bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Neglected Medium: Postage Stamps as Mass Media
Authors: Limor Yehiel , Tamir Ilan
Published: March 2020

The large number of comprehensive studies on mass media is indicative of the role mass media play in society and societal effects, as a result of which they are instrumental in the analysis, interpretation, and construction of social reality (Shoemaker & Reese, 2014). Mass media themselves—the print press, television, radio, books, as well as the Internet and social media—and especially the contents they produce and widely disseminate, have been the topics of diverse studies anchored in many disciplines. It appears, however, that one such medium has failed to attract the research attention it deserves and has even failed to be recognized as a mass medium. This medium is postage stamps, with billions of copies printed annually and disseminated worldwide. In 2009, 37 billion stamps were printed in the United States alone (Ballentine, 2016). This article proposes to define postage stamps as a mass medium, based on generally accepted definitions and well-known communication theories. Postage stamps constitute official state documents that reflect the values that a country wishes to represent to its citizens and the world. Embracing the definition of postage stamps as a mass medium would, among other things, extend the research horizons of fields such as media, politics, arts, and culture. The article has three aims: First, to define, identify, and explore the features of postage stamps as a mass medium; Second, to gain insight into the reasons for postage stamps' neglect in media research; and third, to propose potential research directions to explore postage stamps' functions as a mass medium.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Care in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era: The Humanitas, Milan, Experience
Authors: Fiorino Gionata , Allocca Mariangela , Furfaro Federica , Gilardi Daniela , Zilli Alessandra , Radice Simona , Spinelli Antonino , Danese Silvio
Published: March 2020

The outbreak of the COVID-19 caused by coronavirus SARS-CoV2, is rapidly spreading worldwide. This is the first pandemic caused by a coronavirus in history. More than 150 000 confirmed cases worldwide are reported involving the SARS-CoV2, with more than 5000 COVID-19-related deaths on March 14, 2020. Fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, generalised myalgia, malaise, drowsiness, diarrhoea, confusion, dyspnoea, and bilateral interstitial pneumonia are the common symptoms. No therapies are available, and the only way to contain the virus spread is to regularly and thoroughly clean one’s hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water, to maintain at least 1 m [3 feet] distance from anyone who is coughing or sneezing, to avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth, and to stay home if one feels unwell. No data are available on the risk of COVID-19 and outcomes in inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] patients. Outbreak restrictions can impact on the IBD care. We aim to give a viewpoint on how operationally to manage IBD patients and ensure quality of care in the current pandemic era.
Metastasectomy of left atrial mesenchymal chondrosarcoma
Authors: Talukder Shagorika , Murphy Michael O , Lyon Alexander , Rosendahl and Ulrich
Published: March 2020

Metastasis of chondrosarcoma of skeletal origin to the heart is uncommonly reported in the literature, with the majority of cases involving right atrial metastases. Surgical resection remains the mainstay of treatment, and the literature has shown improved median survival with this form of therapy, possibly by reducing thromboembolic risk in this patient population. We report the case of a patient with metastatic mesenchymal chondrosarcoma of the left atrium who underwent resection, following a lack of response to anticoagulation therapy. This is the first report of surgical resection of left atrial metastatic disease prior to the onset of thromboembolic sequelae.
A framework to bridge scales in distribution modeling of soil microbiota
Authors: Lembrechts Jonas J , Broeders L , De Gruyter J , Radujković D , Ramirez-Rojas I , Lenoir J , Verbruggen E
Published: March 2020

Creating accurate habitat suitability and distribution models (HSDMs) for soil microbiota is far more challenging than for aboveground organism groups. In this perspective paper, we propose a conceptual framework that addresses several of the critical issues holding back further applications. Most importantly, we tackle the mismatch between the broadscale, long-term averages of environmental variables traditionally used, and the environment as experienced by soil microbiota themselves. We suggest using nested sampling designs across environmental gradients and objectively integrating spatially hierarchic heterogeneity as covariates in HSDMs. Second, to incorporate the crucial role of taxa co-occurrence as driver of soil microbial distributions, we promote the use of joint species distribution models, a class of models that jointly analyze multiple species’ distributions, quantifying both species-specific environmental responses (i.e. the environmental niche) and covariance among species (i.e. biotic interactions). Our approach allows incorporating the environmental niche and its associated distribution across multiple spatial scales. The proposed framework facilitates the inclusion of the true relationships between soil organisms and their abiotic and biotic environments in distribution models, which is crucial to improve predictions of soil microbial redistributions as a result of global change.
Density and distribution of lymphocytes in pretherapeutic rectal cancer and response to neoadjuvant therapy
Authors: Lai Sicong , Lou Xiaoying , Fan Xinjuan , Sun Weipeng , Deng Yanhong , Wang Jianping , Huang Yan , Dou Ruoxu
Published: March 2020

Background

Lymphocytic density in rectal cancer has been reported to be associated with therapeutic response, but the role of the lymphocytic distribution pattern remains to be determined. This study aimed to evaluate the association between the distribution and density of lymphocytes in rectal-cancer tissue with tumor response to neoadjuvant therapy.

Methods

We retrospectively analysed 134 patients with rectal cancer receiving neoadjuvant therapy within a prospectively maintained cohort. Pretherapeutic biopsy samples were stained with immunohistochemistry (CD4 and CD8). Densities of intratumoral periglandular lymphocytes (IPLs) and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were assessed separately. Logistic-regression analysis was used to assess associations of lymphocyte densities with tumor regression grade (TRG), controlling for clinicopathological, molecular, and regimen features.

Results

Compared with cases in the lowest quartile of CD8+ TILs, those in the highest quartile were significantly associated with better TRG (multivariate odds ratio, 0.23; 95% confidence interval, 0.07 to 0.76; P < 0.001). In contrast, CD8+ IPLs, CD4+ IPLs, and CD4+ TILs were not significantly associated with TRG (P = 0.033, 0.156, and 0.170, respectively). Sensitivity analyses detected no interaction between CD8+ TILs and regimen of neoadjuvant radiation (Pinteraction = 0.831) or chemotherapy (Pinteraction = 0.879) on TRG.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that CD8+ TILs, but not IPLs, are independently associated with response to neoadjuvant therapy, regardless of the regimen of radiation or chemotherapy.
Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism-Based Genetic Diversity Analysis of Clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates
Authors: Muthukumarasamy Uthayakumar , Preusse Matthias , Kordes Adrian , Koska Michal , Schniederjans Monika , Khaledi Ariane , Häussler Susanne
Published: March 2020

Extensive use of next-generation sequencing has the potential to transform our knowledge on how genomic variation within bacterial species impacts phenotypic versatility. Because different environments have unique selection pressures, they drive divergent evolution. However, there is also parallel or convergent evolution of traits in independent bacterial isolates inhabiting similar environments. The application of tools to describe population-wide genomic diversity provides an opportunity to measure the predictability of genetic changes underlying adaptation. Here, we describe patterns of sequence variations in the core genome among 99 individual Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates and identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms that are the basis for branching of the phylogenetic tree. We also identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms that were acquired independently, in separate lineages, and not through inheritance from a common ancestor. Although our results demonstrate that the Pseudomonas aeruginosa core genome is highly conserved and in general, not subject to adaptive evolution, instances of parallel evolution will provide an opportunity to uncover genetic changes that underlie phenotypic diversity.
Do Welfare Regimes Moderate Cumulative Dis/advantages Over the Life Course? Cross-National Evidence from Longitudinal SHARE Data
Authors: Sieber Stefan , Cheval Boris , Orsholits Dan , van der Linden Bernadette W A , Guessous Idris , Gabriel Rainer , Kliegel Matthias , von Arx Martina , Kelly-Irving Michelle , Aartsen Marja J , Boisgontier Matthieu P , Courvoisier Delphine , Burton-Jeangros Claudine , Cullati Stéphane
Published: March 2020

Objectives

This study aimed to examine the cumulative disadvantage of different forms of childhood misfortune and adult-life socioeconomic conditions (SEC) with regard to trajectories and levels of self-rated health in old age and whether these associations differed between welfare regimes (Scandinavian, Bismarckian, Southern European, and Eastern European).

Method

The study included 24,004 respondents aged 50–96 from the longitudinal SHARE survey. Childhood misfortune included childhood SEC, adverse childhood experiences, and adverse childhood health experiences. Adult-life SEC consisted of education, main occupational position, and financial strain. We analyzed associations with poor self-rated health using confounder-adjusted mixed-effects logistic regression models for the complete sample and stratified by welfare regime.

Results

Disadvantaged respondents in terms of childhood misfortune and adult-life SEC had a higher risk of poor self-rated health at age 50. However, differences narrowed with aging between adverse-childhood-health-experiences categories (driven by Southern and Eastern European welfare regimes), categories of education (driven by Bismarckian welfare regime), and main occupational position (driven by Scandinavian welfare regime).

Discussion

Our research did not find evidence of cumulative disadvantage with aging in the studied life-course characteristics and age range. Instead, trajectories showed narrowing differences with differing patterns across welfare regimes.
Beyond Successful Aging 2.0: Inequalities, Ageism, and the Case for Normalizing Old Ages
Authors: Calasanti Toni , King Neal
Published: March 2020

This article reviews challenges to Rowe and Kahn’s Successful Aging (SA) framework, particularly those that focus on the ways social inequalities, including ageism, stratify age groups and affect possibilities for SA. We then assess the authors’ replies to these critiques. We find that SA 2.0 maintains a naturalization of outcomes of age relations, and retains both its focus on personal choice and its indifference to inequalities. We advocate a paradigm shift that recasts the problems of aging in three distinct ways: (i) avoids treating old age as a problem; (ii) avoids treating medical and other maladies as results of aging; and (iii) treats the problems of old age as results of age relations instead. By focusing on age relations, this paradigm goes beyond calls to examine inequalities over the life course, and seeks to normalize old ages, valuing both different modes of aging and old age itself.
Race Differences in Characteristics and Experiences of Black and White Caregivers of Older Americans
Authors: Fabius Chanee D , Wolff Jennifer L , Kasper Judith D
Published: March 2020

Background and Objectives

Racial disparities in health and socioeconomic characteristics of older adults have implications for the experiences of their family and unpaid caregivers, but knowledge to date has primarily drawn from convenience samples. Using a population-based sample, we examine associations between caregiver race and caregiving-related effects.

Research Design and Methods

Study participants include white (n = 992) and black (n = 556) respondents to the 2015 National Study of Caregiving who assisted community-dwelling older adults with disabilities who participated in the National Health and Aging Trends Study. Guided by Pearlin’s Stress Process Model, hierarchical logistic regression models were constructed to examine race differences in caregiving-related effects after adjusting for caregiving context, stressors, and resources.

Results

Relative to white caregivers, blacks more often provided in excess of 40 hr of care per week (54.3% vs 38.6%) and more often cared for an older adult with dementia (27.1% vs 20.7%) who was living below the federal poverty line (31.7% vs 11.9%) or was Medicaid-eligible (42.2% vs 11.8%). Black caregivers more often used supportive services (32.9% vs 24.8%). In fully adjusted regression models, black caregivers were more likely to report gains and less likely to report emotional difficulty than whites. Service utilization did not attenuate caregiving-related emotional difficulty or participation restrictions, regardless of race.

Discussion and Implications

Findings highlight caregiving disparities and counterintuitive differences in experiences and indicate the importance of identifying supports such as paid family leave and faith and community-based programming to better support community-dwelling low-income older adults and their family and unpaid caregivers.
Chromosome-level genome assembly of Aldrichina grahami, a forensically important blowfly
Authors: Meng Fanming , Liu Zhuoying , Han Han , Finkelbergs Dmitrijs , Jiang Yangshuai , Zhu Mingfei , Wang Yang , Sun Zongyi , Chen Chao , Guo Yadong , Cai Jifeng
Published: March 2020

Background

Blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are the most commonly found entomological evidence in forensic investigations. Distinguished from other blowflies, Aldrichina grahami has some unique biological characteristics and is a species of forensic importance. Its development rate, pattern, and life cycle can provide valuable information for the estimation of the minimum postmortem interval.

Findings

Herein we provide a chromosome-level genome assembly of A. grahami that was generated by Pacific BioSciences sequencing platform and chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) technology. A total of 50.15 Gb clean reads of the A. grahami genome were generated. FALCON and Wtdbg were used to construct the genome of A. grahami, resulting in an assembly of 600 Mb and 1,604 contigs with an N50 size of 1.93 Mb. We predicted 12,823 protein-coding genes, 99.8% of which was functionally annotated on the basis of the de novo genome (SRA: PRJNA513084) and transcriptome (SRA: SRX5207346) of A. grahami. According to the co-analysis with 11 other insect species, clustering and phylogenetic reconstruction of gene families were performed. Using Hi-C sequencing, a chromosome-level assembly of 6 chromosomes was generated with scaffold N50 of 104.7 Mb. Of these scaffolds, 96.4% were anchored to the total A. grahami genome contig bases.

Conclusions

The present study provides a robust genome reference for A. grahami that supplements vital genetic information for nonhuman forensic genomics and facilitates the future research of A. grahami and other necrophagous blowfly species used in forensic medicine.
De novo assembly of the cattle reference genome with single-molecule sequencing
Authors: Rosen Benjamin D , Bickhart Derek M , Schnabel Robert D , Koren Sergey , Elsik Christine G , Tseng Elizabeth , Rowan Troy N , Low Wai Y , Zimin Aleksey , Couldrey Christine , Hall Richard , Li Wenli , Rhie Arang , Ghurye Jay , McKay Stephanie D , Thibaud-Nissen Françoise , Hoffman Jinna , Murdoch Brenda M , Snelling Warren M , McDaneld Tara G , Hammond John A , Schwartz John C , Nandolo Wilson , Hagen Darren E , Dreischer Christian , Schultheiss Sebastian J , Schroeder Steven G , Phillippy Adam M , Cole John B , Van Tassell Curtis P , Liu George , Smith Timothy P L , Medrano Juan F
Published: March 2020

Background

Major advances in selection progress for cattle have been made following the introduction of genomic tools over the past 10–12 years. These tools depend upon the Bos taurus reference genome (UMD3.1.1), which was created using now-outdated technologies and is hindered by a variety of deficiencies and inaccuracies.

Results

We present the new reference genome for cattle, ARS-UCD1.2, based on the same animal as the original to facilitate transfer and interpretation of results obtained from the earlier version, but applying a combination of modern technologies in a de novo assembly to increase continuity, accuracy, and completeness. The assembly includes 2.7 Gb and is >250× more continuous than the original assembly, with contig N50 >25 Mb and L50 of 32. We also greatly expanded supporting RNA-based data for annotation that identifies 30,396 total genes (21,039 protein coding). The new reference assembly is accessible in annotated form for public use.

Conclusions

We demonstrate that improved continuity of assembled sequence warrants the adoption of ARS-UCD1.2 as the new cattle reference genome and that increased assembly accuracy will benefit future research on this species.
Stress modulation of the seismic gap between the 2008 Ms 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake and the 2013 Ms 7.0 Lushan earthquake and implications for seismic hazard
Authors: Guo Rumeng , Zheng Yong , Xu Jianqiao
Published: March 2020

Between 2008 and 2013, the Ms 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake and the Ms 7.0 Lushan earthquake occurred successively in the Longmenshan fault zone. Their aftershocks delineated a prominent seismic gap approximately 50 km long, hereafter referred to as the WLSG. The possibility of an event of Ms 7.0 or above occurring in the WLSG is a matter of great concern. In this study, we estimated the change of Coulomb failure stress (ΔCFS) along the WLSG caused by historical earthquakes in the last 300 yr. Our results revealed that 20 major earthquakes cast a stress shadow on the WLSG before 2008 (−148.7 to −7.0 kPa), hindering the rupture of the Wenchuan earthquake and the Lushan earthquake. The Wenchuan earthquake had an important influence on the stress redistribution of the WLSG, resulting in significant stress increase (14.7 to 337.5 kPa). As of 2018, although the negative ΔCFS caused by historical earthquakes (especially the Dayi earthquake) pushed the southern end of the WLSG away from failure, the positive peak ΔCFS of 323.0 kPa greatly encouraged the rupture of the northern WLSG. The small afterslip and weak microseismicity indicate that the WLSG is a stress barrier with high seismic potential, which can explain the mechanism of rupture termination of the Wenchuan earthquake and the Lushan earthquake.
What steps can researchers take to increase research uptake by policymakers? A case study in China
Authors: Wu Shishi , Khan Mishal , Legido-Quigley Helena
Published: March 2020

Empirical analysis of the connections between research and health policymaking is scarce in middle-income countries. In this study, we focused on a national multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) healthcare provider training programme in China as a case study to examine the role that research plays in influencing health policy. We specifically focused on the factors that influence research uptake within the complex Chinese policymaking process. Qualitative data were collected from 34 participants working at multilateral organizations, funding agencies, academia, government agencies and hospitals through 14 in-depth interviews and 2 focus group discussions with 10 participants each. Themes were derived inductively from data and grouped based on the ‘Research and Policy in Developing countries’ framework developed by the Overseas Development Institute. We further classified how actors derive their power to influence policy decisions following the six sources of power identified by Sriram et al. We found that research uptake by policymakers in China is influenced by perceived importance of the health issues addressed in the research, relevance of the research to policymakers’ information needs and government’s priorities, the research quality and the composition of the research team. Our analysis identified that international donors are influential in the TB policy process through their financial power. Furthermore, the dual roles of two government agencies as both evidence providers and actors who have the power to influence policy decisions through their technical expertise make them natural intermediaries in the TB policy process. We concluded that resolving the conflict of interests between researchers and policymakers, as suggested in the ‘two-communities theory’, is not enough to improve evidence use by policymakers. Strategies such as framing research to accommodate the fast-changing policy environment and making alliances with key policy actors can be effective to improve the communication of research findings into the policy process, particularly in countries undergoing rapid economic and political development.
Distinct effects on mRNA export factor GANP underlie neurological disease phenotypes and alter gene expression depending on intron content
Authors: Woldegebriel Rosa , Kvist Jouni , Andersson Noora , Õunap Katrin , Reinson Karit , Wojcik Monica H , Bijlsma Emilia K , Hoffer Mariëtte J V , Ryan Monique M , Stark Zornitza , Walsh Maie , Cuppen Inge , van den Boogaard Marie-Jose´ H , Bharucha-Goebel Diana , Donkervoort Sandra , Winchester Sara , Zori Roberto , Bönnemann Carsten G , Maroofian Reza , O’Connor Emer , Houlden Henry , Zhao Fang , Carpén Olli , White Matthew , Sreedharan Jemeen , Stewart Murray , Ylikallio Emil , Tyynismaa Henna
Published: March 2020

Defects in the mRNA export scaffold protein GANP, encoded by the MCM3AP gene, cause autosomal recessive early-onset peripheral neuropathy with or without intellectual disability. We extend here the phenotypic range associated with MCM3AP variants, by describing a severely hypotonic child and a sibling pair with a progressive encephalopathic syndrome. In addition, our analysis of skin fibroblasts from affected individuals from seven unrelated families indicates that disease variants result in depletion of GANP except when they alter critical residues in the Sac3 mRNA binding domain. GANP depletion was associated with more severe phenotypes compared with the Sac3 variants. Patient fibroblasts showed transcriptome alterations that suggested intron content-dependent regulation of gene expression. For example, all differentially expressed intronless genes were downregulated, including ATXN7L3B, which couples mRNA export to transcription activation by association with the TREX-2 and SAGA complexes. Our results provide insight into the molecular basis behind genotype-phenotype correlations in MCM3AP-associated disease and suggest mechanisms by which GANP defects might alter RNA metabolism.
The Impact of Social and Behavioral Factors on Reproducibility in Terrestrial Vertebrate Models
Authors: Whittaker Alexandra L , Hickman Debra L
Published: March 2020

The use of animal models remains critical in preclinical and translational research. The reliability of the animal models and aspects of their validity is likely key to effective translation of findings to medicine. However, despite considerable uniformity in animal models brought about by control of genetics, there remain a number of social as well as innate and acquired behavioral characteristics of laboratory animals that may impact on research outcomes. These include the effects of strain and genetics, age and development, sex, personality and affective states, and social factors largely brought about by housing and husbandry. In addition, aspects of the testing environment may also influence research findings. A number of considerations resulting from the animals’ innate and acquired behavioral characteristics as well as their social structures are described. Suggestions for minimizing the impact of these factors on research are provided.
Ending the HIV Epidemic Among Persons Who Inject Drugs: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis in Six US Cities
Authors: Krebs Emanuel , Zang Xiao , Enns Benjamin , Min Jeong E , Behrends Czarina N , Del Rio Carlos , Dombrowski Julia C , Feaster Daniel J , Gebo Kelly A , Marshall Brandon D L , Mehta Shruti H , Metsch Lisa R , Pandya Ankur , Schackman Bruce R , Strathdee Steffanie A , Nosyk Bohdan ,   Localized HIV Modeling Study Group, Behrends Czarina N , Del Rio Carlos , Dombrowski Julia C , Feaster Daniel J , Gebo Kelly A , Marshall Brandon D L , Mehta Shruti H , Metsch Lisa R , Nosyk Bohdan , Pandya Ankur , Schackman Bruce R , Strathdee Steffanie A , Golden Matthew , Kirk Gregory , Montaner Julio , Shoptaw Steven , Behrends Czarina N , Del Rio Carlos , Dombrowski Julia C , Feaster Daniel J , Gebo Kelly A , Marshall Brandon D L , Mehta Shruti H , Metsch Lisa R , Nosyk Bohdan , Pandya Ankur , Schackman Bruce R , Strathdee Steffanie A , Golden Matthew , Kirk Gregory , Montaner Julio , Shoptaw Steven
Published: March 2020

Background

Persons who inject drugs (PWID) are at a disproportionately high risk of HIV infection. We aimed to determine the highest-valued combination implementation strategies to reduce the burden of HIV among PWID in 6 US cities.

Methods

Using a dynamic HIV transmission model calibrated for Atlanta, Baltimore, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, and Seattle, we assessed the value of implementing combinations of evidence-based interventions at optimistic (drawn from best available evidence) or ideal (90% coverage) scale-up. We estimated reduction in HIV incidence among PWID, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) for each city (10-year implementation; 20-year horizon; 2018 $ US).

Results

Combinations that maximized health benefits contained between 6 (Atlanta and Seattle) and 12 (Miami) interventions with ICER values ranging from $94 069/QALY in Los Angeles to $146 256/QALY in Miami. These strategies reduced HIV incidence by 8.1% (credible interval [CI], 2.8%–13.2%) in Seattle and 54.4% (CI, 37.6%–73.9%) in Miami. Incidence reduction reached 16.1%–75.5% at ideal scale.

Conclusions

Evidence-based interventions targeted to PWID can deliver considerable value; however, ending the HIV epidemic among PWID will require innovative implementation strategies and supporting programs to reduce social and structural barriers to care.
Preservation of fertility in patients with hematological malignancies
Authors: Ashizawa Masahiro , Kanda Yoshinobu
Published: March 2020

Oncofertility is the medical field that bridges oncology and reproduction that seeks to give healthcare providers and patients the opportunity to optimize residual fertility. The treatment for hematological malignancies carries gonadal toxicity, so that the preservation of fertility should be considered in all patients in childhood, adolescence and young adulthood. Most patients who receive only chemotherapy remain fertile, whereas those who receive regimens consisting of high-dose alkylating agents or total body irradiation can develop permanent infertility. In postpubertal patients, there are established methods for preserving fertility, such as the cryopreservation of sperm, oocytes and embryos. Although ideally performed before the initiation of gonadotoxic treatment, these procedures for fertility preservation can be performed any time prior to the loss of gonadal function. In contrast, a standard option is not available in prepubertal patients, and the preservation of fertility must be sought through experimental methods. Future advances in reproductive medicine may overcome this limitation. Gonadal tissue cryopreservation might be performed in the hope that sperm or mature oocytes could later be extracted from cryopreserved tissue. Healthcare providers, including hematologists, reproductive endocrinologists, nurses, clinical psychotherapists and embryologists, need to optimize the patient’s fertility through shared decision-making while always remaining aware of the rapidly progressing developments in reproductive medicine.
The Irrelevance of Harm for a Theory of Disease
Authors: Muckler Dane , Taylor James Stacey
Published: March 2020

Normativism holds that there is a close conceptual link between disease and disvalue. We challenge normativism by advancing an argument against a popular normativist theory, Jerome Wakefield’s harmful dysfunction account. Wakefield maintains that medical disorders are breakdowns (dysfunctions) in evolved mechanisms that cause significant harm to the organism. We argue that Wakefield’s account is not a promising way to distinguish between disease and health because being harmful is neither necessary nor sufficient for a dysfunction to be a disorder. Counterexamples to the harmful dysfunction account are considered, such as mild infections, perceptual deficits, and beneficial illnesses. Then we consider two ways of amending the harmful dysfunction account to address these cases and argue that the proposed amendments raise even more serious problems for this account. These problems apply generally to any normativist theory and raise doubts about the entire normative approach to the philosophy of health and disease.
Spatial ecology of copperhead snakes (Agkistrodon contortrix) in response to urban park trails
Authors: Carrasco-Harris Malle F , Bowman Dale , Reichling Steve , Cole Judith A
Published: March 2020

Urban forests and parks are important for recreation and may serve as a natural corridor for commuters. The consequences of human-mediated disturbance in natural areas are documented for avian and mammalian species. Less is known about the consequences of human disturbance on reptile species, specifically snakes, residing in natural refuges within the urban matrix. Thus, we examined the spatial activity of copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix) in regard to pedestrian trails within an urban forest. We used radio telemetry to track snakes during the active season and estimated distances moved in between relocations, distances to the nearest trail and home range size for individuals. We found sex and season, but not distance to the nearest trail, affected the distance snakes moved. In addition, we observed a weak, positive relationship between home range size and average distance to the trail. Sex, season and body condition did not explain snake distance to the trail, but individual patterns were variable for snakes compared to random locations generated from snake relocations. Our study indicates copperheads may be tolerant of low-level human disturbances found in an urban forest. Further work should be done to quantify levels of disturbance, such as trail use, and compare the behavior of reptiles across urban park types and locations.
Comparative statistical study of characteristics of plasma in planar and non-planar ICME sheaths during solar cycles 23 and 24
Authors: Shaikh Zubair I , Raghav Anil N , Vichare Geeta , Bhaskar Ankush , Mishra Wageesh
Published: March 2020

Planar magnetic structures (PMS) are often observed in sheath regions driven by interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) and in corotating interaction regions (CIRs). Here, we study plasma properties statistically within planar and non-planar ICME sheath regions using in situ data from the Advanced Composition Explore (ACE) spacecraft. The study includes 420 ICME-driven sheaths from 1998–2017. We found that 146 ($\sim 35{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$) ICME-driven sheaths are planar, whereas 274 ($\sim 65{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$) are non-planar. This study found that the average plasma temperature, density, speed, plasma beta, thermal pressure and magnetic pressure are higher in planar sheaths than in non-planar sheaths. This implies that high compression plays an essential role in the formation of PMS in sheath regions. Interestingly, our analysis reveals explicitly that the strength of the southward/northward magnetic field component is almost double in planar sheath regions compared with non-planar sheath regions. This suggests that planar sheaths are more geoeffective than non-planar sheaths.
The rotation of α Oph investigated using polarimetry
Authors: Bailey Jeremy , Cotton Daniel V , Howarth Ian D , Lewis Fiona , Kedziora-Chudczer Lucyna
Published: March 2020

Recently we have demonstrated that high-precision polarization observations can detect the polarization resulting from the rotational distortion of a rapidly rotating B-type star. Here, we investigate the extension of this approach to an A-type star. Linear-polarization observations of α Oph (A5IV) have been obtained over wavelengths from 400 to 750 nm. They show the wavelength dependence expected for a rapidly rotating star combined with a contribution from interstellar polarization. We model the observations by fitting rotating-star polarization models and adding additional constraints including a measured vesin i. However, we cannot fully separate the effects of rotation rate and inclination, leaving a range of possible solutions. We determine a rotation rate (ω = Ω/Ωc) between 0.83 and 0.98 and an axial inclination i > 60°. The rotation-axis position angle is found to be 142 ± 4°, differing by 16° from a value obtained by interferometry. This might be due to precession of the rotation axis due to interaction with the binary companion. Other parameters resulting from the analysis include a polar temperature Tp = 8725 ± 175 K, polar gravity log gp = 3.93 ± 0.08 (dex cgs), and polar radius Rp = 2.52 ± 0.06 R⊙. Comparison with rotating-star evolutionary models indicates that α Oph is in the later half of its main-sequence evolution and must have had an initial ω of 0.8 or greater. The interstellar polarization has a maximum value at a wavelength (λmax) of 440 ± 110 nm, consistent with values found for other nearby stars.
Do fragmentation and accretion affect the stellar initial mass function?
Authors: Riaz R , Schleicher D R G , Vanaverbeke S , Klessen R S
Published: March 2020

While the stellar initial mass function (IMF) appears to be close to universal within the Milky Way galaxy, it is strongly suspected to be different in the primordial universe, where molecular hydrogen cooling is less efficient and the gas temperature can be higher by a factor of 30. In between these extreme cases, the gas temperature varies depending on the environment, metallicity, and radiation background. In this paper we explore if changes of the gas temperature affect the IMF of the stars considering fragmentation and accretion. The fragmentation behaviour depends mostly on the Jeans mass at the turning point in the equation of state (EOS) where a transition occurs from an approximately isothermal to an adiabatic regime due to dust opacities. The Jeans mass at this transition in the EOS is always very similar, independent of the initial temperature, and therefore the initial mass of the fragments is very similar. Accretion on the other hand is strongly temperature dependent. We argue that the latter becomes the dominant process for star formation efficiencies above 5–7  per cent, increasing the average mass of the stars.
Regulation of the RNA and DNA nuclease activities required for Pyrococcus furiosus Type III-B CRISPR–Cas immunity
Authors: Foster Kawanda , Grüschow Sabine , Bailey Scott , White Malcolm F , Terns Michael P
Published: March 2020

Type III CRISPR–Cas prokaryotic immune systems provide anti-viral and anti-plasmid immunity via a dual mechanism of RNA and DNA destruction. Upon target RNA interaction, Type III crRNP effector complexes become activated to cleave both target RNA (via Cas7) and target DNA (via Cas10). Moreover, trans-acting endoribonucleases, Csx1 or Csm6, can promote the Type III immune response by destroying both invader and host RNAs. Here, we characterize how the RNase and DNase activities associated with Type III-B immunity in Pyrococcus furiosus (Pfu) are regulated by target RNA features and second messenger signaling events. In vivo mutational analyses reveal that either the DNase activity of Cas10 or the RNase activity of Csx1 can effectively direct successful anti-plasmid immunity. Biochemical analyses confirmed that the Cas10 Palm domains convert ATP into cyclic oligoadenylate (cOA) compounds that activate the ribonuclease activity of Pfu Csx1. Furthermore, we show that the HEPN domain of the adenosine-specific endoribonuclease, Pfu Csx1, degrades cOA signaling molecules to provide an auto-inhibitory off-switch of Csx1 activation. Activation of both the DNase and cOA generation activities require target RNA binding and recognition of distinct target RNA 3′ protospacer flanking sequences. Our results highlight the complex regulatory mechanisms controlling Type III CRISPR immunity.
Real-world Experience of Bezlotoxumab for Prevention of Clostridioides difficile Infection: A Retrospective Multicenter Cohort Study
Authors: Hengel Richard L , Ritter Timothy E , Nathan Ramesh V , Van Anglen Lucinda J , Schroeder Claudia P , Dillon Ryan J , Marcella Stephen W , Garey Kevin W
Published: March 2020

Background

Bezlotoxumab is approved for prevention of recurrence of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in adults receiving standard of care (SoC) therapy based on findings from MODIFY clinical trials. However, utilization practices and validation of trial results in the real world are limited.

Methods

Records of patients receiving bezlotoxumab between April 2017 and December 2018 across 34 infusion centers in the United States were retrospectively reviewed. Recurrent CDI (rCDI), defined as diarrhea lasting ≥2 days resulting in treatment, was assessed 90 days postbezlotoxumab.

Results

The study cohort included 200 patients (median age, 70 years; 66% female; median Charlson comorbidity index, 5), of whom 86% (n = 173) had prior CDI episodes and 79% (n = 158) had ≥2 risk factors for rCDI. SoC antibiotics included vancomycin (n = 137, 68%), fidaxomicin (n = 60, 30%), and metronidazole (n = 3, 2%). Median time from C. difficile stool test to bezlotoxumab and initiation of SoC to bezlotoxumab were 15 days and 11 days, respectively. Within 90 days, 31 of 195 patients (15.9%) experienced rCDI, which corresponds to a success rate of 84.1%. Patients with ≥2 CDI recurrences prebezlotoxumab had a higher risk of subsequent rCDI compared with those with 1 recurrence or primary CDI (hazard ratio, 2.77; 95% confidence interval, 1.14–6.76; P = .025).

Conclusions

This real-world multicenter study demonstrated successful prevention of rCDI with bezlotoxumab comparable to clinical trial results regardless of type of SoC and timing of infusion. Multiple prior CDI recurrences were associated with a higher risk of subsequent rCDI, supporting the use of bezlotoxumab earlier in the disease course.
Taking America Back for God
Authors: Whitehead Andrew L. , Perry Samuel L.
Published: March 2020

Taking America Back for God conclusively reveals that understanding the current cultural and political climate in the United States requires reckoning with Christian nationalism. Christian ideals and symbols have long played an important role in public life in the United States, but Christian nationalism demands far more than a recognition of religious heritage. At heart, Christian nationalism fights to preserve a particular kind of social order, an order in which everyone—Christians and non-Christians, native-born and immigrants, whites and minorities, men and women—recognizes their “proper” place in society. The first comprehensive empirical analysis of Christian nationalism in the United States, Taking America Back for God illustrates the scope and tremendous influence of Christian nationalism on debates surrounding the most contentious social issues dominating American public discourse. Drawing on multiple sources of national survey data collected over the past several decades and in-depth interviews, Whitehead and Perry document how Christian nationalism radically shapes what Americans think about who they are as a people, what their future should look like, and how they should get there. Regardless of Americans’ political or religious characteristics, whether they are Ambassadors, Accommodators, Resisters, or Rejecters of Christian nationalism provides powerful insight into what they think about immigration, Muslims, gun control, police shootings, atheists, gender roles, and many other political issues—even who they want in the White House. Taking America Back for God convincingly shows how Christian nationalists’ desire for political power, rigid social boundaries, and hierarchical order creates significant consequences for all Americans.
Salafism Goes Global
Authors: Adraoui Mohamed-Ali
Published: March 2020

Salafism has emerged as one of the most visible and questioned faces in contemporary Islam. In many countries, from the East to the West, this fundamentalist vision seeking to restore a version of Islam that is supposed to be pure and unchanged is increasingly successful. This is the case in France, where thousands of Muslims are now dedicated to living this puritanical and fundamentalist religiosity. In connection with some Islamic countries, starting with Saudi Arabia, they appeal to a transnational narrative through which they promote a new face of globalization. Reacting to both political Islam and jihadism, they prefer to become entrepreneurs in order to seek economic success. Splitting from the rest of society, they are building a counternarrative in which they represent the purest form of the Islamic identity. Using research from a prolonged immersion in French Salafist communities, this book sheds light on the lifestyle, representations, profiles, and trajectories of these communities. By focusing on quietist Salafism and its formative ties with several Gulf countries, especially with Saudi Arabia, this book is also an attempt to understand contemporary religious globalizations. It also sheds light on a dynamic that is less centered on formal political entities and primarily refers to a globalization taking place in the margins that have been little studied for too long.
The Value of Science in Space Exploration
Authors: Schwartz James S.J.
Published: March 2020

The Value of Science in Space Exploration provides a rigorous assessment of the value of scientific knowledge and understanding in the context of contemporary space exploration. It argues that traditional spaceflight rationales are deficient, and that the strongest defense of spaceflight comes from its potential to produce intrinsically and instrumentally valuable knowledge and understanding. It engages with contemporary epistemology to articulate an account of the intrinsic value of scientific knowledge and understanding. It also parleys with recent work in science policy and social philosophy of science to characterize the instrumental value of scientific research, identifying space research as an effective generator of new knowledge and understanding. These values found an ethical obligation to engage in scientific examination of the space environment. This obligation has important implications for major space policy discussions, including debates surrounding planetary protection policies, space resource exploitation, and human space settlement. Whereas planetary protection policies are currently employed to prevent biological contamination only of sites of interest in the search for extraterrestrial life, it contends that all sites of interest to space science ought to be protected. Meanwhile, space resource exploitation and human space settlement would result in extensive disruption or destruction of pristine space environments. The overall ethical value of these environments in the production of new knowledge and understanding is greater than their value as commercial or real commodities, and thus, exploitation and settlement of space should be avoided until the scientific community adequately understands these environments.
The Need for Forbearance in Space Resource Exploitation
Authors: Schwartz James S.J.
Published: March 2020

This chapter argues that space resource exploitation should not be encouraged through enabling legislation. It discusses the legal context of space exploitation, rejecting oft-repeated promises that space exploitation will yield tangible benefits for the majority of humanity. Surveying recent planetary science research, it argues that most of the easily accessible space resources are scarce, and so do not exist in quantities capable of ameliorating terrestrial resource depletion. It also identifies a need to regulate the use of space resources to prevent especially scarce resources such as lunar and asteroidal water from being wasted on projects that benefit only the already fortunate. It argues that scientific uses of space and its resources should be prioritized.
A Brief History of Digital Copyright and Google
Authors: Gray Joanne Elizabeth
Published: March 2020

This chapter provides important contextual information for understanding the influence of Google on copyright law and practice. It introduces the central objectives that define copyright law including both public and private interests. It provides a brief history of digital copyright politics, including the dominant interests and ideologies. This chapter also outlines Google’s origins and core business activities, search and advertising, as well as the reasons why Google is a unique force in the history of copyright.
Campaigning in a Racially Diversifying America
Authors: Collingwood Loren
Published: March 2020

As the United States moves toward a majority-minority country, candidates for public office must increasingly make appeals to voters from a range of racial and ethnic backgrounds. In 2008, Barack Obama did this to maximum effect with white voters across the U.S. Most recently, in 2018, Beto O’Rourke nearly became the first Democratic senator from Texas since the 1990s. O’Rourke, who grew up in El Paso, speaks Spanish and is extremely knowledgeable about border issues and immigration policy more generally, which translated into strong support and turnout among Latino voters. In Campaigning in a Racially Diversifying America: When and How Cross-Racial Electoral Mobilization Works, Loren Collingwood examines the specific case of how and when white/Anglo candidates mobilize Latino voters, and why some candidates are successful whereas others are not. Drawing on extensive data collection, statistical analysis, and archival evidence, Collingwood traces the development of cross-racial mobilization across the U.S. South and the Southwest since the 1940s. Extensive cross-racial mobilization is most likely to occur when elections are competitive, institutional barriers to the vote are low, candidates have previously developed a welcoming racial reputation with target voters, whites’ attitudes are racially liberal, and the Latino electorate is large and growing. Collingwood convincingly argues—and empirically demonstrates—that to maximize the vote across the racial aisle, white/Anglo candidates must develop minority-group cultural competence and group-specific policy expertise. With these qualities, and maximum efforts at cross-racial mobilization, non-co-ethnic candidates can begin to approach the electoral benefits previously thought only accrued to co-ethnic candidates.