bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pityriasis capitis: Causes, pathophysiology, current modalities, and future approach
Authors: Sheth Umang , Dande Payal
Published: May 2020

Background

Pityriasis capitis commonly known as dandruff is one of the most common and widely seen dermatological disease that affects majority of the world population. It is more than superficial flaking, as it leads to significant structural changes in the stratum corneum and inflammatory biomarkers. Various intrinsic and extrinsic factors, such as Malassezia yeast, host epidermal conditions, sebaceous secretion, and abnormal immune responses, are found to contribute to the pathogenesis. Regardless of wide research, detail understanding, and treatment modalities, it still remains to be a cause of concern due to its recurring nature.

Aims

The objective of this study is to enhance the understanding of its wide causes, pathophysiology, current treatment, and future approach.

Methods

The article also aims at evaluating various promising anti‐dandruff agents that can be further researched to become the leads in anti‐dandruff therapy.

Results & Conclusion

The article summarizes the current knowledge on dandruff and present new facts and evidences in order to spread awareness, create potential for new herbal treatment options, and effectively control the most commercially exploited scalp disorder.
Association between subthreshold depression and self‐care behaviours in adults with type 2 diabetes: A protocol for a cross‐sectional study
Authors: Shrestha Monika , Ng Ashley H. , Gray Richard J.
Published: May 2020

Aims and objectives

To examine the association between subthreshold depression and self‐care behaviours in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) attending a tertiary healthcare service.

Background

Diabetes is a global public health problem. Self‐care behaviours are a fundamental element in managing diabetes as adherence to self‐care activities is associated with improved glycaemic control. Depression in T2D is associated with decreased adherence to self‐care behaviours. Adults with subthreshold depression in diabetes may have difficulties in achieving metabolic control. Further, people with subthreshold depression have an increased risk of developing major depression. Few studies have examined the association between subthreshold depression and self‐care behaviours.

Design

A cross‐sectional study.

Methods

The study will be conducted among 384 adults diagnosed with T2D for at least a year attending their routine outpatient appointment at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Nepal. Convenience sampling will be used to recruit study participants. Data will be collected via face‐to‐face interviews and a medical record review. Self‐care behaviours will be assessed using the Summary of Diabetes Self‐care activities and subthreshold depression will be determined using the Patient Health Questionnaire‐ 9. Covariates in the study include sociodemographic and clinical factors, diabetes knowledge, perceived social support and self‐efficacy. This paper complies with the STROBE reporting guideline for cross‐sectional studies.

Results

We will use multiple linear regression to examine the association between subthreshold depression and each self‐care behaviours (i.e. diet, physical activity, foot care, blood glucose testing and medication) and total self‐care behaviour.

Conclusions

Effective management of diabetes requires adherence to self‐care behaviours. The findings of the study will help in identifying an effective way to improve diabetes self‐care.

Relevance to clinical practice

Our observations will inform nursing research and practice by providing evidence about how subthreshold depression may influence self‐care behaviours.
Amiodarone disrupts cholesterol biosynthesis pathway and causes accumulation of circulating desmosterol by inhibiting 24‐dehydrocholesterol reductase
Authors: Simonen P. , Li S. , Chua N. K. , Lampi A.‐M. , Piironen V. , Lommi J. , Sinisalo J. , Brown A. J. , Ikonen E. , Gylling H.
Published: May 2020

Background

We have earlier reported that amiodarone, a potent and commonly used antiarrhythmic drug increases serum desmosterol, the last precursor of cholesterol, in 20 cardiac patients by an unknown mechanism.

Objective

Here, we extended our study to a large number of cardiac patients of heterogeneous diagnoses, evaluated the effects of combining amiodarone and statins (inhibitors of cholesterol synthesis at the rate‐limiting step of hydroxy‐methyl‐glutaryl CoA reductase) on desmosterol levels and investigated the mechanism(s) by which amiodarone interferes with the metabolism of desmosterol using in vitro studies.

Methods and Results

We report in a clinical case–control setting of 236 cardiac patients (126 with and 110 without amiodarone treatment) that amiodarone medication is accompanied by a robust increase in serum desmosterol levels independently of gender, age, body mass index, cardiac and other diseases, and the use of statins. Lipid analyses in patient samples taken before and after initiation of amiodarone therapy showed a systematic increase of desmosterol upon drug administration, strongly arguing for a direct causal link between amiodarone and desmosterol accumulation. Mechanistically, we found that amiodarone resulted in desmosterol accumulation in cultured human cells and that the compound directly inhibited the 24‐dehydrocholesterol reductase (DHCR24) enzyme activity.

Conclusion

These novel findings demonstrate that amiodarone blocks the cholesterol synthesis pathway by inhibiting DHCR24, causing a robust accumulation of cellular desmosterol in cells and in the sera of amiodarone‐treated patients. It is conceivable that the antiarrhythmic potential and side effects of amiodarone may in part result from inhibition of the cholesterol synthesis pathway.
For the Sake of the Final End
Authors: Darr Ryan
Published: May 2020

The question of the viability of theological eudaimonism as an interpretation of the moral life has generated increasing debate in recent years. This essay aims to advance the debate about theological eudaimonism (and eudaimonism more generally) by addressing a closely related but insufficiently discussed issue: the nature of human agency and its relationship to value. The most commonly raised objection to eudaimonism is that it is objectionably agent‐oriented. I argue that worries about objectionable self‐orientation often stem from importing foreign pictures of agency into the eudaimonist tradition. I make this case through an analysis of Nicholas Wolterstorff’s recent critique of eudaimonism. Wolterstorff presupposes a common contemporary conception of agency. Drawing on Thomas Aquinas and Elizabeth Anderson, I show that other conceptions of agency are available. Clarity about the nature of human agency and its relationship to value will bring greater clarity to the debate about eudaimonism and self‐orientation.
The Menace of Non‐Being
Authors: Herrmann Leslie
Published: May 2020

In the face of unremitting faith in economic progress and the attendant environmental degradation that is, increasingly, one of its ugly fruits, Jürgen Moltmann’s rich conception of God’s Sabbath peace offers a compelling reorientation. When drawn upon for its contribution toward the fostering of one’s moral imagination and for the cultivation of ethical criteria, it offers an accessible yet rigorous lens through which to view a particular situation: the attempt by Nestlé Waters to build the largest bottled water plant in North America. The author finds within Moltmann’s vision a way to critically assess the project, critique the underlying foundations of its character, and offer alternatives for seeking the flourishing of the whole of God’s creation.
Response To Jason Springs
Authors: Winters Joseph
Published: May 2020

Jason Springs’s Healthy Conflict in Contemporary American Society is a masterful attempt to practice productive conflict and democratic dialogue in the face of static antagonisms and deep‐seated divisions. In my response, I underscore Springs’s insistence on mediating between the moral imagination of Richard Rorty and the prophetic critique of Cornel West. For the author of Healthy Conflict, any hope in the survival of democracy relies on balancing critique of domination with constructive proposals for a more just and equitable world. On the one hand, Springs rejects any strong distinction between moral imagination and socio‐political critique; in fact, he argues for their intertwinement, especially in the work of West. At the same time, there are moments when he suggests an opposition between expanding the moral imagination and engaging in the critical enterprise, especially as he identifies the limits in Foucault regarding normativity and democratic struggle. I respond to this slippage by arguing that Foucault, and critical theory more broadly, open up possibilities for rethinking ethics, politics, and our relationship to the violence that sustains the order of things.
Enemies, For My Sake
Authors: Kavka Martin
Published: May 2020

This response to Jason A. Springs’s Healthy Conflict in Contemporary Society praises Springs for his recommendations for improving the discourse found in ethical conflicts in public life. Springs’s main prescription is for culture to stop repressing conflict. But if Springs ought to be praised for desiring to give conflict its due in public life, Healthy Conflict in Contemporary Life ought also to be criticized for not always being clear on whether there are criteria that authorize excluding some people (e.g. white supremacists) from participating in nonviolent cultural conflict. The essay concludes by suggesting a rehabilitation in religious ethics of the category of the enemy.
Interrogating Healthy Conflict
Authors: Moosa Ebrahim
Published: May 2020

The need to turn an enemy into an adversary is an ethical obligation. I try to show that this obligation has multiple religious and philosophical resources. The ethical imperative also requires us to not overstate and magnify any problem at hand to the point that it becomes insurmountable and enmity becomes an end in itself. I do ask the question whether Springs thinks of Colin Kaepernick’s peaceful protest by taking the knee at football games as an instance of healthy conflict. Are the terms peace and healthy conflict perhaps not better viewed as allegories for the interrogation of the human condition? Perhaps healthy conflict remains a series of questions rather than concrete outcomes.
Melatonin restores the pluripotency of long‐term‐cultured embryonic stem cells through melatonin receptor‐dependent m6A RNA regulation
Authors: Yang Lei , Liu Xuefei , Song Lishuang , Su Guanghua , Di Anqi , Bai Chunling , Wei Zhuying , Li Guangpeng
Published: May 2020

N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) methylation is the most common and abundant modification on mammalian messenger RNA (mRNA) and regulates the pluripotency of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Research has shown that melatonin plays a fundamental role in DNA and histone modifications. However, the effect of melatonin on RNA modification is unknown. Here, for the first time, we investigated the effect of melatonin on m6A modifications in long‐term‐cultured ESCs. Pluripotency studies indicated that 10 μmol/L melatonin sufficiently maintained ESCs with stemness features over 45 passages (more than 90 days). Notably, treatment of ESCs with melatonin led to a significant decrease in the nuclear presence of m6A methyltransferase complex and decreased global m6A modification. Depletion of melatonin receptor 1 (MT1) by CRISPR/Cas9 significantly reduced the effects of melatonin on ESC pluripotency and m6A modification. Methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP‐seq) revealed that melatonin promotes stabilization of core pluripotency factors, such as Nanog, Sox2, Klf4, and c‐Myc, by preventing m6A‐dependent mRNA decay. Using cell signaling pathway profiling systems, melatonin was shown to regulate m6A modification predominantly through the MT1‐JAK2/STAT3‐Zfp217 signal axis. This study reveals a new dimension regarding melatonin regulation of gene expression at the RNA level.
Tolerance evaluation of Moringa oleifera extract to Hailan brown laying hens
Authors: Chen Zhi‐min , Chang Wen‐huan , Zheng Ai‐juan , Cai Hui‐yi , Liu Guo‐hua
Published: May 2020

The aim of this experiment was to study the effects of dietary addition of high‐dose Moringa extract (10 g/kg Moringa extract) on laying performance, haematological parameters, organ index and organ histopathology of Hailan brown laying hens in order to determine the safety limit of Moringa extract in laying hens diet. 270 Hailan brown commercial laying hens with similar body weight were randomly divided into three treatments, 6 replicates per treatment and 15 chickens per replicate. Corn–soybean meal‐based diet was used in the experiment, and 0, 0.75 and 10 g/kg extracts of Moringa oleifera were added to the basic diet in the experimental group. The experiment lasted 24 weeks. The results showed that the treatment group given 10 g/kg of dietary Moringa extract had no significant difference in egg‐laying performance from the control group (p > .05). Adding 0.75 g/kg Moringa extract had no significant effect on the production performance during the early stage of the experiment (p > .05), but during the later stage, F/E was significantly lower than in the control group (p < .05), and no significantly difference compared with 10 g/kg treatment group (p > .05). The addition of Moringa oleifera extract had no significant effect on serum biochemical indices of laying hens except ALB and UREA (p > .05). The addition of Moringa oleifera extract had no significant effect on blood routine indexes of laying hens except for PLT, MON and HCT (p > .05). The digestive and immune organ indexes of laying hens at the later stage of the experiment (24 weeks) were not significantly affected by the addition of Moringa extract (p > .05) except ceca. There were no obvious abnormalities in histological structure. On the whole, we find it is safe to add Moringa oleifera extract to the diet of laying hens at a dosage of less than 10 g/kg.
Comparison of direct measurement of intracranial pressures and presumptive clinical and magnetic resonance imaging indicators of intracranial hypertension in dogs with brain tumors
Authors: Giannasi Savannah , Kani Yukitaka , Hsu Fang‐Chi , Rossmeisl John H.
Published: May 2020

Background

Intracranial hypertension (ICH) is often presumptively diagnosed based on clinical or imaging findings. Clinical or imaging surrogates of ICH are not usually validated with reference standard direct intracranial pressure (dICP) recordings.

Hypotheses

Dogs with brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or clinical features of presumed ICH would have higher dICP than dogs lacking those features.

Animals

Twenty dogs with gliomas and 3 normal controls.

Methods

Prospective, convenience study. Dogs were presumptively categorized with normal ICP or ICH from scores generated from described clinical and brain MRI indicators of ICH. dICP was recorded in anesthetized dogs using an intraparenchymal microsensor and compared between groups.

Results

dICP was not different between control (10.4 ± 2.1 mm Hg) and dogs with glioma (15.6 ± 8.3 mm Hg), or between dogs in clinically predicted ICP groups. Compared with dogs with MRI‐predicted normal ICP, MRI‐predicted ICH dogs had higher dICP (10.3 ± 4.1 versus 19.2 ± 7.9 mm Hg,P= .004), larger tumors (1.45 ± 1.2 versus 5.71 ± 3.03 cm3,P= .0004), larger optic nerve sheath diameters, and 14/14 (100%) displayed structural anatomical shifts on MRI. At a dICP threshold of 15 mm Hg, the sensitivity of MRI for predicting ICH was 90% and the specificity 69%.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

dICP measurements are feasible in dogs with brain tumors. MRI features including brain herniations, mass effect, and optic nerve size aid in the identification of dogs with ICH. Clinical estimation of ICP did not discriminate between dogs with and without ICH.
Fire and grazing controlling a tropical tree line: Effects of long‐term grazing exclusion in Bale Mountains, Ethiopia
Authors: Johansson Maria Ulrika , Granström Anders
Published: May 2020

Aims

Tropical tree lines are often associated with abrupt shifts in vegetation, soils and disturbance regimes, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We analysed the role of grazing, fuels and fire in maintaining a sharp tree line with flammable heathland above non‐flammable forest.

Location

Bale Mountains, Ethiopia.

Methods

The study used grazing exclosures, repeated vegetation sampling, soil analyses and burning and sowing experiments along an altitudinal gradient with Hagenia abyssinica forest, Erica trimera forest and Erica heathland; all were heavily grazed, the Erica heathland also burnt on short rotation.

Results

Contrary to expectation, livestock exclusion did not increase flammability in the forest, but instead resulted in a dense carpet of non‐flammable herbs. In the heathland, livestock exclusion led to somewhat faster post‐fire fuel recovery, but no major change in vegetation. Seeding of tree species resulted in some seedling establishment, but notably Hagenia grew poorly in the heathland, even when protected from livestock. A bioassay, as well as observations of outpost trees on atypical soil above the tree line, suggests that this poor growth is caused by the acidic soils, rather than harsh climate. Despite frequent fires, heathland soils had lower pH and higher organic matter content than forest soils. Below the tree line, tree seedling establishment was successful only in forest gaps, and if livestock was excluded. In both forest and heathland rapid vegetative regeneration in the ground flora after disturbance restricted major species shifts.

Conclusions

These results suggest that the contrasting fire potential between heathland and forest, and thus the sharp tree line would be maintained, or possibly even accentuated, in the absence of livestock grazing, and that Hagenia colonization upwards into the heathland is restricted not only by fire and grazing, but also the acidic soils, which is a legacy of centuries of dominance by Erica.
Ecosystems monitoring powered by environmental genomics: A review of current strategies with an implementation roadmap
Authors: Cordier Tristan , Alonso‐Sáez Laura , Apothéloz‐Perret‐Gentil Laure , Aylagas Eva , Bohan David A. , Bouchez Agnès , Chariton Anthony , Creer Simon , Frühe Larissa , Keck François , Keeley Nigel , Laroche Olivier , Leese Florian , Pochon Xavier , Stoeck Thorsten , Pawlowski Jan , Lanzén Anders
Published: May 2020

A decade after environmental scientists integrated high‐throughput sequencing technologies in their toolbox, the genomics‐based monitoring of anthropogenic impacts on the biodiversity and functioning of ecosystems is yet to be implemented by regulatory frameworks. Despite the broadly acknowledged potential of environmental genomics to this end, technical limitations and conceptual issues still stand in the way of its broad application by end‐users. In addition, the multiplicity of potential implementation strategies may contribute to a perception that the routine application of this methodology is premature or “in development”, hence restraining regulators from binding these tools into legal frameworks. Here, we review recent implementations of environmental genomics‐based methods, applied to the biomonitoring of ecosystems. By taking a general overview, without narrowing our perspective to particular habitats or groups of organisms, this paper aims to compare, review and discuss the strengths and limitations of four general implementation strategies of environmental genomics for monitoring: (a) Taxonomy‐based analyses focused on identification of known bioindicators or described taxa; (b) De novo bioindicator analyses; (c) Structural community metrics including inferred ecological networks; and (d) Functional community metrics (metagenomics or metatranscriptomics). We emphasise the utility of the three latter strategies to integrate meiofauna and microorganisms that are not traditionally utilised in biomonitoring because of difficult taxonomic identification. Finally, we propose a roadmap for the implementation of environmental genomics into routine monitoring programmes that leverage recent analytical advancements, while pointing out current limitations and future research needs.
Low level of antifungal resistance of Candida glabrata blood isolates in Turkey: Fluconazole minimum inhibitory concentration and FKS mutations can predict therapeutic failure
Authors: Arastehfar Amir , Daneshnia Farnaz , Salehi Mohammadreza , Yaşar Melike , Hoşbul Tuğrul , Ilkit Macit , Pan Weihua , Hagen Ferry , Arslan Nazlı , Türk‐Dağı Hatice , Hilmioğlu‐Polat Süleyha , Perlin David S. , Lass‐Flörl Cornelia
Published: May 2020

Background

Candida glabrata is the third leading cause of candidaemia in Turkey; however, the data regarding antifungal resistance mechanisms and genotypic diversity in association with their clinical implication are limited.

Objectives

To assess genotypic diversity, antifungal susceptibility and mechanisms of drug resistance of C glabrata blood isolates and their association with patients' outcome in a retrospective multicentre study.

Patients/Methods

Isolates from 107 patients were identified by ITS sequencing and analysed by multilocus microsatellite typing, antifungal susceptibility testing, and sequencing of PDR1 and FKS1/2 hotspots (HSs).

Results

Candida glabrata prevalence in Ege University Hospital was twofold higher in 2014‐2019 than in 2005‐2014. Six of the analysed isolates had fluconazole MICs ≥ 32 µg/mL; of them, five harboured unique PDR1 mutations. Although echinocandin resistance was not detected, three isolates had mutations in HS1‐Fks1 (S629T, n = 1) and HS1‐Fks2 (S663P, n = 2); one of the latter was also fluconazole‐resistant. All patients infected with isolates carrying HS‐FKS mutations and/or demonstrating fluconazole MIC ≥ 32 µg/mL (except one without clinical data) showed therapeutic failure (TF) with echinocandin and fluconazole; seven such isolates were collected in Ege (n = 4) and Gulhane (n = 3) hospitals and six detected recently. Among 34 identified genotypes, none were associated with mortality or enriched for fluconazole‐resistant isolates.

Conclusion

Antifungal susceptibility testing should be supplemented with HS‐FKS sequencing to predict TF for echinocandins, whereas fluconazole MIC ≥ 32 µg/mL may predict TF. Recent emergence of C glabrata isolates associated with antifungal TF warrants future comprehensive prospective studies in Turkey.
Effect of CYP2C19 polymorphism on the plasma voriconazole concentration and voriconazole‐to‐voriconazole‐N‐oxide concentration ratio in elderly patients
Authors: Shang Shenglan , Cheng Lin , Li Xiaoyu , Xiang Rongfeng , Yu Mingjie , Xiong Lirong , Chen Yongchuan
Published: May 2020

Background

Effects of CYP2C19 polymorphism on voriconazole concentration (C0), dose‐adjusted trough concentrations (C0/dose) and voriconazole‐to‐voriconazole‐N‐oxide concentration ratio (C0/CN) have not been fully investigated.

Objectives

To investigate correlations of CYP2C19 polymorphisms with plasma concentrations of voriconazole and the major metabolite voriconazole‐N‐oxide in elderly patients.

Methods

A prospective, multi‐centre, non‐intervention, open clinical study was conducted within Southwestern Chinese patients clinically diagnosed with invasive fungal infections, to investigate the associations of CYP2C19∗2 (681G > A), CYP2C19∗3 (636G > A) and CYP2C19∗17 (−806C > T) genetic polymorphisms with voriconazole C0, C0/dose and C0/CN.

Results

The study included 131 adult patients, of which 72 were elderly (≥60 years) and 59 were adults (<60 years). The allele frequencies of CYP2C19∗2, ∗3 and ∗17 in the elderly cohort were 61.1%, 29.9% and 7.6%, respectively, which were similar to those in the adult cohort (66.9%, 29.7% and 2.5%, respectively; P > .05). The median voriconazole C0 (C0), C0/dose and C0/CN ratio in patients with the CYP2C19∗1/∗2 and CYP2C19∗2/∗2 genotypes were significantly higher than those in patients with the CYP2C19∗1/∗1 genotype in the adult cohort (P < .05). The C0 and C0/dose in patients with the CYP2C19∗1/∗3 and CYP2C19∗2/∗2 genotypes, and the C0/CN ratio for patients with the CYP2C19∗1/∗2 genotype were numerically higher than those in patients with the CYP2C19∗1/∗1 genotype in the elderly cohort, but this difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The C0, C0/dose and C0/CN in patients with poor metaboliser phenotypes were higher than in those with normal metaboliser phenotypes and C0 in patients with intermediate metaboliser phenotypes were significantly higher than in those with normal metaboliser phenotypes in the adult cohort (P < .05). However, there were no significant differences in the C0, C0/dose and C0/CN among different CYP2C19‐predicted metabolic phenotypes in the elderly cohort.

Conclusions

Voriconazole C0, C0/dose and C0/CN ratio are not significantly affected by the CYP2C19∗2/∗3 polymorphisms in the elderly patients.
Aquinas’ Fifth Way
Authors: Owens John
Published: May 2020

Aquinas’ fifth way for demonstrating the existence of God shows a confidence in its argument that is not generally shared by the contemporary reader. Natural entities that lack awareness (or perhaps self-awareness) act in an end-directed manner; this implies a fundamental relation to goals they do not consciously choose; this in turn points to the existence of a governing mind. The article tries to make sense of this argument against the background of philosophical naturalism that is assumed by much contemporary thought. It addresses the question of what kinds of end-directed activity fall under the scope of the argument, and why Aquinas thinks that these imply a governing mind. The article notes the unusual structure of the argument, suggesting that it should be understood (as should all of the five ways) as an attempt to wake the reader up to something so fundamental that it is usually overlooked. The main difficulty for the contemporary reader is to recover an Aristotelian sense of what it means for something to exist. If readers can achieve this, they may come to appreciate why an argument that seems enormously controversial in the present day seemed reasonably obvious to Aquinas.
Re-thinking Truth: Assessing Heidegger's critique of Aquinas in light of Vallicella's critique of Heidegger
Authors: Lyonhart Jonathan
Published: May 2020

In this paper I argue that Heidegger's critique of Aquinas on truth must be seen in light of Vallicella's critique of Heidegger. Heidegger criticized Aquinas for allegedly placing truth in the ‘subjectivity’ of the human mind via correspondence (adequatio). While the accuracy of this reading of Aquinas is highly contested, the criticism itself has sometimes been turned back upon Heidegger. In three forgotten articles in the 1980s, William Vallicella contended that Heidegger reduces Being to truth, and truth to the alleged ‘subjectivity’ of Dasein. Though Vallicella garnered some minimal attention at the time, his argument was soon forgotten, along with its potential implications for Heidegger's criticism of Aquinas. This paper will first establish the nature of Heidegger's critique of Aquinas, followed by Vallicella's critique of Heidegger, evaluating the former in light of the latter. It will be shown that Heidegger critiques Thomas for a mistake he does not make, then makes that same mistake himself, only to retreat to a position similar to what Thomas actually holds, but in a way that solves nothing, for he lacks Thomas’ anchor in a divine mind. These points will coalesce in the ultimate conclusion that Vallicella can be used to both undermine Heidegger's critique and undergird the value of Aquinas’ position on truth.
“Liturgy as a Practical Cosmology: Jenkins and Lonergan in Conversation”
Authors: Briola Lucas
Published: May 2020

This article introduces Bernard Lonergan to environmental ethics through a conversation with Willis Jenkins. Jenkins represents a ripe dialogue partner for Lonergan because of his attentiveness to methodological questions within environmental ethics, as in his incisive critique of Lynn White's influence. To pursue this conversation, this article examines Jenkins's critique of White and then turns to Lonergan's thought to supplement and refine this critique. From this engagement, the article identifies the need for a “practical cosmology”: an ongoing Christian practice that can affectively motivate care for creation. It proposes that the Christian liturgy, through its rich symbolism and distinct cosmology, offers one such practice and thus can weave that care seamlessly within Christian identity. To test this conclusion, the article briefly considers the import of this conversation for contemporary ecclesial responses to the ecological crisis, such as in Laudato si’.
The atoms of self‐control
Authors: Sripada Chandra
Published: May 2020

Philosophers routinely invoke self‐control in their theorizing, but major questions remain about what exactly self‐control is. I propose a componential account in which an exercise of self‐control is built out of something more fundamental: basic intrapsychic actions called cognitive control actions. Cognitive control regulates simple, brief states called response pulses that operate across diverse psychological systems (think of one's attention being grabbed by a salient object or one's mind being pulled to think about a certain topic). Self‐control ostensibly seems quite different because it regulates complex, temporally extended states such as emotions and cravings. But critically, these complex states also exhibit important componential structure: They rely on response pulses as a key means by which they bring about action. The overall picture is that self‐control consists of skilled sequences of cognitive control directed against extended streams of response pulses that arise from states such as emotions and cravings, thus preventing these states from being effective in action. The account clarifies the “atoms” of self‐control—the elemental units that get combined in complex ways to produce different kinds of self‐control actions. Surprisingly, the account, which is derived from research in cognitive science, aligns nicely with the commonsense conception of self‐control.
The m6A reader ECT2 post‐transcriptionally regulates proteasome activity in Arabidopsis
Authors: Wu Jian , Peled‐Zehavi Hadas , Galili Gad
Published: May 2020

Methylation of internal adenosine at nitrogen‐6 position (m6A) is the most abundant post‐transcriptional modification in eukaryotic RNAs. These modifications are recognized by m6A‐binding proteins (‘readers’) that affect downstream functions. In plants, the scope of gene expression regulation by reader proteins is not clear.

Here, overexpression and loss‐of‐function mutants were used to characterize the role of the Arabidopsis m6A reader ECT2 in proteasome regulation.

ECT2 regulates the mRNA levels of the proteasome regulator PTRE1 and of several 20S proteasome subunits, resulting in enhanced 26S proteasome activity. This regulation is dependent on ECT2 m6A binding function. Interestingly, though ECT2 positively regulates proteasome activity in both young and mature plants, PTRE1 has different regulatory effects in different developmental stages. In mature plants, PTRE1 inhibits 26S proteasome activity, while in seedlings PTRE1 knockout mutants have reduced 26S proteasome activity.

Taken together, our results suggest a novel epitranscriptomic mechanism of proteasome regulation by ECT2 that is used to fine tune proteasome activity by affecting the expression of PTRE1 and 20S proteasome subunits.
Diel‐ and temperature‐driven variation of leaf dark respiration rates and metabolite levels in rice
Authors: Rashid Fatimah Azzahra Ahmad , Scafaro Andrew P. , Asao Shinichi , Fenske Ricarda , Dewar Roderick C. , Masle Josette , Taylor Nicolas L. , Atkin Owen K.
Published: May 2020

Leaf respiration in the dark (Rdark) is often measured at a single time during the day, with hot‐acclimation loweringRdarkat a common measuring temperature. However, it is unclear whether the diel cycle influences the extent of thermal acclimation ofRdark, or how temperature and time of day interact to influence respiratory metabolites.

To examine these issues, we grew rice under 25°C : 20°C, 30°C : 25°C and 40°C : 35°C day : night cycles, measuringRdarkand changes in metabolites at five time points spanning a single 24‐h period.

Rdarkdiffered among the treatments and with time of day. However, there was no significant interaction between time and growth temperature, indicating that the diel cycle does not alter thermal acclimation ofRdark. Amino acids were highly responsive to the diel cycle and growth temperature, and many were negatively correlated with carbohydrates and with organic acids of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Organic TCA intermediates were significantly altered by the diel cycle irrespective of growth temperature, which we attributed to light‐dependent regulatory control of TCA enzyme activities.

Collectively, our study shows that environmental disruption of the balance between respiratory substrate supply and demand is corrected for by shifts in TCA‐dependent metabolites.
Lineage and latitudinal variation in Phragmites australis tolerance to herbivory: implications for invasion success
Authors: Croy Jordan R. , Meyerson Laura A. , Allen Warwick J. , Bhattarai Ganesh P. , Cronin James T.
Published: May 2020

Herbivores play a critical role in plant invasions either by facilitating or inhibiting species establishment and spread. However, relatively few studies with invasive plant species have focused on the role of plant tolerance and how it varies geographically to influence invasion success. We conducted a common garden study using two lineages (native and invasive) of the grass Phragmites australis that are prevalent in North American wetlands. Using 31 populations collected across a broad geographic range, we tested five predictions: 1) the invasive lineage is more tolerant to simulated folivory than the native lineage, 2) tolerance to herbivory decreases with increasing latitude of origin of the populations, 3) estimates of tolerance are correlated with putative tolerance traits and plasticity in those traits, 4) a tradeoff exists between tolerance and resistance to herbivory and 5) tolerance has a fitness cost. Response to folivory varied substantially among populations of P. australis, ranging from intolerance to overcompensation. Our model selection procedure deemed lineage to be an important predictor of tolerance but, contrary to our prediction, the native lineage was 19% more tolerant to folivory than the invasive lineage. Tolerance for both lineages exhibited a u‐shaped relationship with latitude. A tolerance–resistance tradeoff was evident within the invasive but not the native lineage. Also, tolerance was positively correlated with belowground biomass allocation, leaf silica concentrations, specific leaf area and plasticity in stem density, and negatively correlated with the relative growth rate of the population and plasticity in putative resistance traits. Lastly, although we did not detect costs of tolerance, our results highlight that fast growth rates can maintain high fitness in the presence of herbivory. Herbivory and plant defense strategies for P. australis lineages in North America exhibit complex biogeographic patterns that cause substantial heterogeneity in enemy release and biotic resistance and, consequently, invasion success.
E‐Cigarette and palatal ulcer: a possible relationship?
Authors: Tsiouma O. , Andreou A. , Sklavounou‐Andrikopoulou A.
Published: May 2020

Tobacco smoking is a major public health issue with far‐reaching implications on the global economy. Electronic cigarettes are advertised as a new promising cessation treatment that can gratify the behavioural aspects of smoking. However, there are still many unanswered questions regarding e‐cigarette’s safety and effects on general and oral health. We report a case of a 68‐year‐old Caucasian male patient with a large ulcerative lesion on the hard palate that was possibly associated with the use of an electronic cigarette.
Insulin‐like Growth Factor‐1 Impacts p53 Target Gene Induction in UVB‐irradiated Keratinocytes and Human Skin
Authors: Alkawar Abdulrahman M.M. , Castellanos Amber J. , Carpenter Mae Alexandra , Hutcherson Rebekah J. , Madkhali Mariyyah A.O. , Johnson Ron Michael , Bottomley Michael , Kemp Michael G.
Published: May 2020

The tumor suppressor protein p53 limits mutagenesis in response to ultraviolet‐B (UVB) light exposure by activating the transcription of genes that mitigate the damaging effects of UVB radiation on DNA. Because most nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSCs) occur in older individuals, it is important to understand the process of mutagenesis in the geriatric skin microenvironment. Based on previous studies demonstrating that geriatric skin expresses lower levels of the growth factor insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) than young adult skin, a role for IGF‐1 in the regulation of p53 target genes was investigated in both human keratinocytes in vitro and human skin explants ex vivo. The products of the p53 target genes p21 and DNA polymerase eta (pol η) were found to be increased by UVB exposure in both experimental systems, and this induction was observed to be partially abrogated by depriving keratinocytes of IGF‐1 in vitro or by the treatment of keratinocytes in vitro and human skin explants with an IGF‐1 receptor antagonist. Because p21 and pol η function to limit mutagenic DNA replication following UVB exposure, these results suggest that NMSC risk in geriatric populations may be due to age‐dependent decreases in IGF‐1 signaling that disrupt p53 function in the skin.
Luminescence Activity Decreases When v‐coelenterazine Replaces Coelenterazine in Calcium‐Regulated Photoprotein—A Theoretical and Experimental Study
Authors: Ding Bo‐Wen , Eremeeva Elena V. , Vysotski Eugene S. , Liu Ya‐Jun
Published: May 2020

Calcium‐regulated photoproteins are found in at least five phyla of organisms. The light emitted by those photoproteins can be tuned by mutating the photoprotein and/or by modifying the substrate coelenterazine (CTZ). Thirty years ago, Shimomura observed that the luminescence activity of aequorin was dramatically reduced when the substrate CTZ was replaced by its analog v‐CTZ. The latter is formed by adding a phenyl ring to the π‐conjugated moiety of CTZ. The decrease in luminescence activity has not been understood until now. In this paper, through combined quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics calculations as well as molecular dynamics simulations, we discovered the reason for this observation. Modification of the substrate changes the conformation of nearby aromatic residues and enhances the π‐π stacking interactions between the conjugated moiety of v‐CTZ and the residues, which weakens the charge transfer to form light emitter and leads to a lower luminescence activity. The microenvironments of CTZ in obelin and in aequorin are very similar, so we predicted that the luminescence activity of obelin will also dramatically decrease when CTZ is replaced by v‐CTZ. This prediction has received strong evidence from currently theoretical calculations and has been verified by experiments.
Purified Splenic amastigotes of Leishmania donovani‐Immunoproteomic approach for exploring Th1 stimulatory polyproteins
Authors: Misra Pragya , Tandon Rati , Basak Trayambak , Sengupta Shantanu , Dube Anuradha
Published: May 2020

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) represents one of the most challenging infectious diseases worldwide. The reason that once infected, patient develops immunity against Leishmania parasite has paved way to develop prophylactic vaccines against disease, but only some of these have moved ahead for clinical trials. Herein, the study to explore novel and potential vaccine candidates was extended to pathogenic form of parasite, that is, amastigote form which is less explored due to complexity of its purification process. Methods and results. Classical protocol of purification of splenic amastigotes was modified to obtain highly pure amastigotes which was confirmed by Western blotting in support with proteomics studies. Fractionation and sub‐fractionation of purified splenic amastigotes revealed four sub‐fractions, belonging to 97 to 68 kDa and 68 to 43 kDa ranges, which showed long‐lasting protection with remarkable Th1‐type cellular responses in hamsters vaccinated with these sub‐fractions (LTT, NO, QRT‐PCR). Further proteomics analysis, to identify and understand the precise nature and function of these protective protein sub‐fractions, identified a total of 47 proteins including twenty‐five hypothetical proteins/unknowns. Amastigote stage has potential Th1‐stimulatory vaccine candidates, notably, among identified proteins, major were uncharacterized proteins/hypothetical proteins, which once characterized may serve as novel and potential vaccine candidates/drug targets.
Updating the Institutional Collective Action Framework
Authors: Kim Serena Y. , Swann William L. , Weible Christopher M. , Bolognesi Thomas , Krause Rachel M. , Park Angela Y.S. , Tang Tian , Maletsky Kiernan , Feiock Richard C.
Published: May 2020

The Institutional Collective Action (ICA) framework has contributed to understanding collective action problems in fragmented governance and identified mechanisms for overcoming them. Participation in collaboration is risky––even if it has the potential to make all parties better off. This framework has uniquely shown how collaboration risk and other transaction costs can be overcome to create effective collaborations for addressing complex policy issues. However, after over a decade of use, the framework is due for critical evaluation and articulation of its state of the art and science to better inform future scholarship. For this purpose, this article defines key concepts and formulates assumptions, as well as reviews the empirical contributions and longstanding limitations of the ICA framework. A robust agenda for future research is also outlined. To move forward, we believe ICA research should focus on the foundational core of the ICA framework, maintain flexibility in explanatory models, and expand the scope beyond the collective action problems at the local level.
Muscle contributions to tibiofemoral shear forces and valgus and rotational joint moments during single leg drop landing
Authors: Maniar Nirav , Schache Anthony G. , Pizzolato Claudio , Opar David A.
Published: May 2020

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries commonly occur during single‐leg landing tasks and are a burdensome condition. Previous studies indicate that muscle forces play an important role in controlling ligamentous loading, yet these studies have typically used cadaveric models considering only the knee‐spanning quadriceps, hamstrings, and gastrocnemius muscle groups. Any muscles (including non‐knee‐spanning muscles) capable of opposing the anterior shear joint reaction force and the valgus joint reaction moment are thought to have the greatest potential for protecting the ACL from injury. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate how lower‐limb muscles modulate knee joint loading during a single‐leg drop landing task. An electromyography‐informed neuromusculoskeletal modeling approach was used to compute lower‐limb muscle force contributions to the anterior shear joint reaction force and the valgus joint reaction moment at the knee during a single‐leg drop landing task. The average shear joint reaction force ranged from 153 N of anterior shear force to 744 N of posterior shear force. The muscles that generated the greatest posterior shear force were the soleus, medial hamstrings, and biceps femoris, contributing up to 393 N, 359 N, and 162 N, respectively. The average frontal plane joint reaction moment ranged from a 19 Nm varus moment to a 6 Nm valgus moment. The valgus moment was primarily opposed by the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, and soleus, with these muscles providing contributions of up to 38, 22, and 20 Nm toward a varus moment, respectively. The findings identify key muscles that mitigate loads on the ACL.
Impression management in the market for residential care for children and youth in Sweden
Authors: Shanks Emelie , Lundström Tommy , Meagher Gabrielle , Sallnäs Marie , Wiklund Stefan
Published: May 2020

In what has become quite a turbulent quasi‐market for residential care for children and youth, providers now compete for public contracts. To create visibility and attract customers, many providers use marketing activities to project the desired impression of themselves to maintain or strengthen their market position. In this article, we analyse how companies that provide residential care for children manage the impressions they project on their websites and in advertisements. The results reveal that residential care providers use a range of impression management strategies to enhance their organizational image and to respond to potentially damaging or threatening images. The information providers choose to disclose leaves customers—in this case, the social workers responsible for choosing and purchasing care on behalf of clients—with rather limited opportunities to evaluate the quality of care. This is a significant problem considering other, more reliable, sources of information are difficult to access.
The CCR4‐NOT complex component NOT1 regulates RNA‐directed DNA methylation and transcriptional silencing by facilitating Pol IV‐dependent siRNA production
Authors: Zhou Hao‐Ran , Lin Rong‐Nan , Huang Huan‐Wei , Li Lin , Cai Tao , Zhu Jian‐Kang , Chen She , He Xin‐Jian
Published: May 2020

Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are responsible for establishing and maintaining DNA methylation through the RNA‐directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway in plants. Although siRNA biogenesis is well known, it is relatively unclear about how the process is regulated. By a forward genetic screen in Arabidopsis thaliana, we identified a mutant defective in NOT1 and demonstrated that NOT1 is required for transcriptional silencing at RdDM target genomic loci. We demonstrated that NOT1 is required for Pol IV‐dependent siRNA accumulation and DNA methylation at a subset of RdDM target genomic loci. Furthermore, we revealed that NOT1 is a constituent of a multi‐subunit CCR4‐NOT deadenylase complex by immunoprecipitation combined with mass spectrometry and demonstrated that the CCR4‐NOT components can function as a whole to mediate chromatin silencing. Therefore, our work establishes that the CCR4‐NOT complex regulates the biogenesis of Pol IV‐dependent siRNAs, and hence facilitates DNA methylation and transcriptional silencing in Arabidopsis.