Southern Locations Research Articles

Decolonisation through Poetry: Building First Nations’ Voice and Promoting Truth-Telling

The impetus to decolonise high schools and universities has been gaining momentum in Southern locations such as South Africa and Australia. In this article, we use a polyvocal approach, juxtaposing different creative and scholarly voices, to argue that poetry offers a range of generative possibilities for the decolonisation of high school and university curricula. Australian First Nations’ poetry has been at the forefront of the Indigenous political protest movement for land rights, recognition, justice and Treaty since the British settlement/invasion. Poetry has provided Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with a powerful vehicle for speaking back to colonial power. In this article, a team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers argue that poetry can be a powerful vehicle for Indigenous voices and Knowledges. We suggest that poetry can create spaces for deep listening (dadirri), and that listening with the heart can promote truth-telling and build connections between First Nations and white settler communities. These decolonising efforts underpin the “Wandiny (gathering together)—Listen with the Heart: Uniting Nations through Poetry” research that we discuss in this article. We model our call-and-response methodology by including the poetry of our co-author and Aboriginal Elder of the Kungarakan people in the Northern Territory, Aunty Sue Stanton, with poetic responses by some of her co-authors.

The Subhabitat Dependence of Biogeographic Pattern

We introduce and test the subhabitat dependence hypothesis (SDH) in biogeography. This hypothesis posits that biogeographic pattern within a region differs when determined with species abundance data from different subhabitat types. It stems from the notion that the main abiotic factors that drive species distribution in different subhabitat types across a biogeographic region often vary differently across space. To test the SDH, we measured the abundance of algae and sessile invertebrates in two different subhabitats (high intertidal zone and mid-intertidal zone) at eight locations along the Atlantic Canadian coast. We conducted multivariate analyses of the species abundance data to compare alongshore biogeographic pattern between both zones. For both subhabitat types, location groupings based on community similarity not always responded to geographic proximity, leading to biogeographic patchiness to some extent. Nonetheless, both biogeographic patterns were statistically unrelated, thus supporting the SDH. This lack of concordance was most evident for southern locations, which clustered together based on high-intertidal data but showed considerable alongshore patchiness based on mid-intertidal data. We also found that the ordination pattern of these eight locations based on sea surface temperature data was significantly related to biogeographic pattern for the mid-intertidal zone but not for the high intertidal zone. This finding supports the rationale behind the SDH due to the longer periods of submergence experienced by the mid-intertidal zone. Overall, we conclude that biogeographic pattern within a region can depend on the surveyed subhabitat type. Thus, biological surveys restricted to specific subhabitats may not properly reveal biogeographic pattern for a biota as a whole or even just for other subhabitats. As many studies generate biogeographic information with data only for specific subhabitats, we recommend testing the SDH in other systems to determine its domain of application.

The genetic legacy of fragmentation and overexploitation in the threatened medicinal African pepper-bark tree, Warburgia salutaris

The pepper-bark tree (Warburgia salutaris) is one of the most highly valued medicinal plant species worldwide. Native to southern Africa, this species has been extensively harvested for the bark, which is widely used in traditional health practices. Illegal harvesting coupled with habitat degradation has contributed to fragmentation of populations and a severe decline in its distribution. Even though the species is included in the IUCN Red List as Endangered, genetic data that would help conservation efforts and future re-introductions are absent. We therefore developed new molecular markers to understand patterns of genetic diversity, structure, and gene flow of W. salutaris in one of its most important areas of occurrence (Mozambique). In this study, we have shown that, despite fragmentation and overexploitation, this species maintains a relatively high level of genetic diversity supporting the existence of random mating. Two genetic groups were found corresponding to the northern and southern locations. Our study suggests that, if local extinctions occurred in Mozambique, the pepper-bark tree persisted in sufficient numbers to retain a large proportion of genetic diversity. Management plans should concentrate on maintaining this high level of genetic variability through both in and ex-situ conservation actions.

Conserved rhodolith microbiomes across environmental gradients of the Great Amazon Reef

The Great Amazon Reef System (GARS) covers an estimated area of 56,000 km2 off the mouth of the Amazon River. Living rhodolith holobionts are major benthic components of the GARS. However, it is unclear whether environmental conditions modulate the rhodolith microbiomes. Previous studies suggest that environmental parameters such as light, temperature, depth, and nutrients are drivers of rhodolith health. However, it is unclear whether rhodoliths from different sectors (northern, central, and southern) from the GARS have different microbiomes. We analysed metagenomes of rhodoliths (n = 10) and seawater (n = 6), obtained from the three sectors, by illumina shotgun sequencing (total read counts: 25.73 million). Suspended particulate material and isotopic composition of dissolved organic carbon (δ13C) indicated a strong influence of the Amazon river plume over the entire study area. However, photosynthetically active radiation at the bottom (PARb) was higher in the southern sector reefs, ranging from 10.1 to 14.3 E.m−2 day−1. The coralline calcareous red algae (CCA) Corallina caespitosa, Corallina officinalis, Lithophyllum cabiochiae, and Hapalidiales were present in the three sectors and in most rhodolith samples. Rhodolith microbiomes were very homogeneous across the studied area and differed significantly from seawater microbiomes. However, some subtle differences were found when comparing the rhodolith microbiomes from the northern and central sectors to the ones from the southern. Consistent with the higher light availability, two phyla were more abundant in rhodolith microbiomes from southern sites (Bacteroidetes, and Cyanobacteria). In addition, two functional categories were enhanced in southern rhodolith microbiomes (iron acquisition and metabolism, and photosynthesis). Phycobiliprotein-coding genes were also more abundant in southern locations, while the functional categories of respiration and sulfur metabolism were enhanced in northern and central rhodolith microbiomes, consistent with higher nutrient loads. The results confirm the conserved nature of rhodolith microbiomes even under pronounced environmental gradients. Subtle taxonomic and functional differences observed in rhodolith microbiomes may enable rhodoliths to thrive in changing environmental conditions.

Challenging hibernation limits of hoary bats: the southernmost record of Lasiurus cinereus hibernating in North America

It has been suggested that Lasiurus cinereus cinereus migrates from summer roosts at higher latitudes to the coastal regions and southern latitudes in the United States and Mexico to overwinter, where little is known about its winter ecology. We found a hoary bat in a shrub in a conifer forest at high elevation in central Mexico in November 2019. We installed a camera trap and recorded it was hibernating for at least 12.7 days. Our record is by far the most southern hibernation location of tree bats in North America and it shows L. cinereus is capable of hibernating in a non-typical roost. We also open the possibility that camera traps may provide an additional, practical, and easy-to-use tool to study bat hibernation. Our finding expands the ultimate questions of why and where hoary bats decide to hibernate, migrate or both.

Selection Cuttings as a Tool to Control Water Table Level in Boreal Drained Peatland Forests

Continuous cover management on peatland forests has gained interest in recent years, in part because the tree biomass with significant evapotranspiration capacity retained in selection cuttings could be used as a tool to optimize the site water table level (WTL) from both tree growth and environmental perspectives. This study reports WTL responses from six field trials established on fertile Norway-spruce-dominated drained peatland forests across Finland. At each site, replicates of different intensity selection cuttings (removing 17–74% of stand basal area) or clear-cut in parallel with intact control stands were established and monitored for WTL for 2–5 post-harvest years. Observed WTL rose after selection cuttings and the response increased with harvest intensity and depended on the reference WTL, i.e. larger responses were found during dry summers or in more southern location. Selection cuttings removing about 50% of stand basal area raised WTL typically by 15–40%. Using a process-based ecohydrological model, tested against data from the field trials, we show that the role of tree stand in controlling WTL clearly decreases along the latitudinal climate gradient in Finland. This suggests that the potential of controlling WTL using selection cuttings is more prominent in southern compared to northern Finland. Predictions with future climate (2070–2099) further indicated a general decrease of WTL and that the importance of the tree stand in controlling WTL will increase especially in northern Finland. The results overall thus suggest that selection cuttings can be used as a tool to control WTL in boreal drained peatland forests, and the potential is likely to increase in future climate.

Evaluation of fish biodiversity in estuaries using environmental DNA metabarcoding.

Biodiversity is an important parameter for the evaluation of the extant environmental conditions. Here, we used environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to investigate fish biodiversity in five different estuaries in Japan. Water samples for eDNA were collected from river mouths and adjacent coastal areas of two estuaries with high degrees of development (the Tama and Miya Rivers) and three estuaries with relatively low degrees of development (the Aka, Takatsu, and Sendai Rivers). A total of 182 fish species across 67 families were detected. Among them, 11 species occurred in all the rivers studied. Rare fishes including endangered species were successfully detected in rich natural rivers. Biodiversity was the highest in the Sendai River and lowest in the Tama River, reflecting the degree of human development along each river. Even though nutrient concentration was low in both the Aka and Sendai Rivers, the latter exhibited greater diversity, including many tropical or subtropical species, owing to its more southern location. Species composition detected by eDNA varied among rivers, reflecting the distribution and migration of fishes. Our results are in accordance with the ecology of each fish species and environmental conditions of each river.

Combining herbarium databases and genetic methods to evaluate the invasion of a popular horticultural species, baby’s breath (Gypsophila paniculata), in the United States

Gypsophila paniculata (baby’s breath) is a popular garden ornamental and horticultural crop introduced to North America in the late 1800s. After introduction it quickly spread, often forming dense monotypic stands and crowding out native species. To better understand this invasion, samples of G. paniculata from seven distinct populations spanning a portion of the plant’s invaded range within the United States (Washington, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Michigan) were collected and genotyped using 14 microsatellite loci. Population structure was inferred using both Bayesian and multivariate methods. The results suggest the presence of at least two genetic clusters among the seven sampling locations, with samples from Washington, North Dakota, Minnesota, and northwestern Michigan forming one genetic cluster and the second cluster consisting of two more southern sampling locations in Michigan. Public herbarium records were used to examine the invasion status (expansion vs. plateau phase) of the identified genetic clusters for G. paniculata. Invasion curves were created from a database of 351 herbarium collections dating from the late 1800s to current day. Results showed that time periods of invasion differed between the two genetics clusters, suggesting at least two invasion events. Patterns of reduced genetic diversity within the earlier invasion could reflect limited standing genetic variation during the initial period of this horticultural species’ import. This study emphasizes how anthropogenic influences can shape the study of invasive plant ecology, particularly when considering species popular in the botanical or horticultural industries.

Phenotypic plasticity but no adaptive divergence in cuticular hydrocarbons and desiccation resistance among translocated populations of dung beetles

Translocated populations must adapt to their new environment to survive. A key aspect of survival for insects is the maintenance of water balance. It is thought that insects can adapt to dry environments by adjusting their cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profile to reduce water loss, though there is limited empirical support for this, and studies generally focus on other roles of CHCs, such as chemical communication. We tested for phenotypic adaptation in introduced populations of the Mediterranean dung beetle Onthophagus taurus, which have become established along a climatic gradient from dry northern to wet southern locations in southwestern Australia. We compared CHC profiles and desiccation resistance between northern and southern populations of the species. To quantify desiccation resistance, we measured both the rate of weight loss and time until death in beetles incubated at 35 °C. We tested for associations between these measures of desiccation resistance and CHC profiles, which were obtained through gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The abundance of CHCs was positively associated with desiccation resistance, and individuals that underwent the desiccation treatment produced a greater quantity of several CHC compounds indicating their ability to plastically adjust their CHC profile in response to desiccation stress. However, northern populations did not produce more CHCs than southern populations, and southern populations were better able to tolerate desiccation. Our results suggest that CHCs are an important component of desiccation resistance in O. taurus. However, the lack of evidence for local adaptation to the drier northern climate suggests there may be constraints to increasing desiccation resistance, and demonstrates the importance of considering local environmental conditions before translocating populations to new locations.

Soil respiration in larch and pine ecosystems of the Krasnoyarsk region (Russian Federation): a latitudinal comparative study

Based on the long-term (12 years) data on soil respiration (SR) measurements in representative conifer forests of the Krasnoyarsk region (Central Siberia), we demonstrated specific characteristics of SR. The study sites located closely to Arctic Circle were related to different latitudes, including 56° N (SAE site, Krasnoyarsk), 60° N (ZOTTO site, Zotino), and 64° N (Tura site, Evenkia). Study sites were selected in forest ecosystems (> 41 years old) and represented a wide range of the climate, stand, permafrost availability, and soil types. However, the mean seasonal values of SR (mean ± SD) varied in a relatively narrow range from 2.11 ± 0.69 in the forest-steppe zone (SAE) to 2.82 ± 1.77 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1 in northern larch taiga (Tura). Nevertheless, a twofold difference in the duration of growing season among northern and southern locations results in a variation of total seasonal CO2 emissions (mean ± SD) from 216 ± 136 g C m−2 in larch stands of northern taiga to 369 ± 115 g C m−2 in larch stands of southern forest-steppe zone. Evaluation of the multiannual dynamics of SR over the past 1.5 decades (1995–2010) showed the escalation of SR in the permafrost larch stands (Tura) in 2005–2010. That has been coupled with the enhanced activity of the soil heterotrophic microbiota in 2007–2010. Our study highlights the importance of further monitoring of SR in permafrost Siberian ecosystems.

Seagrass fatty acid profiles as a sensitive indicator of climate settings across seasons and latitudes

Zostera marina is a dominant meadow-forming seagrass in temperate regions in the northern hemisphere. Here, fatty acid content and composition, and pigmentation, in leaves were evaluated across temporal (April, July, November −2015 and January-2016) and latitudinal (Greenland to southern Spain) environmental gradients. Content of total fatty acids (TFA) in samples collected in Ireland during warmer periods (summer) was 2–3 times lower than in winter and exhibited a lower proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which have high high-nutritional value relative to saturated fatty acids (SAFA). The latitudinal comparison (Greenland to southern Spain) revealed a clear reduction in the proportion n-3 PUFAs and an increase in n-6 PUFA and SAFA, which correlated with the rise in temperature towards southern locations, which correlated with the rise in temperature towards south. Results indicate that future warming may negatively affect its lipid nutritional value. These results demonstrate the capacity of seagrasses to adjust their lipid composition to achieve optimal membrane functionality, suggesting the potential use of FA as an eco-physiological indicator of global change conditions. The results also suggest that future warming may negatively affect the lipid nutritional value of seagrasses.

Probabilistic loss assessment of a seismic retrofit technique for medium- and high-voltage transformer bushing systems in high seismicity regions

Transformer bushing systems have exhibited vulnerability during past earthquakes. Based on past qualification tests, it was found that the seismic performance of transformer bushing systems is improved when the bushings are mounted on a rigid base, as opposed to when mounted on more flexible cover plates of transformers. The addition of flexural stiffeners on the transformer cover plates has been proven to stiffen the base of the bushings and mitigate their seismic vulnerability. In this study, the Performance-Based Earthquake Engineering framework, introduced by the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research (PEER) center, is used to evaluate in a probabilistic sense the earthquake-induced economic losses of transformer bushing systems both for as-installed and retrofitted mounting conditions. The results are presented in the form of expected losses conditioned on seismic intensity as well as expected annual losses for locations in Southern and Northern California. The results demonstrate the ability of the retrofit approach of adding flexural stiffeners on the transformer cover plates to reduce earthquake-induced economic losses compared to the as-installed conditions/design and further enhance community recovery in the occurrence of a strong seismic event.

Anticoagulant activity of black snake (Elapidae: Pseudechis) venoms: Mechanisms, potency, and antivenom efficacy

Venoms from Pseudechis species (Australian black snakes) within the Elapidae family are rich in anticoagulant PLA2 toxins, with the exception of one species (P. porphyriacus) that possesses procoagulant mutated forms of the clotting enzyme Factor Xa. Previously the mechanism of action of the PLA2 toxins’ anticoagulant toxicity was said to be due to inhibition of Factor Xa, but this statement was evidence free. We conducted a series of anticoagulation assays to elucidate the mechanism of anticoagulant action produced by P. australis venom. Our results revealed that, rather than targeting FXa, the PLA2 toxins inhibited the prothrombinase complex, with FVa—alone or as part of the prothrombinase complex—as the primary target; but with significant thrombin inhibition also noted. In contrast, FXa, and other factors inhibited only to a lesser degree were minor targets. We quantified coagulotoxic effects upon human plasma caused by all nine anticoagulant Pseudechis species, including nine localities of P. australis across Australia, and found similar anticoagulant potency across all Pseudechis species, with greater potency in P. australis and the undescribed Pseudechis species in the NT. In addition, the northern localities and eastern of P. australis were significantly more potent than the central, western, and southern localities. All anticoagulant venoms responded well to Black Snake Antivenom, except P. colletti which was poorly neutralised by Black Snake Antivenom and also Tiger Snake Antivenom (the prescribed antivenom for this species). However, we found LY315920 (trade name: Varespladib), a small molecule inhibitor of PLA2 proteins, exhibited strong potency against P. colletti venom. Thus, Varespladib may be a clinically viable treatment for anticoagulant toxicity exerted by this species that is not neutralised by available antivenoms. Our results provide insights into coagulotoxic venom function, and suggest future in vivo work be conducted to progress the development of a cheaper, first-line treatment option to treat PLA2-rich snake venoms globally.

Site Selection

Site selection for citrus production involves multiple critical factors, with freeze susceptibility being paramount, particularly in Florida. Latitude generally correlates with warmer conditions, making southern locations preferable. Proximity to heat sources like large bodies of water and consideration of topography also influence site warmth during freezes. Soil quality is another major factor; well-drained, relatively fertile soils with sufficient clay and organic matter are ideal, though much of Florida's soil requires modification for optimal citrus growth. Water management is crucial due to issues with both excess water removal and irrigation needs, compounded by regulatory and quality concerns. Economic factors, including land value, taxes, and access to infrastructure, further impact site viability. A thorough assessment of these factors is essential to ensure long-term productivity and profitability in citrus cultivation. First published June, 1992.

Hot and cold weather based on the spatial synoptic classification and cause-specific mortality in Sweden: a time-stratified case-crossover study

The spatial synoptic classification (SSC) is a holistic categorical assessment of the daily weather conditions at specific locations; it is a useful tool for assessing weather effects on health. In this study, we assessed (a) the effect of hot weather types and the duration of heat events on cardiovascular and respiratory mortality in summer and (b) the effect of cold weather types and the duration of cold events on cardiovascular and respiratory mortality in winter. A time-stratified case-crossover design combined with a distributed lag nonlinear model was carried out to investigate the association of weather types with cause-specific mortality in two southern (Skåne and Stockholm) and two northern (Jämtland and Västerbotten) locations in Sweden. During summer, in the southern locations, the Moist Tropical (MT) and Dry Tropical (DT) weather types increased cardiovascular and respiratory mortality at shorter lags; both hot weather types substantially increased respiratory mortality mainly in Skåne. The impact of heat events on mortality by cardiovascular and respiratory diseases was more important in the southern than in the northern locations at lag 0. The cumulative effect of MT, DT and heat events lagged over 14 days was particularly high for respiratory mortality in all locations except in Jämtland, though these did not show a clear effect on cardiovascular mortality. During winter, the dry polar and moist polar weather types and cold events showed a negligible effect on cardiovascular and respiratory mortality. This study provides valuable information about the relationship between hot oppressive weather types with cause-specific mortality; however, the cold weather types may not capture sufficiently effects on cause-specific mortality in this sub-Arctic region.

Use of remote sensing data to study ice cover in the Dnipro Reservoirs

The information on the use of remote sensing data when studying the ice cover of the Dnipro Reservoirs is given. The main source of data was the images obtained by the satellites Sentinel-2, Landsat, Aqua and Terra. In addition, the observation data from the hydrological and meteorological stations were used. The combination of these data enabled to study the patterns of ice regime in the Dnipro Reservoirs, to specify some features that cannot be determined by regular monitoring. A typical feature of the ice cover of all reservoirs of the Dnipro Cascade, besides the Kyivske one, is the impact of hydropower plants (HPP) located upstream. The runoff of the rivers flowing into the Kyivske Reservoir significantly influences its ice cover. This is especially relates to the period of spring flood. Besides the Dnipro and the Pripyat Rivers, relatively small the Teteriv and the Irpin Rivers flowing from the south-west to the north-east have a rather significant effect on the ice cover of this reservoir. The distribution of ice cover in the Kanivske Reservoir, compared to the Kanivske one, is significantly less. In addition to more southern location and warmer climate, the city of Kyiv also influences the ice cover on it, namely due to the discharge of wastewater from several industrial enterprises, Kyivska TPP-5 and Bortnitska Station of Aeration are ones of them. The impact of Trypilska TPP, which located downstream, is also significant. The longest duration of ice cover in the Kanivske Reservoir is observed in its south-eastern part. A point of interest about the Kremenchuts’ke Reservoir is the fact that the ice cover in it remains for the longest period compared to the other reservoirs. The largest duration of ice cover in this reservoir is observed in the Sulska Bay. The typical feature of the Kamianske Reservoir is the accumulation of ice in its narrow parts. Within the Dniprovske Reservoir, the longest freezing period is observed in the Samara Bay. Besides the operation of hydropower station, the industrial enterprises of Kamianske town and Dnipro city have a great effect on the upper part of this reservoir. There are significant differences in the ice regime of the different parts of the Kakhovske Reservoir, which extends from the north-east to the south-west. The distribution of ice in its shallow north-eastern part is usually much larger than in narrower south-western part.

Temperature and Light Characterization during Winter Production Season in High Tunnels in the Southwestern United States

Replicated temperature data from passively heated high tunnels are lacking, especially in the southwestern United States. Field studies were conducted over three seasons in two locations in New Mexico—a southern site in Las Cruces and a northern site in Alcalde—to characterize the crop environment in three high-tunnel designs during the winter growing season (October–March). High tunnels were 16 × 32 ft and oriented with the long edge running east to west. Heavyweight woven plastic covered the single-layer (SL) high-tunnel design. Double-layer designs (DL) were covered with a lightweight woven plastic on the bottom, followed by a second layer of the heavyweight plastic inflated with a fan. A heat sink was created using 16 55-gal barrels painted black, filled with water, and aligned along the north side of the double layer for the DL+B design. Soil temperature (3 inches deep) and air temperature (1 ft above the soil surface) were recorded inside the high tunnel, inside the high tunnel under a floating rowcover, and outside the high tunnel. In addition, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was recorded inside and outside the high tunnels during or near the winter solstice each year of the study. Daily air and soil temperature minimums were highest in the DL+B design and lowest in the SL design. Maximum air and soil temperatures did not significantly differ between high-tunnel designs, although the DL+B design measurements were consistently lower. During season 1, the SL design had significantly higher PAR transmission than the other two designs. In the northern location, the difference became insignificant during seasons 2 and 3, likely due to dust accumulation and plastic aging. In the southern location, the SL design maintained higher PAR transmission throughout the study, possibly due to plastic cleaning. Data collected in this study can help inform the decisions of high-tunnel growers and researchers in the region.

A depth cline in deep-sea octopods (Cephalopoda: Graneledone) in the northeast Pacific Ocean

Bathyal octopods of the genus Graneledone Joubin, 1918 in the northeast Pacific differ dramatically in skin texture. To test the hypothesis that these differences are associated with geography, we quantified the skin warts and tubercles of 50 specimens collected between 36°N and 46°N from 1116 to 2850 m depth. Using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), we analyzed the numbers of mantle and head warts, mantle and web tubercles, arm suckers, and inner and outer gill lamellae, adding head width as a size proxy. We used Canonical Correlation Analysis to explicitly test the relationship of morphology to depth and latitude. Sequences of 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, and COI genes from 12 individuals quantified genetic divergence. PCA revealed correlated variation in head width, arm suckers, and gill lamella counts opposed by skin texture on PC1; PC2 showed correlated variation in skin texture opposed by gill lamella counts. Both components correlate with depth and latitude but, as most shallow specimens came from southern localities, the correlation with latitude may be artefactual. is relationship is corroborated by the canonical correlations. Octopods from greater depths are smaller than those from shallower depths, have rougher skin texture, and fewer suckers and gill lamellae. Clades of shallow and deep octopods show 0.8% genetic divergence in COI (Kimura two-parameter distance), not inconsistent with intraspecific differentiation. We conclude that the variation is likely clinal with depth. The observed morphological differences may result from differences in food availability and oxygen saturation with depth.

Calibrating UTCI'S comfort assessment scale for three Brazilian cities with different climatic conditions.

Both global climate change and urbanization trends will demand adaptation measures in cities. Large agglomerations and impacts on landscape and natural environments due to city growth will require guided densification schemes in urban areas, particularly in developing countries. Human biometeorological indices such as the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) could guide this process, as they provide a clear account of expected effects on thermal sensation from a given change in outdoor settings. However, an earlier step should optimally include an adequacy test of suggested comfort and thermal stress ranges with calibration procedures based on surveys with the target population. This paper compares obtained thermal comfort ranges for three different locations in Brazil: Belo Horizonte, 20° S, Aw climate type; Curitiba, 25.5° S, Cfb subtropical climate, both locations in elevation (above 900ma.s.l.); and Pelotas, at sea level, latitude 32° S, with a Cfa climate type. In each city, a set of outdoor comfort field campaigns has been carried out according to similar procedures, covering a wide range of climatic conditions over different seasons of the year. Obtained results indicate a variation of neutral temperatures up to 3°C (UTCI units) as a possible latitude and local climate effect between the southern locations relative to the northernmost location. Low UTCI values were found in the two subtropical locations for the lower threshold of the thermal comfort band as compared with the original threshold. A possible explanation for that is a longer exposure to cold conditions as buildings are seldom provided with heating systems.

Opioid prescription patterns among radiation oncologists in the United States.

BackgroundRadiation oncologists (ROs) play an important role in managing cancer pain; however, their opioid prescribing patterns remain poorly described.MethodsThe 2016 Medicare Physician Compare National Downloadable and the 2016 Medicare Part D Prescriber Data files were cross‐linked to identify RO‐written opioid prescriptions.ResultsOf 4,627 identified ROs, 1,360 (29.3%) wrote >10 opioid prescriptions. The average number of opioid prescriptions written was significantly (P ≤ .05) associated with the following RO characteristics: sex [13.1 ± 36.5 male vs 7.5 ± 16.9 female]; years since medical school graduation [4.5 ± 11.5 1‐10 years vs 12.6 ± 26.0 11‐24 years vs 13.3 ± 40.9 ≥25 years]; practice size [15.5 ± 44.6 size ≤10 vs 13.3 ± 25.9 size 11‐49 vs 8.5 ± 12.7 size 50‐99 vs 8.8 ± 26.9 size ≥100]; Medicare Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) participation [12.6 ± 31.8 yes vs 7.0 ± 35.4 no]; and practice location [17.4 ± 47.0 South vs 10.6 ± 29.4 Midwest vs 8.1 ± 13.9 West vs 6.9 ± 15.2 Northeast]. On multivariable regression modeling, male sex (RR 1.29, 95% CI 1.22‐1.35, P < .001), ≥25 years since graduation (RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.64‐0.70, 1‐10 years vs ≥25 years; RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.96 ‐ 1.04, 11‐24 years vs ≥25 years; P < .001), practice size <10 members (RR 1.51, CI 1.44‐1.59, ≤10 vs ≥100 members, RR 1.27, CI 1.20‐1.34, 10‐49 vs ≥100 members, RR 0.86, CI 0.80‐0.92, 50‐99 vs ≥100 members, P < .001), PQRS participation (RR 1.12, CI 1.04‐1.19, P < .002), and Southern location (RR 0.67, CI 0.64‐0.70, Midwest vs South; RR 0.39, CI 0.37‐0.41, Northeast vs South; RR 0.43, CI 0.41‐0.46, West vs South; P < .001) were predictive of higher opioid prescription rates.ConclusionsFactors associated with increased number of RO‐written opioid prescriptions were male sex, ≥25 years since graduation, group practice <10, PQRS participation, and Southern location. Additional research is required to establish optimal opioid prescribing practices for ROs.