Examining Perceptions of Online Harassment among Constables in England and Wales

The ubiquity of the Internet and computer technology has enabled individuals to engage in bullying, threats, and harassing communications online. Limited research has found that local line officers may not view these offenses as serious compared to real world crimes despite their negative physical and emotional impact on victims. The perceptions of officers can produce poor interactions with victims during calls for service, particularly victim blaming, which can reduce citizens’ confidence in police agencies generally. However, local law enforcement agencies are increasingly mandated to respond to these cases, calling to question how their views may impact the community. This study examined the attitudinal and demographic factors associated with the negative views of online harassment and bullying within a sample of 1,348 constables from 34 local agencies across England and Wales. The study found that constables with negative views toward cybercrimes and worked in agencies with inconsistent messaging related to online crimes were more likely to view online harassment as less serious and believe that these offenses could be avoided by victims. The implications of this study for local police staff and command are discussed in detail

Dynamics of antimicrobial resistance in intestinal Escherichia coli from children in community settings in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

The dynamics of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in developing countries are poorly understood, especially in community settings, due to a sparsity of data on AMR prevalence and genetics. We used a combination of phenotyping, genomics and antimicrobial usage data to investigate patterns of AMR amongst atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (aEPEC) strains isolated from children younger than five years old in seven developing countries (four in sub-Saharan Africa and three in South Asia) over a three-year period. We detected high rates of AMR, with 65% of isolates displaying resistance to three or more drug classes. Whole-genome sequencing revealed a diversity of known genetic mechanisms for AMR that accounted for >95% of phenotypic resistance, with comparable rates amongst aEPEC strains associated with diarrhoea or asymptomatic carriage. Genetic determinants of AMR were associated with the geographic location of isolates, not E. coli lineage, and AMR genes were frequently co-located, potentially enabling the acquisition of multi-drug resistance in a single step. Comparison of AMR with antimicrobial usage data showed that the prevalence of resistance to fluoroquinolones and third-generation cephalosporins was correlated with usage, which was higher in South Asia than in Africa. This study provides much-needed insights into the frequency and mechanisms of AMR in intestinal E. coli in children living in community settings in developing countries

Latewood Ring Width Reveals CE 1734 Felling Dates for Walker House Timbers In Tupelo, Mississippi, USA

Dendroarchaeology is under-represented in the Gulf Coastal Plain region of the United States (US), and at present, only three published studies have precision dated a collection of 18th–19th-century structures. In this study, we examined the tree-ring data from pine, poplar, and oak timbers used in the Walker House in Tupelo, Mississippi. The Walker House was constructed ca. the mid-1800s with timbers that appeared to be recycled from previous structures. In total, we examined 30 samples (16 pines, 8 oaks, and 6 poplars) from the attic and crawlspace. We cross-dated latewood ring growth from the attic pine samples to the period 1541–1734 (r = 0.52, t = 8.43, p \u3c 0.0001) using a 514-year longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) latewood reference chronology from southern Mississippi. The crawlspace oak samples produced a 57-year chronology that we dated against a white oak (Quercus alba L.) reference chronology from northeast Alabama to the period 1765–1822 (r = 0.36, t = 2.83, p \u3c 0.01). We were unable to cross-date the six poplar samples due to a lack of poplar reference chronologies in the region. Our findings have two important implications: (1) the pine material dated to 1734 represents the oldest dendroarchaeology-confirmed dating match for construction materials in the southeastern US, and (2) cross-dating latewood growth for southeastern US pine species produced statistically significant results, whereas total ring width failed to produce significant dating results

Obituary: Alan Raybould

Professor Alan Raybould was born and raised in Wolverhampton, in the West Midlands, United Kingdom. He attained a First Class Degree in Botany from the University of Manchester, followed by his PhD in Population Genetics at the University of Birmingham in 1989, researching population genetics of Spartina anglica. Alan began his scientific career at the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology at Furzebrook, Dorset, which later became part of the United Kingdom Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. During this period (1990–2001), he progressed from a post-doctoral research position to becoming the lead scientist in molecular ecology, studying gene-flows from genetically-modified crops to related wild plant populations

Catchment characteristics and seasonality control the composition of microbial assemblages exported from three outlet glaciers of the Greenland Ice Sheet

Glacial meltwater drains into proglacial rivers where it interacts with the surrounding landscape, collecting microbial cells as it travels downstream. Characterizing the composition of the resulting microbial assemblages in transport can inform us about intra-annual changes in meltwater flowpaths beneath the glacier as well as hydrological connectivity with proglacial areas. Here, we investigated how the structure of suspended microbial assemblages evolves over the course of a melt season for three proglacial catchments of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS), reasoning that differences in glacier size and the proportion of glacierized versus non-glacierized catchment areas will influence both the identity and relative abundance of microbial taxa in transport. Streamwater samples were taken at the same time each day over a period of 3 weeks (summer 2018) to identify temporal patterns in microbial assemblages for three outlet glaciers of the GrIS, which differed in glacier size (smallest to largest; Russell, Leverett, and Isunnguata Sermia [IS]) and their glacierized: proglacial catchment area ratio (Leverett, 76; Isunnguata Sermia, 25; Russell, 2). DNA was extracted from samples, and 16S rRNA gene amplicons sequenced to characterize the structure of assemblages. We found that microbial diversity was significantly greater in Isunnguata Sermia and Russell Glacier rivers compared to Leverett Glacier, the latter of which having the smallest relative proglacial catchment area. Furthermore, the microbial diversity of the former two catchments continued to increase over monitored period, presumably due to increasing hydrologic connectivity with proglacial habitats. Meanwhile, diversity decreased over the monitored period in Leverett, which may have resulted from the evolution of an efficient subglacial drainage system. Linear discriminant analysis further revealed that bacteria characteristic to soils were disproportionately represented in the Isunnguata Sermia river, while putative methylotrophs were disproportionately abundant in Russell Glacier. Meanwhile, taxa typical for glacierized habitats (i.e., Rhodoferax and Polaromonas) dominated in the Leverett Glacier river. Our findings suggest that the proportion of deglaciated catchment area is more influential to suspended microbial assemblage structure than absolute glacier size, and improve our understanding of hydrological flowpaths, particulate entrainment, and transport

A preliminary study of the effect of closed incision management with negative pressure wound therapy over high-risk incisions

Background Certain postoperative wounds are recognised to be associated with more complications than others and may be termed high-risk. Wound healing can be particularly challenging following high-energy trauma where wound necrosis and infection rates are high. Surgical incision for joint arthrodesis can also be considered high-risk as it requires extensive and invasive surgery and postoperative distal limb swelling and wound dehiscence are common. Recent human literature has investigated the use of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) over high-risk closed surgical incisions and beneficial effects have been noted including decreased drainage, decreased dehiscence and decreased infection rates. In a randomised, controlled study twenty cases undergoing distal limb high-energy fracture stabilisation or arthrodesis were randomised to NPWT or control groups. All cases had a modified Robert-Jones dressing applied for 72 h postoperatively and NPWT was applied for 24 h in the NPWT group. Morphometric assessment of limb circumference was performed at six sites preoperatively, 24 and 72 h postoperatively. Wound discharge was assessed at 24 and 72 h. Postoperative analgesia protocol was standardised and a Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Score (GCPS) carried out at 24, 48 and 72 h. Complications were noted and differences between groups were assessed. Results Percentage change in limb circumference between preoperative and 24 and 72 h postoperative measurements was significantly less at all sites for the NPWT group with exception of the joint proximal to the surgical site and the centre of the operated bone at 72 h. Median discharge score was lower in the NPWT group than the control group at 24 h. No significant differences in GCPS or complication rates were noted. Conclusions Digital swelling and wound discharge were reduced when NPWT was employed for closed incision management. Larger studies are required to evaluate whether this will result in reduced discomfort and complication rates postoperatively

Mosque-based emotional support among young Muslim Americans

Despite a growing literature on social support networks in religious settings (i.e., church-based social support), little is known about mosque-based support among Muslims. This study investigates the demographic and religious behavior correlates of mosque-based social support among a multi-racial and ethnic sample of 231 young Muslims from southeast Michigan. Several dimensions of mosque-based support are examined including receiving emotional support, giving emotional support, anticipated emotional support and negative interactions with members of one’s mosque. Results indicated that women both received and antic- ipated receiving greater support than did men. Higher educational attainment was associated with receiving and giving less support compared to those with the lowest level of educational attainment. Moreover, highly educated members reported fewer negative interactions than less educated members. Mosque attendance and level of congregational involvement positively predicted receiving, giving, and anticipated emotional support from congregants, but was unrelated to negative interactions. Overall, the study results converge with previously established correlates of church- based emotional support.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/107410/1/art%3A10.1007%2Fs13644-013-0119-0(1).pd

The Democratic Biopolitics of PrEP

PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) is a relatively new drug-based HIV prevention technique and an important means to lower the HIV risk of gay men who are especially vulnerable to HIV. From the perspective of biopolitics, PrEP inscribes itself in a larger trend of medicalization and the rise of pharmapower. This article reconstructs and evaluates contemporary literature on biopolitical theory as it applies to PrEP, by bringing it in a dialogue with a mapping of the political debate on PrEP. As PrEP changes sexual norms and subjectification, for example condom use and its meaning for gay subjectivity, it is highly contested. The article shows that the debate on PrEP can be best described with the concepts ‘sexual-somatic ethics’ and ‘democratic biopolitics’, which I develop based on the biopolitical approach of Nikolas Rose and Paul Rabinow. In contrast, interpretations of PrEP which are following governmentality studies or Italian Theory amount to either farfetched or trivial positions on PrEP, when seen in light of the political debate. Furthermore, the article is a contribution to the scholarship on gay subjectivity, highlighting how homophobia and homonormativity haunts gay sex even in liberal environments, and how PrEP can serve as an entry point for the destigmatization of gay sexuality and transformation of gay subjectivity. ‘Biopolitical democratization’ entails making explicit how medical technology and health care relates to sexual subjectification and ethics, to strengthen the voice of (potential) PrEP users in health politics, and to renegotiate the profit and power of Big Pharma

Derivation of High Spatial Resolution Albedo from UAV Digital Imagery:Application over the Greenland Ice Sheet

Measurements of albedo are a prerequisite for modeling surface melt across the Earth's cryosphere, yet available satellite products are limited in spatial and/or temporal resolution. Here, we present a practical methodology to obtain centimeter resolution albedo products with accuracies of ?5% using consumer-grade digital camera and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies. Our method comprises a workflow for processing, correcting and calibrating raw digital images using a white reference target, and upward and downward shortwave radiation measurements from broadband silicon pyranometers. We demonstrate the method with a set of UAV sorties over the western, K-sector of the Greenland Ice Sheet. The resulting albedo product, UAV10A1, covers 280 km2, at a resolution of 20 cm per pixel and has a root-mean-square difference of 3.7% compared to MOD10A1 and 4.9% compared to ground-based broadband pyranometer measurements. By continuously measuring downward solar irradiance, the technique overcomes previous limitations due to variable illumination conditions during and between surveys over glaciated terrain. The current miniaturization of multispectral sensors and incorporation of upward facing radiation sensors on UAV packages means that this technique could become increasingly common in field studies and used for a wide range of applications. These include the mapping of debris, dust, cryoconite and bioalbedo, and directly constraining surface energy balance models.publishersversionPeer reviewe