bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The associations between prenatal cannabis use disorder and neonatal outcomes
Authors: Shi Yuyan , Zhu Bin , Liang Di
Published: April 2021

Background and Aims

Cannabis use disorder (CUD) during pregnancy has increased dramatically in the United States (US). This study examined the associations between prenatal CUD and adverse neonatal outcomes and heterogeneities in the associations by mothers’ tobacco use status and race/ethnicity.

Design

Population‐based, retrospective cohort study.

Setting

California, USA.

Participants

A total of 4.83 million mothers who delivered a live singleton birth during 2001 to 2012 and their paired infants. Data were obtained from mother–infant linked hospital discharge records and birth and death certificates. Identified by ICD‐9 codes recorded at delivery, 20 237 mothers had prenatal CUD.

Measurements

Neonatal outcomes included length of gestation, preterm birth, birth weight, admission into neonatal intensive care unit, hospitalization within 1 year of birth, and death within 1 year of birth. Propensity score matching was used to balance maternal, paternal, and infant characteristics in the comparisons between infants exposed and unexposed to prenatal CUD.

Findings

CUD increased from 2.8 to 6.9 per 1000 deliveries during 2001 to 2012. Multivariable regressions in matched samples estimated that prenatal CUD was associated with greater odds of being small for gestational age (OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.08, 1.18), preterm birth (OR = 1.06, 95% CI = 1.01, 1.12), low birth weight (OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.07, 1.20), and death within 1 year of birth (OR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.12, 1.62). Compared with infants whose mothers were tobacco non‐users, infants whose mothers were tobacco users had greater odds of preterm birth, low birth weight, hospitalization, and death in association with prenatal CUD. Compared with infants whose mothers were non‐Hispanic White, infants whose mothers were Hispanic had greater odds of hospitalization and death and infants whose mothers were non‐Hispanic Black had greater odds of being small for gestational age in association with prenatal CUD.

Conclusion

Prenatal cannabis use disorder appears to be associated with escalated odds of major adverse neonatal outcomes, with heterogeneities in the associations by mothers’ tobacco use status and race/ethnicity.
Associations between social media usage and alcohol use among youths and young adults: findings from Understanding Society
Authors: Ng Fat Linda , Cable Noriko , Kelly Yvonne
Published: April 2021

Background and Aims

Given the decline in alcohol consumption and rise in technological use among young people, there is a need to investigate whether technology use might influence how young people drink. This study explores how social media use and changes in social media use over time could affect alcohol use among youths.

Design

The UK Household Longitudinal Study (Understanding Society).

Setting

United Kingdom.

Participants

Participants aged 10–15 (n = 4093) and 16–19 (n = 2689) from the youth and main survey interviewed in 2011–13, and followed‐up in 2014–16 (aged 10–15 n = 2588, aged 16–19 n = 1057).

Measurements

Self‐reported social media usage on an average day (no profile/non‐daily/less than an hour/1–3/4+ hours use), drinking frequency (never/one to three times/weekly) and binge drinking frequency (never/one to two/three/more than three times) in the past month. Covariates included sex, age, educational status, household income, urban/rural, number of friends and life satisfaction.

Findings

Among 10–15‐year‐olds, compared with those who used social media for less than an hour, those with no profile [odds ratio (OR) = 0.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.25–0.67] and non‐daily users (OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.33–0.72) had a lower risk of drinking at least monthly, whereas those with 1–3 hours’ use (OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.14–1.81) and 4+ hours’ use (OR = 2.08, 1.47–2.95) had a greater risk. Among participants aged 16–19, a lower risk of binge drinking three or more times per month was found for those with no profile [relative risk ratios (RRR) = 0.29, 95% CI = 0.17–0.48] and a higher risk for those with 4+ hours’ use (RRR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.03–2.09). Longitudinally, among 10–15‐year‐olds, those who had increased their social media usage versus no change were more likely to have increased their drinking frequency (OR = 1.89, 95% CI = 1.45–2.46). Some social media use at baseline (rather than none) was predictive of increased drink and binge drinking frequency over time among youths and young adults.

Conclusions

Heavier social media use was associated with more frequent alcohol consumption among young people in the United Kingdom.
Profound dysregulation of T cell homeostasis and function in patients with severe COVID‐19
Authors: Adamo Sarah , Chevrier Stéphane , Cervia Carlo , Zurbuchen Yves , Raeber Miro E. , Yang Liliane , Sivapatham Sujana , Jacobs Andrea , Baechli Esther , Rudiger Alain , Stüssi‐Helbling Melina , Huber Lars C. , Schaer Dominik J. , Bodenmiller Bernd , Boyman Onur , Nilsson Jakob
Published: April 2021

Background

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is caused by infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) and shows a broad clinical presentation ranging from asymptomatic infection to fatal disease. A very prominent feature associated with severe COVID‐19 is T cell lymphopenia. However, homeostatic and functional properties of T cells are ill‐defined in COVID‐19.

Methods

We prospectively enrolled individuals with mild and severe COVID‐19 into our multicenter cohort and performed a cross‐sectional analysis of phenotypic and functional characteristics of T cells using 40‐parameter mass cytometry, flow cytometry, targeted proteomics, and functional assays.

Results

Compared with mild disease, we observed strong perturbations of peripheral T cell homeostasis and function in severe COVID‐19. Individuals with severe COVID‐19 showed T cell lymphopenia and redistribution of T cell populations, including loss of naïve T cells, skewing toward CD4+T follicular helper cells and cytotoxic CD4+ T cells, and expansion of activated and exhausted T cells. Extensive T cell apoptosis was particularly evident with severe disease and T cell lymphopenia, which in turn was accompanied by impaired T cell responses to several common viral antigens. Patients with severe disease showed elevated interleukin‐7 and increased T cell proliferation. Furthermore, patients sampled at late time points after symptom onset had higher T cell counts and improved antiviral T cell responses.

Conclusion

Our study suggests that severe COVID‐19 is characterized by extensive T cell dysfunction and T cell apoptosis, which is associated with signs of homeostatic T cell proliferation and T cell recovery.
Central, but not peripheral, nervous system ERK2 is essential for itch signals in murine allergic skin inflammation
Authors: Matsuo Shinsuke , Hashimoto Takashi , Matsuura Fumhiro , Imamura Osamu , Endo Shogo , Satoh Yasushi , Satoh Takahiro
Published: April 2021

Background

Itch is a common cutaneous symptom in a variety of dermatological diseases, but detailed neuropathological mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. This study aimed to assess in vivo ERK2 functions in the nervous system for itch responses.

Methods

We generated conditional knockout mice deficient in ERK2 of the central nervous system (CNS) or peripheral nervous system (PNS), respectively, and assessed chemical and mechanical itch responses in vivo.

Results

Chemical itch responses to histamine, but not to BAM8‐22, were alleviated in CNS Erk2‐deficient mice. In contrast, both histamine‐ and BAM8‐22–induced mechanical itch (alloknesis) were alleviated in CNS Erk2‐deficient mice. Neither chemical itch nor mechanical itch induced by these pruritogens was affected by PNS ERK2 deficiency. Spontaneous scratching behaviors during acute and chronic contact hypersensitivity were impaired in CNS Erk2‐deficient mice, but not PNS Erk2‐deficient mice. In addition, CNS ERK2 deficiency attenuated mechanical itch responses during chronic contact hypersensitivity. Again, PNS Erk2‐deficient mice showed comparable responses of mechanical itch to control mice. In addition, alleviated mechanical itch in CNS Erk2‐deficient mice was observed in IgE‐mediated prurigo‐like allergic skin inflammation. Mechanical itch induced by IL‐31 was also alleviated by CNS ERK2 deficiency. Phosphorylated ERK1/2 was detected in neurokinin B‐expressing cells of the spinal dorsal horn of control mice; these cells accumulated during the induction of chronic contact hypersensitivity. Notably, phosphorylated ERK1/2 was also localized in spinal urocortin3‐expressing neurons that are known to transmit mechanical itch.

Conclusions

Spinal cord ERK2 could be a potential therapeutic target for intractable itch in pruritic skin diseases.
Making noise in urban Taiwan
Authors: HSIEH JENNIFER C.
Published: April 2021

During Taiwan's transition from authoritarian rule to liberal governance in the 1970s–80s, the government introduced a noise‐control system that uses technological instruments to manage citizens’ everyday noise problems. Rather than reducing noise problems, however, the system has amplified the disparity between a sound that is heard and one that is measured, calling into question the efficacy of noise control to attend to citizens’ needs. For residents and state actors in Taipei, the contradiction underlying noise control forms a lived condition of urban life, one that has initiated sono‐sociality, or social relations that emerge through efforts to communicate and interact with sound. [sound,noise,acoustemology,environment,governance,urban,Taipei,Taiwan]
COVID‐19 in pregnancy—characteristics and outcomes of pregnant women admitted to hospital because of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in the Nordic countries
Authors: Engjom Hilde , Aabakke Anna J.M. , Klungsøyr Kari , Svanvik Teresia , Äyräs Outi , Jonasdottir Eva , Thurn Lars , Jones Elin , Pettersson Karin , Nyfløt Lill T. , Al‐Zirqi Iqbal , Vangen Siri , Júlíusson Pétur B. , Källén Karin , Gissler Mika , Krebs Lone
Published: April 2021

Introduction

Population‐based studies about the consequences of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection (COVID‐19) in pregnancy are few and have limited generalizability to the Nordic population and healthcare systems.

Material and methods

This study examines pregnant women with COVID‐19 in the five Nordic countries. Pregnant women were included if they were admitted to hospital between 1 March and 30 June 2020 and had a positive SARS‐CoV‐2 PCR test ≤14 days prior to admission. Cause of admission was classified as obstetric or COVID‐19‐related.

Results

In the study areas, 214 pregnant women with a positive test were admitted to hospital, of which 56 women required hospital care due to COVID‐19. The risk of admission due to COVID‐19 was 0.4/1000 deliveries in Denmark, Finland and Norway, and 3.8/1000 deliveries in the Swedish regions. Women hospitalized because of COVID‐19 were more frequently obese (p < 0.001) and had a migrant background (p < 0.001) compared with the total population of women who delivered in 2018. Twelve women (21.4%) needed intensive care. Among the 56 women admitted due to COVID‐19, 48 women delivered 51 infants. Preterm delivery (n = 12, 25%, p < 0.001) and cesarean delivery (n = 21, 43.8%, p < 0.001) were more frequent in women with COVID‐19 compared with women who delivered in 2018. No maternal deaths, stillbirths or neonatal deaths were reported.

Conclusions

The risk of admission due to COVID‐19 disease in pregnancy was low in the Nordic countries. A fifth of the women required intensive care and we observed higher rates of preterm and cesarean deliveries. National public health policies appear to have had an impact on the risk of admission due to severe COVID‐19 disease in pregnancy. Nordic collaboration is important in collecting robust data and assessing rare outcomes.
Effects of cooperative membership on financial performance of banana farmers in China: A heterogeneous analysis
Authors: Ma Wanglin , Zheng Hongyun , Zhu Yueji , Qi Jianling
Published: April 2021

This paper estimates the heterogeneous effects of cooperative membership on smallholder farmers’ financial performance, measured by net returns, return on investment (ROI), and profit margin. We employ an innovative two‐stage predictor substitution model combined with an unconditional quantile regression model to address the endogeneity of the cooperative membership variable and analyze data collected from 626 banana farmers in China. Results, in general, show that cooperative membership improves banana farm financial performance. Particularly, we show that cooperative membership affects net returns and ROI positively and significantly across the selected unconditional quantiles, with the highest impact occurring at the highest 80th quantile. Cooperative membership also has a positive and significant impact on the profit margin for all quantiles (except for the 20th quantile), but the larger impacts occurring at the lower quantiles.
Leader–subordinate congruence in power distance values and voice behaviour: A person–supervisor fit approach
Authors: Guzman Felipe A. , Fu Xin
Published: April 2021

Although the literature on voice suggests that subordinates low in power distance values (i.e. those who neither believe nor accept the unequal distribution of power in organisations) should engage in voice behaviour more frequently, the empirical research has returned equivocal findings. Drawing from person–supervisor (P–S) research, we propose that subordinates' decision to engage in voice depends on the joint effects of leaders and subordinates' power distance values. Specifically, we investigate varying configuration of leader–subordinate power distance congruence and incongruence on subordinates' voice. Additionally, as employees' values may constitute more distal antecedents of voice behaviour, we also examine the mediating role of affective trust in the leader as affective trust constitutes a more proximal antecedent of proactive behaviours such as voice. Utilising data from 236 subordinates and their leaders, our results show that voice is most frequent when (a) leaders and followers share low power distance values and (b) when leaders score low and subordinates high on these values. Additionally, affective trust fully mediates the relationship between power distance value congruence and voice. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings.
Local colonization and extinction in forestry habitats: Assessing the effects of productive activities on the occupancy dynamics of bird populations
Authors: Ortega‐Álvarez Rubén , Berrones Benítez Esteban , Medina Mena Israel , Ruiz‐Gutiérrez Viviana , Arizmendi María del Coro , Sánchez‐González Luis A. , Zúñiga‐Vega José Jaime
Published: April 2021

Assessing the impact of working landscapes on biodiversity and defining locally contextualized management guidelines for productive activities are key for sustainability. Occupancy dynamics provide information about sites in the landscape that are either avoided or preferred by populations through the estimation of extinction and colonization probabilities, respectively. We identified the habitat traits that affected colonization and extinction probabilities of target birds (forest‐dependent, endemic, or conservation concern species) within a Neotropical working landscape by using multi‐season occupancy models to point count data collected through a participatory monitoring approach and considering our imperfect detectability of species in the field. We provided colonization and extinction scenarios according to local land uses (forestry plots, urban‐cropfield areas, and conservation forests) to recommend management activities that could have a positive impact on bird conservation. Shrub cover was key for local colonization of most of our focal species. Increasing values of tree size and tree species richness can enhance microhabitat complexity, which in turn promotes the presence of arboreal birds. Selective forestry management, in which only the largest individuals of a few tree species are extracted, promoted high colonization rates of birds because the structure of the vegetation remains relatively unaffected. In contrast, intensive forestry management plots, in which most trees are removed, resulted detrimental for bird occupancy. Local management guidelines should pay special attention to maintaining shrub cover, tree size, and tree species richness above critical values (>50%, >30 cm, >7 tree species, respectively) to promote habitat use by birds in this type of working landscapes.

Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.
Take Your Word or Tone for It? European American and Chinese Children’s Attention to Emotional Cues in Speech
Authors: Yang Yang , Wang Li , Wang Qi
Published: April 2021

Cultural experiences can influence how people attend to different emotional cues. Whereas semantic content explicitly describes feelings, vocal tone conveys implicit information regarding emotions. This cross‐cultural study examined children’s attention to emotional cues in spoken words. The sample consisted of 121 European American (EA) and 120 Chinese children (4–9 years old). Each child played two computer games in which they listened to spoken words and judged the pleasantness of either the word meaning (Word game) or the vocal tone (Tone game) while ignoring the other aspect. Chinese children paid more spontaneous attention to vocal tones and less to word meanings than did EA children. These findings shed critical light on the role of culture in shaping affective cognitive processes during development.
Evaluation of muscle thickness of the vastus lateralis by ultrasound imaging following blood flow restricted resistance exercise
Authors: Young Teigue R. , Duncan Brittany T. , Cook Summer B.
Published: April 2021

Background

Blood flow restricted (BFR) exercise results in transient muscle growth that may be due to metabolite accumulation, hyperaemia and muscle damage, possibly serving as a stimulus for hypertrophy. Understanding the duration of this growth is important for exercise recovery and measurement of hypertrophy.

Purpose

To measure changes in muscle size via ultrasound throughout a 48‐h period after a session of BFR knee extension (KE) exercise.

Methods

Muscle thickness of the vastus lateralis (VL) was measured via ultrasound in 12 participants (six males and six females, age: 20.3 ± 1.1 years) before and immediately, 10 min, 30 min, 1, 3, 8, 24, and 48 h after unilateral exercise. One leg served as a non‐exercise control while the other leg performed four sets of unilateral BFR KE at 30% of one‐repetition maximum with a pressurized cuff applied to the proximal thigh and inflated to 50% arterial occlusion pressure.

Results

Vastus lateralis thickness was 34.9 ± 7.2% higher immediately after exercise, 28.6 ± 7.9% at 10 min, 25.2 ± 6.1% at 30 min, 14.9 ± 4.8% at 1 h and 11.8 ± 5.6% at 3 h (p < 0.05). There were no changes compared to pre‐exercise measurements past 3 h, and the control limb did not change (p > 0.05). The muscle thickness of the exercise leg was significantly greater than that of the control leg from immediately after exercise up to 1 h post‐exercise (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Muscle thickness of the VL increases for 3 h post‐BFR exercise and returns to normal within 8 h. This timeframe should be considered when prescribing exercise and planning muscle hypertrophy assessments.
A matter of time: Recovery of plant species diversity in wild plant communities at declining nitrogen deposition
Authors: Berendse Frank , Geerts Rob H. E. M. , Elberse Wim Th. , Bezemer Thiemo Martijn , Goedhart Paul W. , Xue Wei , Noordijk Erik , ter Braak Cajo J. F. , Korevaar Hein
Published: April 2021

Aim

High levels of nitrogen deposition have been responsible for important losses of plant species diversity. It is often assumed that reduction of ammonia and nitrogen oxide emissions will result in the recovery of the former biodiversity. In Western Europe, N deposition peaked between 1980 and 1988 and declined thereafter. In a 60‐year experiment in hay meadows, we tested the hypothesis that increasing and declining nitrogen deposition had negative, respectively, positive effects on plant species diversity.

Location

Wageningen, the Netherlands.

Method

Duplicated plots received different fertilization treatments from 1958 onwards (control, Ca, K, P, PK, N, NPK). Productivity, soil pH and species composition were measured at regular intervals. In the control plots, the correlations between N deposition, diversity, production and soil acidification were analysed. Subsequently, we tested whether the treatment effects (e.g. N addition and liming) confirmed the hypothesized interactions.

Results

In the control plots, soil pH, species diversity and the abundance of legumes and short forbs declined between 1958 and 1987 when atmospheric N deposition was high but recovered after 1987 when N deposition decreased. However, also in the N addition plots species diversity recovered partly after 1987, although the soil pH of the acidified soils in these plots did not. In addition, also in the limed plots diversity decreased rapidly during the first 30 years while in this treatment soil acidification was more than compensated.

Main conclusions

We conclude that declining N deposition resulted in the recovery of plant species diversity, but not in recovery of the former species composition. Time appears to be an additional, but crucial factor for the recovery of diverse, flowering meadows. Species not adapted to the new management conditions created at the start of the experiment disappeared during the first decades, while species fit for the new environment needed many years to establish.
Insulin glargine 300 units/mL for the treatment of individuals with type 2 diabetes in the real world: A review of the DELIVER programme
Authors: Blonde Lawrence , Bailey Timothy , Sullivan Sean D. , Freemantle Nick
Published: April 2021

Evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) has shown that second‐generation basal insulin (BI) analogues, insulin glargine 300 U/mL (Gla‐300) and insulin degludec (IDeg), provide similar glycaemic control, with a lower risk of hypoglycaemia compared with the first‐generation BI analogue insulin glargine 100 U/mL (Gla‐100) in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, the highly selected participants and frequent follow‐up of RCTs may not be truly representative of real‐life clinical practice. It is important to assess the safety and effectiveness of these second‐generation BI analogues in real‐life clinical practice settings. The DELIVER programme utilized electronic healthcare records from the United States to compare clinical outcomes in people with T2D who received either Gla‐300 or other BI analogues in real‐world clinical practice. This review provides a concise overview of the results of the DELIVER studies. Overall, Gla‐300 provided similar antihyperglycaemic effectiveness and a lower risk of hypoglycaemia versus the first‐generation BI analogues Gla‐100 and insulin detemir in people with T2D who had switched BIs. In those who were insulin‐naïve, initiation with Gla‐300 versus Gla‐100 was associated with significantly better antihyperglycaemic effectiveness and similar or lower hypoglycaemic risk. Both glycaemic control and hypoglycaemia risk were also shown to be similar with Gla‐300 and IDeg, in people who had switched BIs and in those who were insulin‐naïve. In addition, the DELIVER 2 study reported that people with T2D who switched to Gla‐300 had reduced healthcare resource utilization, with an overall saving of US$1439 per person per year compared with those who switched to another BI analogue. Overall, the real‐world DELIVER programme showed that the glycaemic control with a low risk of hypoglycaemia observed with Gla‐300 in RCTs was also seen in standard clinical practice.
Ambulatory noninsulin treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in the United States, 2015 to 2019
Authors: Heyward James , Christopher Jacob , Sarkar Sudipa , Shin Jung‐Im , Kalyani Rita R. , Alexander G. Caleb
Published: April 2021

Objective

To examine trends in the noninsulin drug treatment of type 2 diabetes, including first‐ and second‐line therapies on top of metformin, from 2015 to 2019.

Participants and Methods

We conducted a descriptive analysis of cross‐sectional data using the IQVIA National Disease and Therapeutic Index, a nationally representative audit of ambulatory physician practices in the United States. We focused on the use of noninsulin pharmacological treatments for type 2 diabetes among individuals aged 35 years and older between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2019. The main outcome was type 2 diabetes visits where a prescription drug was used (“treatment visit”).

Results

Ambulatory diabetes visits decreased from 30.1 million treatment visits in 2015 to 29.5 million treatment visits in 2019. Among treatment visits where a single drug was prescribed, the use of metformin declined from 57.0% of monotherapy in 2015 to 46.0% of monotherapy in 2019, while during the same period the share of monotherapy accounted for by glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) receptor agonists increased from 4.3% to 8.5% and the share accounted for by sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2 (SGLT2) inhibitors increased from 7.3% to 19.5%. Among treatment visits where metformin plus another drug was prescribed, the share of second‐line therapy accounted for by dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 (DPP‐4) inhibitors decreased from 21.9% of treatment visits in 2015 to 20.8% of treatment visits in 2019; sulphonylurea use declined from 45.2% to 32.7%, use of SGLT2 inhibitors increased from 14.5% to 21.2% and use of GLP‐1 receptor agonists increased from 9.8% to 18.2%.

Conclusions

Significant changes in the landscape of ambulatory care for diabetes have taken place during the past 6 years, including moderate declines in metformin monotherapy, moderate declines in second‐line sulphonylurea use, and large increases in SGLT2 use. These changes underscore the dynamic nature of drug utilization for diabetes in the United States, and reflect the effects of emerging evidence, evolving clinical guidelines and evolving regulatory and payment policies.
Elevational boundaries influence richness patterns at large spatial scales evinced by madicolous insects of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest
Authors: Shimabukuro Erika Mayumi , Trivinho‐Strixino Susana
Published: April 2021

1. ‘Biologists have long recognized that elevational and latitudinal species‐richness gradients mirror each other’. With this statement, Stevens (Stevens, The American Naturalist, 140, 893–911, 1992) and other ecologists assumed the same hypotheses to explain richness patterns in latitudinal and altitudinal gradients. However, the monotonic decrease of species toward high altitudes is far from a rule in elevational gradients studies.

2. We analysed the richness pattern of the madicolous insect community along three elevational gradients of the Atlantic Forest, each representing a different altitudinal stratum in the domain (0–1100; 1200–2100; 1600–2800 m a.s.l). This way, we ensured that the complete altitudinal range extant in the Atlantic Forest (0–2800 m a.s.l.) was contemplated. We expected to find repeated patterns of richness variation in the elevational gradients where the elevational boundaries of each mountain constrained species' distribution, causing a mid‐elevation peak of richness in each gradient.

3. Madicolous insects' communities from 70 sampling sites were analysed. Simple and multiple regressions were used to identify significant relations and comparisons between empirical richness data and null models for MDE were made.

4. Each elevational gradient showed a different pattern of richness variation. However, a clear continuity in the richness‐altitude relation was observed in the complete elevational gradient where an intermediate peak was detected. The Rapoport effect was not observed. A significant effect of environmental variables was detected at local scale, while the hard‐elevational boundaries of the Atlantic Forest – sea level and the top of the highest mountaintop – constrained species distribution and contributed to the observed richness pattern.
Universal rules of life: metabolic rates, biological times and the equal fitness paradigm
Authors: Robert Burger Joseph , Hou Chen , A. S. Hall Charles , Brown James H.
Published: April 2021

Here we review and extend the equal fitness paradigm (EFP) as an important step in developing and testing a synthetic theory of ecology and evolution based on energy and metabolism. The EFP states that all organisms are equally fit at steady state, because they allocate the same quantity of energy, ~ 22.4 kJ/g/generation to the production of offspring. On the one hand, the EFP may seem tautological, because equal fitness is necessary for the origin and persistence of biodiversity. On the other hand, the EFP reflects universal laws of life: how biological metabolism – the uptake, transformation and allocation of energy – links ecological and evolutionary patterns and processes across levels of organisation from: (1) structure and function of individual organisms, (2) life history and dynamics of populations, and (3) interactions and coevolution of species in ecosystems. The physics and biology of metabolism have facilitated the evolution of millions of species with idiosyncratic anatomy, physiology, behaviour and ecology but also with many shared traits and tradeoffs that reflect the single origin and universal rules of life.
Magnetic resonance imaging findings and clinical characteristics in mild malformation of cortical development with oligodendroglial hyperplasia and epilepsy in a predominantly adult cohort
Authors: Mendes Coelho Vanessa C. , Morita‐Sherman Marcia , Yasuda Clarissa L. , Alvim Marina M. K. , Amorim Barbara Juarez , Tedeschi Helder , Ghizoni Enrico , Rogerio Fabio , Cendes Fernando
Published: April 2021

Objective

We aimed to better characterize the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of mild malformation of cortical development with oligodendroglial hyperplasia (MOGHE), a rare clinicopathological entity associated with pharmacoresistance recently described in patients with frontal lobe epilepsy.

Methods

We studied 12 patients who underwent epilepsy surgery and whose surgical specimens showed histopathological findings of MOGHE, characterized by preserved cortical lamination, blurred gray–white matter interface due to increased number of oligodendrocytes, and heterotopic neurons in the white matter. The age at MRI evaluation ranged from 11 to 58 years, except for one 4.5‐year‐old patient.

Results

Following a detailed MRI analysis using an in‐house protocol, we found abnormalities in all cases. The lesion was circumscribed in the frontal lobe in six (50%) and in the temporal lobe in three (25%) patients. In the remaining three patients (25%), the lesion was multilobar (frontotemporal and temporoparieto‐occipital). Cortical thickening was mild in all patients, except in the 4.5‐year‐old patient, who had pronounced cortical thickening and white matter blurring. We also identified cortical/subcortical hyperintense T2/fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery signal associated with gray/white matter blurring in all but one patient. When present, cleft cortical dimple, and deep sulci aided in localizing the lesion. Overall, the MRI findings were like those in focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) Type IIa. Surgical outcome was excellent in five patients (Engel Class I in 25% and II in 17%). The remaining seven patients (58%) had worthwhile seizure reduction (Engle Class III). Incomplete lesion resection was significantly associated with worse outcomes.

Significance

MRI findings associated with MOGHE are similar to those described in FCD Type IIa. Although more frequent in the frontal lobe, MOGHE also occurred in the temporal lobe or involved multiple lobes. Multilobar or extensive MOGHE MRI lesions are associated with less favorable surgical outcomes. Because this is a rare condition, multicenter studies are necessary to characterize MOGHE further.
The Intergenerational Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Hispanic Families: The Mediational Roles of Parental Depression and Parent–Adolescent Communication
Authors: Ochoa Lucas G. , Fernandez Alejandra , Lee Tae Kyoung , Estrada Yannine , Prado Guillermo
Published: April 2021

Parental exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has been documented as a strong risk factor for subsequent externalizing behaviors in their youth. Although studies have investigated ACEs and their intergenerational association with youth externalizing behaviors, this association has not been investigated in Hispanic families. Additionally, substantial gaps in the literature exist explaining the mechanisms by which this association occurs. The purpose of this study was to examine whether parent–adolescent communication and parental depressive symptomatology explain the relationship between parent's ACE score and adolescent externalizing behaviors. This secondary data analysis utilized baseline data from an ongoing randomized controlled trial evaluating the relative effectiveness of an online parenting intervention for Hispanic adolescents. The sample consisted of 456 parents and their adolescents between the ages of 12–16. Using path modeling, parental depressive symptomatology and parent–adolescent communication were simultaneously examined as mechanisms that may explain the intergenerational relationship between parental exposure to ACEs and externalizing behaviors in Hispanic youth. Parental depressive symptomatology and parent–adolescent communication both significantly mediated the association between parental exposure to ACEs and adolescent externalizing behaviors. Understanding the mechanisms explaining the intergenerational association between parental exposure to ACEs and adolescent externalizing behaviors may aid future research examining problematic behaviors in Hispanic youth.
Effectively and accurately mapping global biodiversity patterns for different regions and taxa
Authors: Hughes Alice C. , Orr Michael C. , Yang Qinmin , Qiao Huijie
Published: April 2021

Aim

The aim was to understand the representativeness and accuracy of expert range maps and to explore alternative methods for mapping species distributions accurately.

Location

Global.

Time period

Contemporary.

Major taxa studied

Terrestrial vertebrates and Odonata.

Methods

We analysed the biases in 50,768 animal International Union for Conservation of Nature, Global Assessment of Reptile Distributions and BirdLife species maps and assessed the links between these maps and existing political boundaries and various non‐ecological boundaries to assess their accuracy for certain types of analyses. We cross‐referenced each species map with data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility to assess whether maps captured the whole range of a species and what percentage of occurrence points fell within the assessed range of the species. In addition, we used a number of different methods to map diversity patterns and compared these with high‐resolution models of distribution patterns.

Results

On average, 20–30% of the non‐coastal range boundaries of species overlapped with administrative national boundaries. In total, 60% of areas with the highest spatial turnover in species (high densities of species range boundaries marking high levels of shift in the community of species present) occurred at political boundaries, which was especially common in Southeast Asia. Different biases existed for different taxa, with gridded analysis in reptiles, river basins in Odonata (except the Americas) and county boundaries for amphibians in the USA. On average, up to half (25–46%) of the recorded range points of species fell outside their mapped distributions. Filtered minimum convex polygons performed better than expert range maps in reproducing modelled diversity patterns.

Main conclusions

Expert range maps showed high bias at administrative borders in all taxa, but this was highest at the transition from tropical to subtropical regions. The methods used were inconsistent across space, time and taxa, and the ranges mapped did not match species distribution data. Alternative approaches can reconstruct patterns of distribution better than expert maps, and data‐driven approaches are needed to provide reliable alternatives to gain a better understanding of species distributions.
Bioengineering, telecoupling, and alternative dairy: Agricultural land use futures in the Anthropocene
Authors: Newman Lenore , Newell Robert , Mendly‐Zambo Zsofia , Powell Lisa
Published: April 2021

The global environmental impact of rising consumption of animal products presents significant challenges to sustainable land use. One alternative to the production of animal products is a set of technologies for culturing meat and dairy alternatives referred to as “cellular agriculture”; in the case of dairy, “cellular dairy”. Optimism around the benefits of these technologies is widespread, and they fit within a larger narrative of land sparing, in which high‐yield farming allows the protection of habitats and the return of fallow land to ecological uses. However, questions remain as to whether cellular dairy is truly land sparing because although lab dairy could offer significant ecological benefits, these could be countered by increases in agricultural activity in other regions for the production of feedstocks. In addition, considerations around broader impacts to individuals, communities, and the environment are needed to understand whether/how cellular dairy aligns or conflicts with local, regional, and global sustainability goals. This paper employs the concept of telecoupling, which refers to socioeconomic and environmental interactions over distances, to examine the potential cellular dairy may have for contributing to sustainable food production and consumption. The research uses British Columba, Canada as a case study, and it explores three policy scenarios: (1) incentives for the growth of a cellular dairy industry, (2) cellular dairy incentivization with eco‐certification, and (3) cellular dairy incentivization with local sourcing of feedstock. The work is exploratory rather than predictive, meaning rather than forecasting outcomes, it stimulates ideas on potential direct and indirect impacts, feedback processes, and social and institutional changes associated with each scenario. The research demonstrates that exploring scenarios through a telecoupling lens can be useful for policy‐makers and analysts because it facilitates comprehensive and multi‐scalar thinking on the ecological, social, economic, and political factors associated with different policy options.
Virulence assessment of enterohepaticHelicobacterspecies carried by dogs using the wax moth larvaeGalleria mellonellaas infection model
Authors: Ochoa Sofía , Fernández Fabiola , Devotto Luis , France Iglesias Andrés , Collado Luis
Published: April 2021

Background

Enterohepatic species of the genusHelicobacter(EHH) are emerging pathogens that have been associated with gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary diseases in humans. However, studies on their pathogenicity are scarce.Galleria mellonellais a recently proposed model for the study of virulence in different pathogens, such asCampylobacterspp. andHelicobacter pylori. Despite this, its usefulness in EHH has not yet been evaluated. Therefore, we determined the pathogenic potential of different EHH species isolated from dogs in this infection model.

Materials and Methods

Four species of EHH (H.bilis,H.canicola,H.canis, and ‘H. winghamensis’) isolated from fecal samples from domestic dogs were evaluated. Three strains of each species were inoculated in cohorts ofG.mellonellaat a concentration of 1 × 107 CFU/mL. Survival curves were determined by the Kaplan‐Meier method. In addition, the quantification of melanin, bacterial load in hemolymph, and histopathology were evaluated daily post–infection (pi).

Results

G.mellonellalarvae are susceptible to EHH infection, exhibiting intra‐ and inter‐species variability. Melanin production became evident from 4 h pi and increased throughout the assay. All species were recovered from the hemolymph after 20 min pi; however, onlyH.caniscould be recovered up to 48 h pi. Histopathology revealed cellular and humoral immune response, evidencing accumulation of hemocytes, nodulation, and melanin deposition in different tissues.

Conclusion

EHH species carried by dogs have considerable pathogenic potential, beingH.canicolathe species with the highest degree of virulence. Thus,G.mellonellais a useful model to assess virulence in these emerging pathogens.
The effects of cell surface CD47 downregulation on ischaemia‐reperfusion injury during pig liver transplantation
Authors: Wang Zhi , Guo Hao , Xu Rui , Zhao Chun‐ni , Xia Yun
Published: April 2021

This study aimed to investigate the effect of cell surface CD47 downregulation on ischaemia‐reperfusion injury (IRI) during pig liver transplantation. Blood samples were collected from healthy miniature Bama pigs randomly and equally divided into CD47 antagonism (group A), without CD47 antagonism (group B) and a sham group (group C). Blood samples were collected from groups A and B at 0, 8 and 48 hours after establishment of the new liver through an indwelling tube in the right internal jugular vein. Blood samples were collected at the same time points after liver dissociation from group C. The expression of interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) was detected by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); CD47 expression was detected by Western blot; and liver function indices, including alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartic transaminase (AST), were directly read by an automatic biochemical analyzer. The concentrations of both receptors in group A were significantly lower than groups B and C, at 8 and 48 hours after establishment of blood flow. At 8 and 48 hours in the new liver stage, the values of CD47 levels, ALT and AST in group A were significantly reduced compared to groups B and C (P < 0.05). The levels of CD47 in the three groups were consistent with the trends of the aforementioned observation indicators. The liver functions of the recipients were significantly improved by reducing the release of the inflammatory mediators. This study provides new ideas and intervention approaches for the treatment of IRI in liver transplantation.
Effects of daily sedation interruption in intensive care unit patients undergoing mechanical ventilation: A meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Chen Ting‐Jhen , Chung Yi‐Wei , Chen Pin‐Yuan , Hu Sophia H. , Chang Chuen‐Chau , Hsieh Shu‐Hua , Wang Bo‐Cyuan , Chiu Hsiao‐Yean
Published: April 2021

Aim

This study aimed to assess the effects of daily sedation interruption on the mechanical ventilation duration and relevant outcomes in mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Background

Previously, three meta‐analyses on the association of daily sedation interruption with the mechanical ventilation duration have reported conflicting findings, and these did not support current guideline recommendations that daily sedation interruption can be routinely used in mechanically ventilated adult ICU patients.

Design

This was a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled studies.

Data sources

Data were from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, ProQuest dissertation and theses, Airiti Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data Chinese, Science Direct and PsycINFO databases.

Review methods

Two reviewers independently assessed, extracted and appraised the included studies. Then, pooled estimates were calculated using a random‐effects model.

Results

In total, 45 studies involving 5493 participants were included. Compared with controls, daily sedation interruption significantly reduced the mechanical ventilation duration, ICU stay length, sedation duration, and tracheostomy and ventilator‐associated pneumonia risks (all p ≤ 0.001). Moreover, the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score and study quality were significant moderators.

Conclusion

Daily sedation interruption could substantially reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation, particularly when it was applied to patients with high disease severity.
Efectos de la negociación colectiva e individual en el rendimiento empresarial. Análisis exhaustivo de la incidencia de diversos sistemas de negociación en la productividad laboral
Authors: BRAAKMANN Nils , BRANDL Bernd
Published: April 2021

Sobre un conjunto de datos empresariales representativos de todos los Estados miembros de la Unión Europea se analiza la relación entre diferentes procesos y estructuras institucionales de negociación colectiva y la evolución de la productividad laboral. Los resultados muestran efectos de amplio alcance. Algunos procesos y estructuras, en particular los sistemas sin coordinación entre unidades, parecen menoscabar el rendimiento empresarial, mientras que los sistemas coordinados lo mejoran. En consecuencia, lo importante son los procesos y estructuras institucionales en que se inscribe la negociación colectiva y no la cuestión de si la negociación debe ser colectiva o individual.
Tareas, ocupaciones y salarios en países de la OCDE
Authors: AGASISTI Tommaso , JOHNES Geraint , PACCAGNELLA Marco
Published: April 2021

En este artículo se investigan los vínculos entre ingresos, capital humano y tareas laborales, utilizando información internacionalmente comparable del PIAAC (OCDE) sobre competencias de adultos. Tomando el marco teórico de Autor y Handel (2013), se amplía el análisis empírico a 21 países de la OCDE. Los datos permiten tener en cuenta tanto el nivel de instrucción como una medida de las competencias cognitivas. Los resultados confirman que las tareas que implica cada ocupación tienen influencia en las diferencias salariales tanto entre ocupaciones como dentro de cada una y proporcionan pruebas empíricas del poder de predicción del modelo para un gran número de países.
Upskilling y cambios distributivos en la cadena global de valor de la industria electrónica
Authors: LLADÓS MASLLORENS Josep , MESEGUER ARTOLA Antoni , VILASECA REQUENA Jordi
Published: April 2021

La cadena global de valor de la industria electrónica es una de las más complejas de la economía internacional. Utilizando las tablas input‐output internacionales de 2000‐2014, se infieren las contribuciones individuales a dicha cadena para observar cómo la crisis de 2007–2008 afectó a su evolución y cartografiar las interacciones internacionales. Se observa un aumento de la deslocalización hasta el estallido de la crisis y después China y otras economías de Asia oriental se convierten en un epicentro de creación de valor. También se observa una profunda transformación de las tecnologías de producción, acompañada de un proceso de mejora del perfil de la cualificación (upskilling).
Buenos y malos empleos informales en Indonesia
Authors: ABLAZA Christine , WESTERN Mark , TOMASZEWSKI Wojtek
Published: April 2021

Partiendo de un modelo del empleo informal que presupone su heterogeneidad, los autores estiman la brecha salarial entre trabajadores formales e informales en diferentes segmentos de la distribución de ingresos mediante regresiones cuantílicas incondicionales estimadas con datos de la Encuesta de vida familiar de Indonesia. Confirman la considerable penalización de ingresos observada en estudios anteriores para muchos trabajadores informales, pero también la existencia de un grupo entre ellos cuyos ingresos son similares a los de los trabajadores formales. Estas estimaciones concuerdan con el modelo de segmentación del empleo informal de Fields (1990 y 2005).