bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Declining Value of Revolving‐Door Lobbyists: Evidence from the American States
Authors: Strickland James M. 
Published: November 2019

Abstract‘‘Revolving‐door” lobbyists are individuals who transition from governmental positions into lobbying for private entities. Such lobbyists thrive on the insider connections and political knowledge that they developed while in government. These assets afford former lawmakers more access to and influence over incumbent lawmakers. The value of their connections and knowledge, however, is contingent on former colleagues remaining within the legislature. As new legislators enter the assembly, the connections and knowledge of former members expire and lose value. Whereas increases in turnover or assembly size generate more former lawmakers who might lobby, such increases negatively affect former members’ value as lobbyists. Interest groups accordingly hire fewer former legislators to lobby. Other factors, such as longer cooling‐off periods or increased legislative staff resources, produce slight or no substantive effects on rates of revolving. Legislative characteristics mostly determine rates of revolving for former lawmakers.
Review article: bacteriophages in gastroenterology—from biology to clinical applications
Authors: Sabino João , Hirten Robert P. , Colombel Jean‐Frederic 
Published: November 2019

SummaryBackgroundThe gut microbiota plays an important role in the pathogenesis of several gastrointestinal diseases. Its composition and function are shaped by host‐microbiota and intra‐microbiota interactions. Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that target bacteria and have the potential to modulate bacterial communities.AimsTo summarise phage biology and the clinical applications of phages in gastroenterologyMethodsPubMed was searched to identify relevant studies.ResultsPhages induce bacterial cell lysis, integration of viral DNA into the bacteria and/or coexistence in a stable equilibrium. Bacteria and phages have co‐evolved and their dynamic interactions are yet to be fully understood. The increasing need to modulate microbial communities (e.g., gut microbiota, multidrug‐resistant bacteria) has been a strong stimulus for research in phages as an antibacterial therapy. In gastroenterology, phage therapy has been mainly studied in infectious diseases such as cholera. However, it is currently being explored in several other circumstances such as treating Clostridioides difficile colitis, targeting adherent‐invasive Escherichia coli in Crohn's disease or eradicating Fusobacterium nucleatum in colorectal cancer. Overall, phage therapy has a favourable and acceptable safety profile. Presently, trials with phage therapy are ongoing in Crohn's disease.ConclusionsPhage therapy is a promising therapeutic tool against pathogenic bacteria in the fields of infectious diseases and gastroenterology. Randomised, placebo‐controlled trials with phage therapy for gastroenterological diseases are ongoing.
Ectogestation ethics: The implications of artificially extending gestation for viability, newborn resuscitation and abortion
Authors: Di Stefano Lydia , Mills Catherine , Watkins Andrew , Wilkinson Dominic 
Published: November 2019

AbstractRecent animal research suggests that it may soon be possible to support the human fetus in an artificial uterine environment for part of a pregnancy. A technique of extending gestation in this way (“ectogestation”) could be offered to parents of extremely premature infants (EPIs) to improve outcomes for their child. The use of artificial uteruses for ectogestation could generate ethical questions because of the technology’s potential impact on the point of “viability”—loosely defined as the stage of pregnancy beyond which the fetus may survive external to the womb. Several medical decisions during the perinatal period are based on the gestation at which infants are considered viable, for example decisions about newborn resuscitation and abortion, and ectogestation has the potential to impact on these. Despite these possible implications, there is little existing evidence or analysis of how this technology would affect medical practice. In this paper, we combine empirical data with ethical analysis. We report a survey of 91 practicing Australian obstetricians and neonatologists; we aimed to assess their conceptual understanding of “viability,” and what ethical consequences they envisage arising from improved survival of EPIs. We also assess what the ethical implications of extending gestation should be for newborn and obstetric care. We analyze the concept of viability and argue that while ectogestation might have implications for the permissibility of neonatal life‐prolonging treatment at extremely early gestation, it should not necessarily have implications for abortion policy. We compare our ethical findings with the results of the survey.
Improving the justice‐based argument for conducting human gene editing research to cure sickle cell disease
Authors: Chan Berman 
Published: November 2019

AbstractIn a recent article, Marilyn Baffoe‐Bonnie offers three arguments that conducting CRISPR/Cas9 biotechnology research to cure sickle cell disease (SCD) would help address historical and current injustices in SCD research and care. I will grant that the first argument is sound, but show that the second and third arguments suffer from roughly the same defect, which is that they really argue for something else rather than for conducting CRISPR/Cas9 research to cure SCD. I conclude that a better justice‐based argument would use only Baffoe‐Bonnie’s first argument.
Social cognition in post‐traumatic stress disorder: A systematic review
Authors: Couette Maryline , Mouchabac Stéphane , Bourla Alexis , Nuss Philippe , Ferreri Florian 
Published: November 2019

ObjectivesPost‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common psychiatric condition. Patients with PTSD have marked symptoms that significantly impair their social and emotional abilities, and numerous studies have explored this issue. We hypothesized that impairment of social cognition takes part in functional disability of individuals with PTSD.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review by querying PubMed database for the titles of articles published up to February 2018 with the terms [PTSD] [Post traumatic disorder] AND [Emotion recognition] OR [Facial expression of emotion] OR [Facial expression perception] OR [Empathy] OR [Affective empathy] OR [Mentalizing] OR [Social cognition] OR [Theory of Mind] OR [Mental state attribution] OR [Cognitive empathy] OR [Emotional empathy] OR [Social behaviour deficits].ResultsOur results suggest that affective and cognitive aspect of theory of mind is comprehensively disturbed in patients with PTSD, showing a significant impairment in their ability to predict what others feel, think, or believe. They could also be massively altered in their perception of basic emotional expressions whether it is an expression of threat or happiness. Their affective empathy appears to be systematically disturbed and correlated to verbal and/or physical aggressive behaviour.ConclusionsSocial cognition is disturbed in PTSD and should be regarded as an important symptom. Damages in social cognition seem to take part in the functional disability of people with PTSD. We highlight the interest of a systematic assessment of social cognition in the care of patients with PTSD and suggest which tests could be the most relevant for this evaluation.Practitioner points

PTSD is no longer regarded as a subtype of anxiety disorder, but as part of a new category in the DSM‐5.

In clinical practice, symptoms tied to alterations in arousal and reactivity – such as irritability and vigilance – and to the disturbance of cognition and mood, are particularly closely correlated with poorer quality of life.

Impaired social cognition clearly impacts the functional disability of people with PTSD.

There are potential benefits of individualized cognitive remediation based on empathy and the emotional component of ToM (cognitive remediation, cognitive–behavioural therapy, therapeutic education, etc.) in PTSD people.
Platelet biology of the rapidly failing lung
Authors: Washington A. Valance , Esponda Omar , Gibson Angelia 
Published: November 2019

SummaryAcute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is characterized by a rapid‐onset respiratory failure with a mortality rate of approximately 40%. This physiologic inflammatory process is mediated by disruption of the alveolar‐vascular interface, leading to pulmonary oedema and impaired oxygen exchange, which often warrants mechanical ventilation to increase survival in the acute setting. One of the least understood aspects of ARDS is the role of the platelets in this process. Platelets, which protect vascular integrity, play a pivotal role in the progression and resolution of ARDS. The recent substantiation of the age‐old theory that megakaryocytes are found in the lungs has rejuvenated interest in and raised new questions about the importance of platelets for pulmonary function. In addition to primary haemostasis, platelets provide a myriad of inflammatory functions that are poised to aid the innate immune system. This review focuses on the evidence for regulatory roles of platelets in pulmonary inflammation, with an emphasis on two receptors, CLEC‐2 and TLT‐1. Studies of these receptors identify novel pathways through which platelets may regulate vascular integrity and inflammation in the lungs, thereby influencing the development of ARDS.
Soil eutrophication shaped the composition of pollinator assemblages during the past century
Authors: Carvalheiro Luísa G. , Biesmeijer Jacobus C. , Franzén Markus , Aguirre‐Gutiérrez Jesús , Garibaldi Lucas A. , Helm Aveliina , Michez Denis , Pöyry Juha , Reemer Menno , Schweiger Oliver , Leon van den Berg , WallisDeVries Michiel F. , Kunin William E. 
Published: November 2019

Atmospheric nitrogen deposition and other sources of environmental eutrophication have increased substantially over the past century worldwide, notwithstanding the recent declining trends in Europe. Despite the recognized susceptibility of plants to eutrophication, few studies evaluated how impacts propagate to consumers, such as pollinators. Here we aim to test if soil eutrophication contributes to the temporal dynamics of pollinators and their larval resources.We used a temporally and spatially explicit historical dataset with information on species occurrences to test if soil eutrophication, and more specifically nitrogen deposition, contributes to the patterns of change of plant and pollinator richness in the Netherlands over an 80 yr period. We focus on bees and butterflies, two groups for which we have good knowledge of larval resources that allowed us to define groups of species with different nitrogen related diet preferences. For each group we estimated richness changes between different 20‐yr periods at local, regional and national scale, using analytical methods developed for analyzing richness changes based on collection data.Our findings suggest that the impacts of soil eutrophication on plant communities propagate to higher trophic levels, but with a time‐lag. Pollinators with nitrogen‐related diet preferences were particularly affected, in turn potentially impairing the performance of pollinator‐dependent plants. Pollinator declines continued even after their focal plants started to recover. In addition, our results suggest that current levels of nitrogen deposition still have a negative impact on most groups here analyzed, constraining richness recoveries and accentuating declines.Our results indicate that the global increase in nitrogen availability plays an important role in the ongoing pollinator decline. Consequently, species tolerances to soil nitrogen levels should be considered across all trophic levels in management plans that aim to halt biodiversity loss and enhance ecosystems services worldwide.
The sirtuin 6: An overture in skin cancer
Authors: Garcia‐Peterson Liz M. , Guzmán‐Pérez Glorimar , Krier Cassandre R. , Ahmad Nihal 
Published: November 2019

AbstractIn the recent past, the sirtuins have been under intense investigation for their roles in biology and disease, including cancer. The sirtuin SIRT6 is comparatively a lesser studied member of this family of seven proteins. Like certain other sirtuins, SIRT6 is emerging to have an oncogenic function as well as tumor suppressor roles in cancer. Limited studies have been conducted assessing the role and functional significance of SIRT6 in melanoma and non‐melanoma skin cancers. In this review, we have attempted to critically dissect the potential role and significance of SIRT6 in skin carcinogenesis. With limited available information to date, SIRT6 appears to have a pro‐proliferative function in non‐melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs), including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC). In addition, SIRT6 is also emerging to have an oncogenic function in melanoma. Moreover, we have provided information regarding the available SIRT6 inhibitors. Conclusively, it appears that additional comprehensive studies are needed to establish the role of SIRT6 in skin biology and skin diseases, including cancer. Further, concerted efforts are needed to characterize the stage‐specific role of SIRT6 in skin cancers.
Advancing global change biology through experimental manipulations: Where have we been and where might we go?
Authors: Hanson Paul J. , Walker Anthony P. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractThis commentary summarizes the publication history of Global Change Biology for works on experimental manipulations over the past 25 years and highlights a number of key publications. The retrospective summary is then followed by some thoughts on the future of experimental work as it relates to mechanistic understanding and methodological needs. Experiments for elevated CO2 atmospheres and anticipated warming scenarios which take us beyond historical analogs are suggested as future priorities. Disturbance is also highlighted as a key agent of global change. Because experiments are demanding of both personnel effort and limited fiscal resources, the allocation of experimental investments across Earth's biomes should be done in ecosystems of key importance. Uncertainty analysis and broad community consultation should be used to identify research questions and target biomes that will yield substantial gains in predictive confidence and societal relevance. A full range of methodological approaches covering small to large spatial scales will continue to be justified as a source of mechanistic understanding. Nevertheless, experiments operating at larger spatial scales encompassing organismal, edaphic, and environmental diversity of target ecosystems are favored, as they allow for the assessment of long‐term biogeochemical feedbacks enabling a full range of questions to be addressed. Such studies must also include adequate investment in measurements of key interacting variables (e.g., water and nutrient availability and budgets) to enable mechanistic understanding of responses and to interpret context dependency. Integration of ecosystem‐scale manipulations with focused process‐based manipulations, networks, and large‐scale observations will aid more complete understanding of ecosystem responses, context dependence, and the extrapolation of results. From the outset, these studies must be informed by and integrated with ecosystem models that provide quantitative predictions from their embedded mechanistic hypotheses. A true two‐way interaction between experiments and models will simultaneously increase the rate and robustness of Global Change research.
Climate‐driven shift in coral morphological structure predicts decline of juvenile reef fishes
Authors: Fontoura Luisa , Zawada Kyle J. A. , D’agata Stephanie , Álvarez‐Noriega Mariana , Baird Andrew H. , Boutros Nader , Dornelas Maria , Luiz Osmar J. , Madin Joshua S. , Maina Joseph M. , Pizarro Oscar , Torres‐Pulliza Damaris , Woods Rachael M. , Madin Elizabeth M. P. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractRapid intensification of environmental disturbances has sparked widespread decline and compositional shifts in foundation species in ecosystems worldwide. Now, an emergent challenge is to understand the consequences of shifts and losses in such habitat‐forming species for associated communities and ecosystem processes. Recently, consecutive coral bleaching events shifted the morphological makeup of habitat‐forming coral assemblages on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Considering the disparity of coral morphological growth forms in shelter provision for reef fishes, we investigated how shifts in the morphological structure of coral assemblages affect the abundance of juvenile and adult reef fishes. We used a temporal dataset from shallow reefs in the northern GBR to estimate coral convexity (a fine‐scale quantitative morphological trait) and two widely used coral habitat descriptors (coral cover and reef rugosity) for disentangling the effects of coral morphology on reef fish assemblages. Changes in coral convexity, rather than live coral cover or reef rugosity, disproportionately affected juvenile reef fishes when compared to adults, and explained more than 20% of juvenile decline. The magnitude of this effect varied by fish body size with juveniles of small‐bodied species showing higher vulnerability to changes in coral morphology. Our findings suggest that continued large‐scale shifts in the relative abundance of morphological groups within coral assemblages are likely to affect population replenishment and dynamics of future reef fish communities. The different responses of juvenile and adult fishes according to habitat descriptors indicate that focusing on coarse‐scale metrics alone may mask fine‐scale ecological responses that are key to understand ecosystem functioning and resilience. Nonetheless, quantifying coral morphological traits may contribute to forecasting the structure of reef fish communities on novel reef ecosystems shaped by climate change.
How corals made rocks through the ages
Authors: Drake Jeana L. , Mass Tali , Stolarski Jarosław , Von Euw Stanislas , van de Schootbrugge Bas , Falkowski Paul G. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractHard, or stony, corals make rocks that can, on geological time scales, lead to the formation of massive reefs in shallow tropical and subtropical seas. In both historical and contemporary oceans, reef‐building corals retain information about the marine environment in their skeletons, which is an organic–inorganic composite material. The elemental and isotopic composition of their skeletons is frequently used to reconstruct the environmental history of Earth's oceans over time, including temperature, pH, and salinity. Interpretation of this information requires knowledge of how the organisms formed their skeletons. The basic mechanism of formation of calcium carbonate skeleton in stony corals has been studied for decades. While some researchers consider coral skeletons as mainly passive recorders of ocean conditions, it has become increasingly clear that biological processes play key roles in the biomineralization mechanism. Understanding the role of the animal in living stony coral biomineralization and how it evolved has profound implications for interpreting environmental signatures in fossil corals to understand past ocean conditions. Here we review historical hypotheses and discuss the present understanding of how corals evolved and how their skeletons changed over geological time. We specifically explain how biological processes, particularly those occurring at the subcellular level, critically control the formation of calcium carbonate structures. We examine the different models that address the current debate including the tissue–skeleton interface, skeletal organic matrix, and biomineralization pathways. Finally, we consider how understanding the biological control of coral biomineralization is critical to informing future models of coral vulnerability to inevitable global change, particularly increasing ocean acidification.
Factors associated with high‐risk drinking in older adults: Evidence from a national survey in Japan
Authors: Midorikawa Haruhiko , Tachikawa Hirokazu , Aiba Miyuki , Arai Tetsuaki , Watanabe Taeko , Tamiya Nanako 
Published: November 2019

AimThis study aimed to clarify the association between high‐risk drinking and health outcomes (e.g. physical and psychosocial factors, including help‐seeking behavior) among older Japanese adults.MethodsData were obtained from the 2013 Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions in Japan, which surveyed 295 367 households. We restricted analyses to 55 147 current drinkers. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to examine associations between alcohol consumption and various factors.ResultsOverall, 35.3% of participants were in the low‐risk group, 13.1% were in the at‐risk group and 1.0% were in the high‐risk group. Those in the at‐risk and high‐risk groups were more likely to be younger, male, employed and tobacco users. They were also more likely to report sleeping ≥9 h per night, and they were more likely to report unhealthy eating habits. Being in the high‐risk drinking group was significantly associated with being divorced (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.11–2.05) and having poor mental health (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.13–1.68). The high‐risk drinking group was more likely to include those who endorsed experiencing challenges without seeking aid (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.39–2.53) or felt no need to seek aid (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.15–1.68).ConclusionsBeing at high‐risk for drinking is associated with poorer help‐seeking behavior, suggesting a need for more aggressive outreach. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 1260–1267.
Immunohistochemical study of renal fibropoiesis associated with dogs naturally and experimentally infected with two different strains ofLeishmania(L.)infantum
Authors: Alves Adriano F. , Pereira Ramon A. , de Andrade Helida M. , Mosser David M. , Tafuri Wagner L. 
Published: November 2019

SummaryThe objectives of this work were to study some pathological aspects of kidneys obtained from dogs naturally infected withLeishmania infantumand from dogs experimentally infected with two different strains ofL infantumwith special emphasis on fibrotic process. Seventy eight specimens of paraffin‐embedded kidney fragments were collected as follows: (a) CNI group composed by 62 kidney samples of adult mongrel dogs, naturally infected withL infantum; (b) BH401 group composed by five kidney samples of adult Beagles experimentally infected withL infantumstrain MCAN BR/2002/BH401; (c) BH400 group composed by eleven kidney samples of adult Beagles experimentally infected withL infantumstrain MCAN/BR/2000/BH400, at the same dose and same route of the previous group, denominated group BH400; Control group (CC) composed by four kidney samples of adult Beagles. All animals revealed glomerular and interstitial fibropoiesis associated with different types of glomerulonephritis and chronic interstitial nephritis. Fibrosis was markedly more intense in the BH401 group, followed by animals in the CNI group. Markers for myofibroblasts (mesenchymal markers) such as alpha‐actin (α‐SMA), vimentin and the cytokine transforming growth factor beta (TGF‐β) were done by immunohistochemistry. BH401 group showed higher expression of all these markers than others. Intracellular amastigotes forms of Leishmania was mainly found in BH401. These results could be indicating that the MCAN/BR/2002/BH401 strain is a good choice for the study of renal LVC experimental model.