause the decrease of both quantity and quality of the production. Fruit fly species on certain fruit in an area is important to be identified to make a right decision in choosing the control methods. The objectives of this study were to identify the fruit fly species, and determine the dominant species and diversity index of fruit flies on mangoes Gedong Gincu, Cengkir, and Arumanis at Kecamatan Talun, Kabupaten Cirebon, Indonesia. The survey was carried out by collecting samples of mango fruit attacked by fruit flies from field, wholesaler, and retailer at Kecamatan Talun. The results showed that there were four species that attack mangoes Gedong Gincu, Cengkir, and Arumanis at Kecamatan Talun, namely B. dorsalis; B. carambolae; interspesific hybrids of B. carambolae and B. dorsalis; and B. albistrigata. The dominant species was B. dorsalis. Diversity index (H’) of fruit fly species was 0,05 ≤ H’ ≤ 0,48 (H’ < 1,5), so that the diversity was considered low.
Distance of agricultural land from natural habitat affects the functional trait diversity and species diversity but not abundance of Hymenoptera parasites
Authors: Ulina E S , Rizali A , Manuwoto S , Pudjianto  , Buchori D
Published: April 2020

In agricultural landscapes, natural habitat may enhance species diversity or the abundance of natural enemies in arable lands, and thereby suppress pest populations effectively. However, there is a lack of studies in Tropical regions about these interactions. The aim of this study was to investigate the community structure of Hymenoptera parasites at two distances (<200 m and > 400 m) from edges of natural habitat to cucumber fields. This research was carried out in twelve cucumber fields in West Java, Indonesia. Hymenopteran parasites were collected by yellow pan trap and hand picking of parasitized lepidopteran larvae. In total, 19 family and 130 parasitoid species, comprising 19,167 individuals, were collected in our experiments. A number of 56 (43.1%) hymenopteran parasites species found only in cropping with a certain distance away from the natural habitat. Of these, as many as 39 species (69.6%) hymenopteran parasites found in cucumber fields within close natural habitats, while the crop is being of natural habitats found 17 species (13.1%). Moreover, the functional diversity of hymenopteran parasites tends to increase on cropland closed to natural habitat. We conclude that distance of agricultural land to natural habitat affect hymenopteran parasites.
Potency of biofertilizer to control damping off disease and stimulate plant growth on Japansche Citroen Seedling
Authors: Widyaningsih S , Dwiastuti M E , Agustina D , Sudiana I M
Published: April 2020

Damping off is one of the diseases caused by soil-borne pathogens resulting in the death of seedling in a short time. Control of this disease is quite difficult. The study aimed to examine the potential of biofertilizers and the time of application to damping off disease intensity and plant growth on Japansche citroen seedling. This study used a Factorial Completely Randomized Design with two factors: 1). Biofertilizer namely AzzoFor (P1), liquid biofertilizer (P2), a secondary metabolite of Trichoderma asperellum (P3), the mixture of three biofertilizers (P4), and control (P5), 2). The time of application, namely the treatment of biofertilizers first then followed by the inoculation of F. oxysporum. (A1) and the treatment of F. oxysporu first followed by treatment of biofertilizer (A2). The results showed that the lowest disease intensity was found in A1P3 treatment (0%), while in control reached 41.3%. The treatment of A1P2, A2P1, A2P2 and A2P4 showed the same disease intensity. The highest disease control effectiveness found in A1P2, A1P3, A2P1, A2P2 and A2P4 treatments and this was significantly different compared to A1P4, A2P3 and control treatments. The most significant percentage of seeds germinate at 21 DAS was shown in A1P1 treatment (26.7%) and A2P3 treatment (25.3%), while after 28 DAS, it was in A2P4 treatment (73.3%). The lowest plant height at 28 DAS was A1P4 treatment and control. Biofertilizer is useful for controlling the damping-off disease if applied separately.
Effect of planting media on the growth of red betel (Piper crocatum) cutting
Authors: Widyastuti T , Isnawan B H , Adawiyah S R
Published: April 2020

Red betel is a plant that is cultivated by many people in Indonesia. Vegetative propagation of red betel through cuttings usually has a low success rate because it is affected by the planting medium used. This research aimed to determine the best planting medium for the growth of red betel cutting. The medium use was soil, sand, compost, husk charcoal, coconut coir and fractional tile which made in various combination i.e., M1 (soil + compost), M2 (soil + husk charcoal), M3 (soil + coconut coir), M4 (soil + sand + compost), M5 (soil + sand + husk charcoal), M6 (soil + sand + coconut coir), M7 (soil + fractional tile + compost), M8 (soil + fractional tile + husk charcoal) and M9 (soil + fractional tile + coconut coir). The results showed that the planting medium affect the growth of red betel cutting. M2 (soil + husk charcoal) treatment showed the best effect to support the growth of red betel of cutting.
Limited Mating Ability of a Wasp Strain with Rickettsia-Induced Thelytoky
Authors: Adachi-Hagimori Tetsuya , Miura Kazuki
Published: April 2020

Sexual reproduction is the dominant mode of reproduction in plants and animals; however, some species from various taxonomic groups reproduce asexually. Because some of these asexual species lack DNA recombination and so have low genetic variability, these asexual species are more likely to go extinct than sexual species. Neochrysocharis formosa (Westwood) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is a solitary endoparasitoid in which both arrhenotokous and thelytokous strains occur in sympatry. The thelytokous strain is infected by a parthenogenesis-inducing Rickettsia bacterium. We investigated whether fertilized progeny can be produced between females and antibiotic-induced males of the thelytokous strain. The males produced by antibiotic treatment showed the same courtship behaviors as the arrhenotokous males, but at a lower rate, and did not produce fertilized progeny. The results confirm that the thelytokous strain has been maintained by a functional apomixis mechanism rather than by occasional sex, preserving a degree of heterozygosity.
Phylogeography of the Cran’s bullyGobiomorphus basalis(Gobiiformes: Eleotridae) and an analysis of species boundaries within the New Zealand radiation ofGobiomorphus
Authors: Shelley James J , David Bruno O , Thacker Christine E , Hicks Andy S , Jarvis Matt G , Unmack Peter J
Published: April 2020

New Zealand has a complex recent history of climatic and tectonic change that has left variable signatures in the geographic distribution and genetic structure of the region’s flora and fauna. To identify concordant patterns, a broad range of taxa must be examined and compared. In New Zealand’s North Island, a consensus is forming as to the dominant biogeographic barriers in the region although obligate freshwater taxa have not been considered in this framework. We use single-nucleotide polymorphisms to investigate phylogeography in the widespread obligate freshwater fish Gobiomorphus basalis on the North Island. Phylogeographic patterns within G. basalis reveal biogeographic disjunctions that are in some ways consistent and in other ways at odds with established patterns, providing insight into the processes that have shaped the islands’ biogeography. We also use phylogeography to delineate species boundaries within the entire New Zealand radiation of Gobiomorphus and find that it contains several morphologically cryptic species. We resolve two clades within G. basalis that correspond to areas north and south of the Taupo Volcanic Zone. We confirm the distinctiveness of Gobiomorphus alpinus relative to Gobiomorphus cotidianus, as well as the presence of two lineages within Gobiomorphus breviceps that were previously identified based on mitochondrial data.
The Pitman–Yor multinomial process for mixture modelling
Authors: Lijoi Antonio , Prünster Igor , Rigon Tommaso
Published: April 2020

Discrete nonparametric priors play a central role in a variety of Bayesian procedures, most notably when used to model latent features, such as in clustering, mixtures and curve fitting. They are effective and well-developed tools, though their infinite dimensionality is unsuited to some applications. If one restricts to a finite-dimensional simplex, very little is known beyond the traditional Dirichlet multinomial process, which is mainly motivated by conjugacy. This paper introduces an alternative based on the Pitman–Yor process, which provides greater flexibility while preserving analytical tractability. Urn schemes and posterior characterizations are obtained in closed form, leading to exact sampling methods. In addition, the proposed approach can be used to accurately approximate the infinite-dimensional Pitman–Yor process, yielding improvements over existing truncation-based approaches. An application to convex mixture regression for quantitative risk assessment illustrates the theoretical results and compares our approach with existing methods.
Causal inference for recurrent event data using pseudo-observations
Authors: Su Chien-Lin , Platt Robert W , Plante Jean-François
Published: April 2020

Recurrent event data are commonly encountered in observational studies where each subject may experience a particular event repeatedly over time. In this article, we aim to compare cumulative rate functions (CRFs) of two groups when treatment assignment may depend on the unbalanced distribution of confounders. Several estimators based on pseudo-observations are proposed to adjust for the confounding effects, namely inverse probability of treatment weighting estimator, regression model-based estimators, and doubly robust estimators. The proposed marginal regression estimator and doubly robust estimators based on pseudo-observations are shown to be consistent and asymptotically normal. A bootstrap approach is proposed for the variance estimation of the proposed estimators. Model diagnostic plots of residuals are presented to assess the goodness-of-fit for the proposed regression models. A family of adjusted two-sample pseudo-score tests is proposed to compare two CRFs. Simulation studies are conducted to assess finite sample performance of the proposed method. The proposed technique is demonstrated through an application to a hospital readmission data set.
Early demonstration and research on the key technical issues of large-basin hydropower development under the concept of harmony
Authors: Duan Bin , Chen Gang , Tang Maoying , Yan Qinzhi
Published: April 2020

As a typical representative of hydropower development in China, the Dadu River is characterized by abundant water resources, poor geological conditions, many resettlements and limited environmental capacity. Therefore, the technical problems faced by Dadu River hydropower development are numerous and complex. We analysed these technical problems, such as the hydropower-development mode, normal water level, dam-site selection, damming technology, migration resettlement and environmental protection. The concept and characteristics of harmonious hydropower development are identified. The harmonious hydropower-development concept has been applied to all aspects of the Dadu River hydropower-development feasibility study to solve the key technical problems of hydropower development on the Dadu River and to promote the development of China’s hydropower.
Noradrenergic But Not Dopaminergic Neurons Signal Task State Changes and Predict Reengagement After a Failure
Authors: Jahn Caroline I , Varazzani Chiara , Sallet Jérôme , Walton Mark E , Bouret Sébastien
Published: April 2020

The two catecholamines, noradrenaline and dopamine, have been shown to play comparable roles in behavior. Both noradrenergic and dopaminergic neurons respond to cues predicting reward availability and novelty. However, even though both are thought to be involved in motivating actions, their roles in motivation have seldom been directly compared. We therefore examined the activity of putative noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus and putative midbrain dopaminergic neurons in monkeys cued to perform effortful actions for rewards. The activity in both regions correlated with engagement with a presented option. By contrast, only noradrenaline neurons were also (i) predictive of engagement in a subsequent trial following a failure to engage and (ii) more strongly activated in nonrepeated trials, when cues indicated a new task condition. This suggests that while both catecholaminergic neurons are involved in promoting action, noradrenergic neurons are sensitive to task state changes, and their influence on behavior extends beyond the immediately rewarded action.
Simultaneous Determination of Prostaglandin and Hormones in Excreta of Trogopterus xanthipes
Authors: Liu Haolong , Fan Miaoxuan , Fu Xintong , Chen Yougen , Ye Min , Guo Hongzhu
Published: April 2020

The excreta of Trogopterus xanthipes (also called Wulingzhi in Chinese, WLZ) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine used for the treatment of irregular menstruation in clinic. Few reports are available on the chemical profiling of WLZ. In this work, qualitative and quantitative analyses of endogenous prostaglandin and hormones in WLZ were performed using UHPLC-orbitrap-MSn. In total, 48 compounds were identified in urine of T. xanthipes. Furthermore, the contents of four target compounds were simultaneously quantitated in 20 batches of samples by UPLC-MS/MS. The quantitative method showed a good linear correlation (R > 0.995) in a wide range for each compound. The method had a high sensitivity with LOD (0.5–1.0 ng/mL) and LOQ (1.0–2.5 ng/mL). The intra- and inter-day precisions were < 9.17 (RSD %), and repeatability and stability were < 6.14 (RSD %). The recovery of the analytes varied between 85.8% and 97.3% at three different concentrations. The present integrated qualitative and quantitative assessment of WLZ provides an evaluation strategy to assess the constituent in traditional Chinese medicine.
Towards Optimization of Hydroxychloroquine Dosing in Intensive Care Unit COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Perinel Sophie , Launay Manon , Botelho-Nevers Élisabeth , Diconne Éric , Louf-Durier Aurore , Lachand Raphaël , Murgier Martin , Page Dominique , Vermesch Régine , Thierry Guillaume , Delavenne Xavier
Published: April 2020

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) appears to be a promising treatment for COVID-19. However, all ongoing clinical trials with HCQ use different dosing regimens, resulting in various concentrations. Pharmacokinetic studies are therefore needed to define the optimal dosing regimen.
Personalised Adherence Support for Maintenance Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Tailored Digital Intervention to Change Adherence-related Beliefs and Barriers
Authors: Chapman Sarah , Sibelli Alice , St-Clair Jones Anja , Forbes Alastair , Chater Angel , Horne Rob
Published: April 2020

Background and Aims

Interventions to improve adherence to medication may be more effective if tailored to the individual, addressing adherence-related beliefs about treatment and overcoming practical barriers to daily use. We evaluated whether an algorithm, tailoring support to address perceptual and practical barriers to adherence, reduced barriers and was acceptable to patients with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD].

Methods

Participants with IBD, prescribed azathioprine and/or mesalazine, were recruited via patient groups, social media, and hospital clinics and allocated to Intervention or Control Groups. The online intervention comprised messages tailored to address beliefs about IBD and maintenance treatment and to provide advice on overcoming practical difficulties with taking regular medication. The content was personalised to address specific perceptual and practical barriers identified by a pre-screening tool. Validated questionnaires assessed barriers to adherence and related secondary outcomes at baseline and at 1 and 3 months of follow-up.

Results

A total of 329 participants were allocated to the Intervention [n = 153] and Control [n = 176] Groups; just under half [46.2%] completed follow-up. At 1 and 3 months, the Intervention Group had significantly fewer concerns about IBD medication [p ≤0.01]; and at three months, fewer doubts about treatment necessity, fewer reported practical barriers, and higher reported adherence [p <0.05]. Relative to controls at follow-up, the Intervention Group were more satisfied with information about IBD medicines, and viewed pharmaceuticals in general more positively. Questionnaires, interviews, and intervention usage indicated that the intervention was acceptable.

Conclusions

Personalised adherence support using a digital algorithm can help patients overcome perceptual barriers [doubts about treatment necessity and medication concerns] and practical barriers to adherence.
Tolerance and Removal of Four Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Compounds (PAHs) by Black Soldier Fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)
Authors: Fan Mingxia , Liu Nian , Wu Xiangji , Zhang Jibin , Cai Minmin
Published: April 2020

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as well-recognized toxic chemical, cause the public hazard in environments. Here, we demonstrated the black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) could tolerate the PAHs and reduce their content. Four typical PAHs (1.0, 10.0, and 100.0 mg/kg), naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene, and pyrene, were individually spiked into BSFL conversion systems. The parameters for larval growth, conversion process, and PAHs removal were determined in spiked group and no-spiked control. The results show that the larval development time (19.7–21.0 d) in the half of PAH groups was significantly longer by 2–4 d than those in the control, while the relative growth rates (1.88–1.99% per day) in the majority PAH groups were lower. The larval mortalities (0–2.83%), harvest yields (80.20–85.91 g), conversion rates (14.71–15.83%), and eclosion rates (60.27–82.67%) in almost all of PAH groups did not significantly different from those in the control. The four PAHs potentially delayed the development time of BSFL, slowed the larval growth, and lower waste reduction rates, but these influences were slight and might be caused by the inhibition of PAHs to microbial activity. The BSFL-mortalities, conversion rates, yields, and eclosion rates were not significantly affected by the PAHs. Furthermore, BSFL effectively removed 34.1–84.2% of PAHs from subtracts in 18–21 d. The removal of PAHs with low concentration could be easier than those with high concentration by BSFL. The present results provide an alternative strategy to treat the waste contaminated by PAHs and elucidate the effect of PAHs on insects in the environment.
What is the mechanism of irregular pacing spikes? Pacing failure, sensing failure, or something else? A case report
Authors: Oguri Gaku , Kojima Toshiya , Fujiu Katsuhito , Komuro Issei
Published: April 2020

Background

In cardiac implantable electronic device management, confused electrocardiograms are sometimes encountered.

Case summary

We experienced a case of dizziness and presyncope, which was accompanied by irregular pacing spikes following QRS complexes, pacing failure, sensing failure, or something else. The patient’s second active pacemaker in her left chest was functioning normally. However, her old abdominal pacemaker had automatically changed from the OVO to VVI mode because of an elective replacement indicator. As a result, her old and second pacemakers had an interaction. Old invalid pacing spikes induced oversensing of the current pacemaker, which interfered with valid pacing.

Discussion

We experienced a rare case of dizziness and presyncope with confused pacing spikes. Physicians should be aware of the unexpected interactions that are possible with devices with automatic mode changes.
IDENTIFYING PREDICTORS OF GUILT FOLLOWING PLACEMENT OF FAMILY MEMBER WITH DEMENTIA INTO RESIDENTIAL LONG-TERM CARE
Authors: Statz Tamara L , Peterson Colleen M , Birkeland Robyn , Shah Aneri , Perez Kobe , Gaugler Joseph E
Published: April 2020

Family caregivers of persons with dementia experience guilt for various reasons when placing their family member into residential long-term care (RLTC). Research has shown a relationship between guilt and overall caregiver burden; however, literature on predictors of guilt related to caregiving following RLTC placement is limited. The Residential Care Transition Module (RCTM) provides counseling and psychoeducation to family caregivers who have recently moved their family member with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementias into RLTC. This semi-structured intervention provides counseling on various topics including guilt, grief, and family dynamics. Using treatment group data (N=87) from the parent RCTM randomized controlled trial, we identified the impact of caregiver status (i.e., adult child vs spousal caregivers), sense of caregiver competence, and relationship closeness on baseline measures of guilt status and magnitude. Preliminary analyses showed that adult child status was associated with greater prevalence of guilt (37.5%) compared to spousal caregivers (26.7%). In addition, qualitative case notes were coded to identify common themes of experiences of guilt to inform practice. Examples include: Guilt related to no longer being able to care for the family member at home; not meeting self-dictated expectations (e.g., not visiting or staying long enough); and feeling guilted into being a caregiver in the first place. The current analyses aim to help practitioners better predict risk for placement-related guilt and highlight specific issues practitioners should consider to help mitigate such feelings. Specific opportunities for intervention are discussed.
RESILIENCE AND GRANDPARENT CAREGIVERS: A LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS
Authors: Hayslip Bert
Published: April 2020

Previous work reflecting a shift in views about custodial grandparents has emphasized such persons’ strengths. Such research has specifically indicated that resilience cross sectionally mediates the relationship between the stressfulness of the demands of raising a grandchild and both adjustment-related and parentally relevant outcomes. To explore the dynamics of such relationships in a one-year longitudinal framework, 86 grandparent caregivers completed a variety of measures targeting personal and parental functioning as well as resilience at initial and one-year follow-up occasions. Findings indicated that resilience at T1 predicated (p < .05) the following at T2: parental stress, parental efficacy, health, well-being, depression, grandparent role satisfaction, self-rated life disruption, and grandchild and grandchild behavioral/emotional difficulties. T1 resilience also predicted a T2 index of overall personal resources (better health/social support, less life disruption). At the same time, the following at T1 emerged as antecedents (p < .05) of T2 resilience: parental stress, parental efficacy, grandparent role satisfaction, depression, health, grandchild attachment, and well-being. In addition, overall personal adjustment (higher grandparent role satisfaction, more positive caregiver role appraisal, greater well-being, higher grandchild attachment, less depression) as well as greater overall personal resources each predicted (p < .05) greater T2 resilience. These findings not only extend previous cross-sectional research reinforcing the value of resilience in understanding grandparent caregivers, but also indicate that numerous parental and personal variables may lay the groundwork for the development of resilience, wherein these data also suggest that the relationship between resilience and grandparent caregiver functioning may be bidirectional in nature.
SUITABLE? THE RHETORICAL AND LIFE COURSE IMPLICATIONS OF SERENA WILLIAMS AND THE CATSUIT
Authors: Stanback Brianne M
Published: April 2020

Rhetorical inquires have shown connections between representation and power, workplace fashion and development of ethos, and the rhetoric of glamour through women’s fashion and dress. One element absent from that conversation is how the life course, which typically differs for women because of existing power structures advantaging men, may impact the experience of women as they age, their choice of dress, and the rhetorical implications of those decisions. To explore dress and rhetoric from a life course perspective, this project traces the evolution of Serena Williams’ work apparel across her professional tennis career to the catsuit worn at the 2018 French Open, which is the focus of the project. Press reports on the 2018 catsuit by Nike, New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Business Insider, BBC Sport, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times, interviews given by Williams, and the television documentary, Becoming Serena, will be analyzed for their treatment of Williams’ work attire and the life course. Responses to the catsuit emphasize attitudes about gender, race, and class, either discounting or ignoring the life course implications such as motherhood and changes in health status. Despite professional success, responses about the catsuit may reflect that Williams faces the same jeopardies, and invisibility, common to many women as they age, and the rhetorical perspective provides new methodological and pedagogical possibilities for instruction in aging.
BELIEFS SURROUNDING THE PAIN AND DEPRESSION CYCLE AMONG OLDER AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN: FINDINGS FROM FOCUS GROUPS
Authors: Rivers Emerald , Drazich Brittany , Szanton Sarah , Nkimbeng Manka , Taylor Janiece
Published: April 2020

Older African American women experience high rates of comorbid conditions and functional limitations that put them at risk of experiencing a cycle of pain and depressive symptoms. This cycle is often shaped by individual’s behaviors, emotions, physical responses, and thoughts. Increased pain severity is associated with comorbid pain and depression making it essential for older African American women to communicate their experiences with these conditions. Hence, we explored older adult African American women’s relevant beliefs, and identified strategies to address them in adapting the intervention, Get Busy Get Better. In three focus groups, we found that older African American women (mean age 60.7, n=11): (1) relied on companionship (emotions), (2) used physical activity strategies for pain and depression relief (behaviors), (3) had a general function reduction from pain (physical response), and (4) saw connections between depression and pain (thoughts). Thus, when adapting the intervention, strategies incorporate these four elements.
LIVING ALONE, HAVING CHILDREN AND FRIENDS NEARBY, AND DAILY FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION
Authors: Choi Yeon Jin , Ailshire Jennifer A , Crimmins Eileen
Published: April 2020

Fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with lower risk of chronic diseases and mortality. Despite the numerous health benefits, fruit and vegetable consumption of most older adults are below the daily recommendation. This paper aimed to investigate whether living alone and having children and friends nearby are associated with older adults’ daily fruit and vegetable consumption using a nationally representative sample of older Americans. Daily fruit and vegetable consumption was measured using (1) daily serving and (2) daily recommendation (2 or more servings for fruits; 3 or more servings for vegetables). Poisson and logistic regression models were estimated using the HRS Health Care and Nutrition Study. The sample included 6,915 community-dwelling older adults. Older adults who were living alone had lower fruit and vegetable consumption and less likely to meet daily recommendation for vegetables, compared to those who were living with someone. Having friends nearby was positively associated with the outcomes, while having children nearby was associated with meeting daily recommendation for vegetables only among older adults living alone. Based on the findings, older adults who are living alone and do not have children and friends nearby may be at the risk of poor nutrition due to low levels of social support. Provision of help with grocery shopping (e.g., transportation, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and meal preparation (e.g., home-delivered meals) as well as more social opportunities that can improve social support network and encourage healthy eating (e.g., congregate meals) may increase daily fruit and vegetable consumption of older adults.
HEALTHY LIFE EXPECTANCY OF OLDER HISPANICS: THE INFLUENCE OF NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTERISTICS
Authors: Emerson Kerstin G , Pan Anqi , Huang Hanwen , Markides Kyriakos
Published: April 2020

Research consistently shows a survival advantage among Hispanics, despite a worse health profile. The goal of this study was to calculate disability free life expectancy for older Hispanics in the United States, and to explore any difference by neighborhoods. We used data from the Wave 5 (2004-5) of the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly (Hispanic EPESE), linked to vital status data through 2016. We used Sullivan’s method to create disability free life expectancy (DFLE) estimates, and to calculate the ratio of life expectancy without disability to life expectancy with disability. These estimates were compared across neighborhood characteristics using Census FIPS data. All neighborhood characteristics were cut into tertiles and significance testing compared high versus low. The average age of the sample was 82 (range 75-109), a majority female (62%), non-married (57.5%), and born in the US (56%). Results showed that neighborhood Hispanic density, poverty, and percent linguistically isolated were not statistically significant for disability free life expectancy estimates. However, disability free life expectancy was higher in neighborhoods with higher density of immigrants, compared to neighborhoods with lower density of immigrants. This was statistically significant for all age groups 75 until age 88. These results suggest that for very old Mexican Americans living in the southwest, neighborhood effects are not significant predictors of disability free life expectancy. The exception is for the neighborhood immigrant density. This suggests that the healthy immigrant effect may maintain even in older ages. Policy and practice implications will be discussed.
THE EMERGENCE AND BENEFITS OF SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS IN TWO COMMUNITY-BASED DEMENTIA CHOIRS
Authors: Smith Andre , Sheets Debra J , Kennedy Mary , Erb Tara , Kampen Ruth , Zhou Min , Hozempa Chandra Berkan , MacDonald Stuart W
Published: April 2020

Community choir participation for persons with dementia (PwD) confers benefits to health and well-being, including the benefit of socializing which can reduce feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Using the concept of social capital, this study examines the degree to which two intergenerational Voices in Motion choirs facilitate the development of social relationships between PwD, caregivers, and high school students. Data collection involved interviews with 17 dyads of PwD and caregivers, completion of a social relationship questionnaire, and focus groups with a total of 29 high school students. The results show a gradual increase in the level of interactions between all participants, with students in particular interacting more frequently with PwD. Over time, trust and reciprocity emerged within the choirs as more people shared information about themselves. Students’ understanding of dementia changed over time as they learned to appreciate PwD as unique human beings with rich life stories and experiences.
GENE-OBESOGENIC ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS ON BODY MASS INDICES ACROSS RACE AND SEX AMONG OLDER ADULTS
Authors: Thompson Mika D , Pirkle Catherine M , Youkhana Fadi , Wu Yanyan
Published: April 2020

Gene-obesogenic environment interactions influence body mass index (BMI) across the life-course; however, limited research examines how these interactions may differ by race and sex. Utilizing mixed-effects models, we examined interaction effects of polygenic risk score (PGS) generated from 97 single nucleotide polymorphisms, and environmental factors, including age and physical activity, on measured longitudinal BMI from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). HRS is a population representative survey study of older adults aged 50-years or older in the U.S. This study used a sub-sample of genotyped Black (N=1,796) and White (N=4,925) males and females. The association between PGS and mean BMI weakened as individuals aged among White males (Pinteraction=0.038) and White females (Pinteraction=0.054). The mean BMI difference between the highest and lowest PGS quintiles was 4.25 kg/m2 among 50-year old White males but 3.11 kg/m2 among the 70-year old’s, i.e. a decrease of 1.14 kg/m2 (95%CI: -0.06,2.65) over 20 years. Similarly, the decrease among 50- and 70-year old White females was 1.33 kg/m2 (95%CI: 0.07,3.45). Additionally, the association between physical activity and BMI was stronger among White females with higher PGS (Pinteraction=0.038). Vigorous physical activity (compared to never) was associated with a 1.71 kg/m2 (95%CI: 1.08,2.35) decrease in mean BMI among those in the highest PGS quintile, compared to a 0.80 kg/m2 (95%CI: 0.32,1.27) decrease among those in the lowest. Overall, we found unique interaction effects across race and sex within an older population; findings reinforce the importance of physical activity among those with an elevated genetic risk.
Synergism Between Phosphine (PH3) and Carbon Dioxide (CO2): Implications for Managing PH3 Resistance in Rusty Grain Beetle (Laemophloeidae: Coleoptera)
Authors: Constantin Myrna , Jagadeesan Rajeswaran , Chandra Kerri , Ebert Paul , Nayak Manoj K
Published: April 2020

Strong resistance to phosphine (PH3) in the rusty grain beetle, Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens) (Laemophloeidae: Coleoptera) poses a serious risk to stored-grain biosecurity. Resistant populations hold risk of surviving in PH3 fumigation, particularly in storage structure that limits achieving very high concentrations of PH3, demanding the need for alternative fumigation strategies. Cofumigation with PH3 and carbon dioxide (CO2) is one alternative approach that has the potential to be used widely. CO2 fumigation of adults of strongly PH3-resistant reference strain of C. ferrugineus, for 48 h, showed that the effective concentration (LC50) of CO2 was 30.99%. This 30% level of CO2 in combination with PH3 decreased the LC50 of PH3 from 6.7 mg/liter to 0.84 mg/liter, an eightfold increase in PH3 efficacy relative to PH3 fumigation in normal air. The LC99.9 decreased from 16.2 mg/liter to 5.8 mg/liter, a 2.8-fold increase in PH3 efficacy. Comparison of mortality response data of PH3 alone and the PH3 + CO2 mixture confirmed that CO2 enhances the toxicity of PH3 synergistically in addition to exerting its own toxicity. These results were validated against three independently field-derived strains of strongly resistant C. ferrugineus that confirmed that observed enhancement in toxicity with the PH3 + CO2 mixture was consistent, irrespective of differences in resistance phenotypes and inherent tolerance levels. Results of the current study provide further opportunities to develop new commercially viable strategy to control strongly PH3-resistant C. ferrugineus.
Validation study of the Japanese version of MD Anderson Symptom Inventory for Brain Tumor module
Authors: Tanaka Shota , Sato Iori , Takahashi Masamichi , Armstrong Terri S , Cleeland Charles S , Mendoza Tito R , Mukasa Akitake , Takayanagi Shunsaku , Narita Yoshitaka , Kamibeppu Kiyoko , Saito Nobuhito
Published: April 2020

Objective

The MD Anderson Symptom Inventory for Brain Tumor (MDASI-BT) module is a widely used instrument for measuring symptom burden and interference of daily activities in brain tumor patients. This study aims to develop and validate its Japanese version (MDASI-BT-Japanese).

Methods

Following forward and backward translation of the original MDASI-BT into Japanese, understandability and feasibility were assessed by cognitive debriefing. Subsequently, patients with brain tumors were asked to fill out MDASI-BT-Japanese and European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D). Feasibility, reliability and validity of MDASI-BT-Japanese were assessed.

Results

Cognitive debriefing confirmed overall ease of completion and good understandability. The study population composed of 140 patients with brain tumors (most commonly gliomas). The mean symptom severity score and mean interference score were 1.9 ± 1.7 and 2.8 ± 2.7, respectively. The top items included distress and drowsiness for symptom severity and general activity and work for interference. The median time required was 4 minutes (range, 0.5–30), and missing values were seen in 1%. Internal consistency was proven by excellent Cronbach’s coefficient alpha (0.94 for symptom severity, 0.92 for interference). Test–retest reliability was assessed with acceptable intra-class correlation coefficient (mean, 0.76). Correlation efficient ranged between 0.7 and 0.9 for convergent validity. Known-group validity was confirmed by significantly different mean symptom severity score and mean interference score among patients with different performance status. As evidence of concurrent validity, MDASI-BT-Japanese correlated with EQ-5D in the hypothesized magnitude and direction.

Conclusions

The newly developed MDASI-BT-Japanese has demonstrated feasibility, reliability and validity in evaluation of clinical benefit in Japanese-speaking brain tumor patients.
Line-driven disc wind in near-Eddington active galactic nuclei: decrease of mass accretion rate due to powerful outflow
Authors: Nomura Mariko , Ohsuga Ken , Done Chris
Published: April 2020

Based on recent X-ray observations, ultrafast outflows from supermassive black holes are expected to have enough energy to dramatically affect their host galaxy but their launch and acceleration mechanisms are not well understood. We perform two-dimensional radiation hydrodynamics simulations of UV line-driven disc winds in order to calculate the mass-loss rates and kinetic power in these models. We develop a new iterative technique that reduces the mass accretion rate through the inner disc in response to the wind mass-loss. This makes the inner disc less UV bright, reducing the wind power compared to previous simulations which assumed a constant accretion rate with radius. The line-driven winds in our simulations are still extremely powerful, with around half the supplied mass accretion rate being ejected in the wind for black holes with mass 108–$10^{10}\, \mathrm{ M}_\odot$ accreting at L/LEdd = 0.5–0.9. Our results open up the way for estimating the growth rate of supermassive black hole and evaluating the kinetic energy ejected into the interstellar medium (active galactic nuclei feedback) based on a physical model of line-driven disc winds.
Large-scale poloidal magnetic field dynamo leads to powerful jets in GRMHD simulations of black hole accretion with toroidal field
Authors: Liska M , Tchekhovskoy A , Quataert E
Published: April 2020

Accreting black holes (BHs) launch relativistic collimated jets, across many decades in luminosity and mass, suggesting the jet launching mechanism is universal, robust, and scale-free. Theoretical models and general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations indicate that the key jet-making ingredient is large-scale poloidal magnetic flux. However, its origin is uncertain, and it is unknown if it can be generated in situ or dragged inward from the ambient medium. Here, we use the GPU-accelerated GRMHD code h-amr to study global 3D BH accretion at unusually high resolutions more typical of local shearing box simulations. We demonstrate that turbulence in a radially extended accretion disc can generate large-scale poloidal magnetic flux in situ, even when starting from a purely toroidal magnetic field. The flux accumulates around the BH till it becomes dynamically important, leads to a magnetically arrested disc (MAD), and launches relativistic jets that are more powerful than the accretion flow. The jet power exceeds that of previous GRMHD toroidal field simulations by a factor of 10 000. The jets do not show significant kink or pinch instabilities, accelerate to γ ∼ 10 over three decades in distance, and follow a collimation profile similar to the observed M87 jet.
Infrared colours and spectral energy distributions of hard X-ray selected obscured and Compton-thick active galactic nuclei
Authors: Kilerci Eser Ece , Goto T , Güver T , Tuncer A , Ataş O H
Published: April 2020

We investigate the infrared colours and spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of 338 X-ray selected active galactic nuclei (AGNs) from the Swift/Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) 105-month survey catalogue, which have been detected using AKARI, in order to find new selection criteria for Compton-thick AGNs. By combining data from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX), the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 14 (DR14), the Two-Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), AKARI and Herschel for the first time, we perform ultraviolet (UV) to far-infrared (FIR) SEDs, fitting 158 Swift/BAT AGNs using cigale and constraining the AGN model parameters of obscured and Compton-thick AGNs. The comparison of average SEDs shows that while the mid-infrared (MIR) SEDs are similar for the three AGN populations, the optical/UV and FIR regions have differences. We measure the dust luminosity, the pure AGN luminosity and the total infrared luminosity. We examine the relationships between the measured infrared luminosities and the hard X-ray luminosity in the 14–195 keV band. We show that the average covering factor of Compton-thick AGNs is higher compared with the obscured and unobscured AGNs. We present new infrared selection criteria for Compton-thick AGNs based on MIR and FIR colours ([9–22 μm] > 3.0 and [22–90 μm] < 2.7) from WISE and AKARI. We find two known Compton-thick AGNs that are not included in the Swift/BAT sample. We conclude that MIR colours covering 9.7-μm silicate absorption and the MIR continuum could be promising new tools to identify Compton-thick AGNs.
The habitability of large elliptical galaxies
Authors: Whitmire Daniel P
Published: April 2020

Based on numbers of stars, supernova rates, and metallicity, a prior study concluded that large elliptical galaxies contain up to 10 000 times more habitable planets than the Milky Way and are thus the ‘cradles of life’. Using the results of their model and taking into account galactic number distributions and supernova rates, I argue here that this result constitutes a violation of the principle of mediocrity as applied to the reference class of all extant technological species. Assuming that we are a typical technological species in the attribute of inhabiting a relatively large disc-dominated galaxy, I outline two hypotheses that could significantly limit the habitability of large elliptical galaxies: (1) massive galactic sterilization events associated with quasar/active galactic nucleus activity and starburst supernovae that occurred when the antecedents of today’s large elliptical galaxies were much more compact; and (2) the probability of habitable planet formation in large elliptical galaxies may be small since a disproportionately larger number of gaseous planets are expected to form as a result of the generally higher metallicity in large elliptical galaxies. Consequently, fewer habitable planets will accrete if the gaseous planets' inward migrations are sufficiently slow. The sterilization events of hypothesis (1) occurred at earlier epochs ($z$ ≥ 1) and so they must be effectively permanent, implying two possible scenarios regarding the origin and evolution of life. In connection with one of these scenarios, independent applications of the principle of mediocrity suggest that M-dwarf stars are not significant hosts of technological life.
Ultrabithorax is a key regulator for the dimorphism of wings, a main cause for the outbreak of planthoppers in rice
Authors: Liu Fangzhou , Li Xiang , Zhao Muhua , Guo Mengjian , Han Kehong , Dong Xinxin , Zhao Jing , Cai Wanlun , Zhang Qifa , Hua Hongxia
Published: April 2020

Rice planthoppers, the most devastating rice pests, occur in two wing forms: the short-wing form for rapid population growth and long-wing form for long-distance migration, which together create the mechanism for outbreak. Here we show that Ultrabithorax (Ubx) is a key regulator for switching between the long- and short-wing forms of rice planthoppers. Ubx is expressed in both forewing and hindwing pads, which is different from the canonical model of Ubx expression. In brown planthoppers, expression of Ubx (NlUbx) is regulated by nutritional status of the rice host. High-quality young plants induce NlUbx expression leading to the short-wing form; low-quality ripe plants reduce NlUbx expression resulting in long-wing form. We also showed that NlUbx is regulated by the insulin receptors NlInR1 and NlInR2. The default expression of NlInR1 inhibits NlUbx resulting in long-wings, while high-quality hosts induce NlInR2 expression, which represses NlInR1 thus promoting NlUbx expression to produce short-wings.
Evidence of Failure of Oral Third-Generation Cephalosporin Treatment for Shigella sonnei Infection
Authors: Collins Jennifer P , Friedman Cindy R , Birhane Meseret G , Karp Beth E , Osinski Anthony , Montgomery Mary W , Thomas Deepam , Barkley Jonathan , Sanchez Martha C , Hanna Samir , Adediran Azizat A , Chen Jessica C , Caidi Hayat , Francois Watkins Louise
Published: April 2020

In 2017, state health departments notified the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about 4 patients with shigellosis who experienced persistent illness after treatment with oral third-generation cephalosporins. Given increasing antibiotic resistance among Shigella, these cases highlight the need to evaluate the efficacy of oral cephalosporins for shigellosis.
A Qualitative Comparison of Reassurance Approaches Used by Physical Therapists to Address Fears and Concerns of Patients With Nonspecific Neck Pain and Whiplash-Associated Disorders: An Online Survey
Authors: Silva Guerrero Alma Viviana , Setchell Jenny , Maujean Annicke , Sterling Michele
Published: April 2020

Objectives

The study aimed to identify and compare (1) what physical therapists perceive to be the main concerns, fears, and worries that patients with whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) and nontraumatic neck pain (NTNP) have as a result of their condition, and (2) the strategies used by physical therapists to address these fears and concerns.

Methods

Using convenience sampling, 30 physical therapists completed 2 online open-ended surveys. The responses were analyzed using 2 descriptive analytic methods (thematic analysis and constant comparative analysis), and then themes were examined for areas of convergence and divergence.

Results

Four similar themes for both neck pain groups were produced from our analysis of the survey responses: (1) interference with daily life, (2) concerns related to pain, (3) psychological distress, and (4) ``When I will recover?'' Subthemes differed between the groups. For example, the theme “psychological distress” had subthemes of anger and thoughts about no resolution for the WAD group, whereas for the NTNP group, subthemes were anxiety and uncertainty. The only divergent theme was (5) fear avoidance, present in the NTNP group only. Analysis of physical therapist strategies identified 3 consistent themes and 5 divergent themes across the 2 groups.

Conclusions

Physical therapists described a wealth of reassurance strategies for individuals with NTNP and WAD. There were several shared themes but also some discordant ones. Reassurance is multifactorial and needs to be nuanced and not prescriptive.

Impact

These qualitative findings may be key to inform the differentiated content of training programs for physical therapists delivering reassurance for these 2 populations.