Effects of exposure to low, ecologically relevant doses of atrazine on somatic and gonadal development in American toad (Bufo americanus) tadpoles

Atrazine is the most commonly used herbicide in the United States, with 80 million pounds applied annually, making it the most common contaminant of ground and surface water nationwide. It has been shown to act as a potent endocrine disrupter in amphibians, causing altered somatic and gonadal development in the ecologically relevant part per billion range; as a result, it has been hypothesized that atrazine may be a major factor behind amphibian declines. However, responses of different species to the chemical vary widely, and have made predicting susceptibility difficult. Recently, it has been shown that life history can serve as a strong predictor of vulnerability, as the speed of somatic development and the timing of gonadal differentiation may determine the effects of exposure. However, previous studies leading to these conclusions have examined atrazine under stable laboratory conditions, although it is widely accepted that chemical contaminants can interact synergistically with natural stressors in the wild, producing exaggerated effects. To test whether more stressful conditions alter the effects of atrazine with respect to existing data, we raised Bufoamericanus tadpoles under more stressful conditions, including a high larval density and simulated pond drying, and exposure to ecologically relevant doses of atrazine (0, 0.1, 1, 25 ppb). We measured markers of somatic development (mass, time, survival at metamorphosis) and gonadal differentiation (ovarian stage in females, presence of testicular oocytes in males). Our results do not suggest that stressful conditions worsen the effects of atrazine, as only mass at metamorphosis was affected by exposure. Our results are interesting, however, in that they support the hypothesis that atrazine displays a non-monotonic dose-response curve, with very low concentrations (0.1,1 ppb) producing the most severe effects, an important implication for any conservation policy regarding the chemical

After coal: Affective-temporal processes of belonging and alienation in the deindustrializing Nottinghamshire coalfield, UK

This article advances conceptualizations of belonging and alienation among deindustrializing people toward (i) pluralistic temporal and (ii) affective processes. The focus is on belonging and alienation among a deindustrialized generation in the Nottinghamshire coalfield, UK, exploring how various affective-temporal processes mediate capacities, claims, and senses of belonging and alienation. Extant studies suggest that multiple temporal processes constitute deindustrialized places, particularly intergenerational transmissions, declarative memory, and place-histories. Recent work has explored the affective, emotional, and embodied dynamics of these temporal processes. While these literatures are insightful in locating affective and temporal processes of belonging, studies do not have much to say on the relational dynamics of affective-temporal processes in everyday becoming lives and experiences of deindustrializing places. The significance of foregrounding multiple affective-temporal processes of belonging and alienation is because of their relational nature. Advancing understandings of belonging is critical as a coherent sense of belonging is fundamental for individual and social well-being, and the loss of belonging, namely, alienation, informs how former industrial places are lived. Based on autoethnographic, interview and Observant Participation research with participants born between 1984 and 1994, I use ethnographic vignettes to delineate multiple relating affective-temporal processes of belonging and alienation of a generation that came after coal. The first vignette concerns the embodied and affective relationalities of intergenerational transmission and becoming in a deindustrialized world through the lens of masculinity, place and belonging. The second vignette examines nostalgic and traumatic shared declarative memories contingent of living through and with deindustrialization. The third vignette looks at intersections of place histories, silenced memory and local pride and shame, drawing out the significance of space and place to class-based experiences. Weaved through the stories are thematic threads of class, place, alienation, belonging, and temporality. Bringing these threads together, the paper then discusses the relationalities between issues covered, emphasizing the mutual contingencies between affective-temporal processes of belonging and alienation. I end by calling for shared affective-temporal processes of belonging and alienation to form the basis of a renewed solidarity, attenuation of alienation and a means to belong

A Systematic Framework to Rapidly Obtain Data on Patients with Cancer and COVID-19: CCC19 Governance, Protocol, and Quality Assurance

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, formal frameworks to collect data about affected patients were lacking. The COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19) was formed to collect granular data on patients with cancer and COVID-19 at scale and as rapidly as possible. CCC19 has grown from five initial institutions to 125 institutions with >400 collaborators. More than 5,000 cases with complete baseline data have been accrued. Future directions include increased electronic health record integration for direct data ingestion, expansion to additional domestic and international sites, more intentional patient involvement, and granular analyses of still-unanswered questions related to cancer subtypes and treatments. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, formal frameworks to collect data about affected patients were lacking. The COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19) was formed to collect granular data on patients with cancer and COVID-19 at scale and as rapidly as possible. CCC19 has grown from five initial institutions to 125 institutions with >400 collaborators. More than 5,000 cases with complete baseline data have been accrued. Future directions include increased electronic health record integration for direct data ingestion, expansion to additional domestic and international sites, more intentional patient involvement, and granular analyses of still-unanswered questions related to cancer subtypes and treatments