Compensation for atmospheric appropriation

Research on carbon inequalities shows that some countries are overshooting their fair share of the remaining carbon budget and hold disproportionate responsibility for climate breakdown. Scholars argue that overshooting countries owe compensation or reparations to undershooting countries for atmospheric appropriation and climate-related damages. Here we develop a procedure to quantify the level of compensation owed in a ‘net zero’ scenario where all countries decarbonize by 2050, using carbon prices from IPCC scenarios that limit global warming to 1.5 °C and tracking cumulative emissions from 1960 across 168 countries. We find that even in this ambitious scenario, the global North would overshoot its collective equality-based share of the 1.5 °C carbon budget by a factor of three, appropriating half of the global South’s share in the process. We calculate that compensation of US$192 trillion would be owed to the undershooting countries of the global South for the appropriation of their atmospheric fair shares by 2050, with an average disbursement to those countries of US$940 per capita per year. We also examine countries’ overshoot of equality-based shares of 350 ppm and 2 °C carbon budgets and quantify the level of compensation owed using earlier and later starting years (1850 and 1992) for comparison

A social cognitive smartphone application for improving physical activity in adults

The pervasiveness, broad reach, and processing capabilities of consumer technologies, including the internet and smartphone devices, has driven the rapid development of research and commercial applications meant to promote physical activity. Unfortunately, researchers have found that commercial physical activity applications (apps) are not often effective, and are not typically evidence-based. The purpose of this study, which was guided by the multiphase optimization strategy (MOST), was to test the individual and combined efficacy of two theory-driven smartphone app modules designed to promote physical activity: guided hierarchical goal setting and points-based feedback. Participants (N = 116) were recruited to participate in a 12-week home-based exercise program, and randomly assigned to one of four conditions. All individuals received a base-app, which contained three components common to eHealth interventions: physical activity tracking, individualized feedback, and weekly theory-based educational modules. One group received this app alone; a second received the base-app plus a points-based feedback module which awarded points, levels, and badges for engaging in physical activity and other in-app functions; a third received the base-app plus a guided goal setting component which aided individuals in setting both distal and proximal physical activity goals by providing goal recommendations and windows that urged gradual progression; and a fourth condition that received all app components. Results demonstrated that individuals in all conditions increased accelerometer-measured moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) by more than 11 minutes per day across the intervention period, while those with access to the points-based feedback module demonstrated higher levels of MVPA when compared to those without the module. Additionally, these individuals demonstrated more favorable outcomes on a number of psychosocial measures (i.e., barriers self-efficacy, exercise self-efficacy, perceived goal setting ability, outcome expectations) and app usage across the intervention. Those with access to in-app goal setting also had higher levels of app usage relative to those without the component. Overall, these findings provide important information for those interested in developing apps aimed at improving physical activity, and lay the groundwork for additional research

National responsibility for ecological breakdown: a fair-shares assessment of resource use, 1970–2017

Background: Human impacts on earth-system processes are overshooting several planetary boundaries, driving a crisis of ecological breakdown. This crisis is being caused in large part by global resource extraction, which has increased dramatically over the past half century. We propose a novel method for quantifying national responsibility for ecological breakdown by assessing nations’ cumulative material use in excess of equitable and sustainable boundaries. Methods: For this analysis, we derived national fair shares of a sustainable resource corridor. These fair shares were then subtracted from countries’ actual resource use to determine the extent to which each country has overshot its fair share over the period 1970–2017. Through this approach, each country's share of responsibility for global excess resource use was calculated. Findings: High-income nations are responsible for 74% of global excess material use, driven primarily by the USA (27%) and the EU-28 high-income countries (25%). China is responsible for 15% of global excess material use, and the rest of the Global South (ie, the low-income and middle-income countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia) is responsible for only 8%. Overshoot in higher-income nations is driven disproportionately by the use of abiotic materials, whereas in lower-income nations it is driven disproportionately by the use of biomass. Interpretation: These results show that high-income nations are the primary drivers of global ecological breakdown and they need to urgently reduce their resource use to fair and sustainable levels. Achieving sufficient reductions will likely require high-income nations to adopt transformative post-growth and degrowth approaches. Funding: None

High level of treatment failure with commonly used anthelmintics on Irish sheep farms

peer-reviewedBackground: In 2013 a Technology Adoption Program for sheep farmers was established to encourage the implementation of best management practices on sheep farms in Ireland. There were 4,500 participants in this programme in 2013. As part of this programme, farmers had the option to carry out a drench test to establish the efficacy of their anthelmintic treatment. Results: Flock faecal samples were collected before and after treatment administration and gastrointestinal nematode eggs enumerated. In total there were 1,893 participants in the task, however only 1,585 included both a pre- and post-treatment faecal sample. Of those, 1,308 provided information on the anthelmintic product that they used with 46%, 23% and 28% using a benzimidazole (BZ), levamisole (LEV) and macrocyclic lactone (ML) product respectively. The remaining farmers used a product inapplicable for inclusion in the task such as a flukicide or BZ/LEV combination product. Samples were included for analysis of drench efficacy if the pre-treatment flock egg count was ≥200 eggs per gram and the interval post-sampling was 10–14 days for BZ products, 4–7 days for LEV products and 14–18 days for ML products. These criteria reduced the number of valid tests to 369, 19.5% of all tests conducted. If the reduction post-treatment was ≥95% the treatment was considered effective. Only 51% of treatments were considered effective using this criterion. There was a significant difference in efficacy between the anthelmintic drug classes with BZ effective in only 30% of treatments, LEV effective in 52% of cases and ML effective in 76% of cases. Conclusions: Gastrointestinal nematode anthelmintic treatments, as practiced on Irish farms, have a high failure rate. There was a significant difference between the efficacies of the anthelmintic classes with BZ the least effective and ML the most effective

Etiology of Experimental Osteoarthritis: Early Events and Potential Clinical Implications

Introduction Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and accounts for 50% of all chronic conditions in the elderly. One in two adults reported a chronic musculoskeletal condition in 2005, twice the rate of reported chronic heart or respiratory conditions(2). In addition, persons aged 45 to 64 account for an increasingly greater proportion of total musculoskeletal disease treatment costs and lost wages, a trend that will continue for the next several decades(3). Surgical treatment culminating in total joint replacement (TJR) remains the most effective therapy for late stage OA. Current treatment of pre-surgical OA consists of pain relieving medications (i.e. NSAIDs), physical therapy, and mechanical supports (i.e. braces, canes, and walkers). Despite the wealth of clinical data on OA, there is currently no cure for the disease. Our previous work in developing potential disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs (DMOADs) had yielded promising results, showing a decrease in OA cartilage lesion areas and histological grades (Figure 1). Interestingly, we noted that animals treated for only the first 3 weeks demonstrated near 6-week levels of OA reduction. These differences in treatment responsiveness necessitate a better characterization of the specific cellular phases of OA throughout the natural disease progression. The current study was undertaken to clarify this progression of early OA events. Methods OA was induced in the right knees of 10-week-old male 129 S6/SvEv (Taconic) mice via DMM surgery. Mice receiving sham surgery with no destabilization were used as negative controls. Both groups were sacrificed at 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20-day intervals in order to evaluate OA progression. Knees were harvested, processed, and sectioned at 6um intervals. Sections were stained for cartilage composition (Safranin-O) and scored for progression and severity of OA by 3 blinded observers using a 0-5 scale (modified Mankin System)(4). Both ‘mean maximal’ scores (highest scores per knee), and ‘mean summed scores (sum of scores per knee) were generated using this scale. All scores were averaged across observers. Cartilage lesion area, subchondral bone area (sclerosis), and apoptosis (TUNEL method) were measured using a histomorphometric analysis package (ImageJ)(5). Conclusions Measurable osteoarthritic changes in articular cartilage and underlying bone following meniscal injury occur far earlier than previously described. Some changes are clearly degenerative (OA grade, stage & lesion area), however, some changes (subchondral bone thickening) could be regarded as compensatory supportive mechanisms. Cell death (apoptosis) is an acute event following relatively minor changes to knee biomechanics. Our results suggest an opportunity for intervention early on in OA before the resulting articular changes become irreversible. Specifically, consideration of anti-apoptosis based therapies could prevent much of the subsequent structural changes in articular cartilage. Future Directions Apoptosis data suggests pursuing an anti-apoptotic therapy strategy in the DMM model of OA Early bone sclerotic events suggest bone tissue as a target for anti-OA therapy. Translationally, preventing or delaying OA due to soft tissue injuries (e.g., sports injuries) may be possible with early medical treatment of OA proximal to the time of injury. References (1) International Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Organization, 1999. (2) National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey, 2005. (3) Kurtz, SM, Lau, E, et al. Future Young Patient Demand for Primary and Revision Joint Replacement: National Projections from 2010 to 2030. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, April 2009. (4) Kurtz, SM, Ong, K, et. al. Projections of Primary and Revision Hip and Knee Arthroplasty in the United States from 2005 to 2030. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 2007;89:780-5. (5) http://rsbweb.nih.gov/ij

Effects of a DVD-delivered randomized controlled physical activity intervention on functional health in cancer survivors

BACKGROUND: Supervised physical activity interventions improve functional health during cancer survivorship, but remain costly and inaccessible for many. We previously reported on the benefits of a DVD-delivered physical activity program (FlexToBa™) in older adults. This is a secondary analysis of the intervention effects among cancer survivors in the original sample. METHODS: Low active, older adults who self-reported a history of cancer (N = 46; M time since diagnosis = 10.7 ± 9.4 years) participated in a 6-month, home-based physical activity intervention. Participants were randomized to either the DVD-delivered physical activity program focused on flexibility, toning, and balance (FlexToBa™; n = 22) or an attentional control condition (n = 24). Physical function was assessed by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) at baseline, end of intervention, and at 12 and 24 months after baseline. RESULTS: Repeated measures linear mixed models indicated a significant group*time interaction for the SPPB total score (β = - 1.14, p = 0.048), driven by improved function from baseline to six months in the FlexToBa™ group. The intervention group also had improved balance (β = - 0.56, p = 0.041) compared with controls. Similar trends emerged for the SPPB total score during follow-up; the group*time interaction from 0 to 12 months approached significance (β = - 0.97, p = 0.089) and was significant from 0 to 24 months (β = - 1.84, p = 0.012). No significant interactions emerged for other outcomes (ps \u3e 0.11). CONCLUSIONS: A DVD-delivered physical activity intervention designed for cancer-free older adults was capable of eliciting and maintaining clinically meaningful functional improvements in a subgroup of cancer survivors, with similar effects to the original full sample. These findings inform the dissemination of evidence-based physical activity programs during survivorship. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01030419 . Registered 11 December 2009

Trajectories in muscular strength and physical function among men with and without prostate cancer in the health aging and body composition study

Objectives To examine and compare changes in strength and physical function from pre- to post-diagnosis among men with prostate cancer (PC, [cases]) and matched non-cancer controls identified from the Health, Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) study. Materials and methods We conducted a longitudinal analysis of 2 strength and 3 physical function-based measures among both cases and controls, identified from a large cohort of community living older adults enrolled in the Health ABC study. We plotted trajectories for each measure and compared cases vs. controls from the point of diagnosis onwards using mixed-effects regression models. For cases only, we examined predictors of poor strength or physical function. Results We identified 117 PC cases and 453 matched non-cancer controls (50% African Americans). At baseline, there were no differences between cases and controls in demographic factors, comorbidities or self-reported physical function; however, cases had slightly better grip strength (44.6 kg vs. 41.0 kg, p\u3c0.01), quadriceps strength (360.5 Nm vs. 338.7 Nm, p = 0.02) and Health ABC physical performance battery scores (2.4 vs. 2.3, p = 0.01). All men experienced similar declines in strength and physical function over an equivalent amount of time. The loss of quad strength was most notable, with losses of nearly two-thirds of baseline strength over approximately 7 years of follow up. Conclusions Among both cases and controls, strength and physical function decline with increasing age. The largest declines were seen in lower body strength. Regular assessments should guide lifestyle interventions that can offset age- and treatment-related declines among men with PC

White matter plasticity in healthy older adults: The effects of aerobic exercise

White matter deterioration is associated with cognitive impairment in healthy aging and Alzheimer\u27s disease. It is critical to identify interventions that can slow down white matter deterioration. So far, clinical trials have failed to demonstrate the benefits of aerobic exercise on the adult white matter using diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Here, we report the effects of a 6-month aerobic walking and dance interventions (clinical trial NCT01472744) on white matter integrity in healthy older adults (n = 180, 60-79 years) measured by changes in the ratio of calibrated T1- to T2-weighted images (T1w/T2w). Specifically, the aerobic walking and social dance interventions resulted in positive changes in the T1w/T2w signal in late-myelinating regions, as compared to widespread decreases in the T1w/T2w signal in the active control. Notably, in the aerobic walking group, positive change in the T1w/T2w signal correlated with improved episodic memory performance. Lastly, intervention-induced increases in cardiorespiratory fitness did not correlate with change in the T1w/T2w signal. Together, our findings suggest that white matter regions that are vulnerable to aging retain some degree of plasticity that can be induced by aerobic exercise training. In addition, we provided evidence that the T1w/T2w signal may be a useful and broadly accessible measure for studying short-term within-person plasticity and deterioration in the adult human white matter

Designing home-based physical activity programs for rural cancer survivors: A survey of technology access and preferences

BACKGROUND: While technology advances have increased the popularity of remote interventions in underserved and rural cancer communities, less is understood about technology access and preferences for home-based physical activity programs in this cancer survivor population. PURPOSE: To determine access, preferences, and needs, for a home-based physical activity program in rural cancer survivors. METHODS: A Qualtrics Research Panel was recruited to survey adults with cancer across the United States. Participants self-reported demographics, cancer characteristics, technology access and usage, and preferences for a home-based physical activity program. The Godin Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire (GLTEQ) assessed current levels of physical activity. Descriptive statistics included means and standard deviations for continuous variables, and frequencies for categorical variables. Independent samples t-tests explored differences between rural and non-rural participants. RESULTS: Participants (N=298; mean age=55.2 ± 16.5) had a history of cancer (mean age at diagnosis=46.5), with the most commonly reported cancer type being breast (25.5%), followed by prostate (16.1%). 74.2% resided in rural hometowns. 95% of participants reported accessing the internet daily. On a scale of 0-100, computer/laptop (M=63.4) and mobile phone (M=54.6) were the most preferred delivery modes for a home-based physical activity intervention, and most participants preferred balance/flexibility (72.2%) and aerobic (53.9%) exercises. Desired intervention elements included a frequency of 2-3 times a week (53.5%) for at least 20 minutes (75.7%). While there were notable rural disparities present (e.g., older age at diagnosis, lower levels of education; CONCLUSION: These findings provide insights into the preferred physical activity intervention (e.g., computer delivery, balance/flexibility exercises) in rural cancer survivors, while highlighting the need for personalization. Future efforts should consider these preferences when designing and delivering home-based interventions in this population

Measuring enjoyment of physical activity in older adults: invariance of the physical activity enjoyment scale (paces) across groups and time

The purpose of this study was to validate the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) in a sample of older adults. Participants within two different exercise groups were assessed at two time points, 6 months apart. Group and longitudinal invariance was established for a novel, 8-item version of the PACES. The shortened, psychometrically sound measure provides researchers and practitioners an expedited and reliable instrument for assessing the enjoyment of physical activity