bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variations in microbial community in a tropical dry deciduous forest across the season and topographical gradient assessed through signature fatty acid biomarkers
Authors: Bhardwaj Yashpal , Sharma Mahaveer P. , Pandey Jitendra , Dubey Suresh K.
Published: November 2019

Being pivotal to nutrient mobilization and conservation, microbial communities are indispensible for sustenance of forest ecosystem. The pattern and drivers of active soil microbial communities remain less explored in tropical dry deciduous forests. The present study was conducted during two annual cycles at three forest sites (hilltop, middle and hillbase) in the tropical dry deciduous forest of Vindhyan plateau, India. Chloroform fumigation‐extraction and phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA) were used to investigate soil microbial biomass and microbial community, respectively. Our results showed significant (p < .05) topographical and seasonal shift in the soil microbial community wherein, microbial biomass and PLFA concentration (as total PLFA and specific biomarkers) were highest at hillbase site. The fungal PLFAs/bacterial PLFAs (F/B) and gram positive bacterial (G+)/gram negative bacterial (G−) (G+/G−) ratio also varied significantly with topography and season indicating specific changes in microbial communities. In general, bacteria dominated the overall scenario, and gram‐positive PLFAs biomarker dominated the total bacterial PLFAs. In the fungal counterpart, AM fungi showed prevalence. The soil organic carbon and nitrogen showed positive correlation with the microbial biomass, total bacterial PLFAs concentration and specific biomarker groups. The highest level of microbial biomass and PLFAs observed during summer indicated nutrients immobilization. The study has implications in understanding the microbial basis of nutrient turnover in the ecosystem perspective.
Pelagibacter metabolism of diatom‐derived volatile organic compounds imposes an energetic tax on photosynthetic carbon fixation
Authors: Moore Eric R. , Davie‐Martin Cleo L. , Giovannoni Stephen J. , Halsey Kimberly H.
Published: November 2019

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by phytoplankton are molecules with high vapor pressures that can diffuse across cell membranes into the environment, where they become public goods. VOCs likely comprise a significant component of the marine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pool utilized by microorganisms, but they are often overlooked as growth substrates because their diffusivity imposes analytical challenges. The roles of VOCs in the growth of the photoautotrophic diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana and heterotrophic bacterium Pelagibacter sp. HTCC1062 (SAR11) were examined using co‐cultures and proton‐transfer reaction time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. VOCs at 82 m/z values were produced in the cultures, and the concentrations of 9 of these m/z values changed in co‐culture relative to the diatom monoculture. Several of the m/z values were putatively identified, and their metabolism by HTCC1062 was confirmed by measuring ATP production. Diatom carbon fixation rates in co‐culture with HTCC1062 were 20.3% higher than the diatom monoculture. Removal of VOCs from the T. pseudonana monoculture using a hydrocarbon trap caused a similar increase in carbon fixation (18.1%). These results show that a wide range of VOCs are cycled in the environment, and the flux of VOCs from phytoplankton to bacterioplankton imposes a large and unexpected tax on phytoplankton photosynthesis.
Subpopulations of hyphae secrete proteins or resist heat stress in Aspergillus oryzae colonies
Authors: Tegelaar Martin , Bleichrodt Robert‐Jan , Nitsche Benjamin , Ram Arthur F. J. , Wösten Han A. B.
Published: November 2019

Hyphae at the outer part of colonies of Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae are heterogeneous with respect to transcriptional and translational activity. This heterogeneity is maintained by Woronin body mediated closure of septal pores that block interhyphal mixing of cytoplasm. Indeed, heterogeneity between hyphae is abolished in ΔhexA strains that lack Woronin bodies. The subpopulation of hyphae with high transcriptional and translational activity secretes enzymes that degrade the substrate resulting in breakdown products that serve as nutrients. The role of hyphae with low transcriptional and translational activity was not yet known. Here, we show that this subpopulation is more resistant to environmental stress in A. oryzae, in particular to temperature stress, when compared to hyphae with high transcriptional and translational activity. Notably, all hyphae of the ΔhexA strain of A. oryzae were sensitive to heat stress explained by the reduced heterogeneity in this strain. Together, we show that different subpopulations of hypha secrete proteins and resist heat stress showing the complexity of a fungal mycelium.
Remainers are nostalgic too: An exploration of attitudes towards the past and Brexit preferences
Authors: Richards Lindsay , Heath Anthony , Elgenius Gabriella
Published: November 2019

Nostalgia had a prominent place in the Brexit Referendum campaign, epitomized by Nigel Farage carrying around with him an old‐fashioned blue British passport on the campaign trail. In this paper, we seek to examine British attitudes towards the past through a new survey instrument administered online in July and August 2018 (N = 3,000). We empirically establish two dimensions of nostalgia that are differentially associated with political preferences. We conclude that it is the substance of the nostalgia that matters, not the looking towards the past per se.
The Digital Economy: Opportunities and Challenges
Authors: Amuso Valentina , Poletti Giuliano , Montibello Donato
Published: November 2019

Despite the increasing speed of digital innovation, governments should invest in education and life programmes to fully reap the benefits of the digital economy.
Energy Pricing Reform in Australia: A Case Study
Authors: Brown Emily , McNair Ben
Published: November 2019

Economic theory predicts that pricing electricity to better‐reflect the costs imposed by peak demand will benefit consumers by deferring network capacity augmentation. To date, the Australian Capital Territory is one of the first Australian jurisdictions to see significant uptake rates of more cost‐reflective network electricity tariffs by small consumers. This paper identifies lessons learned from the implementation of these tariffs, suggesting consumers have responded to price signals, thereby improving network utilisation. It also finds that the uptake of cost‐reflective tariffs is considerably greater under an opt‐out tariff assignment policy, and consultation plays an important role in gaining community support.
Metastatic meningeal carcinomatosis from lung cancer: Report of a rare case
Authors: Liu Hui , Liu Li , Zhang Xiaochen , Jin Song
Published: November 2019

Meningeal carcinomatosis (MC) refers to the diffuse or multifocal spread or infiltration of malignant tumors in the pia mater. It is a special distribution type of metastatic tumors in the central nervous system and one of the important reasons of death caused by metastatic malignant tumors. Here, we report a rare case of metastatic meningeal carcinomatosis from the lung cancer.
Deficiency in the DNA repair protein ERCC1 triggers a link between senescence and apoptosis in human fibroblasts and mouse skin
Authors: Kim Dong Eun , Dollé Martijn E. T. , Vermeij Wilbert P. , Gyenis Akos , Vogel Katharina , Hoeijmakers Jan H. J. , Wiley Christopher D. , Davalos Albert R. , Hasty Paul , Desprez Pierre‐Yves , Campisi Judith
Published: November 2019

ERCC1 (excision repair cross complementing‐group 1) is a mammalian endonuclease that incises the damaged strand of DNA during nucleotide excision repair and interstrand cross‐link repair. Ercc1−/Δ mice, carrying one null and one hypomorphic Ercc1 allele, have been widely used to study aging due to accelerated aging phenotypes in numerous organs and their shortened lifespan. Ercc1−/Δ mice display combined features of human progeroid and cancer‐prone syndromes. Although several studies report cellular senescence and apoptosis associated with the premature aging of Ercc1−/Δ mice, the link between these two processes and their physiological relevance in the phenotypes of Ercc1−/Δ mice are incompletely understood. Here, we show that ERCC1 depletion, both in cultured human fibroblasts and the skin of Ercc1−/Δ mice, initially induces cellular senescence and, importantly, increased expression of several SASP (senescence‐associated secretory phenotype) factors. Cellular senescence induced by ERCC1 deficiency was dependent on activity of the p53 tumor‐suppressor protein. In turn, TNFα secreted by senescent cells induced apoptosis, not only in neighboring ERCC1‐deficient nonsenescent cells, but also cell autonomously in the senescent cells themselves. In addition, expression of the stem cell markers p63 and Lgr6 was significantly decreased in Ercc1−/Δ mouse skin, where the apoptotic cells are localized, compared to age‐matched wild‐type skin, possibly due to the apoptosis of stem cells. These data suggest that ERCC1‐depleted cells become susceptible to apoptosis via TNFα secreted from neighboring senescent cells. We speculate that parts of the premature aging phenotypes and shortened health‐ or lifespan may be due to stem cell depletion through apoptosis promoted by senescent cells.
Amelioration of age‐related brain function decline by Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibition
Authors: Ekpenyong‐Akiba Akang E. , Poblocka Marta , Althubiti Mohammad , Rada Miran , Jurk Diana , Germano Sandra , Kocsis‐Fodor Gabriella , Shi Yu , Canales Juan J. , Macip Salvador
Published: November 2019

One of the hallmarks of aging is the progressive accumulation of senescent cells in organisms, which has been proposed to be a contributing factor to age‐dependent organ dysfunction. We recently reported that Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) is an upstream component of the p53 responses to DNA damage. BTK binds to and phosphorylates p53 and MDM2, which results in increased p53 activity. Consistent with this, blocking BTK impairs p53‐induced senescence. This suggests that sustained BTK inhibition could have an effect on organismal aging by reducing the presence of senescent cells in tissues. Here, we show that ibrutinib, a clinically approved covalent inhibitor of BTK, prolonged the maximum lifespan of a Zmpste24−/− progeroid mice, which also showed a reduction in general age‐related fitness loss. Importantly, we found that certain brain functions were preserved, as seen by reduced anxiety‐like behaviour and better long‐term spatial memory. This was concomitant to a decrease in the expression of specific markers of senescence in the brain, which confirms a lower accumulation of senescent cells after BTK inhibition. Our data show that blocking BTK has a modest increase in lifespan in Zmpste24−/− mice and protects them from a decline in brain performance. This suggests that specific inhibitors could be used in humans to treat progeroid syndromes and prevent the age‐related degeneration of organs such as the brain.
Stress‐related suppression of peripheral cytokines predicts future relapse in alcohol‐dependent individuals with and without subclinical depression
Authors: Fox Helen C. , Milivojevic Verica , MacDougall Alicia , LaVallee Heather , Simpson Christine , Angarita Gustavo A. , Sinha Rajita
Published: November 2019

Chronic alcohol abuse and depressive symptoms are both associated with peripheral cytokine changes. Despite this, cytokine adaptations have not been assessed in co‐morbid populations or prospectively as predictors of relapse. We examine cytokine responses to stress in alcohol‐dependent individuals and social drinkers, both with and without subclinical depression. We also examine the potential link between cytokine adaptations in response to stress and prospective alcohol relapse risk. Thirty‐three, alcohol‐dependent individuals (21 with and 12 without high depressive symptoms) and 37 controls (16 with and 21 without high depressive symptoms) were exposed to two 5‐minute personalized guided imagery conditions (stress and neutral) across consecutive days in a randomized and counterbalanced order. Alcohol craving and serum measures of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), and interleukin‐1 receptor antagonist (IL‐1ra) were collected prior to and following imagery exposure. Following treatment discharge, follow‐up interviews were conducted over 90 days to assess relapse. Dampened IL‐1ra and IL‐6 in response to stress was observed as a function of alcohol dependence and not moderated by depressive symptoms. Lower levels of IL‐6 following stress also predicted greater drinking days following treatment. Conversely, high depressive symptomatology was associated solely with pro‐inflammatory adaptations. Stress‐related suppression of TNFα predicted drinking severity only in alcohol‐dependent individuals with subclinical depression, and suppressed TNFR1 following stress was only seen in individuals with subclinical depression. Stress‐induced suppression of pro‐inflammatory TNF markers may indicate a risk factor for alcohol‐dependent individuals with co‐occurring depressive symptoms.
Constructing who can be Japanese: A study of social markers of acceptance in Japan
Authors: Komisarof Adam , Leong Chan‐Hoong , Teng Eugene
Published: November 2019

Social markers of acceptance are socially constructed indicators of adaptation (e.g., language skills or adherence to social norms) that recipient nationals use in deciding whether to view an immigrant as a host community member. This study had two objectives: (a) to distill the markers considered important by Japanese undergraduates to accept immigrants in Japanese society and (b) to test the premises of integrated threat and social identity theories by ascertaining the effects on marker endorsement of perceived immigrant threat, contribution, relative social status, and intergroup permeability. Native‐born Japanese (the term “native‐born Japanese” is used throughout this article to refer to people born as Japanese citizens—differentiating them from immigrants who are Japanese citizens naturalized after birth) from 12 Japanese universities (N = 428) completed an online survey. Marker importance ratings were factor‐analyzed, and three latent dimensions were found representing sociolinguistic, ethnic, and socioeconomic markers. Multiple hierarchical regressions discerned the main effects of immigrants’ perceived threat and contribution on social markers as well as their interactions with intergroup permeability and immigrant relative status. The results underscored perceived threat’s consistent role in increasing marker importance and suggested divergent paths to acceptance: Immigrants perceived as “low‐status” were expected to conform to sociolinguistic and ethnic markers, whereas socioeconomic markers were stressed more for “high‐status” immigrants when perceived immigrant threat increased and intergroup boundaries were considered less permeable.
Cholesterol accumulation, lipid droplet formation, and steroid production in Leydig cells: Role of translocator protein (18‐kDa)
Authors: Chung Jin‐Yong , Chen Haolin , Papadopoulos Vassilios , Zirkin Barry
Published: November 2019

Background

Cholesterol import into the mitochondria of steroid‐producing cells is the rate‐determining step in steroidogenesis. Numerous studies have provided evidence that the cholesterol‐binding translocator protein (18 kDa TSPO) plays an important role in cholesterol translocation into mitochondria and that it also might act on cholesterol homeostasis. Several TSPO‐specific ligands have been shown to increase steroid production in vitro and in vivo.

Objectives

The present study assessed the effects of the TSPO drug ligand FGIN‐1‐27 on cholesterol accumulation and lipid droplet formation in relationship to steroid formation.

Materials and Methods

Using MA‐10 and primary Leydig cells, immunocytochemical and molecular methods were used to examine cholesterol accumulation, the formation of lipid droplets, and steroid formation in response to LH and FGIN‐1‐27. Additionally, we determined the effects of Tspo knockout by CRISPR/Cas9, and of siRNA knockdowns of Tspo and Plin2 (Perilipin 2; also known as adipose differentiation‐related protein, ADFP) on LH‐ and FGIN‐1‐27‐induced steroidogenesis.

Results

In response to LH and FGIN‐1‐27, cultured MA‐10 cells and primary Leydig cells increased steroid formation, cholesterol accumulation, and lipid droplet formation. Cholesterol accumulation in the lipid droplets also was increased in Tspo knockout cells. Knockout of Tspo or its knockdown in MA‐10 cells resulted in reduced progesterone formation in response to both LH and FGIN‐1‐27, as did knockdown of Plin2. Steroid production also was inhibited by the cholesteryl ester hydrolase inhibitor diethylumbelliferyl phosphate.

Discussion and Conclusion

These results support the conclusion that FGIN‐1‐27 stimulates steroid formation by increasing TSPO‐mediated cholesterol translocation into the inner mitochondria for steroidogenesis, as well as into the cytosol for lipid droplet formation. FGIN‐1‐27 also increased steroid formation at least in part by inducing the conversion of cholesteryl ester located in lipid droplets to cholesterol, thus making available more substrate for steroid formation.
A distinct retinal pigment epithelial cell autofluorescence pattern in choroideremia predicts early involvement of overlying photoreceptors
Authors: Stevanovic Marta , Cehajic Kapetanovic Jasmina , Jolly Jasleen K. , MacLaren Robert E.
Published: November 2019

Purpose

Choroideremia is an X‐linked retinal disease characterized by early retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) loss and subsequent retinal degeneration. The RPE adopts either a smooth or mottled appearance on fundus autofluorescence (FAF). It is not known how RPE changes predict the health of the overlying ellipsoid zone (EZ).

Methods

A retrospective review of FAF and optical coherence tomography (OCT) images from 20 patients with choroideremia was performed. The percentage of intact EZ in each smooth and mottled FAF region was determined using one horizontal trans‐foveal OCT section.

Results

Fourteen out of 20 patients had distinct smooth and mottled areas in both eyes and were included in the sub‐analysis. On average, 62.5 ± 10.1% of the EZ in each smooth region of the right eyes was intact compared to 10.0 ± 4.3% in the mottled areas. The same trend was observed in left eyes: 76.5 ± 7.2% of the EZ was intact in the smooth regions versus 9.8 ± 3.9% in the mottled areas (two‐way anova, p < 0.0001). Thus, the mottled FAF regions were associated with EZ disruption more so than the smooth areas.

Conclusion

Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) changes correlate with the health of the overlying EZ in choroideremia. The smooth FAF region likely represents early stages of the disease, with most of the area containing preserved EZ, whereas the mottled zone indicates more advanced stages and has mostly disrupted EZ. Because of the clear relationship between FAF findings and EZ integrity, FAF imaging can be used to monitor disease progression and identify areas of preserved EZ that could be rescued by gene therapy.
Recent advances in risk factors associated with ocular exfoliation syndrome
Authors: Ghaffari Sharaf Mehdi , Damji Karim F. , Unsworth Larry D.
Published: November 2019

Exfoliation syndrome is generally considered a progressive age‐related systemic disorder of the extracellular matrix, which is clinically characterized through the observation of flaky white aggregates on ocular tissues. Exfoliation syndrome is directly linked to exfoliative glaucoma in elderly patients, where it is known as the most common identifiable cause of open‐angle glaucoma. Despite the identification of various risk factors associated with exfoliation syndrome, the exact pathogenesis of this syndrome has not been fully elucidated. There is a growing number of genome‐wide association studies in different populations around the world to identify genetic factors underlying exfoliation syndrome. Besides variants in LOXL1 and CACNA1A genes, new loci have been recently identified which are believed to be associated with exfoliation syndrome. Among different genetic factors, functional variants might help to better understand mechanisms underlying this systemic disorder. Besides genetic factors, epigenetic regulation of different gene expression patterns has been thought to play a role in its pathogenesis. Other factors have been also considered to be involved in the development of exfoliation syndrome at cellular organelles level where mitochondrial impairment and autophagy dysfunction have been suggested in relation to exfoliation syndrome. This review addresses the most recent findings on genetic factors as well as cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in both the development and progression of exfoliation syndrome.
Flanged intraocular lens fixation via 27‐gauge trocars using a double‐needle technique decreases surgical wounds without losing its therapeutic effect
Authors: Ishikawa Hiroto , Fukuyama Hisashi , Komuku Yuki , Araki Takashi , Gomi Fumi
Published: November 2019

Purpose

Intraocular lens (IOL) fixation using a sutureless 27‐gauge needle intrascleral IOL implantation technique requires six surgical wounds. We developed a modified technique using two 27‐gauge trocars for vitrectomy and indwelling flanged IOL haptics to reduce the number of surgical wounds.

Setting

Department of Ophthalmology, Hyogo College of Medicine.

Design

This retrospective study enrolled 54 patients who had undergone IOL scleral fixation between January 2016 and April 2019.

Methods

Patients who underwent IOL scleral fixation and were observed for >12 weeks were analysed using medical record data. Before October 2017, patients underwent normal flanged IOL scleral fixation. Between November 2017 and April 2019, patients underwent the modified method (flanged IOL via 27‐gauge trocars with double‐needle technique). Primary end‐point was superiority or non‐inferiority of modified IOL scleral fixation compared with normal IOL scleral fixation for visual acuity (VA). Changes in corneal endothelium cell number, refractivity, astigmatisms and surgery‐related complications, were secondary end‐points.

Results

There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between groups. Raw VA and best collected VA (BCVA) were significantly improved in all eyes (p−). There were no statistical significances in raw VA, BCVA and surgery‐related complications between groups.

Conclusions

Results of the modified technique were not inferior compared with the original technique although it was less invasive. Therefore, flanged IOL fixation via trocars using a double‐needle technique is a useful technique for IOL implantation.
Providing a framework of principles for conceptualising the Fontan circulation
Authors: Gewillig Marc , Brown Stephen C. , van de Bruaene Alexander , Rychik Jack
Published: November 2019

The Fontan operation remains the final palliation for thousands of patients with complex congenital heart disease. By creating a Fontan circuit, control of cardiac output and congestion is wrested away from the ventricle and new haemodynamic forces take control. Understanding how to control the flow in the Fontan circuit will enable clinicians to improve patient management and possibly prevent future complications.

Conclusion

This review proposes a framework of principles to conceptualise the functionality and limitations of a Fontan circulation.
Prediction of and surgical strategy for adherent hilar lymph nodes in thoracoscopic surgery
Authors: Matsuura Yosuke , Ichinose Junji , Nakao Masayuki , Okumura Sakae , Mun Mingyon
Published: November 2019

Introduction

Adhesions between the hilar lymph nodes (HLN) and pulmonary artery are challenging during thoracoscopic surgery. Preoperative assessment of appropriate surgical access and feasibility of thoracoscopic surgery for lobectomy are crucial. However, there have been only a few reports of this issue. We investigated the association between the radiological features and the presence of HLN adhesions and validated the possibility of preoperatively predicting their presence. The types of adhesions were classified, and surgical strategies for each category were summarized.

Methods

We retrospectively identified 19 patients with adherent HLN (group A) from 1134 patients who had undergone thoracoscopic surgery for lobectomy between January 2008 and December 2017. One case in group A was matched to two cases with normal HLN (group N) by propensity score matching. We compared the radiological features of HLN between the two groups on preoperative CT scans. For group A, we assessed the recurrence of regional lymph nodes (RLNs) and classified the types of adhesions.

Results

Adherent HLN were larger and had higher CT values than normal HLN. Calcification in the RLNs indicated the possibility of adhesions in HLN. Group A had adhesions due to inflammation but no postoperative recurrence of RLNs.

Conclusions

Adhesion of HLN to the pulmonary artery may be predicted to some extent by using preoperative CT scans. Our findings may contribute to improving the safety of thoracoscopic surgery.
Symptom trajectories in the months before and after a suicide attempt in individuals with bipolar disorder: A STEP‐BD study
Authors: Ballard Elizabeth D. , Farmer Cristan A. , Shovestul Bridget , Vande Voort Jennifer , Machado‐Vieira Rodrigo , Park Lawrence , Merikangas Kathleen R. , Zarate Carlos A.
Published: November 2019

Objectives

The suicide crisis is a relatively short‐lived psychiatric emergency, with transient symptoms that ebb and flow around the suicide attempt. Understanding the dynamic processes of symptoms before and after suicide attempt may aid future prevention efforts.

Methods

Data were drawn from the NIMH STEP‐BD study, which followed 4,360 patients with bipolar disorder; a subset attempted suicide during the trial (245/4100 or 5.97% of the sample eligible for analysis). This analysis focused on change in suicidal ideation (SI) in the 120 days before and 120 days after suicide attempt; similar analyses were conducted for other depressive symptoms. Generalized linear mixed models with a two‐piece linear function of time corresponding to pre‐ and post‐suicide attempt trends were used.

Results

SI ratings from 216 individuals were analyzed (n = 1,231 total; n = 395 pre‐attempt, n = 126 circa‐attempt, n = 710 post‐attempt) and compared to data from a matched sample of 648 non‐attempters. SI worsened in the 120 days pre‐attempt but improved afterwards, reaching non‐attempter levels by 90 days post‐attempt. A similar pattern was found for other depressive symptoms, including depressed mood, loss of interest, guilt, and self‐esteem. Pre/post differences in tension/activating symptoms of depression—anxiety, agitation, and irritability—were less pronounced and more time‐limited.

Conclusions

The suicide crisis is dynamic, and the days before and after suicide attempt may be particularly critical. The findings extend previous research on proximal symptoms of suicide and underscore that some SI and affective/cognitive symptoms of depression can remain elevated up to 90 days post‐attempt in individuals with bipolar disorder.
Breastfeeding experiences of same‐sex mothers
Authors: Juntereal Nina A. , Spatz Diane L.
Published: November 2019

Background

Family structures are diversifying in the United States, and more same‐sex female couples are building families. For two‐mother families, complexity exists for breastfeeding as more than one mother can provide human milk. The purpose of this study was to explore the lactation experience and level of lactation support of birth mothers in a same‐sex (two female) relationship.

Methods

This study consists of a mixed methods design using an online survey to identify the demographic of same‐sex mothers and qualitative interviews to provide an in‐depth understanding of the mothers' experiences. Qualitative content analysis is applied to develop themes from the interviews.

Results

Sixty‐eight participants completed the online survey. Thirty‐seven mothers (59%) reported breastfeeding for more than one year. Fourteen (21%) respondents reported accessing induced lactation information for the nongestational parent from their health care practitioner. Forty‐three (63%) respondents reported receiving breastfeeding and induced lactation information from other sources. Only nine (13%) nongestational parents underwent induced lactation. Eighteen gestational mothers participated in qualitative interviews. Five themes emerged from the qualitative data: (a) committed to a year, (b) deciding “how to do it,” (c) sources of information, (d) involvement of partner, and (e) need for inclusive and educated health care practitioners.

Conclusions

Same‐sex mothers have strong intentions to breastfeed and are resourceful in educating themselves for induced lactation and conursing. Nongestational parents are essential support partners and equivalent in motherhood. Providers need to better equip themselves and incorporate inclusive language in breastfeeding policy statements to support lactation outcomes.
The Birth of a Political Self
Authors: Davoine Françoise
Published: November 2019

This paper stresses the importance of psychoanalysis for all people who suffer from psychosis and trauma. It follows the author's journey, beginning in London in the 1970s in order to learn from the teachings of the anti‐psychiatrists, to public psychiatric hospitals in France, where she became a psychoanalyst. Through clinical examples, the paper describes transference in cases of psychosis and trauma as a process of co‐research into catastrophic zones of society, a process that unveils what cannot be said, at the crossroads of the patient's and the analyst's stories and history.
Psychoanalytic Approaches to Psychotic Disorders in a Public Mental Health System
Authors: Kapsambelis Vassilis
Published: November 2019

The Centre for Psychoanalysis of the Mental Health Association in the 13th district of Paris is part of a community psychiatric public facility. It specializes in non‐neurotic pathologies. The Centre offers several forms of psychoanalytic therapy for more than 200 patients, suffering from psychoses or severe borderline personality disorders. This double particularity of the Centre (public mental health facility and type of patients) has led it to develop distinct treatment techniques (for example, psychodrama) and to give special attention to the conditions of countertransference, as the demand for therapy is a challenge for both psychoanalysts and the psychiatric team who care for patients and refer them to the Centre. Over four decades, the analysts of the Centre have elaborated certain theoretical concepts (transference investment, thirdness and the ‘third person’, processual interpretation, ‘presence’ of the analyst, erotomaniac position …) that take into account the necessity of adapting the psychoanalytic approach to working with these categories of patients.
The Wager of Faith in Fiction and Psychoanalysis: Reading Colm Tóibín's The Testament of Mary
Authors: Rizq Rosemary
Published: November 2019

Colm Tóibín's novella The Testament of Mary (2013) offers a provocative re‐imagining of the Virgin Mary's life 20 years after the crucifixion of her son Jesus. Drawing on Richard Kearney's notion of anatheism or a ‘return to God after God’, I use the fictive space opened up in Tóibín's version of the Gospel as a spur to understanding the way in which faith may be conceived of as wager within both fiction and psychoanalysis. Discussing how the reception of the artistic message requires the same spirit of hospitality as does the encounter with alterity within the psychoanalytic relationship, I argue that in both cases we are faced with an existential moment of choice that requires a whole‐hearted willingness to engage with otherness. The implications of Tóibín's story for psychoanalytic work are then explored with reference to developmental processes outlined by Winnicott (1971) in his paper ‘The use of an object’. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of the significance of testimony within psychoanalytic work.
Molecular tools for coral reef restoration: Beyond biomarker discovery
Authors: Parkinson John Everett , Baker Andrew C. , Baums Iliana B. , Davies Sarah W. , Grottoli Andréa G. , Kitchen Sheila A. , Matz Mikhail V. , Miller Margaret W. , Shantz Andrew A. , Kenkel Carly D.
Published: November 2019

As coral reefs continue to decline due to climate change and other stressors, scientists have proposed adopting genomic tools, such as biomarkers, to aid in the conservation and restoration of these threatened ecosystems. Biomarkers are easily measured indicators of biological processes that can be used to predict or diagnose health, resilience, and other key performance metrics. The ultimate goal of developing biomarkers is to determine the conservation value and utility of a given coral colony, including the host animal, its algal symbionts, and their microbial partners. However, this goal remains distant because most efforts have not yet moved beyond the initial discovery phase. We review recent progress in the development of coral molecular biomarkers from a practical standpoint and consider the many challenges that remain as roadblocks to large‐scale implementation. We caution practitioners that, while biomarkers are a promising technology, they are unlikely to be available for field application in the near future barring a rapid shift in research focus from discovery to subsequent validation and field trials. To facilitate such a shift, we propose a stepwise framework to guide additional study in this area, with the aim of accelerating practical molecular biomarker development to enhance coral restoration practice.
Inhibition of lysine‐specific demethylase 1A suppresses neointimal hyperplasia by targeting bone morphogenetic protein 2 and mediating vascular smooth muscle cell phenotype
Authors: Zhang Xiaobo , Huang Tao , Zhai Heng , Peng Wenpeng , Zhou Yong , Li Qi , Yang Haifeng
Published: November 2019

Objectives

Vascular disorders are associated with phenotypical switching of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). We investigated the effect of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)‐2 in controlling VSMC phenotype and vascular disorder progression. Lysine (K)‐specific demethylase 1A (KDM1A) has been identified to target BMP‐2 and is employed as a therapeutic means of regulating BMP‐2 expression in VSMCs.

Materials and methods

VSMCs were stimulated with angiotensin II, and the expression of KDM1A and BMP‐2 was detected. VSMC proliferation, apoptosis, and phenotype were evaluated. An in vivo aortic injury model was established, and VSMC behaviour was evaluated by the expression of key markers. The activation of BMP‐2–associated signalling pathways was examined.

Results

We confirmed the inhibitory effect of KDM1A on BMP‐2 activity and demonstrated that KDM1A inhibition prevented VSMC transformation from a contractile to synthetic phenotype. In angiotensin II‐treated VSMCs, KDM1A inhibition triggered a decrease in cell proliferation and inflammatory response. In vivo, KDM1A inhibition alleviated post‐surgery neointimal formation and collagen deposition, preventing VSMCs from switching into a synthetic phenotype and suppressing disease onset. These processes were mediated by BMP‐2 through canonical small mothers against decapentaplegic signalling, which was associated with the activation of BMP receptors 1A and 1B.

Conclusions

The regulatory correlation between KDM1A and BMP‐2 offers insights into vascular remodelling and VSMC phenotypic modulation. The reported findings contribute to the development of innovative strategies against vascular disorders.
Fragmented tropical forests lose mutualistic plant–animal interactions
Authors: Marjakangas Emma‐Liina , Abrego Nerea , Grøtan Vidar , de Lima Renato A. F. , Bello Carolina , Bovendorp Ricardo S. , Culot Laurence , Hasui Érica , Lima Fernando , Muylaert Renata Lara , Niebuhr Bernardo Brandão , Oliveira Alexandre A. , Pereira Lucas Augusto , Prado Paulo I. , Stevens Richard D. , Vancine Maurício Humberto , Ribeiro Milton Cezar , Galetti Mauro , Ovaskainen Otso
Published: November 2019

Aim

Forest fragmentation is among the principal causes of global biodiversity loss, yet how it affects mutualistic interactions between plants and animals at large spatial scale is poorly understood. In particular, tropical forest regeneration depends on animal‐mediated seed dispersal, but the seed‐dispersing animals face rapid decline due to forest fragmentation and defaunation. Here, we assess how fragmentation influences the pairwise interactions between 407 seed disperser and 1,424 tree species in a highly fragmented biodiversity hotspot.

Location

Atlantic Forest, South America.

Methods

We predicted interaction networks in 912 sites covering the entire biome by combining verified interaction data with co‐occurrence probabilities obtained from a spatially explicit joint species distribution model. We identified keystone seed dispersers by computing a species‐specific keystone index and by selecting those species belonging to the top 5% quantile.

Results

We show that forest fragmentation affects seed dispersal interactions negatively, and the decreased area of functionally connected forest, rather than increased edge effects, is the main driver behind the loss of interactions. Both the seed disperser availability for the local tree communities and in particular the proportion of interactions provided by keystone seed dispersers decline with increasing degree of fragmentation. Importantly, just 21 keystone species provided >40% of all interactions. The numbers of interactions provided by keystone and non‐keystone species, however, were equally negatively affected by fragmentation, suggesting that seed dispersal interactions may not be rewired under strong fragmentation effects.

Conclusions

We highlight the importance of understanding the fragmentation‐induced compositional shifts in seed disperser communities as they may lead to lagged and multiplicative effects on tree communities. Our results illustrate the utility of model‐based prediction of interaction networks as well as model‐based identification of keystone species as a tool for prioritizing conservation efforts. Similar modelling approaches could be applied to other threatened ecosystems and interaction types globally.
Paying attention pays off: Kea improve in loose‐string cooperation by attending to partner
Authors: Schwing Raoul , Reuillon Laurine , Conrad Mareike , Noë Ronald , Huber Ludwig
Published: November 2019

Previous studies showed that kea are able to cooperate in experiments based on the loose‐string paradigm, but success rates were low, except when tested in stable dyads. We trained kea with low success rates to attend to the handling of the string by a human partner. This vastly improved subsequent coordination during cooperation with kea partners. Furthermore, we tested the kea dyads with a delayed entry set‐up (delays of 2, 4 or 6 s) and with two different lengths of string. Increasing length of delay and reducing string length had negative effects on the success rate. This suggests that a complete understanding of the actions was not present as the kea were not able to fully overcome factors that inhibit coordination. Lastly, we tested the three subjects showing the greatest ability to wait for the partner in a partner‐choice paradigm: one subject in the central position could pull a loose string with one partner after another in the order it preferred. As a result, the second subjects had much longer waiting times than previously experienced. We could show that the central kea learned to visit both set‐ups and that the second partner was able to wait for the partner to arrive before attempting to pull on the string, averaging twice as long as in the standard delay. Taken together, the results from this study highlight that cooperation in the loose‐string paradigm is largely dependent on coordination of the subjects. While attention to the partner's actions greatly improved performance, the greater waiting times achieved in the final set‐up also suggest that utilizing more ecologically relevant (subject is busy VS subject is held back) delays could further improve the performance of non‐human subjects in the delayed loose‐string paradigm.
Implications of fisheries‐induced evolution for population recovery: Refocusing the science and refining its communication
Authors: Hutchings Jeffrey A. , Kuparinen Anna
Published: November 2019

The argument that sufficiently high fishing mortality (selective or not) can effect genetic change in fished populations has gained considerable traction since the late 1970s. The intervening decades have provided compelling experimental and model‐based evidence that fisheries‐induced evolution (FIE) can cause genetic changes in life history, behaviour and body shape, given sufficiently high trait heritability, selection intensity and time. Fisheries‐induced evolution research has also identified or inferred negative implications to population recovery and sustainable yield, prompting calls for evolutionarily enlightened management to reduce the probability of FIE and mitigate its risks. Sufficient time has now elapsed to evaluate whether predicted negative consequences to recovery have been empirically realized. We find that many FIE‐implicated populations have recovered rapidly to management‐based targets following cessation of overfishing. We conclude that FIE is generally of minor importance to recovery when compared with overfishing, magnitude of depletion and natural mortality. By posing a series of questions and responses, we illustrate how science advice pertaining to human‐induced evolution in fishes can be strengthened. We suggest that FIE research be refocused and its communication refined to: (a) better integrate FIE within existing stock‐assessment modelling frameworks; (b) pose questions of greater relevance at the science:policy interface; and (c) concentrate research on questions pertaining to the subset of depleted populations for which the implications of FIE are likely to be magnified because of their synergistic interactions with other correlates of recovery and yield.
Gendered Time Allocation and Divorce: A Longitudinal Analysis of German and American Couples
Authors: Bellani Daniela , Esping‐Andersen Gøsta
Published: November 2019

Objective

To examine the association between divorce and partners' allocation of paid and unpaid work, and change over a few key decades in both West Germany and the United States.

Background

Past research has indicated that partner similarity in time spent on both paid and unpaid work is associated with a higher risk of marital dissolution. We explore whether the association between paid work disparities and divorce or between unpaid work disparities and divorce changed across time or differed between two cultures.

Method

Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics for the United States and the German Socio‐Economic Panel for West Germany from the mid‐1980s until the end of the 2000s, we conducted event history analyses.

Results

Over time, the risk of divorce declined among couples with a more similar division of labor. In parallel, the relative stability of marriages adhering to a dissimilar pattern of unpaid work decreased in Western Germany.

Conclusion

These results contrast with the predictions of a static normative perspective, but they are consistent with the multiple equilibrium theory, which predicts that divorce risks will decline in tandem with the embrace of more gender similarity in couple arrangements. Thus, evidence suggests that as societies evolve toward greater gender similarity in the division of paid and unpaid work, marital stability will likely improve.

Implications

Preventive intervention approaches promoting new forms of organization in the division of work between partners may be useful in the quest for improved marital relations and well‐being.
Effects of hydrogen on the mechanical response of X80 pipeline steel subject to high strain rate tensile tests
Authors: Zheng Yuanyuan , Zhang Lin , Shi Qiaoying , Zhou Chengshuang , Zheng Jinyang
Published: November 2019

Hydrogen‐induced degradation of X80 pipeline steel was investigated through a high strain rate tensile test (2 × 10−4/s) with interposed unloading, reloading, aging at 30°C, or annealing at 200°C with or without hydrogen charging. The results indicated that plasticity degradation does not occur in the hydrogen‐precharged specimens; however, hydrogen embrittlement occurs in the reloading stage when the specimens are charged with hydrogen in the unloading stage after applying a prestrain. Interposed aging at 30°C or annealing at 200°C can also increase the degradation. It indicates that the hydrogen traps caused by the strain along with hydrogen charging are the major source of dislocations. The formation of a hydrogen atmosphere around mobile dislocations, which is related to the rates of hydrogen diffusion and dislocation movement, plays an important role in the degradation process. Both pinning and depinning of dislocations affect plasticity degradation.
Evidence for large carbon sink and long residence time in semiarid forests based on 15 year flux and inventory records
Authors: Qubaja Rafat , Grünzweig José M. , Rotenberg Eyal , Yakir Dan
Published: November 2019

The rate of change in atmospheric CO2is significantly affected by the terrestrial carbon sink, but the size and spatial distribution of this sink, and the extent to which it can be enhanced to mitigate climate change are highly uncertain. We combined carbon stock (CS) and eddy covariance (EC) flux measurements that were collected over a period of 15 years (2001–2016) in a 55 year old 30 km2pine forest growing at the semiarid timberline (with no irrigating or fertilization). The objective was to constrain estimates of the carbon (C) storage potential in forest plantations in such semiarid lands, which cover ~18% of the global land area. The forest accumulated 145–160 g C m−2 year−1over the study period based on the EC and CS approaches, with a mean value of 152.5 ± 30.1 g C m−2 year−1indicating 20% uncertainty in carbon uptake estimates. Current total stocks are estimated at 7,943 ± 323 g C/m2and 372 g N/m2. Carbon accumulated mostly in the soil (~71% and 29% for soil and standing biomass carbon, respectively) with long soil carbon turnover time (59 years). Regardless of unexpected disturbances beyond those already observed at the study site, the results support a considerable carbon sink potential in semiarid soils and forest plantations, and imply that afforestation of even 10% of semiarid land area under conditions similar to that of the study site, could sequester ~0.4 Pg C/year over several decades.