bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bioenergetic constraints on the origin of autotrophic metabolism
Authors: Boyd Eric S. , Amenabar Maximiliano J. , Poudel Saroj , Templeton Alexis S.
Published: January 2020

Autotrophs form the base of all complex food webs and seemingly have done so since early in Earth history. Phylogenetic evidence suggests that early autotrophs were anaerobic, used CO
2
as both an oxidant and carbon source, were dependent on H
2
as an electron donor, and used iron-sulfur proteins (termed ferredoxins) as a primary electron carrier. However, the reduction potential of H
2
is not typically low enough to efficiently reduce ferredoxin. Instead, in modern strictly anaerobic and H
2
-dependent autotrophs, ferredoxin reduction is accomplished using one of several recently evolved enzymatic mechanisms, including electron bifurcating and coupled ion translocating mechanisms. These observations raise the intriguing question of why anaerobic autotrophs adopted ferredoxins as central electron carriers only to have to evolve complex machinery to reduce them. Here, we report calculated reduction potentials for H
2
as a function of observed environmental H
2
concentration, pH and temperature. Results suggest that a combination of alkaline pH and high H
2
concentration yield H
2
reduction potentials low enough to efficiently reduce ferredoxins. Hyperalkaline, H
2
rich environments have existed in discrete locations throughout Earth history where ultramafic minerals are undergoing hydration through the process of serpentinization. These results suggest that serpentinizing systems, which would have been common on early Earth, naturally produced conditions conducive to the emergence of H
2
-dependent autotrophic life. The primitive process of hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis is used to examine potential changes in methanogenesis and Fd reduction pathways as these organisms diversified away from serpentinizing environments.

This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Serpentinite in the earth system’.
Insight into the microphysics of antigorite deformation from spherical nanoindentation
Authors: Hansen Lars N. , David Emmanuel C. , Brantut Nicolas , Wallis David
Published: January 2020

The mechanical behaviour of antigorite strongly influences the strength and deformation of the subduction interface. Although there is microstructural evidence elucidating the nature of brittle deformation at low pressures, there is often conflicting evidence regarding the potential for plastic deformation in the ductile regime at higher pressures. Here, we present a series of spherical nanoindentation experiments on aggregates of natural antigorite. These experiments effectively investigate the single-crystal mechanical behaviour because the volume of deformed material is significantly smaller than the grain size. Individual indents reveal elastic loading followed by yield and strain hardening. The magnitude of the yield stress is a function of crystal orientation, with lower values associated with indents parallel to the basal plane. Unloading paths reveal more strain recovery than expected for purely elastic unloading. The magnitude of inelastic strain recovery is highest for indents parallel to the basal plane. We also imposed indents with cyclical loading paths, and observed strain energy dissipation during unloading–loading cycles conducted up to a fixed maximum indentation load and depth. The magnitude of this dissipated strain energy was highest for indents parallel to the basal plane. Subsequent scanning electron microscopy revealed surface impressions accommodated by shear cracks and a general lack of dislocation-induced lattice misorientation. Based on these observations, we suggest that antigorite deformation at high pressures is dominated by sliding on shear cracks. We develop a microphysical model that is able to quantitatively explain Young’s modulus and dissipated strain energy data during cyclic loading experiments, based on either frictional or cohesive sliding of an array of cracks contained in the basal plane.

This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Serpentinite in the earth system’
The role of fine‐root mass, specific root length and life span in tree performance: A whole‐tree exploration
Authors: Weemstra Monique , Kiorapostolou Natasa , van Ruijven Jasper , Mommer Liesje , de Vries Jorad , Sterck Frank
Published: January 2020

The root economics spectrum (RES) hypothesis predicts that fast‐growing tree species have short‐lived roots with high specific root length (SRL) to allow rapid resource uptake, and opposite trait expressions for slow‐growing species. Yet, the mixed support for this hypothesis suggests that trees can adopt alternative strategies to increase resource uptake, besides an increase in SRL.

We combined a novel mechanistic whole‐tree model and empirical fine‐root data of 10 tree species to test the effects of one of these alternative strategies, notably increasing fine‐root mass, on the tree's net C gain (used here as a proxy for tree performance), and to assess how fine‐root life span influences the relative importance of SRL and fine‐root mass for the C balance of trees.

Our results indicate that accounting for the short life span of high‐SRL roots has important implications for explaining tree performance and the role of roots herein. Without considering their faster turnover, high‐SRL roots and low fine‐root mass resulted in the highest performance as predicted from the RES. Yet, when their higher turnover rates were accounted for, a high fine‐root mass and low SRL lead to the highest performance. Both our model outcomes and field data further show a negative relationship between SRL and fine‐root mass through which species aim to realize a similar root length density. This trade‐off further indicates how high a SRL and low fine‐root mass as well as opposite trait values can both lead to a positive C balance in a similar environment.

Our study may explain why high‐SRL roots do not necessarily lead to the fastest tree growth as often hypothesized and demonstrates the importance of fine‐root mass in combination with fine‐root life span for explaining interspecific differences in tree performance. More generally, our work demonstrates the value of identifying and investigating different below‐ground strategies across species from a whole‐plant modelling perspective, and identifies the relationship between SRL, fine‐root biomass and life span as an important functional dimension to variation in species’ performance.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Is Trade Liberalisation Pro‐Poor in Pakistan? Evidence from Large‐Scale Manufacturing
Authors: Jadoon Atif Khan , Sarwar Ambreen
Published: January 2020

This article aims to analyse the impact of industry‐level trade liberalisation (measured through industry‐specific tariff rates) on poverty in Pakistan. Combining data for tariff rates with the Labour Force Survey of Pakistan, we use quantile regression analysis to estimate the impact of changes in tariff rates on workers’ wages (associated with the manufacturing sector of Pakistan) that are at different points of the income distribution. Our findings meaningfully signal that trade liberalisation helps to reduce poverty in the economy. Based on these results, this study provides policy recommendations to reap maximum benefits from trade liberalisation.
Characterization of a Y‐specific duplication/insertion of the anti‐Mullerian hormone type II receptor gene based on a chromosome‐scale genome assembly of yellow perch, Perca flavescens
Authors: Feron Romain , Zahm Margot , Cabau Cédric , Klopp Christophe , Roques Céline , Bouchez Olivier , Eché Camille , Valière Sophie , Donnadieu Cécile , Haffray Pierrick , Bestin Anastasia , Morvezen Romain , Acloque Hervé , Euclide Peter T. , Wen Ming , Jouano Elodie , Schartl Manfred , Postlethwait John H. , Schraidt Claire , Christie Mark R. , Larson Wesley A. , Herpin Amaury , Guiguen Yann
Published: January 2020

Yellow perch, Perca flavescens, is an ecologically and economically important species native to a large portion of the northern United States and southern Canada and is also a promising candidate species for aquaculture. However, no yellow perch reference genome has been available to facilitate improvements in both fisheries and aquaculture management practices. By combining Oxford Nanopore Technologies long‐reads, 10X Genomics Illumina short linked reads and a chromosome contact map produced with Hi‐C, we generated a high‐continuity chromosome‐scale yellow perch genome assembly of 877.4 Mb. It contains, in agreement with the known diploid chromosome yellow perch count, 24 chromosome‐size scaffolds covering 98.8% of the complete assembly (N50 = 37.4 Mb, L50 = 11). We also provide a first characterization of the yellow perch sex determination locus that contains a male‐specific duplicate of the anti‐Mullerian hormone type II receptor gene (amhr2by) inserted at the proximal end of the Y chromosome (chromosome 9). Using this sex‐specific information, we developed a simple PCR genotyping assay which accurately differentiates XY genetic males (amhr2by+) from XX genetic females (amhr2by−). Our high‐quality genome assembly is an important genomic resource for future studies on yellow perch ecology, toxicology, fisheries and aquaculture research. In addition, characterization of the amhr2by gene as a candidate sex‐determining gene in yellow perch provides a new example of the recurrent implication of the transforming growth factor beta pathway in fish sex determination, and highlights gene duplication as an important genomic mechanism for the emergence of new master sex determination genes.
Prospective Associations between BOLD Markers of Response Inhibition and the Transition to Frequent Binge Drinking
Authors: Courtney Kelly E. , Infante Maria Alejandra , Bordyug Maria , Simmons Alan N. , Tapert Susan F.
Published: January 2020

Background

Altered brain activation during response inhibition has been linked to a greater risk for alcohol and other substance use behaviors in late adolescence. However, the ability of neural markers of response inhibition, acquired during adolescence, to temporally predict the transition from less frequent and lower quantity alcohol use to high‐risk, frequent (≥ weekly) binge drinking behavior remains unclear.

Methods

Adolescents (N = 29; 9 females) were selected from a larger ongoing longitudinal study to include those who transitioned to at least weekly binge drinking (≥5/4 alcoholic drinks for males/females per occasion) over a 15‐year follow‐up period. Prior to the onset of weekly binge drinking (mean age = 18.0), participants underwent a functional MRI including a go/no‐go task. Whole‐brain activation from the no‐go correct rejection versus no‐go false alarm contrast was used to predict time to transition to frequent binge drinking.

Results

Less no‐go correct rejection versus no‐go false alarm activation in a cluster including the precentral gyri, insula, and inferior frontal gyri predicted a more rapid transition into frequent binge drinking (voxel‐wise alpha < 0.001, cluster‐wise alpha < 0.05, cluster threshold ≥ 18 voxels).

Conclusions

Results from this study are supported by literature suggesting that frontoinsular involvement is important for successful inhibition and cognitive control. Altered brain activation during response inhibition may thus represent neural antecedents of impulse regulation difficulties related to alcohol consumption. The magnitude of this activation provides temporal information that may be used to inform and optimize timing of interventions aimed at preventing the escalation and transition to problematic drinking for youth who have already begun to engage in drinking behaviors.
Detection of thrombosis in a magnetically levitated blood pump by vibrational excitation of the impeller
Authors: Hijikata Wataru , Maruyama Takuro , Murashige Tomotaka , Sakota Daisuke , Maruyama Osamu
Published: January 2020

The use of contactless support technology for the impeller has led to an increase in the durability of ventricular assist devices (VADs), and these have been in clinical use worldwide. However, pump thrombosis and stroke are still issues to be solved. We have developed a method for detecting the thrombosis in a magnetically levitated blood pump without the need for additional sensors or other equipment. In the proposed method, a sinusoidal current is applied to the electromagnets used for the magnetic bearing, resulting in vibration of the impeller. The phase difference between the current and displacement of the impeller increases with pump thrombosis. First, we describe the principle by which the pump thrombosis is detected. Pump thrombosis reduces the narrowest fluid gap in the pump and this gives rise to a change in the phase difference. Second, we report on experiments in which we changed the narrowest fluid gap using oriented polypropylene tape and showed that decreasing the narrowest fluid gap resulted in an increase in phase difference. For these experiments, the measurements were repeated three times for each condition. Third, we examine the relationship between the pump thrombosis and the phase difference evaluated by observations of the underside of the impeller when operating the pump with porcine blood. Since light was unable to penetrate the blood layer, the erythrocytes were removed for this observation. Only one observation was made. The results showed the phase difference rapidly increased at the same moment when the pump thrombosis was observed. This implies the proposed method has the potential to detect the early stages of pump thrombosis. Finally, in vitro experiments to detect thrombosis when using whole porcine blood in the pump were conducted. The experiment was carried out five times. To intentionally form a thrombus inside the pump, the activated clotting time was controlled to be less than 200 s. In every case, the phase difference increased by more than one degree after tens of minutes. Then, the pump was disassembled and a small amount of pump thrombosis was observed. We conclude that real‐time diagnosis of pump thrombosis may be realized by measuring the phase difference without the need for additional sensors.
Mass‐transport complexes (MTCs) document subsidence patterns in a northern Gulf of Mexico salt minibasin
Authors: Wu Nan , Jackson Christopher A.‐L. , Johnson Howard D. , Hodgson David M. , Nugraha Harya D.
Published: January 2020

Mass‐transport complexes (MTCs) dominate the stratigraphic record of many salt‐influenced sedimentary basins. Commonly in such settings, halokinesis is invoked as a primary trigger for MTC emplacement, although the link between specific phases of salt movement, and related minibasin dynamics, remains unclear. Here, we use high‐quality 3D seismic reflection and well data to constrain the composition, geometry and distribution (in time and space) of six MTCs preserved in a salt‐confined, supra‐canopy minibasin in the northern Gulf of Mexico, and to assess how their emplacement relate to regional and local controls. We define three main tectono‐sedimentary phases in the development of the minibasin: (a) initial minibasin subsidence and passive diapirism, during which time deposition was dominated by relatively large‐volume MTCs (c. 25 km3) derived from the shelf‐edge or upper slope; (b) minibasin margin uplift and steepening, during which time small‐volume MTCs (c. 20 km3) derived from the shelf‐edge or upper slope were emplaced; and (c) active diapirism, during which time very small volume MTCs (c. 1 km3) were emplaced, locally derived from the diapir flanks or roofs. We present a generic model that emphasizes the dynamic nature of minibasin evolution, and how MTC emplacement relates to halokinetic sequence development. Although based on a single data‐rich case study, our model may be applicable to other MTC‐rich, salt‐influenced sedimentary basins.
The prognosis of non‐small cell lung cancer combined with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Wu Ke , Wang Jing , Zhao Limin , Wang Pei , Duan Qi
Published: January 2020

Objective

To investigate the effect of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) combined with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) on prognosis, so as to provide help to clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Methods

PubMed, Web of Science and the Medline were used to retrieve studies reported from 1950 to 2019. If the study reported the prognosis of COPD with NSCLC, the study was included and the relevant information was extracted and the data analyzed. The standard mean deviation (SMD) of 95% confidence interval was used in this meta‐analysis.

Results

A total of 851 data studies were reviewed for eligibility, eventually, 12 case‐control studies were included in this systematic review and meta‐analysis. The sample sizes for company's studies of NSCLC ranged from 85 to 10 378, with a total number of 14 164, including 2450 COPD and 9395 Non‐COPD. Meta‐analyses showed that concomitant COPD was associated with poorer OS compared with patients without COPD (Fixed: HR: 1.16; 95% CI: 1.08‐1.25. Random: HR: 1.07; CI: 0.92‐1.24), with a significant heterogeneity across studies (I2 = 45%, P = 0.04).

Conclusion

Our study showed that patients with combined COPD had an impact on the prognosis and survival rate of SCLC patients.
Real‐world data reveal unmet clinical needs in insulin treatment in Asian people with type 2 diabetes: the Joint Asia Diabetes Evaluation (JADE) Register
Authors: Kong Alice P. S. , Lew Thomas , Lau Eric S. H. , Lim Lee‐Ling , Kesavadev Jothydev , Jia Weiping , Sheu Wayne H.‐H. , Sobrepena Leorino , Tan Alexander T. B. , Nguyen Thy Khue , Yoon Kun‐Ho , Wang Ke , Kodiappan Kamlanathan , Treuer Tamás , Chan Juliana C. N. ,   on behalf of the JADE Collaborative Study Group
Published: January 2020

Aims

To explore the pattern of insulin use and glycaemic control in Asian people with type 2 diabetes, stratified by gender, young‐onset diabetes (YOD; diagnosed before age 40 years), and diabetic kidney disease (DKD; estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] < 60 mL/min/1.73m2).

Materials and methods

We conducted a cross‐sectional analysis of 97 852 patients from 11 Asian countries/regions (2007–2017) included in the prospective Joint Asia Diabetes Evaluation (JADE) Register.

Results

Among 18 998 insulin users (47% women, mean ± SD age 59.2 ± 11.7 years, diabetes duration 13.2 ± 8.3 years, glycated haemoglobin [HbA1c] 72 ± 21.4 mmol/mol [8.74 ± 1.95%], median total daily insulin dose [TDD] 0.27–0.82 units/kg), 25% and 29.5% had YOD and DKD, respectively. Premixed (44%) and basal‐only (42%) insulin were the most common regimens. Despite being more commonly treated with these two regimens with higher insulin dosages, patients with YOD had worse HbA1c levels than their late‐onset peers (73 ± 20.5 vs. 71 ± 21.2 mmol/mol [8.82 ± 1.87% vs. 8.66 ± 1.94%]; P < 0.001). Fewer women than men attained an HbA1c level < 53 mmol/mol (7%; 15.7% vs 17.1%; P = 0.018). Adjusting for age, diabetes duration, TDD, HbA1c, eGFR, and use of oral glucose‐lowering drugs at baseline, the odds of self‐reported hypoglycaemia were higher in women (vs. men: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.16, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05–1.28) and in patients with DKD treated with a premixed regimen (1.81 [95% CI 1.54–2.13] vs. 1.34 [95% CI 1.16–1.54] in non‐DKD; Pinteraction < 0.001). Compared to basal‐only regimens, premixed and basal‐bolus regimens had similar HbA1c reductions but were independently associated with increased odds of hypoglycaemia (1.65 [95% CI 1.45–1.88] and 1.88 [95% CI 1.58–2.23], respectively).

Conclusions

In this Asian population, there were varying patterns of insulin regimens with suboptimal glycaemic control, despite relatively high TDDs, which were influenced by gender, DKD, and YOD status.
Regulation of CHK1 by the Ubiquitin–Proteasome System
Authors: Cartel Maëlle , Didier Christine
Published: January 2020

The checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) is a master regulator of genome integrity in vertebrate cells. Despite its important cell cycle functions, its regulation is still incompletely understood. Cassidy et al. provide novel insights on the regulation of the CHK1 abundance by the HECT E3 ligase HUWE1 during unperturbed cell cycle as well as in response to replicative stress. These results may help us to apprehend the underlying mechanism of tumorigenesis.
The FEBS Journal in 2020: Open Access and quality versus quantity publishing
Authors: Martin Seamus J.
Published: January 2020

The FEBS Journal, a leading multidisciplinary journal in the life sciences, continues to grow in visibility and impact. Here, Editor‐in‐Chief Seamus Martin discusses the potential impact of the ‘author pays’ publishing model on research quality, and some of the highlights at the journal over the past year.
Urban regeneration in urban functional areas in Poland as an instrument of implementation of the EU Cohesion Policy
Authors: Kamrowska‐Załuska Dorota , Obracht‐Prondzyńska Hanna
Published: January 2020

This study examines the role of urban regeneration policies in planning and governance within urban functional areas (UFAs) in Poland, in the context of the EU Cohesion Policy (CP). The empirical part of this study is based on comparing the approaches adopted in two Polish regions: Pomerania and Silesia. We describe the first successes but also the bottlenecks of the process, from negotiations and programming up to the implementation of the first tranche of integrated projects. We consider the factors that strengthen planning and governance within UFAs, while simultaneously influencing the local development, and territorial impacts of the EU Cohesion Policy in the given regions. This study is based on interviews with national, regional, and local actors. It defines the role of urban regeneration policies in shaping local socio‐economic and spatial development in these regions and identifies the conditions required for the implementation of urban regeneration in functional areas. We also draw lessons for the future CP programming period from the experience of Polish regions, among the main beneficiaries of the EU Cohesion Policy. By evaluating the influence of Cohesion Policy at different government levels, our study may influence the discourse on its future, particularly in the context of strengthening the cooperation and multilevel governance.
CXCR4 or CXCR7 antagonists treat endometriosis by reducing bone marrow cell trafficking
Authors: Pluchino Nicola , Mamillapalli Ramanaiah , Shaikh Shafiq , Habata Shutaro , Tal Aya , Gaye Marie , Taylor Hugh S.
Published: January 2020

Adult stem cells have a major role in endometrial physiology, including remodelling and repair. However, they also have a critical role in the development and progression of endometriosis. Bone marrow‐derived stem cells engraft eutopic endometrium and endometriotic lesions, differentiating to both stromal and epithelial cell fates. Using a mouse bone marrow transplantation model, we show that bone marrow‐derived cells engrafting endometriosis express CXCR4 and CXCR7. Targeting either receptor by the administration of small molecule receptor antagonists AMD3100 or CCX771, respectively, reduced BM‐derived stem cell recruitment into endometriosis implants. Endometriosis lesion size was decreased compared to vehicle controls after treatment with each antagonist in both an early growth and established lesion treatment model. Endometriosis lesion size was not effected when the local effects of CXCL12 were abrogated using uterine‐specific CXCL12 null mice, suggesting an effect primarily on bone marrow cell migration rather than a direct endometrial effect. Antagonist treatment also decreased hallmarks of endometriosis physiopathology such as pro‐inflammatory cytokine production and vascularization. CXCR4 and CXCR7 antagonists are potential novel, non‐hormonal therapies for endometriosis.
Comment on: The Clinical Course after Long‐term Acute Care Hospital Admission among Older Medicare Beneficiaries
Authors: Dawson Amanda , Grigonis Antony
Published: January 2020

See the Reply by Makam et al.
Solvent fractions of fermented Trapa japonica fruit extract stimulate collagen synthesis through TGF‐β1/GSK‐3β/β‐catenin pathway in human dermal fibroblasts
Authors: Nam Gun‐He , Kawk Hye Won , Kim Sang‐Yong , Kim Young‐Min
Published: January 2020

Background

The dermis, composed predominantly of dermal fibroblasts and extracellular matrix (ECM), consists of fibrous proteins such as collagen and elastin and is associated with wrinkle formation and dermal elasticity. As the major constituent of the dermal matrix, collagen strengthens the skin, enhances its elasticity and protects it from external factors, such as ultraviolet (UV) rays, skin inflammation, intracellular metabolites, and aging.

Aims

Economic growth and long‐life expectancy have increased the interest in beauty, with extensive studies conducted to evaluate the anti‐aging and health‐promoting benefits of bioactive substances.

Methods

In this study, we used natural ingredients, Trapa japonica fruit is a hard, aquatic plant that grows in ponds or marshes and contains protein and starch. To develop the ingredients for comprehensive skin improvement, this study investigated the effects of the trapa japonica fruit extract on the improvement of skin cells.

Conclusion

We investigated the role of the fermented hot‐water trapa japonica fruit extract to isolate the active ingredients with antiwrinkle effects in vitro and ex vivo situation through human dermal fibroblast cell proliferation via activating TGF‐β1/GSK‐3β/β‐catenin pathway.
The effect of oral hydrolyzed eggshell membrane on the appearance of hair, skin, and nails in healthy middle‐aged adults: A randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled clinical trial
Authors: Kalman Douglas S. , Hewlings Susan
Published: January 2020

Background

Many over the counter and consumer packaged goods are promoted to enhance the appearance of hair, skin, and nails for the consumer. Nutrition is a major factor in affecting the health and appearance of hair, skin, and nails. In addition to how one eats, dietary supplementation may play a role in overall health and in the physical appearance.

Aims

It was the aim of this study to objectively and subjectively evaluate the impacts of a nutritional intervention as compared to placebo on the appearances of hair, skin, and nails in healthy middle‐aged adults.

Methods

Randomized, double‐blind placebo‐controlled study with 88 subjects randomized evenly to Study Product (BiovaBio™ 450 mg/d, n = 44) or Placebo (n = 44) for 12‐weeks. Outcome tests included TrichoScan HD (hair), Canfield Visia®‐CR (skin), modified FACE‐Q (skin), and anchored Likert Scales (nails).

Results

Oral hydrolyzed eggshell membrane ingestion was associated with a significant improvement in facial skin appearance in crow's feet in 4 weeks and skin tone in 8 weeks, with significant impact on hair thickness, reduction in hair breakage and improvement in hair growth at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. There were no observed subjective improvements for nails (appearance, strength or growth).

Conclusions

Oral supplementation of 450 mg/d hydrolyzed eggshell membrane for 12 weeks is associated with improvement in the appearance of facial skin and hair.
Cohabitation and Marriage: Complexity and Diversity in Union‐Formation Patterns
Authors: Sassler Sharon , Lichter Daniel T.
Published: January 2020

Nonmarital cohabitation and marriage are now fundamentally linked, a fact that is routinely reflected in current research on union formation. Unprecedented changes in the timing, duration, and sequencing of intimate co‐residential relationships have made the study of traditional marriage far more complex today than in the past. It is now clear that a white, middle‐class, American‐centric research template has become increasingly anachronistic. In this review article, we begin by providing an overview of contemporary theory, empirical approaches, and demographic trends in cohabitation and marriage, focusing primarily on the United States, but also distinguishing the U.S. from patterns found in other high‐income societies, including European countries, Canada, Australia, and in East Asia. We place the spotlight on the causes and consequences of union transitions. We identify the commonalities between cohabitation and marriage, but also key differences that are expressed unevenly across different populations and cultural groups. The rise in nonmarital cohabitation has upended conventional theoretical models and measurement approaches to the study of traditional marriage, complicating matters but also reinvigorating family scholarship on union formation and its implications for partners, children, and society.
Ethnic–Racial Socialization in the Family: A Decade's Advance on Precursors and Outcomes
Authors: Umaña‐Taylor Adriana J. , Hill Nancy E.
Published: January 2020

In the current decade, the U.S. population reached historically high levels of ethnic–racial diversity and reelected the nation's first Black–White biracial President. Simultaneously, scholars also documented significant ethnic–racial inequities in education, increased xenophobia, and a racial climate that revealed deep‐seated ethnic–racial tensions. Given this backdrop and acknowledging the significant role that families play in youths' abilities to navigate their social contexts, the current review focused on the literature on families' ethnic–racial socialization efforts with youth from the 2010 decade. Our review of 259 empirical articles revealed that there has been an exponential increase in research on family ethnic–racial socialization in this decade. Furthermore, although it is clear that family ethnic–racial socialization is a robust predictor of youths' adjustment, the associations between socialization and adjustment must be considered with attention to specific socialization strategies, the confluence of strategies used, and the unique contexts within which families' lives are embedded.
The Evolution of Fathering Research in the 21st Century: Persistent Challenges, New Directions
Authors: Schoppe‐Sullivan Sarah J. , Fagan Jay
Published: January 2020

Since the last decade review of the fathering literature in 2000, scholars across numerous disciplines such as demography, family studies, medicine, nursing, law, psychology, social work, and sociology have continued to produce a steady stream of work on fathering and father–child relationships. This literature is reviewed selectively with a focus on key developments, persistent challenges, and critical directions for future research. Significant developments include greater availability of large and nationally representative datasets to study fathers; expansion and evaluation of U.S. federal policy regarding fathers; thoughtful consideration of conceptualization and measurement of fathers' parenting; growth in research on coparenting, maternal gatekeeping, and fathering; increased attention to issues of diversity in fathering; and awareness of the effects of fathering on men's development. Persistent challenges and critical new directions in fathering research include full and routine inclusion of fathers in research on parenting, improved assessment and appropriate data analysis, adherence to evidence‐based portrayals of fathers' roles in children's development, generation and use of scientific evidence to guide policy‐making, and sustained attention to diversity and fatherhood. These should be priority areas of focus as fathering research proceeds into the next decades of the 21st century.
Divorce, Repartnering, and Stepfamilies: A Decade in Review
Authors: Raley R. Kelly , Sweeney Megan M.
Published: January 2020

This article reviews key developments in the past decade of research on divorce, repartnering, and stepfamilies. Divorce rates are declining overall, but they remain high and have risen among people older than age 50. Remarriage rates have declined, but the overall proportion of marriages that are remarriages is rising. Transitions in parents' relationships continue to be associated with reduced child well‐being, but shifting patterns of divorce and repartnering during the past decade have also reshaped the family lives of older adults. We review research on the predictors and consequences of these trends and consider what they reveal about the changing significance of marriage as an institution. Overall, recent research on divorce, repartnering, and stepfamilies points to the persistence of marriage as a stratified and stratifying institution and indicates that the demographic complexity of family life is here to stay.
Paediatric bladder dysfunction: A single centre experience of public hospital wait times
Authors: Ling Norman , Trajanovska Misel , Griffith Andrew , Phan Tracey , Gibb Susan , Goldfeld Sharon , King Sebastian K
Published: January 2020

Aim

Paediatric bladder dysfunction, including daytime urinary incontinence and enuresis, is a common and distressing condition. Unfortunately, children with these symptoms are often on waitlists for several months. This treatment delay may significantly impact upon the child and family unit. This study aimed to quantify waiting times for children who had attended hospital outpatient clinics for symptoms of wetting.

Methods

A retrospective review was undertaken for patients who had been referred to The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne outpatient clinics for symptoms of wetting (with/without bowel symptoms). Data regarding the referral and triage pathway, up to the time of the first clinic appointment, were collected. These data were compared to a previous audit conducted in the same setting.

Results

A total of 101 clinic attendances were included in this study. The overall waiting time, from receipt of referral to the patient's first clinic attendance, was a median of 181 days (n = 94 valid responses; range 7–695). Wait times for patients with isolated symptoms of wetting were similar to patients with mixed bowel and bladder dysfunction (187 and 171.5 days, respectively). Most patients were triaged to the continence clinic (n = 68), whilst smaller proportions of patients were seen in the encopresis (n = 14), urology (n = 13), general medicine (n = 2), gastroenterology (n = 1) and nurse‐led enuresis clinic (n = 3).

Conclusions

The waiting times for patients with wetting generally exceeded 5 months. Alternative pathways for triage need to be explored to manage demand and improve wait times.
When the Former CEO Stays on Board: The Role of the Predecessor’s Board Retention for Product Innovation in Family Firms
Authors: Querbach Stephanie , Bird Miriam , Kraft Priscilla S. , Kammerlander Nadine
Published: January 2020

Understanding product innovation in family firms is an important research endeavor given the economic predominance of those firms, their idiosyncrasies, and the importance of constant renewal for those firms to achieve transgenerational survival. Recently, family firm research has highlighted the role of next‐generation chief executive officers (CEOs; i.e., successors) who are often seen as drivers for innovating a family firm’s products. However, prior research has typically neglected that predecessors, who are often portrayed as less willing to introduce product innovation, frequently remain involved postsuccession through occupying board positions and thus still substantially influence the decision‐making processes and outcomes of family firms, such as product innovation. As a result, our understanding of the role of predecessors and their postsuccession involvement in family firms’ product innovation remains unclear. Building on stakeholder salience theory and on insights from the literature on innovation and succession in family firms, we develop hypotheses about how and under which conditions the predecessor’s board retention affects product innovation in family firms after succession. Building on more than 200 family firm CEO succession cases in small‐ and medium‐sized, privately owned family firms, our results reveal that the predecessor’s board retention negatively affects product innovation. This negative effect is strengthened with increasing involvement of the predecessor in the successor selection process, and it is offset in the case of family succession. Our findings contribute to the emerging stream of research on family firm succession and product innovation and provide important implications for practice.
Towards an emotional geography of diplomacy: Insights from the United Nations Security Council
Authors: Jones Alun
Published: January 2020

In this paper I progress an emotional geography of diplomacy by considering emotions as part of calculative action on the part of diplomats. I seek to move the spotlight away from what emotion is to what emotion, as an embodied sociality, seeks to do to the alteration or reproduction of geopolitical relations. This unique focus on the calculative dimensions of emotional usage in diplomacy is a central though unexplored dimension of emotional geopolitics and one that I consider supports a perspective in which emotions are not depoliticised or trivialised, but situated, historicised, and relational, and which may be mobilised for political purposes. Focusing on the socio‐spatiality of calculative emotions, and building on recent scholarly interest in the mobilisation and manipulation of emotions, I explore their use in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), a poignant and powerful context for the study of emotional diplomacies. Using empirically rich materials derived from interviews with Security Council delegations, the paper's aims are threefold. First, I explore the different ways in which emotions are perceived, performed, interpreted, and acted on by diplomats in this international, inter‐cultural geopolitical body. Second, from a geographical perspective I investigate the ways in which embodied emotions are distinctively connected to specific sites and spaces, and demonstrate the complexities of their usage in the UNSC. Finally, using a case study of Russian–UK emotional exchanges in the UNSC over the civil war and humanitarian crisis in Syria, I show that research on emotional diplomacies must be sensitive to the specific social and cultural assumptions over what particular emotions mean and do in altering and reproducing geopolitical relations.
Boty, a long-terminal-repeat retroelement in the phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea
Authors: Diolez A , Marches F , Fortini D , Brygoo Y
Published: January 2020

The phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea can infect an extremely wide range of host plants (tomato, grapevine, strawberry, and flax) without apparent specialization. While studying genetic diversity in this fungus, we found an element which is present in multiple copies and dispersed throughout the genome of some of its isolates. DNA sequence analysis revealed that the element contained direct, long-terminal repeats (LTRs) of 596 bp whose features were characteristic of retroviral and retrotransposon LTRs. Within the element, we identified an open reading frame with sequences homologous to the reverse transcriptase and RNase H domains of retroelement pol genes. We concluded that the element we had identified was a retroelement and named it Boty. By comparing its open reading frame with sequences from other retroelements, we found that Boty is related to the gypsy family of retrotransposons. Boty was present in numerous strains isolated from grapes and tomatoes but not in isolates from lentils. We propose that Boty-containing and Boty-deficient groups represent two lineages in the population of B. cinerea.
Detection of methanotrophic bacteria in environmental samples with the PCR
Authors: McDonald I R , Kenna E M , Murrell J C
Published: January 2020

We designed PCR primers by using the DNA sequences of the soluble methane monooxygenase gene clusters of Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b and Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath), and these primers were found to be specific for four of the five structural genes in the soluble methane monooxygenase gene clusters of several methanotrophs. We also designed primers for the gram-negative methylotroph-specific methanol dehydrogenase gene moxF. The specificity of these primers was confirmed by hybridizing and sequencing the PCR products obtained. The primers were then used to amplify methanotroph DNAs in samples obtained from various aquatic and terrestrial environments. Our sequencing data suggest that a large number of different methanotrophs are present in peat samples and also that there is a high level of variability in the mmoC gene, which codes for the reductase component of the soluble methane monooxygenase, while the mmoX gene, which codes for the alpha subunit of the hydroxylase component of this enzyme complex, appears to be highly conserved in methanotrophs.
Isolation of extracellular 28- and 42-kilodalton beta-1,3-glucanases and comparison of three beta-1,3-glucanases produced by Bacillus circulans IAM1165
Authors: Aono R , Hammura M , Yamamoto M , Asano T
Published: January 2020

Bacillus circulans IAM1165 produces three major extracellular beta-1,3-glucanases (molecular masses, 28, 42, and 91 kDa) during the stationary phase of growth. The 28- and 42-kDa enzymes were purified to homogeneity from the culture supernatant in this study. The properties of these two enzymes were examined, together with those of the 91-kDa enzyme previously isolated. The enzymatic properties of the 28- and 42-kDa beta-1,3-glucanases closely resemble each other. The enzymes belong to a category of endo type 1,3-beta-D-glucan glucanohydrolases. The enzymes were active at pH 4.0 to 7.0. The optimum temperature of the reactions was 60 degrees C when laminarin (a soluble beta-1,3-glucan) was used as the substrate at pH 7.0. The enzymes hydrolyzed barley glucan and lichenan (beta-1,3-1,4-glucans) more effectively than laminarin. Of the three enzymes, the 42-kDa enzyme lysed fungal cell walls the most effectively.
Transport behavior of groundwater protozoa and protozoan-sized microspheres in sandy aquifer sediments
Authors: Harvey R W , Kinner N E , Bunn A , Macdonald D , Metge D
Published: January 2020

Transport behaviors of unidentified flagellated protozoa (flagellates) and flagellate-sized carboxylated microspheres in sandy, organically contaminated aquifer sediments were investigated in a small-scale (1 to 4-m travel distance) natural-gradient tracer test on Cape Cod and in flow-through columns packed with sieved (0.5-to 1.0-mm grain size) aquifer sediments. The minute (average in situ cell size, 2 to 3 (mu)m) flagellates, which are relatively abundant in the Cape Cod aquifer, were isolated from core samples, grown in a grass extract medium, labeled with hydroethidine (a vital eukaryotic stain), and coinjected into aquifer sediments along with bromide, a conservative tracer. The 2-(mu)m flagellates appeared to be near the optimal size for transport, judging from flowthrough column experiments involving a polydispersed (0.7 to 6.2 (mu)m in diameter) suspension of carboxylated microspheres. However, immobilization within the aquifer sediments accounted for a log unit reduction over the first meter of travel compared with a log unit reduction over the first 10 m of travel for indigenous, free-living groundwater bacteria in earlier tests. High rates of flagellate immobilization in the presence of aquifer sediments also was observed in the laboratory. However, immobilization rates for the laboratory-grown flagellates (initially 4 to 5 (mu)m) injected into the aquifer were not constant and decreased noticeably with increasing time and distance of travel. The decrease in propensity for grain surfaces was accompanied by a decrease in cell size, as the flagellates presumably readapted to aquifer conditions. Retardation and apparent dispersion were generally at least twofold greater than those observed earlier for indigenous groundwater bacteria but were much closer to those observed for highly surface active carboxylated latex microspheres. Field and laboratory results suggest that 2-(mu)m carboxylated microspheres may be useful as analogs in investigating several abiotic aspects of flagellate transport behavior in groundwater.
Biological degradation of resin acids in wood chips by wood-inhabiting fungi
Authors: Wang Z , Chen T , Gao Y , Breuil C , Hiratsuka Y
Published: January 2020

Resin acids in many pulp mill effluents are primary sources of toxicity to fish. Inconsistent biological detoxification of chlorinated and nonchlorinated resin acids in secondary treatment of pulp mill effluents is a continuing source of concern. An alternative approach to effluent detoxification is to remove or modify the toxic compounds present in wood chips prior to pulping. Results from experiments in which lodgepole pine sapwood chips were inoculated with several fungal candidates indicate that the total resin acid content can be reduced by up to 67% after fungal growth. Such a treatment could be an efficient and environmentally acceptable way for deresinating wood chips and so decreasing the toxicity of pulp mill effluents.
Bioavailability of sorbed 3-chlorodibenzofuran
Authors: Harms H , Zehnder A
Published: January 2020

One of the main factors impeding the bioremediation of polluted soils, sediments, and aquifers is the low bioavailability of chemicals which are sorbed by organic matter. To obtain more insight into the factors that control the degradation of sorbed compounds, we used a defined model system in which 3-chlorodibenzofuran (3CDF) was the organic contaminant, porous Teflon granules were the sorbent, and Sphingomonas sp. strain HH19k was the test organism. The sorption of 3CDF to Teflon reached equilibrium within 150 min. The curved shape of the sorption isotherm, the extent of sorption, and the desorption kinetics suggested that there was a surface interaction (adsorption) between 3CDF and Teflon which took place mainly inside the pores of the granules. The kinetics of desorption could be ascribed to sorption-retarded radial diffusion inside the granules since the desorption rate not only was correlated with the sorbed-phase concentration, but also depended on the equilibration status of sorption, since (i) the high initial desorption rate sharply declined because of the depletion of 3CDF in the outermost parts of the granules, but high rates were observed again after the system had been given time to reequilibrate, and (ii) the initial desorption rate was higher when the preceding contact time between sorbate and sorbent was shorter (i.e., most 3CDF was still located in the exterior parts of the granules). These characteristics were observed irrespective of whether the desorption was driven by percolating water through the sorbent or by attaching active bacteria to the sorbent. 3CDF consumption by attached cells drove 3CDF desorption to a considerable extent. The attached cells were thus efficiently supplied with desorbing 3CDF. On the basis of our results, we propose that the rate at which a sorbed substrate becomes available for organisms is influenced by (i) the specific affinity of the degrading organisms (i.e., their ability to reduce the aqueous substrate concentration) and (ii) the tendency of the organisms to adhere to the sorbent.