bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Transboundary Nature of the Allende–Piedras Negras Aquifer Using a Numerical Model Approach
Authors: Rodriguez Laura , Sanchez Rosario , Zhan Hongbin , Knappett Peter S.K.
Published: April 2020

The Allende–Piedras Negras (APN) aquifer is located between the states of Texas (United States [U.S.]) and Coahuila (Mexico). The Rio Grande crosses the aquifer, acting as a natural and political divide between the countries. However, it remains unclear whether the APN aquifer can be considered a truly transboundary aquifer flow system, which would potentially require joint management by two different administrative jurisdictions. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the transboundary nature of this aquifer. This was achieved by developing a detailed hydrogeological model to analyze the direction of volumetric fluxes within the APN aquifer using Visual MODFLOW. The model simulated a spatially averaged cumulative drawdown of 0.76 m for the entire aquifer over an 18‐year modeling period (2000–2017). The flow convergence zone, previously located below the Rio Grande, has shifted to the U.S. side in most locations, driven by higher pumping rates of the wells located near the river. This shift of the convergence zone from one country to the other means that groundwater recharge from one side flows underneath the river to the other side. This qualifies the APN aquifer as a “transboundary groundwater flow system.” The procedure followed in this study may be applied to other aquifers that straddle the U.S.–Mexico border and may motivate future modeling studies on other poorly studied transboundary aquifers around the world and thereby enable bi‐national aquifer management.
Where should wild species be sampled? New method based on isolation‐by‐distance objectively gives the answer
Authors: Aoki Satoshi , Ito Motomi
Published: April 2020

Random sampling is an important statistical assumption, but virtually impossible when sampling a wild species as we cannot know where all the individuals exist. While interpopulation or intrataxa sampling methods have been developed, there are currently few intrataxon sampling methods to objectively decide where to sample wild taxa. We suggest a new sampling method which computes appropriate sampling locations from coordinates, assuming geographical autocorrelation of phylogeny within a taxon (isolation‐by‐distance). The computed locations encompass the highest genetic diversity, providing a genetically representative sample. In addition, it can utilize presence/absence information during sampling to reoptimize sampling scheme. Comparing to the single existing method of the similar purpose, the merits of ours is unnecessity of environmental data resulting in easy application, and is theoretically deduced. We tested this method using published phylogeographical data. The test result was generally encouraging, but the method failed where species showed uniform genetic structure or recent distribution expansion which violate the assumption of geographical autocorrelation of phylogeny. Though simple, our method constructs a methodological and statistical foundation for sampling wild species, and is applicable to revising taxonomic study and conservation biology.
Diagnostic yield of additional conventional transbronchial lung biopsy following radial endobronchial ultrasound lung biopsy for peripheral pulmonary lesions
Authors: Park Sojung , Yoon Hee‐Young , Han Yeji , Wang Kyung Sook , Park So Young , Ryu Yon Ju , Lee Jin Hwa , Chang Jung Hyun
Published: April 2020

Background

Radial endobronchial ultrasound (R‐EBUS) transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) improves the diagnostic yield from peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs). However, the small specimens obtained using small forceps through a guide sheath (GS) may impede diagnosis and molecular analysis. Here, we investigated the diagnostic significance of additional conventional TBLB with standard forceps after R‐EBUS‐GS‐guided TBLB.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed data from 55 patients who underwent conventional TBLB after R‐EBUS‐GS‐guided TBLB for PPL diagnosis. Procedures were performed on single PPLs with no visible lesions on bronchoscopy. In cases with inconclusive pathologic confirmation, final diagnoses were made based on pathologic specimens or clinical observations.

Results

The median size of the target lesions was 28 mm. The appearances on computed tomography images were solid (n = 45, 81.8%), part‐solid (n = 7, 12.7%), and cavitary nodules (n = 3, 5.5%). A computed tomography bronchus sign was present in 35 (63.6%) cases, and a radial probe was positioned within target lesion in 32 (58.2%) cases. R‐EBUS‐GS‐guided TBLB was diagnostic in 30 (54.5%) patients, and subsequent conventional TBLB yielded additional diagnostic information in 8 (14.5%) patients. Probe positioning within target lesions and the outer margin of PPLs more than 1 cm from pleura were significantly associated with enhanced diagnostic yield from the combined procedures. In conventional TBLB, probe positioning within target lesions (75.0% vs. 11.8%, P = 0.004) and characteristic of nonsolid nodules (83.3% vs. 15.8%, P = 0.006) were significantly associated with additional diagnostic utility.

Conclusions

Conventional TBLB following R‐EBUS‐GS‐guided TBLB could be a useful procedure for diagnosing PPLs, especially for nonsolid nodules.

Key points

Significant findings of the study: Additional conventional TBLB with standard forceps after R‐EBUS‐GS‐guided TBLB yielded an additional 14.5% diagnostic utility for peripheral pulmonary lesions. For conventional TBLB, probe positioning within target lesions and nonsolid nodules were significantly associated with additional diagnostic utility.

What this study adds: Conventional TBLB with standard forceps after R‐EBUS‐GS‐guided TBLB is an effective and economically accessible diagnostic tool for peripheral pulmonary lesions.
Coexistent Mediterranean woody species as a driving factor of Phytophthora cinnamomi infectivity and survival
Authors: Gómez Maria C. , González Mario , Gómez‐Aparicio Lorena , Serrano Maria S.
Published: April 2020

The long‐term conservation of Mediterranean mixed oak forests is seriously threatened by the massive mortality of Quercus suber caused by the exotic pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi. This species frequently grows in mixed forests under natural conditions, but nothing is known about how its level of disease might be altered by the diversity and identity of coexisting neighbours varying in susceptibility to the exotic pathogen. Here we analysed the individual and combined effects of Q. suber and the main coexisting tree species (Quercus canariensis and Olea europaea subsp. europaea var. sylvestris) in mixed forests of southern Spain on the production of infective and survival spores of P. cinnamomi. Through in vitro experiments, it was demonstrated that mixtures of Q. suber and Q. canariensis highly stimulated the production of P. cinnamomi zoospores in comparison with both species in monocultures. Olea europaea did not stimulate zoospore production. Under controlled conditions, the initial and final densities of inoculum in soil planted with monocultures of O. europaea and Q. canariensis did not differ. However, inoculum densities significantly decreased along the experiment in Q. suber mixtures with O. europaea and Q. canariensis. Phytophthora cinnamomi was able to infect and cause root rot symptoms on all tree species, including O. europaea var. sylvestris. We concluded that mixed stands of Q. suber and Q. canariensis are able to stimulate P. cinnamomi infectivity and survival much more than monospecific stands, and consequently under favourable conditions for root disease development, the coexistence of Q. suber and Q. canariensis might exacerbate Mediterranean forests decline. This study also constitutes the first report of O. europaea var. sylvestris as host and inductor of P. cinnamomi sporulation under controlled conditions.
Highest reported visual acuity after electronic retinal implantation
Authors: Cehajic Kapetanovic Jasmina , Troelenberg Nicole , Edwards Thomas L. , Xue Kanmin , Ramsden James D. , Stett Alfred , Zrenner Eberhart , MacLaren Robert E.
Published: April 2020

Purpose

To report the highest attained visual acuity with an electronic retinal implant for the treatment of advanced retinal degeneration following a novel intensive period of visual training.

Methods

A case study as part of the prospective, international, multi‐centre, interventional clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02720640 and NCT01024803) of patients with the Retina Implant Alpha AMS (Retina Implant AG, Reutlingen, Germany) for advanced retinal degeneration. A patient with subretinal device implanted into worse‐seeing eye with no useful perception of light vision secondary to USH2A retinal degeneration underwent intensive period of visual training.

Results

The device remains functional with no safety concerns at 3 years postsurgical implantation, and following visual training, the patient achieved the highest visual acuity so far with an electronic retinal device, with real, digitally unenhanced, reading vision of 0.04 decimal (equivalent to 1.39 LogMAR and 20/500 or 6/150 Snellen). In addition, perception as well as partial identification of obstacles and evaluation of distances was possible in both daylight and night‐time settings.

Conclusions

Retinal implants are currently the only available therapy option for advanced retinal degeneration. Visual rehabilitation postimplantation has potential to maximize visual percepts. The novel concept of intensive visual training presented herein shows what is achievable with electronic retinal implants and has implications for other therapeutic options, such as optogenetics, that aim to stimulate remaining inner retinal cells in advanced retinal degeneration.
The counterregulatory response to hypoglycaemia in the pig
Authors: Gradel Anna Katrina J. , Kildegaard Jonas , Ludvigsen Trine P. , Porsgaard Trine , Schou‐Pedersen Anne Marie V. , Fels Johannes J. , Lykkesfeldt Jens , Refsgaard Hanne H. F.
Published: April 2020

The domestic pig is commonly used as animal model in the pharmaceutical development of new therapeutics for treatment of diabetes. Since a formal definition of hypoglycaemia only exists in humans, the purpose of this study was to assess the counterregulatory response in the domestic pig at glucose levels known to induce symptoms of hypoglycaemia in humans. Six pigs were included in hyperinsulinaemic glucose clamps with plasma glucose targets of 2, 3 and 5 mmol/L in a cross‐over design, and the associated glucose counterregulatory response was assessed by measuring glucose kinetics and levels of glucagon, c‐peptide, catecholamines, cortisol and growth hormone. Results showed that the 2 and 3 vs 5 mmol/L clamps significantly decreased and increased the secretion of c‐peptide and glucagon, respectively (P < .05). This finding was associated with increased rate of glucose appearance (Ra) and decreased rate of glucose disappearance (Rd) (P < .001). No marked differences in the catecholamine, growth hormone or cortisol response were observed. Consequently, like humans, pigs respond to hypoglycaemia by decreasing the pancreatic output of insulin while increasing that of glucagon, with increased glucose mobilization and decreased glucose disposal as a result. The hypoglycaemic clamps did not result in a marked secretion of the other counterregulatory hormones.
Epistemic vigilance online: Textual inaccuracy and children's selective trust in webpages
Authors: Einav Shiri , Levey Alexandria , Patel Priya , Westwood Abigail
Published: April 2020

In this age of ‘fake news’, it is crucial that children are equipped with the skills to identify unreliable information online. Our study is the first to examine whether children are influenced by the presence of inaccuracies contained in webpages when deciding which sources to trust. Forty‐eight 8‐ to 10‐year‐olds viewed three pairs of webpages, relating to the same topics, where one webpage per pair contained three obvious inaccuracies (factual, typographical, or exaggerations, according to condition). The paired webpages offered conflicting claims about two novel facts. We asked participants questions pertaining to the novel facts to assess whether they systematically selected answers from the accurate sources. Selective trust in the accurate webpage was found in the typos condition only. This study highlights the limitations of 8‐ to 10‐year‐olds in critically evaluating the accuracy of webpage content and indicates a potential focus for educational intervention.

Statement of contribution

What is already known on this subject?

Children display early epistemic vigilance towards spoken testimony.

They use speakers’ past accuracy when deciding whom to trust regarding novel information.

Little is known about children’s selective trust towards web‐based sources.

What does this study add?

This study is the first to examine whether textual inaccuracy affects children’s trust in webpages.

Typos but not semantic errors led to reduced trust in a webpage compared to an accurate source.

Children aged 8‐10 years show limited evaluation of the accuracy of online content.
The joint effect of genetic risk factors and different types of combined oral contraceptives on venous thrombosis risk
Authors: Khialani Deeksha , le Cessie Saskia , Lijfering Willem M. , Cannegieter Suzanne C. , Rosendaal Frits R. , van Hylckama Vlieg Astrid
Published: April 2020

It is not known whether the synergistic effect of genetic markers, increasing the risk of venous thrombosis (VT), and combined oral contraceptives (COC) use varies between different types of progestogens in these preparations. We investigated the joint effect of genetic risk factor, that is, F5 rs6025, F2 rs1799963, and FGG rs2066865 mutations, and different progestogens on the risk of VT. The constrained maximum likelihood estimation (CMLE) method was used to calculate joint effects, expressed as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals [CI]. As the dose of estrogen is known to be a risk factor for VT, analyses were restricted to COC with 30 µg estrogen and each progestogen. Overall, the joint effect of COC and genetic variants was lowest for COC containing the progestogen levonorgestrel, albeit CIs were wide. The OR (95% CI) of the four different analyses (i.e. joint effect with F5 rs6025, F2 rs1799963, F5 rs6025 or F2 rs1799963 and FGG rs2066865) ranged between 7·4 (5·4–10·2) and 24·8 (12·3–50·0) for levonorgestrel. For gestodene the joint effect ranged between 11·7 (7·2–19·1) and 30·9 (10·6–89·9). Desogestrel and cyproterone acetate had the highest risk estimates: 14·6 (9·7–21·9) and 32·6 (13·2–80·6) and 15·5 (9·7–24·9) and 44·4 (16·9–116·3) respectively. In women with inherited thrombophilia, COC containing levonorgestrel were associated with the lowest risk of VT, albeit the CIs were wide.
Effects of spatial autocorrelation and sampling design on estimates of protected area effectiveness
Authors: Negret Pablo Jose , Marco Moreno Di , Sonter Laura J. , Rhodes Jonathan , Possingham Hugh P. , Maron Martine
Published: April 2020

Estimating the effectiveness of protected areas (PAs) in reducing deforestation is useful to support decisions on whether to invest in better management of areas already protected or to create new ones. Statistical matching is commonly used to assess this effectiveness, but spatial autocorrelation and regional differences in protection effectiveness are frequently overlooked. Using Colombia as a case study, we employed statistical matching to account for confounding factors in park location and accounted for for spatial autocorrelation to determine statistical significance. We compared the performance of different matching procedures—ways of generating matching pairs at different scales—in estimating PA effectiveness. Differences in matching procedures affected covariate similarity between matched pairs (balance) and estimates of PA effectiveness in reducing deforestation. Independent matching yielded the greatest balance. On average 95% of variables in each region were balanced with independent matching, whereas 33% of variables were balanced when using the method that performed worst. The best estimates suggested that average deforestation inside protected areas in Colombia was 40% lower than in matched sites. Protection significantly reduced deforestation, but PA effectiveness differed among regions. Protected areas in Caribe were the most effective, whereas those in Orinoco and Pacific were least effective. Our results demonstrate that accounting for spatial autocorrelation and using independent matching for each subset of data is needed to infer the effectiveness of protection in reducing deforestation. Not accounting for spatial autocorrelation can distort the assessment of protection effectiveness, increasing type I and II errors and inflating effect size. Our method allowed improved estimates of protection effectiveness across scales and under different conditions and can be applied to other regions to effectively assess PA performance.
Gene regulatory landscape of the sonic hedgehog locus in embryonic development
Authors: Amano Takanori
Published: April 2020

The organs of vertebrate species display a wide variety of morphology. A remaining challenge in evolutionary developmental biology is to elucidate how vertebrate lineages acquire distinct morphological features. Developmental programs are driven by spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression controlled by hundreds of thousands of cis‐regulatory elements. Changes in the regulatory elements caused by the introduction of genetic variants can confer regulatory innovation that may underlie morphological novelties. Recent advances in sequencing technology have revealed a number of potential regulatory variants that can alter gene expression patterns. However, a limited number of studies demonstrate causal dependence between genetic and morphological changes. Regulation of Shh expression is a good model to understand how multiple regulatory elements organize tissue‐specific gene expression patterns. This model also provides insights into how evolution of molecular traits, such as gene regulatory networks, lead to phenotypic novelty.
Child mental health literacy training programmes for professionals in contact with children: A systematic review
Authors: O'Connell Jennifer , Pote Helen , Shafran Roz
Published: April 2020

Aims

There has been a surge in child mental health literacy training programmes for non‐mental health professionals. No previous review has examined the effectiveness of child mental literacy training on all professionals in contact with children.

Methods

Studies were identified through a systematic literature search of the Cochrane, EMBASE, Medline, and PsycINFO databases in February 2019. The review included studies that delivered training to professionals who have regular contact with young people aged 0 to 19 in the context of their role and at least one component of mental health literacy; (a) knowledge, (b) attitudes, (c) confidence in helping, (d) intention to help and (e) actual helping behaviour. The quality of papers was reviewed using the Cochrane revised Risk of Bias Tool for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and the Integrated Quality Criteria for the Review of Multiple Study Designs for non RCTs.

Results

Twenty‐one studies met eligibility criteria (n = 3243). There was some evidence that global and specific child mental health literacy training improved professionals' knowledge and stigma‐related attitudes towards mental health. Few studies investigated the impact of training on actual helping behaviour.

Conclusion

There may be value in providing child mental health literacy training to professionals in contact with children, however there is a need for studies to evaluate the long‐term impact of such training, particularly on subsequent access to appropriate support. Findings raise concerns about the quality of the studies reported in the systematic review and recommendations are made for future studies.
Functional implications of CaMKII alternative splicing
Authors: Sloutsky Roman , Stratton Margaret M.
Published: April 2020

Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is known to be a crucial regulator in the post‐synapse during long‐term potentiation. This important protein has been the subject of many studies centered on understanding memory at the molecular, cellular, and organismic level. CaMKII is encoded by four genes in humans, all of which undergo alternative splicing at the RNA level, leading to an enormous diversity of expressed proteins. Advances in sequencing technologies have facilitated the discovery of many new CaMKII transcripts. To date, newly discovered CaMKII transcripts have been incorporated into an ambiguous naming scheme. Herein, we review the initial experiments leading to the discovery of CaMKII and its subsequent variants. We propose the adoption of a new, unambiguous naming scheme for CaMKII variants. Finally, we discuss biological implications for CaMKII splice variants.
Parental Alienation: In Search of Common Ground For a More Differentiated Theory
Authors: Johnston Janet R. , Sullivan Matthew J.
Published: April 2020

The concept of parental alienation (PA) has expanded in popular usage at the same time that it remains mired in controversy about its scientific integrity and its use as a legal strategy in response to an increasing range of issues in family court. In this paper we describe how competing advocacy movements (for mothers, fathers and children) in the family justice field have, over time, helped shape the shifting definitions and widening focal concerns of PA‐ from children who make false allegations of abuse, to those who resist or refuse contact with a parent, to parent relocation, and to the emotional abuse wrecked upon children who are victims of a manipulative parent. In search of common ground for a sound approach to using PA concepts, we argue that the Single Factor model of PA (asserting that an alienating preferred parent is primarily the source of the problem) is inadequate, overly simplistic and misleading. A Single Factor model rests on the fallacy that abuse or poor parenting on the part of either parent have been, or are able to be, ruled out as sufficient reason for the child's rejecting stance. By contrast, multi‐factor models of PA make more useful, valid, differentiated clinical predictions of children's rejection of a parent, informed by basic and applied research on children and families. However, multi‐factor models are complex and difficult to argue in court and to use in assessment and interventions. Suggestions are made for developing intervention‐focused prediction models that reduce the number of factors involved and are applicable across different types of interventions.
Parental Alienation and Misinformation Proliferation
Authors: Bernet William
Published: April 2020

Since parental alienation syndrome (PAS) was identified in the 1980's, there has been a remarkable amount of misinformation regarding both PAS and parental alienation (PA). These falsehoods were published in professional journals, presented at conferences, and distributed through internet websites and blogs. This article summarizes five examples of published misinformation regarding PAS/PA. Each case study includes: the false statements that were published in the medical, psychological, or legal professional literature; the names of the individuals who made the false statements; and the steps taken to refute the falsehoods and correct the record. The writers of the misinformation were from Sweden, Tunisia, Spain, and the United States, which illustrates the international scope of PAS/PA. In one example, the misinformation reached the U.S. House of Representatives and was almost included in a formal resolution adopted by that body. The article discusses various underlying causes of the high level of polarization in PAS/PA scholarship. The article also proposes steps that both mental health and legal writers can adopt to reduce the destructive polarization that has occurred. In general, however, clinicians, forensic practitioners, and legal professionals should remain vigilant when they read articles or listen to presentations about topics that might be considered controversial.
Methodological Challenges in Social Science: Making Sense of Polarized and Competing Research Claims
Authors: Robb Aaron
Published: April 2020

Legal and mental health professionals face significant challenges when addressing situations in which children resist contact with a parent. There remains only limited empirical research on the differentiation of types and severity of contact problems, the resulting impacts on children and adolescents, and the outcomes of interventions. Often, family justice professionals encounter conflicting information that presents wildly diverging views on the scientific knowledge base used to guide understandings of human interaction. In cases involving resist‐refuse dynamics (“RRD”), the polarized claims, characterized by dichotomous thinking, often assert abuse by the rejected parent, on the one hand, or alienating behavior by the favored parent, on the other hand. When presented with conflicting social science research, understanding basic experimental design methodology is critical to resolving questions of the reliability and utility of the information presented. Equally important, is an understanding of cognitive bias and the human tendency to experience difficulty in modifying belief systems when presented with updated information; this understanding includes changing conceptual frameworks for decision making in family law cases. While polarized and often acrimonious debate in the field may be reflective of larger societal strife, recognizing strengths and weaknesses in the ideas presented in research literature allows for an integrative approach to bring more light, and less heat, to the larger conceptualization of human interactions we have to address in the family court setting.
Ideology and Rhetoric Replace Science and Reason in Some Parental Alienation Literature and Advocacy: A Critique
Authors: Milchman Madelyn S. , Geffner Robert , Meier Joan S.
Published: April 2020

This article analyzes rhetorical strategies that are often used to legitimize classifying children's parent rejection as “alienation,” conceived as a mental disorder or diagnosis. Use of evaluative labels or diagnoses instead of descriptions of behavioral functioning is problematic in child custody evaluations. We address Distorted Claims of consensus, Alienation Labeling, Renaming, Proof by Assertion, Misrepresenting Endorsement by Authorities, Reduction Ad Absurdum, and Ad Personam Attacks. Rhetoric distracts from the evidence and observable behaviors required to accurately classify mistreated/alienated children and protective/alienating parents. It creates an ideology that obfuscates the absence of and need for scientific validity studies; reliable prevalence data; non‐conclusory assessment of parent–child relationship quality; empirical evidence testing the coaching hypothesis; and valid, objective evaluations of treatment programs. The article concludes with suggestions to improve dialogue between scholars in order to advance research and custody evaluations.
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of Resist/Refuse Dynamics: Confirmatory Bias and Abductive Inference in Child Custody Evaluations
Authors: Garber Benjamin D.
Published: April 2020

Had Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective, the great Sherlock Holmes, actually engaged in deductive reasoning, he would have solved many fewer crimes. In fact, Holmes' logical progression from astute observation to hypotheses is a model of a type of inductive reasoning. This paper argues that mental health professionals tasked to evaluate why a child is resisting/refusing contact with one parent must approach each family the way that Holmes approached each case, without a presumed suspect, moving systematically from detail to hypothesis, well‐versed in the full range of dynamics that may be at play, and erring in favor of parsimony rather than pathology. By contrast, the custody evaluator who approaches these matters through a deductive process, seeking data that support an a priori theory, is vulnerable to confirmatory bias and doing harm to the child whose interests are paramount. The literature concerned with resist/refuse dynamics is reviewed, yielding 13 non‐mutually exclusive variables that evaluators must consider so as to more fully identify why a particular child is resisting or refusing contact with one parent. On this basis, the hybrid model is expanded to include the full spectrum of contributing dynamics. Specific recommendations are made for judicial officers in the interest of writing orders for custody evaluations that minimize the risk of confirmatory bias.

Key Points for the Family Court Community

Deductive reasoning seeks to confirm or refute an a priori hypothesis

Deductive reasoning is highly vulnerable to confirmational bias

Confirmational bias can corrupt and invalidate forensic evaluation to the detriment of all involved

Resist/refuse dynamics must be understood through an inductive process that is open to all possible hypotheses

A survey of the literature identifies at least thirteen mutually compatible hypotheses, all of which must be evaluated

Courts must take care to word orders for forensic family evaluations in a manner that minimizes confirmatory bias and invites inductive investigation
Robust ecological drought projections for drylands in the 21st century
Authors: Bradford John B. , Schlaepfer Daniel R. , Lauenroth William K. , Palmquist Kyle A.
Published: April 2020

Dryland ecosystems may be especially vulnerable to expected 21st century increases in temperature and aridity because they are tightly controlled by moisture availability. However, climate impact assessments in drylands are difficult because ecological dynamics are dictated by drought conditions that are difficult to define and complex to estimate from climate conditions alone. In addition, precipitation projections vary substantially among climate models, enhancing variation in overall trajectories for aridity. Here, we constrain this uncertainty by utilizing an ecosystem water balance model to quantify drought conditions with recognized ecological importance, and by identifying changes in ecological drought conditions that are robust among climate models, defined here as when >90% of models agree in the direction of change. Despite limited evidence for robust changes in precipitation, changes in ecological drought are robust over large portions of drylands in the United States and Canada. Our results suggest strong regional differences in long‐term drought trajectories, epitomized by chronic drought increases in southern areas, notably the Upper Gila Mountains and South‐Central Semi‐arid Prairies, and decreases in the north, particularly portions of the Temperate and West‐Central Semi‐arid Prairies. However, we also found that exposure to hot‐dry stress is increasing faster than mean annual temperature over most of these drylands, and those increases are greatest in northern areas. Robust shifts in seasonal drought are most apparent during the cool season; when soil water availability is projected to increase in northern regions and decrease in southern regions. The implications of these robust drought trajectories for ecosystems will vary geographically, and these results provide useful insights about the impact of climate change on these dryland ecosystems. More broadly, this approach of identifying robust changes in ecological drought may be useful for other assessments of climate impacts in drylands and provide a more rigorous foundation for making long‐term strategic resource management decisions.
Japan Society of Hepatology guidelines for the management of hepatitis C virus infection: 2019 update
Authors:   Drafting Committee for Hepatitis Management Guidelines, the Japan Society of Hepatology
Published: April 2020

The Drafting Committee for Hepatitis Management Guidelines established by the Japan Society of Hepatology (JSH) drafted the first version of the clinical practice guidelines for the management of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in 2012. Since then, we have been publishing updates as new drugs for hepatitis C become available and new indications for existing drugs are added. The new approval of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir prompted us to publish the seventh version of the guidelines in Japanese in March 2019. We also published the first English‐language version of the JSH guidelines in 2013 and English versions of updates made to the Japanese‐language guidelines in 2014 and 2016. In 2020, the Committee has decided to publish a new English version, covering general information about treatment for hepatitis C, drugs used, recommended treatments for chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis, and special populations, such as patients who have renal impairment, are on dialysis, or have developed recurrence of hepatitis C after liver transplantation. Furthermore, the Committee has released a separate publication covering the protective effect of antiviral therapy against hepatocarcinogenesis.
Community pharmacy staff oral health training, training needs and professional self-efficacy related to managing children’s dental problems
Authors: Muirhead Vanessa , D’Antoni Donatella , Auyeung Vivian
Published: April 2020

Objectives

Few studies have explored the oral health training needs and professional self-efficacy (PSE) in both pharmacy support staff and pharmacists related to managing children’s dental problems. This study assessed community pharmacy staff perceptions of their (i) training experiences and interests; (ii) PSE; and (iii) whether this was influenced by the pharmacy being part of a minor ailment scheme (MAS), where staff could directly offer advice and issue prescription medications without patients seeing a doctor.

Methods

All of the 1851 community pharmacies across London, UK, were invited to participate in an online questionnaire. Staff rated their prior training, perceived need for further training and confidence in giving parents advice related to three dental problems in children (dental pain, mouth ulcers and dental trauma). Information was collected about staff roles and whether the pharmacy was a MAS.

Key findings

From 752 community pharmacies, 846 community pharmacy staff participated. Positive experiences of training were variable but interest in further training for all three dental problems was high. Pharmacy support staff had significantly lower PSE scores than pharmacy professionals (P = 0.009). A significant interaction showed that pharmacy staff who had poorly rated prior training on advising parents about managing their child’s dental pain and who did not work in a MAS had lower PSE scores than staff who had highly rated training and who worked in a MAS (P = 0.02).

Conclusions

Minor ailment scheme pharmacies may be an optimal environment for frontline pharmacy support staff to develop higher PSE when combined with good quality oral health training.
More than coffee – a World Café to explore enablers of pharmacy practice research
Authors: Kavanagh Oisín N , Moriarty Frank , Bradley Catriona , O’Hagan James , Stack Gary , Kelly Dervla
Published: April 2020

Background

Pharmacists are in demand now more than ever to provide high-quality expertise about the effectiveness, safety and use of medications. Amidst an increasingly complex and costly healthcare system, policy makers need robust evidence to justify public spending on pharmacy services. Research on the impact of existing and emerging pharmacy practices is required.

Objective

To explore barriers and opportunities to enhance research among pharmacists in Ireland utilising a World Café methodology.

Methods

A pharmacy research discussion day was held in November 2018, open to all pharmacists in Ireland. A World Café methodology was utilised as a mechanism to facilitate group discussions about pharmacy practice research.

Results

Discussions with 63 attendees identified four themes and seventeen subthemes. The four themes were challenges undertaking research, research motivations, leadership and training. Subthemes included robust evidence, clinical, economic and societal outcomes, alignment with national and international health system priorities, need for incentives from professional training bodies, competitive business model and embed within schools of pharmacy.

Conclusions

The most commonly discussed barriers inhibiting research were workload, technology limitations and financial considerations. Organisational leadership to prioritise and coordinate research efforts, training to build research capacity, building on existing examples of excellence and initiation of bottom-up community-based research projects were identified in our study as opportunities to enhance pharmacist involvement in research and ultimately patient health outcomes.
Achieving stable myocardial regeneration after apical resection in neonatal mice
Authors: Li Yandong , Feng Jie , Li Yan , Hu Shengshou , Nie Yu
Published: April 2020

The neonatal heart completely regenerates after apical resection (AR), providing a desirable research model to study the mechanism of cardiac regeneration and cardiomyocyte proliferation. However, AR‐induced neonatal heart regenerative phenomenon is controversial due to the variation of operative details in different laboratories. Here, we provide an optimized AR operation procedure with stable regeneration and high survival rate by achieving heart exposure, normalizing myocardium cut‐offs, and reducing operation duration. We also established a whole‐heart‐slice approach to estimate the myocardial regeneration after the AR operation, which ensures no false‐negative/positive results. The combination of the optimized AR operation and the whole‐heart‐slice analysis provides a stable system to study neonatal heart regeneration and cardiomyocyte proliferation in situ.
Rules of thumb for positive and negative test results
Authors: Šikić Zvonimir
Published: April 2020

Background

It is well known that tests are not 100% accurate at classifying individuals. The actual condition of an individual(e.g. diseased, or not diseased) does not coincide with her test result (positive, or negative). Nevertheless, it is often presupposed, as a rule of thumb, that individuals with negative results can be “ruled out” if screening test is highly sensitive and “ruled in” if screening test is highly specific. This has led to the mnemonic SNNOUT (sensitive negative out) and SPPIN (specific positive in).

Method

Probabilistic analysis of SNNOUT and SPPIN.

Result

SNNOUT and SPPIN are incorrect. We devise the correct and easily applicable rules of thumb.

Conclusion

The correct rules of thumb could be of great help to doctors and patients.
SmMYB2 promotes salvianolic acid biosynthesis in the medicinal herb Salvia miltiorrhiza
Authors: Deng Changping , Wang Yao , Huang Fenfen , Lu Sunjie , Zhao Limei , Ma Xingyuan , Kai Guoyin
Published: April 2020

MYB transcription factors play vital roles in plant growth and metabolism. The phytohormone methyl jasmonate (MeJA) promotes phenolic acid accumulation in the medicinal herb Salvia miltiorrhiza, but the regulatory mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we identified the MeJA‐responsive R2R3‐MYB transcription factor gene SmMYB2 from a transcriptome library produced from MeJA‐treated S. miltiorrhiza hairy roots. SmMYB2 expression was tightly correlated with the expression of key salvianolic acid biosynthetic genes including CYP98A14. SmMYB2 was highly expressed in the periderm of S. miltiorrhiza and SmMYB2 localized to the nucleus. Overexpressing SmMYB2 in S. miltiorrhiza hairy roots significantly increased the levels of salvianolic acids (including rosmarinic acid and salvianolic acid B) by upregulating salvianolic acid biosynthetic genes such as CYP98A14. SmMYB2 binds to the MYB‐binding motifs in the promoter of CYP98A14, as confirmed by a dual‐luciferase assay and electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Anthocyanin contents were significantly higher in SmMYB2‐overexpressing hairy root lines than the control, primarily due to the increased expression of CHI, DFR, and ANS. These findings reveal the novel regulatory role of SmMYB2 in MeJA‐mediated phenolic acid biosynthesis, providing a useful target gene for metabolic engineering and shedding light on the salvianolic acid regulatory network.
Effect of metformin on cardiovascular risk factors in middle‐aged Thai women with metabolic syndrome: A randomized placebo‐controlled trial
Authors: Indhavivadhana Suchada , Rattanachaiyanont Manee , Wongwananurak Thanyarat , Techatraisak Kitirat , Jirattigalachote Apiradee , Dangrat Chongdee
Published: April 2020

Aim

To evaluate the effect of metformin on cardiovascular risk factors in middle‐aged Thai women with metabolic syndrome that are in menopausal transition.

Methods

This study was double‐blind randomized placebo‐controlled trial. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed using American Heart Association and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute criteria. After taking metformin 1700 mg/day for 6 months, cardiovascular risk factors were evaluated at baseline and month‐6; the values of which were used to calculate delta (Δ, month‐6 minus baseline values).

Results

Forty menopausal participants were equally, randomized into either the placebo or metformin group. The two groups had comparable metabolic parameters at baseline, except that the mean triglyceride level was higher in the metformin group than in the placebo group. The significant improvements found only in the metformin group were body mass index, fasting blood glucose, high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein and 10‐year risk of coronary heart disease (Framingham heart study) (P = 0.0004, P = 0.049, P = 0.035 and P = 0.029); whereas that only in the placebo group was high density lipoprotein cholesterol. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the improvement between the two groups.

Conclusion

Metformin can improve some parameters of metabolic syndrome in middle‐aged Thai women. Metformin is not superior to placebo for the improvement of cardiovascular risk factors.
Neonatal outcomes of two‐step delivery in low‐risk pregnancy: A prospective observational study
Authors: Hishikawa Kenji , Kusaka Takeshi , Fukuda Takanori , Kohata Yutaka , Inoue Hiromi
Published: April 2020

Aim

Extraction of the fetal body is typically performed immediately after delivery of the head in Western obstetric care. Reports justifying immediate extraction are few. Two‐step delivery entails waiting for the next uterine contraction after delivery of the head. The present study evaluates neonatal asphyxia and respiratory impairment in two‐step delivery using the head‐to‐body delivery interval.

Methods

This prospective observational study performed at a single birth clinic used the data of 262 low‐risk pregnant women with two‐step delivery. We measured the time interval of head‐to‐body delivery and correlation analysis and simple linear regression analysis between the head‐to‐body delivery interval and umbilical artery pH. The women were divided into two groups according to the head‐to‐body delivery interval: ≤60 or >60 s. The prevalence of neonatal asphyxia and neonatal respiratory impairment was compared between the groups.

Results

The mean head‐to‐body delivery interval was 88.9 ± 71.3 s. The umbilical artery pH tended to decrease with increasing head‐to‐body delivery interval; however, there was almost no correlation and the decline of pH was only 0.010 for every additional minute. Low Apgar score incidence at 5 min did not differ significantly between the groups. No cases of shoulder dystocia were reported, and tachypnea at 4 h after birth occurred in 3% of the births.

Conclusions

A longer head‐to‐body delivery interval is not associated with negative outcomes in two‐step delivery. We believe that two‐step delivery could have some superior outcomes compared with one‐step delivery outcomes, particularly as to improving fetal circulation and preventing shoulder dystocia.
Effects of maternal dietary vitamin E on the egg characteristics, hatchability and offspring quality of prolonged storage eggs of broiler breeder hens
Authors: Yang Jun , Ding Xuemei , Bai Shiping , Wang Jianping , Zeng Qiufeng , Peng Huanwei , Su Zhuowei , Xuan Yue , Scott Fraley Gregory , Zhang Keying
Published: April 2020

This research aims to evaluate the effects of maternal vitamin E (VE) dietary supplementation on the egg characteristics, hatchability and antioxidant status of the embryo and newly hatched chicks of prolonged storage eggs. A total of 576 75‐week‐old Ross 308 breeder hens were randomly allocated into three dietary VE treatments (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) with 6 replicates of 32 hens, for a 12‐week feeding trial. At week 12, a total of 710 eggs were collected over a 5‐day period, and eggs per treatment were attributed into 5 replicates and stored for 14 days until incubation. The egg yolk, trunk and head of 7‐day‐old embryo and the serum, liver, brain and yolk sac of newly hatched chicks were sampled for the evaluation of antioxidant status. Results showed that as maternal dietary VE levels increased, yolk α‐tocopherol concentration increased (p < .05). Compared with 100 mg/kg VE, the use of 200 and 400 mg/kg VE increased the hatchability of set/fertile eggs and total antioxidant capacity (T‐AOC) of liver and serum in chicks (p < .05), and decreased both the early embryonic mortality and the malondialdehyde (MDA) content of trunk and head in 7‐day‐old embryos (p < .05); moreover, 400 mg/kg VE increased the yolk T‐AOC (p < .05) and decreased yolk and brain MDA content of chicks (p < .05). Brain T‐AOC of chicks in 200 mg/kg VE group was improved compared to that of chicks in 100 mg/kg VE group (p < .05). In conclusion, maternal dietary VE at 200 or 400 mg/kg could increase hatchability by decreasing early embryonic mortality and increasing the antioxidant status of egg yolk, embryo and newly hatched chicks as breeder egg storage was prolonged to 14–18 days. The suitable VE level for the broiler breeder diet was 200 mg/kg as breeder egg storage was prolonged.
“Doing Gender” and “Doing Religion” in Science: A Cross‐National Examination
Authors: Thomson Robert A. , Mehta Sharan Kaur , Ecklund Elaine Howard
Published: April 2020

Women tend to be both underrepresented in science and overrepresented in organized religion, yet the connection between these two phenomena is rarely examined. With survey data collected among 6,537 biologists and physicists from four national contexts—the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, and India—we test whether science as a social field shapes religious expressions and attitudes differently for men and women. Findings reveal a religious gender gap in India and Italy but not in the United States and the United Kingdom. Further, except in Italy, men had higher odds of perceiving religion and science to be in conflict, believing that their colleagues have a negative attitude about religion, and reporting that science made them less religious. Evidence suggests that men in science may disproportionately internalize normative pressures to masculinize by eschewing religion. Our findings have implications for selection into academic science and the practice of religion among men and women in science.