bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of maslinic acid on cognitive dysfunction induced by cholinergic blockade in mice
Authors: Bae Ho Jung , Kim Jihyun , Kim Jaehoon , Goo Nayeon , Cai Mudan , Cho Kyungnam , Jung Seo Yun , Kwon Huiyoung , Kim Dong Hyun , Jang Dae Sik , Ryu Jong Hoon
Published: March 2020

Background and Purpose

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent disease associated with cognitive dysfunction. Current AD therapeutic agents have several gastrointestinal or psychological adverse effects and therefore, novel therapeutic agents with fewer adverse effects must be developed. Previously, we demonstrated that oleanolic acid, which is similar in chemical structure to maslinic acid, ameliorates cognitive impairment through the activation of tropomyosin receptor kinase (TrkB)–ERK–cAMP response element‐binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation and increased levels of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). In the present study, we investigate the effect of maslinic acid on cholinergic blockade‐induced memory impairment in mice.

Methods and Key Results

Maslinic acid reversed scopolamine‐induced memory impairment, as determined by the Y‐maze, passive avoidance and Morris water maze tests. In addition, we also observed that ERK–CREB, PI3K and PKB (Akt) phosphorylation levels were increased by maslinic acid administration in the mouse hippocampus. Moreover, we determined that the effects of maslinic acid on scopolamine‐induced memory impairment in the passive avoidance test were abolished by a specific TrkB receptor antagonist (ANA‐12). Additionally, we observed similar temporal changes in the expression levels between BDNF and tissue plasminogen activator in the hippocampus.

Conclusion and Implications

These findings suggest that maslinic acid enhances cognitive function through the activation of BDNF and its downstream pathway signalling in the hippocampus and that it might be a potential therapeutic agent for cognitive decline, such as that observed in AD.
Invertebrates and the complexity of tropical ecosystems
Authors: Kitching Roger L. , Dahlsjö Cecilia A. L. , Eggleton Paul
Published: March 2020

It has been estimated that there are seven million terrestrial arthropod species on Earth consisting of 6.1 million species of insects, 1.5 million of which are beetles. Tropical forests hold a majority of these species, yet few such places have been adequately sampled for alpha diversity, and there remains even more uncertainty about beta diversity. From an ecological point of view, it is the functional role of organisms within ecosystems that is the particular focus. It has been customary to classify invertebrates within ecosystems in terms of their trophic roles, but it is also useful to consider their roles in networks. In broad terms, we can classify these networks on the grounds of their basal resources. Those based directly on the photosynthetic products of plants are so‐called “green” food webs, and those based on dead and dying plant material are “brown” food webs. Here, we principally discuss the diversity and functional roles of the invertebrates in tropical terrestrial ecosystems. New sampling and analytical techniques, an expanded set of focal taxa, and an enhanced concern with interactions and processes hold the promise of a productive future for invertebrate studies in the tropics. These will not only add to general understanding of the dynamics of tropical ecosystems but will also provide powerful tools for monitoring and responding to environmental change.
RETRACTED: Targeting USP1‐dependent KDM4A protein stability as a potential prostate cancer therapy
Authors: Cui Shu‐Zhong , Lei Zi‐Ying , Guan Tian‐Pei , Fan Ling‐Ling , Li You‐Qiang , Geng Xin‐Yan , Fu De‐Xue , Jiang Hao‐Wu , Xu Song‐Hui
Published: March 2020

The histone demethylase lysine‐specific demethylase 4A (KDM4A) is reported to be overexpressed and plays a vital in multiple cancers through controlling gene expression by epigenetic regulation of H3K9 or H3K36 methylation marks. However, the biological role and mechanism of KDM4A in prostate cancer (PC) remain unclear. Herein, we reported KDM4A expression was upregulation in phosphatase and tensin homolog knockout mouse prostate tissue. Depletion of KDM4A in PC cells inhibited their proliferation and survival in vivo and vitro. Further studies reveal that USP1 is a deubiquitinase that regulates KDM4A K48‐linked deubiquitin and stability. Interestingly, we found c‐Myc was a key downstream effector of the USP1‐KDM4A/androgen receptor axis in driving PC cell proliferation. Notably, upregulation of KDM4A expression with high USP1 expression was observed in most prostate tumors and inhibition of USP1 promotes PC cells response to therapeutic agent enzalutamide. Our studies propose USP1 could be an anticancer therapeutic target in PC.
The impact of customer ratings on consumer choice of fresh produce: A stated preference experiment approach
Authors: He Chenyi , Shi Lijia , Gao Zhifeng , House Lisa
Published: March 2020

The importance of customer ratings or reviews in online shopping has been recognized in the previous literature; however, few have studied how online customer rating scores affect consumers’ fresh produce purchases and its importance relative to other fresh produce attributes. The quality of fresh produce demonstrates high uncertainty and variation; therefore, the impact of user‐generated content such as customer rating scores on the choice of fresh produce may be more complex than on other product categories. Moreover, previous studies on customer ratings have not examined the price premium that retailers can obtain based on better ratings of fresh produce. Using a stated preference approach (i.e., choice experiment), this study measures the willingness to pay for a higher customer rating score and explores its relative importance to other popular fresh produce attributes (i.e., organic, place of origin, and shelf life). The results show that customer rating is the second most important attribute after the place of origin and is more important than production methods (e.g., organic and naturally grown) for fresh strawberry purchases. Also, rating scores demonstrate a diminishing marginal impact on consumer willingness to pay. Younger consumers and households with children are willing to pay more for fresh produce with high ratings than those with low ratings.
Intrinsic Goods and Distributive Justice in Education
Authors: Martin Christopher , Gilead Tal
Published: March 2020

Abstract

What is the relationship between the fair distribution of goods in general, and the intrinsic, or distinctive, value of educational goods in particular? In this article, Christopher Martin and Tal Gilead argue that clarifying this relationship has significant importance for educational justice, and they aim to accomplish this by focusing on questions of resource allocation. In particular, the authors draw on Michael Walzer's theory of “spherical” justice in order to argue that intrinsic goods are important enough that they should be of normative concern for any theory of educational justice. That is to say, a conception of educational justice that takes distributive relationships seriously should account for how the nonpositional values of education are served by resource allocation, and not only socioeconomic or other positional goods. However, Martin and Gilead also claim that such a pluralist theory of educational justice should not open the door to educational policies and practices that are plainly “antiegalitarian.” They address this concern by proffering a distinction between, and criteria for adjudicating, legitimate and illegitimate judgments of justice that aim to protect or promote intrinsic educational goods.
Indigenizing Education and the Phenomenology of Place
Authors: Pack Justin
Published: March 2020

In this essay Justin Pack responds to Vine Deloria, Jr., and Daniel Wildcat's call to “indigenize education” by exploring what that entails both in his own life and for his teaching. Recognizing the power of place in Native American metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics is essential to the project of indigenizing education, according to Pack. He recounts how reading Deloria and Wildcat's Power and Place: Indian Education in America as a graduate student radically changed his perception of and relation to place, instilling in him the insight that knowing the history of a place is key to gaining a sense of one's connection to place. This realization, in turn, influenced Pack's approach to teaching. He came to understand that passing his changed perception and experience of place along to his students helped their development of critical thinking skills by exposing them to a metaphysics radically different from Western epistemology and ethics and by opening a path for them to recover a deeper sense of what it means to be in a place. Ultimately, Pack's aim in the essay is to demonstrate the potential for teaching Native American philosophy to function as a disruptive force in the classroom.
Including albedo in time‐dependent LCA of bioenergy
Authors: Sieber Petra , Ericsson Niclas , Hammar Torun , Hansson Per‐Anders
Published: March 2020

Albedo change during feedstock production can substantially alter the life cycle climate impact of bioenergy. Life cycle assessment (LCA) studies have compared the effects of albedo and greenhouse gases (GHGs) based on global warming potential (GWP). However, using GWP leads to unequal weighting of climate forcers that act on different timescales. In this study, albedo was included in the time‐dependent LCA, which accounts for the timing of emissions and their impacts. We employed field‐measured albedo and life cycle emissions data along with time‐dependent models of radiative transfer, biogenic carbon fluxes and nitrous oxide emissions from soil. Climate impacts were expressed as global mean surface temperature change over time (∆T) and as GWP. The bioenergy system analysed was heat and power production from short‐rotation willow grown on former fallow land in Sweden. We found a net cooling effect in terms of ∆T per hectare (−3.8 × 10–11 K in year 100) and GWP100 per MJ fuel (−12.2 g CO2e), as a result of soil carbon sequestration via high inputs of carbon from willow roots and litter. Albedo was higher under willow than fallow, contributing to the cooling effect and accounting for 34% of GWP100, 36% of ∆T in year 50 and 6% of ∆T in year 100. Albedo dominated the short‐term temperature response (10–20 years) but became, in relative terms, less important over time, owing to accumulation of soil carbon under sustained production and the longer perturbation lifetime of GHGs. The timing of impacts was explicit with ∆T, which improves the relevance of LCA results to climate targets. Our method can be used to quantify the first‐order radiative effect of albedo change on the global climate and relate it to the climate impact of GHG emissions in LCA of bioenergy, alternative energy sources or land uses.
Biogeography of fire regimes in western U.S. conifer forests: A trait‐based approach
Authors: Stevens Jens T. , Kling Matthew M. , Schwilk Dylan W. , Varner J. Morgan , Kane Jeffrey M.
Published: March 2020

Aim

Functional traits are a crucial link between species distributions and the ecosystem processes that structure those species’ niches. Concurrent increases in the availability of functional trait data and our ability to model species distributions present an opportunity to develop functional trait biogeography (i.e., the mapping of functional traits across space). Functional trait biogeography can improve process‐based predictions about the resistance of certain species assemblages to changing environmental conditions across landscape scales. We illustrate this concept by developing the first trait‐based, quantitative ranking of fire resistance (adult tree survival) in North American conifer species and mapping that fire resistance across space.

Location and time period

Western continental USA, present day.

Major taxa studied

Twenty‐nine common conifer tree species.

Methods

We compiled six traits for each species: three relating to tree morphology and three relating to litter flammability. We combined these traits into a single fire resistance score and used community‐weighted averaging to estimate the fire resistance scores of different forest communities, using interpolated species distribution and relative abundance data.

Results

Species associated historically with frequent fire have high fire resistance scores (e.g.,Pinus ponderosa), reflected by thick bark, tall crowns and flammable litter. Species associated with subalpine or arid conditions have low fire resistance scores (e.g.,Picea engelmanniiandPinus edulis), reflected by thin bark, short stature, poor self‐pruning and low litter flammability. A map of forest community fire resistance across the western USA reveals agreement with independent assessments of historical fire regimes, while also identifying areas where community‐wide species traits might be mismatched with historical fire regimes.

Main conclusions

Quantifying the functional traits that confer resistance to tree‐killing fire provides a direct link between ecosystem disturbance and community resistance. Understanding this link is crucial to evaluation of the long‐term resilience of different forest types under dynamic fire regimes. Our work represents the first known spatial representation of fire resistance traits at a regional scale and, as such, provides a link between functional traits and biogeography relevant to a critical ecosystem process.
Government support and firm innovation performance in Chinese science and technology parks: The perspective of firm and sub‐park heterogeneity
Authors: Teng Tangwei , Zhang Yi , Si Yuefang , Chen Jiayi , Cao Xianzhong
Published: March 2020

Science and technology parks (STPs) are established to promote the firm innovation performance via agglomeration economy and government support in China. On‐site qualified firms obtain government R&D funding as a type of government support, and they are offered differential innovation service caused by the differential capabilities of sub‐parks which scatter throughout a single city. It is debatable whether those government supports at firm and sub‐park levels can promote firm innovation capabilities. This study takes Zhangjiang National Innovation Demonstration Zone, Shanghai as an example. It applies a Tobit regression model to analyse the databases of Zhangjiang Annual Sampling Survey of Firms 2015 and Zhangjiang Development Report 2015. We find out at the firm level, government R&D funding has a significant and positive influence on firms' innovation, but government R&D funding generates a crowing‐out effect the innovation performance of on‐site firms with more R&D investment themselves. At the sub‐park level, innovation service agencies of sub‐parks do not exert an important role in influencing firms' innovation, and they even have negative moderating effects on the relationship between firm R&D investment and firm innovation performance. It reflects the mismatch between innovation service of STPs and firms' needs in China.
Monophosphoryl lipid A alleviated radiation‐induced testicular injury through TLR4‐dependent exosomes
Authors: Liu Zhe , Cao Kun , Liao Zebin , Chen Yuanyuan , Lei Xiao , Wei Qun , Liu Cong , Sun Xuejun , Yang Yanyong , Cai Jianming , Gao Fu
Published: March 2020

Radiation protection on male testis is an important task for ionizing radiation‐related workers or people who receive radiotherapy for tumours near the testicle. In recent years, Toll‐like receptors (TLRs), especially TLR4, have been widely studied as a radiation protection target. In this study, we detected that a low‐toxicity TLR4 agonist monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) produced obvious radiation protection effects on mice testis. We found that MPLA effectively alleviated testis structure damage and cell apoptosis induced by ionizing radiation (IR). However, as the expression abundance differs a lot in distinct cells and tissues, MPLA seemed not to directly activate TLR4 singling pathway in mice testis. Here, we demonstrated a brand new mechanism for MPLA producing radiation protection effects on testis. We observed a significant activation of TLR4 pathway in macrophages after MPLA stimulation and identified significant changes in macrophage‐derived exosomes protein expression. We proved that after MPLA treatment, macrophage‐derived exosomes played an important role in testis radiation protection, and specially, G‐CSF and MIP‐2 in exosomes are the core molecules in this protection effect.
Optimization of thermosonication on Bacillus cereus from pork: Effects on inactivation and physicochemical properties
Authors: Owusu‐Ansah Patrick , Yu Xiaojie , Osae Richard , Zhou Cunshan , Zhang Rong , Mustapha Abdullateef T. , Li Mo , Ma Haile
Published: March 2020

Aims

The objective of this study was to optimize thermosonication conditions under different processing conditions of temperature, pretreatment time, and ultrasound frequencies and to study its influence on the inactivation behavior of Bacillus cereus and also to predict the conditions that will result in the best qualities of the pork meat regarding color, texture, moisture content loss, and fat content loss.

Methods

To evaluate the influence of temperature (50–70°C), ultrasound frequency (20–60 kHz), and processing time (10–20 min) on color retention, lowest hardness, fat content loss, moisture content loss, and maximizing inactivation of B. cereus spores suspended in sterilized distilled water (SDW), as well as B. cereus inoculated in pork meat, response surface methodology was employed.

Result

The findings from the study showed that thermosonication treatment had a significant effect on color, texture, fat content loss, B. cereus spores suspended in SDW, B. cereus inoculated in pork, and moisture content loss. The optimum operating conditions to accomplish the best inactivation behavior of B. cereus and physicochemical properties of pork meat were ultrasound frequency of 20 kHz, temperature of 70°C, and processing time of 13.56 min. Considering the abovementioned conditions, the predicted results obtained include B. cereus in SDW (0.79 CFU/g), B. cereus in pork (0.47 CFU/g), moisture content loss (22.42%), color (45.48), texture (134.38 N), and fat content (68.63%). These outcomes were in line with the experimental values and the overall desirability was 0.534.

Conclusions

The results of our study confirm that thermosonication has a better way of enhancing the quality of pork meat under the application of the suitable parameters. This can advance the processing and production of pork meat by the meat industries.

Practical Applications

Pork meat is one of the most extensively consumed products in the world particularly in Asia and some parts of Africa. This product is in high consumer demand, but it is easily contaminated by microorganism, which leads to high deterioration and loss of quality. Thermosonication could be used as an effective and efficient technique for the meat industry. Its application will enhance the inactivation of deteriorative microorganisms and improve the physiochemical properties of pork meat.
Sanctuaries along Streets: Security, Social Intimacy and Identity in the Space of the Storefront Church
Authors: Kutty Asha
Published: March 2020

While storefront churches are pervasive in central city neighborhoods throughout the United States, the spatial disciplines have been slow to incorporate them as a subject of research. The current paper examines the emergence of storefront churches and the ways in which their interior spaces are adapted and experienced by their congregants and clergy. This paper brings to light how disenfranchised groups became associated with the storefront churches and contested a history of marginalization to create unique spaces of religious, social, and cultural importance for themselves. Observations of the arrangement of interior space, the use of everyday objects to shape religious and social gatherings, and in–depth interviews were conducted in seven storefront churches. The study found that clergy and congregants shared a history of migration from the rural South and that the churches generally adhered to southern forms of worship of the sanctified church. Storefront church space was adapted to support aspects of sanctified worship, along with particularistic forms of expressivity of each church's view of the world. The study provides insight into the ways in which storefront churches have emerged as an important space where marginalized groups shape their own designs for modes of worship, communion, and expressivity, disassociated from the dominant society.
Which traits predict pairwise interactions in a mountain grassland?
Authors: Herben Tomáš , Hadincová Věra , Krahulec František , Pecháčková Sylvie , Skálová Hana
Published: March 2020

Aim

The outcome of interaction between plant individuals is often expected to be determined by differences in their sizes with other traits playing minor roles. However, such findings typically come from manipulative experiments in experimental gardens. Consequently, little is known about the relative roles of size vs other traits in the field, particularly in communities other than forests. Here we aimed; (a) to determine the relative role of size‐related traits in pairwise interactions between common species in a species‐rich grassland community; and (b) to determine which other traits predict outcomes of such interactions in the field, and which traits predict mean competitive effects and responses of individual species.

Location

The Krkonoše Mts., Czech Republic.

Methods

We fitted dynamic models with explicit terms for pairwise interactions on a 31‐year long data series of spatially explicit ramet counts of 19 coexisting species in a mountain meadow. We compared these fits with those having total neighbour biomass as the only competition term to determine whether accounting for pairwise interactions increases model fit. Further we linked estimates of the parameters of pairwise interactions with species traits, including size‐related traits.

Results

Comparison of models with and without pairwise predictors showed that pairwise interactions provided better fits only in less than half of the cases. The main determinant of competitive interactions was leaf area and, to a lesser extent, mean ramet biomass; there was an additional signal of difference in rooting depth.

Conclusion

Plant size and overall biomass have overwhelming effects on species‐to‐species interactions even in unproductive grassland communities, despite low differentiation of plant species along the size axis there. However, the weak albeit detectable signal of predictors not related to size of pairwise interactions points to possible mechanisms of within‐community niche differentiation, which can be captured by inter‐specific difference in functional traits and tested experimentally.
Disentangling the assembly mechanisms of ant cuticular bacterial communities of two Amazonian ant species sharing a common arboreal nest
Authors: Birer Caroline , Moreau Corrie S. , Tysklind Niklas , Zinger Lucie , Duplais Christophe
Published: March 2020

Bacteria living on the cuticle of ants are generally studied for their protective role against pathogens, especially in the clade of fungus‐growing ants. However, little is known regarding the diversity of cuticular bacteria in other ant host species, as well as the mechanisms leading to the composition of these communities. Here, we used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to study the influence of host species, species interactions and the pool of bacteria from the environment on the assembly of cuticular bacterial communities on two phylogenetically distant Amazonian ant species that frequently nest together inside the roots system of epiphytic plants, Camponotus femoratus and Crematogaster levior. Our results show that (a) the vast majority of the bacterial community on the cuticle is shared with the nest, suggesting that most bacteria on the cuticle are acquired through environmental acquisition, (b) 5.2% and 2.0% of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) are respectively specific to Ca. femoratus and Cr. levior, probably representing their respective core cuticular bacterial community, and (c) 3.6% of OTUs are shared between the two ant species. Additionally, mass spectrometry metabolomics analysis of metabolites on the cuticle of ants, which excludes the detection of cuticular hydrocarbons produced by the host, were conducted to evaluate correlations among bacterial OTUs and m/z ion mass. Although some positive and negative correlations are found, the cuticular chemical composition was weakly species‐specific, suggesting that cuticular bacterial communities are prominently environmentally acquired. Overall, our results suggest the environment is the dominant source of bacteria found on the cuticle of ants.
Relationships between depression, family function, physical symptoms, and illness uncertainty in female patients with chronic kidney disease
Authors: Kim Oksoo , Yeom Eun Yi , Jeon Hae Ok
Published: March 2020

This study investigated the relationship between depression, family function, physical symptoms, and illness uncertainty in women with chronic kidney disease. Data were collected through structured questionnaire that was completed by 120 women undergoing hemodialysis. Assessment instruments consisted of the Family Adaptability, Partnership, Growth, Affection, Resolve Scale, Symptom Experience Scale, Mishel's Uncertainty in Illness Scale for Adults, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies‐Depression Scale. The higher the uncertainty about illness and physical symptoms, the higher is the level of depression, and the better the family function, the lower is the level of depression. Greater uncertainty was associated with poorer family function and worsening physical symptoms. A regression model explained 41% of the variance in depression. Significant predictors of depression were physical symptoms, living alone, illness uncertainty, and “poor” subjective health status. To improve depression of women with chronic kidney disease, nurses need to reduce physical symptoms and illness uncertainty in these patients and improve their subjective health status. In addition, the establishment of a therapeutic support system considering living arrangement will help to reduce depression in women with chronic kidney disease.
Multiplex immunoassays reveal increased serum cytokines and chemokines associated with the subtypes of achalasia
Authors: Chen Wei‐Feng , Liu Zu‐Qiang , Pu Zhe‐Ning , Xu Jia‐Qi , Yao Lu , Wu Xing‐Yue , Xu Xiao‐Yue , Xu Jia‐Xin , Zhu Yan , Wang Yun , Cheng Jing , Zhu Liang , Zhou Ping‐Hong , Li Quan‐Lin
Published: March 2020

Background

Achalasia is an esophageal motility disorder with unknown etiology. Previous findings indicate that immune‐mediated inflammatory process causes inhibitory neuronal degeneration. This study was designed to evaluate levels of serological cytokines and chemokines in patients with achalasia.

Methods

We collected information from forty‐seven patients with achalasia who underwent peroral endoscopic myotomy. Control samples were collected from forty‐seven age‐ and sex‐matched healthy people. The concentrations of serological cytokines and chemokines were analyzed by Luminex xMAP immunoassay. Serological and clinical data were compared between groups.

Key Results

Compared with healthy controls, achalasia patients had significantly increased concentrations of eleven cytokines and chemokines, namely, TGF‐ß1 (P < .001), TGF‐ß2 (P < .001), TGF‐ß3 (P < .001), IL‐1ra (P < .001), IL‐17 (P = .005), IL‐18 (P < .001), IFN‐γ (P < .001), MIG (P < .001), PDGF‐BB (P < .001), IP‐10 (P = .003), and SCGF‐B (P < .001). Gene ontology (GO) and network functional enrichment analysis revealed regulation of signaling receptor activity and receptor‐ligand activity were the most related pathways of these cytokines and chemokines. Levels of twelve cytokines and chemokines were significantly increased in type III compared with I/II achalasia, namely, TGF‐ß2, IL‐1ra, IL‐2Ra, IL‐18, MIG, IFN‐γ, SDF‐1a, Eotaxin, PDGF‐BB, IP‐10, MCP‐1, and TRAIL.

Conclusions and Inferences

Patients with achalasia exhibited increased levels of serological cytokines and chemokines. Levels of cytokines and chemokines were significantly increased in type III than in type I/II achalasia. Cytokines and chemokines might contribute to the inflammatory development of achalasia.
Ectothermic omnivores increase herbivory in response to rising temperature
Authors: Zhang Peiyu , van Leeuwen Casper H. A. , Bogers Dagmar , Poelman Marjolein , Xu Jun , Bakker Elisabeth S.
Published: March 2020

Higher temperatures as a consequence of global climate change may considerably alter trophic interactions. Ectothermic herbivores and carnivores generally ingest more food with rising temperature as their metabolic rates increase with rising temperature. However, omnivorous ectotherms may respond in two ways: quantitatively by consuming more food and qualitatively by altering their degree of herbivory or carnivory through a diet shift. We hypothesize that rising temperature will increase herbivory of ectothermic omnivores as herbivory increases towards the equator. We tested the hypothesis in a freshwater model system in which ectothermic omnivores are prevalent, by applying two approaches, a temperature manipulation experiment and a literature study. We performed feeding trials with a juvenile aquatic ectothermic omnivore (pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis) at different temperatures ranging from 12 to 27°C, supplying them with both animal food and plant material, and directly quantified their consumption rates over time. The results showed that snails cultured at high temperatures (> 21°C) increased the proportion of plant material in their diets after 17 days, which supports our hypothesis. In the literature survey, we found that rising temperature increased herbivory in multiple aquatic animal taxa, including zooplankton, amphibians, crayfish, fish and snails. This suggests that aquatic ectothermic omnivores might commonly increase herbivory with rising temperature. The mechanisms underlying this temperature‐induced diet shift are not sufficiently explained by current theories related to the physiology, metabolism and stoichiometry of omnivores. We propose to incorporate the animals’ ontogenetic development in the temperature metabolic stoichiometry hypothesis as a complementary explanation for the diet shift, namely that the diet shift could be due to faster development of the ectotherms and an earlier ontogenetic diet shift at higher temperatures. We conclude that future global warming will most likely alter food webs by increasing the top–down control of aquatic herbivores and omnivores on primary producers.
A Discourse on the Incorporation of Organizational Factors into Probabilistic Risk Assessment: Key Questions and Categorical Review
Authors: Pence Justin , Mohaghegh Zahra
Published: March 2020

This article presents a discourse on the incorporation of organizational factors into probabilistic risk assessment (PRA)/probabilistic safety assessment (PSA), a topic of debate since the 1980s that has spurred discussions among industry, regulatory agencies, and the research community. The main contributions of this article include (1) identifying the four key open questions associated with this topic; (2) framing ongoing debates by considering differing perspectives around each question; (3) offering a categorical review of existing studies on this topic to justify the selection of each question and to analyze the challenges related to each perspective; and (4) highlighting the directions of research required to reach a final resolution for each question. The four key questions are: (I) How significant is the contribution of organizational factors to accidents and incidents? (II) How critical, with respect to improving risk assessment, is the explicit incorporation of organizational factors into PRA? (III) What theoretical bases are needed for explicit incorporation of organizational factors into PRA? (IV) What methodological bases are needed for the explicit incorporation of organizational factors into PRA? Questions I and II mainly analyze PRA literature from the nuclear domain. For Questions III and IV, a broader review and categorization is conducted of those existing cross‐disciplinary studies that have evaluated the effects of organizational factors on safety (not solely PRA‐based) to shed more light on future research needs.
Price‐Level Determination When Tax Payments Are Required in Money*
Authors: Malmberg Hannes , Öberg Erik
Published: March 2020

Can the price level be determined by a requirement that taxes should be paid in money? We study this question in a dynamic endowment economy where households have to pay a money tax of a fixed real value and money enters the economy through government expenditures and open market operations. When government expenditures only consist of purchases of real goods, the price level is bounded from above, but not uniquely determined. A unique price level can be obtained if the government also has access to money transfers, and uses these to fix its expenditure level in nominal terms.
Navigating the Penumbra: Children and Moral Responsibility
Authors: Burroughs Michael D.
Published: March 2020

Child moral agency is dismissed in many historical and contemporary accounts based on children's supposed lack or marginal possession of agency‐bearing capacities, including reason, deliberation, and judgment, amongst others. Given its prominence in the philosophical canon, I call this thetraditional viewof child agency. Recent advancements in moral developmental psychology challenge the traditional view, pointing toward the possession of relevant capacities and competencies for moral and responsible agency in early and middle childhood. I argue that both views—traditional and developmental—underdetermine our practices of holding children responsible in our common interactions. For one, we face significant epistemic barriers in accurately assessing children’s agential statusquapossession of responsibility‐bearing capacities and competencies. Second, overreliance on assessments of individualistic capacities emphasizes an atomistic view of agency at the expense of relational views that are of particular relevance for children as uniquely developing persons. Our practices of holding children responsible and the values that guide these practices in the context of supportive relationships are central to both supporting current and drawing out future responsible agency in childhood and, importantly, provide us with a path to regard children as participants in our moral communities, as opposed to mere agents‐in‐waiting.
Morally Respectful Listening and its Epistemic Consequences
Authors: Barry Galen
Published: March 2020

This paper focuses on the phenomenon of morally respectful listening. I defend a specific requirement for respectful listening in the context of disagreement. According to it, when listening occurs in the context of disagreement, the morally respectful listener must be open to the possibility that the speaker will surprise the listener with her positive epistemic qualities. That is, the listener must be open to what I call “epistemic surprise.” I also argue for a specific interpretation of this openness: to be open to epistemic surprise is to be open to unexpected changes in confidence levels concerning the proposition in question. I close by arguing that respectful listening is incompatible with a listener's being certain, and I apply this conclusion to three recent debates in epistemology to show that the phenomenon of listening has potentially far‐reaching consequences for epistemology.
Maternal mortality due to cardiac disease in low‐ and middle‐income countries
Authors: Heemelaar Steffie , Petrus Annelieke , Knight Marian , van den Akker Thomas
Published: March 2020

Objectives

To assess the frequency of maternal death (MD) due to cardiac disease in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMIC).

Methods

Systematic review searching Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Emcare, LILACS, African Index Medicus, IMEMR, IndMED, WPRIM, IMSEAR up to 01/Nov/2017. Maternal mortality reports from LMIC reviewing all MD in a given geographical area were included. Hospital‐based reports or those solely based on verbal autopsies were excluded. Numbers of MD and cardiac‐related deaths were extracted. We calculated cardiac disease MMR (cMMR, cardiac‐related MD/100 000 live births) and proportion of cardiac‐related MDs among all MDs. Frequency of cardiac MD was compared with the MMR of the country.

Results

Forty‐seven reports were included, which reported on 38,486 maternal deaths in LMIC. Reported cMMR ranged from 0/100 000 live births (Moldova, Ghana) to 31.9/100 000 (Zimbabwe). The proportion of cardiac‐related MD ranged from 0% (Moldova, Ghana) to 24.8% (Sri Lanka). In countries with a higher MMR, cMMR was also higher. However, the proportion of cardiac‐related MD was higher in countries with a lower MMR.

Conclusions

The burden of cardiac‐related mortality is difficult to assess due limited availability of mortality reports. The proportion of cardiac deaths among all MD appeared to be higher in countries with a lower MMR. This is in line with what has been called ‘obstetric transition’: pre‐existing medical diseases including cardiac disease are becoming relatively more important where the MMR falls.
Analysis and refinement of 2D single-particle tracking experiments
Authors: Kerkhoff Yannic , Block Stephan
Published: March 2020

In recent decades, single particle tracking (SPT) has been developed into a sophisticated analytical approach involving complex instruments and data analysis schemes to extract information from time-resolved particle trajectories. Very often, mobility-related properties are extracted from these particle trajectories, as they often contain information about local interactions experienced by the particles while moving through the sample. This tutorial aims to provide a comprehensive overview about the accuracies that can be achieved when extracting mobility-related properties from 2D particle trajectories and how these accuracies depend on experimental parameters. Proper interpretation of SPT data requires an assessment of whether the obtained accuracies are sufficient to resolve the effect under investigation. This is demonstrated by calculating mean square displacement curves that show an apparent super- or subdiffusive behavior due to poor measurement statistics instead of the presence of true anomalous diffusion. Furthermore, the refinement of parameters involved in the design or analysis of SPT experiments is discussed and an approach is proposed in which square displacement distributions are inspected to evaluate the quality of SPT data and to extract information about the maximum distance over which particles should be tracked during the linking process.
Mouthpart homologies and life habits of Mesozoic long-proboscid scorpionflies
Authors: Zhao Xiangdong , Wang Bo , Bashkuev Alexey S. , Aria Cédric , Zhang Qingqing , Zhang Haichun , Tang Wentao , Engel Michael S.
Published: March 2020

Long-proboscid scorpionflies from amber reveal the variety and complexity of mid-Cretaceous pollinating insects.
A molecular rack and pinion actuates a cell-surface adhesin and enables bacterial gliding motility
Authors: Shrivastava Abhishek , Berg Howard C.
Published: March 2020

This manuscript proposes that gliding bacteria use a molecular rack and pinion machinery for motion.
Functional Characterization of COG1713 (YqeK) as a Novel Diadenosine Tetraphosphate Hydrolase Family
Authors: Minazzato Gabriele , Gasparrini Massimiliano , Amici Adolfo , Cianci Michele , Mazzola Francesca , Orsomando Giuseppe , Sorci Leonardo , Raffaelli Nadia
Published: March 2020

Elevation of Ap
4
A level in bacteria is associated with increased sensitivity to heat and oxidative stress, reduced antibiotic tolerance, and decreased pathogenicity. ApaH is the major Ap
4
A hydrolase in gamma- and betaproteobacteria and has been recently proposed as a novel target to weaken the bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Here, we identified the orphan YqeK protein family (COG1713) as a highly efficient Ap
4
A hydrolase family, with members distributed in a consistent group of bacterial species that lack the ApaH enzyme. Among them are the pathogens
Staphylococcus aureus
,
Streptococcus pneumoniae
, and
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
. By identifying the player contributing to Ap
4
A homeostasis in these bacteria, we disclose a novel target to develop innovative antibacterial strategies.
Multicentre validation of a computer-based tool for differentiation of acute Kawasaki disease from clinically similar febrile illnesses
Authors: Hao Shiying , Ling Xuefeng B , Kanegaye John T , Bainto Emelia , Dominguez Samuel R , Heizer Heather , Jone Pei-Ni , Anderson Marsha S , Jaggi Preeti , Baker Annette , Son Mary Beth , Newburger Jane W , Ashouri Negar , McElhinney Doff B , Burns Jane C , Whitin John C , Cohen Harvey J , Tremoulet Adriana H
Published: March 2020

Background

The clinical features of Kawasaki disease (KD) overlap with those of other paediatric febrile illnesses. A missed or delayed diagnosis increases the risk of coronary artery damage. Our computer algorithm for KD and febrile illness differentiation had a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of 94.8%, 70.8%, 93.7% and 98.3%, respectively, in a single-centre validation study. We sought to determine the performance of this algorithm with febrile children from multiple institutions across the USA.

Methods

We used our previously published 18-variable panel that includes illness day, the five KD clinical criteria and readily available laboratory values. We applied this two-step algorithm using a linear discriminant analysis-based clinical model followed by a random forest-based algorithm to a cohort of 1059 acute KD and 282 febrile control patients from five children’s hospitals across the USA.

Results

The algorithm correctly classified 970 of 1059 patients with KD and 163 of 282 febrile controls resulting in a sensitivity of 91.6%, specificity of 57.8% and PPV and NPV of 95.4% and 93.1%, respectively. The algorithm also correctly identified 218 of the 232 KD patients (94.0%) with abnormal echocardiograms.

Interpretation

The expectation is that the predictive accuracy of the algorithm will be reduced in a real-world setting in which patients with KD are rare and febrile controls are common. However, the results of the current analysis suggest that this algorithm warrants a prospective, multicentre study to evaluate its potential utility as a physician support tool.
FOLFOX and capecitabine-induced hepatic granuloma mimicking metastasis in a rectal cancer patient
Authors: Sarathy Vinu , Kothandath Shankar Rajesh Kumar , Mufti Suhail Sayeed , Naik Radheshyam
Published: March 2020

A 49-year-old male carcinoma rectum patient was treated with neoadjuvant FOLFOX (folinic acid, fluorouracil (5-FU) and oxaliplatin) chemotherapy, chemoradiotherapy with capecitabine, surgery and adjuvant FOLFOX. On follow-up, the patient developed a metabolically active liver lesion mimicking metastasis. Liver biopsy and histopathology showed sinusoidal dilatation with non-caseating granulomas. Follow-up fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography CT scan demonstrated increase in size of the lesion with metabolic activity suspicious of metastasis. The patient underwent segmental liver resection and histopathology showed non-necrotising granuloma with no evidence of malignancy. It is crucial to consider potential side effects of chemotherapeutic agents and have an unbiased approach when evaluating new liver lesions during post treatment follow-up of colorectal cancer. A multidisciplinary tumour board approach comprising of gastroenterologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, radiologists and surgeons is suggested in the management of such patients. The patient is currently doing well and on regular follow-up.
Now you C me: a case of scurvy presenting as depression and anaemia
Authors: Na In Sun , Nguyen Kevin , Potenzi Bradley , Cheah Minz
Published: March 2020

A 66-year-old Caucasian woman was admitted with deteriorating mental health in the setting of background history of schizophrenia and depression. Her husband reported that she had increasing negative thoughts and decreased motivation regarding her self-care over a few weeks with no obvious stressors. Initial laboratory tests were unremarkable except for isolated normocytic anaemia. Physical examination revealed widespread bilateral upper limb ecchymoses and lower limb petechial rash. After an extensive investigation with no definitive results to explain her clinical presentations, diagnosis of scurvy was suspected and confirmed with severely low serum vitamin C level. Her clinical symptoms improved markedly with oral supplementation, which further supported the diagnosis of scurvy. Although it is now a rare condition in developed countries, this case will remind modern medical practitioners that patients with scurvy may present with non-specific symptoms and clinical findings such as depression and anaemia.
Deployed ophthalmic workload in support of US and NATO operations in Afghanistan
Authors: Blanch Richard J , Kerber M T , Gensheimer W G
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The extent and types of ophthalmic disease and non-battle injury (DNBI) seen by expeditionary ophthalmologists at deployed military medical treatment facilities have not previously been reported. We aim to characterise the extent and type of ophthalmic pathology including DNBI at a US military medical treatment facility in Afghanistan.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective non-interventional cohort study of all patients seen by ophthalmologists at Craig Joint Theater Hospital at Bagram Airfield (BAF), Afghanistan, between 1 October 2018 and 31 August 2019.

Results

There were 281 patients seen in 540 separate encounters, of which 146 patients seen were active duty military stationed at BAF with DNBI, of a population at risk of 6000 personnel. Diagnoses managed included open and closed globe injury, bacterial and herpetic keratitis and retinal detachment, with the most common being dry eye, corneal abrasion/foreign body, blepharitis, chalazion and uveitis. Thirteen patients (5%) required aeromedical evacuation out of theatre and 39 patients were aeromedically transferred within theatre for assessment. Expert consensus estimated that 89 patients (36%) would be likely to require aeromedical evacuation out of theatre without ophthalmic input.

Conclusions

The rate of ophthalmic DNBI among deployed US, UK and coalition forces at BAF was 2.65% per year, of whom 97% were returned to duty (95% of all patients). We estimate that evacuation and loss to unit would increase from 5% to 36% without an ophthalmologist present. The low number of within-theatre aeromedical transfers suggests that the local presence of an ophthalmologist at a patient’s deployed medical treatment facility affects access to deployed ophthalmic care.