bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bacteria in the ageing gut: did the taming of fire promote a long human lifespan?
Authors: Danchin Antoine 
Published: May 2018

SummaryUnique among animals as they evolved towards Homo sapiens, hominins progressively cooked their food on a routine basis. Cooked products are characterized by singular chemical compounds, derived from the pervasive Maillard reaction. This same reaction is omnipresent in normal metabolism involving carbonyls and amines, and its products accumulate with age. The gut microbiota acts as a first line of defence against the toxicity of cooked Maillard compounds, that also selectively shape the microbial flora, letting specific metabolites to reach the blood stream. Positive selection of metabolic functions allowed the body of hominins who tamed fire to use and dispose of these age‐related compounds. I propose here that, as a hopeful accidental consequence, this resulted in extending human lifespan far beyond that of our great ape cousins. The limited data exploring the role of taming fire on the human genetic setup and on its microbiota is discussed in relation with ageing.
EukRef‐Ciliophora: a manually curated, phylogeny‐based database of small subunit rRNA gene sequences of ciliates
Authors: Boscaro Vittorio , Santoferrara Luciana F. , Zhang Qianqian , Gentekaki Eleni , Syberg‐Olsen Mitchell J. , del Campo Javier , Keeling Patrick J. 
Published: May 2018

SummaryHigh‐throughput sequencing (HTS) surveys, among the most common approaches currently used in environmental microbiology, require reliable reference databases to be correctly interpreted. The EukRef Initiative (eukref.org) is a community effort to manually screen available small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene sequences and produce a public, high‐quality and informative framework of phylogeny‐based taxonomic annotations. In the context of EukRef, we present a database for the monophyletic phylum Ciliophora, one of the most complex, diverse and ubiquitous protist groups. We retrieved more than 11 500 sequences of ciliates present in GenBank (28% from identified isolates and 72% from environmental surveys). Our approach included the inference of phylogenetic trees for every ciliate lineage and produced the largest SSU rRNA tree of the phylum Ciliophora to date. We flagged approximately 750 chimeric or low‐quality sequences, improved the classification of 70% of GenBank entries and enriched environmental and literature metadata by 30%. The performance of EukRef‐Ciliophora is superior to the current SILVA database in classifying HTS reads from a global marine survey. Comprehensive outputs are publicly available to make the new tool a useful guide for non‐specialists and a quick reference for experts.
Tailoring for Development: China's Post‐crisis Influence in Global Financial Governance
Authors: Gruin Julian , Knaack Peter , Xu Jiajun 
Published: May 2018

AbstractChina's increasing engagement in global financial governance since the 2008 crisis has potentially significant ramifications for global financial rule‐making and standard‐setting. This article presents a novel analysis of China's growing influence on the international stage and its consequences for the financial rules and standards that constrain policy makers in developing countries. We draw upon literature from international political economy and development studies to develop a framework for assessing whether China's rise has catalyzed a shift in global financial governance towards a tailored approach that responds to country‐specific developmental circumstances and needs. We argue that China's status as a rising power that still has idiosyncratic developmental priorities is leading it to push for rules and standards that are more flexible and sensitive to specific national development conditions. We illustrate this argument in three case studies, deploying the framework to explain variation in the post‐crisis evolution of rules in prudential banking regulation, capital flow management, and debt sustainability surveillance.
GDNF and alcohol use disorder
Authors: Barak Segev , Ahmadiantehrani Somayeh , Logrip Marian L. , Ron Dorit 
Published: May 2018

AbstractGlial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) has been extensively studied for its role in the development and maintenance of the midbrain dopaminergic system, although evidence suggests that GDNF also plays a role in drug and alcohol addiction. This review focuses on the unique actions of GDNF in the mechanisms that prevent the transition from recreational alcohol use to abuse. Specifically, we describe studies in rodents suggesting that alcohol acutely increases GDNF expression in the ventral tegmental area, which enables the activation of the mitogen‐activated protein kinase signaling pathway and the gating of alcohol intake. We further provide evidence to suggest that GDNF acts in the ventral tegmental area via both nongenomic and genomic mechanisms to suppress alcohol consumption. In addition, we describe findings indicating that when this endogenous protective pathway becomes dysregulated, alcohol intake levels escalate. Finally, we describe the potential use of GDNF inducers as a novel therapeutic approach to treat alcohol use disorder.
Effects of heroin on rat prosocial behavior
Authors: Tomek Seven E. , Stegmann Gabriela M. , Olive M. Foster 
Published: May 2018

AbstractOpioid use disorders are characterized in part by impairments in social functioning. Previous research indicates that laboratory rats, which are frequently used as animal models of addiction‐related behaviors, are capable of prosocial behavior. For example, under normal conditions, when a ‘free’ rat is placed in the vicinity of rat trapped in a plastic restrainer, the rat will release or ‘rescue’ the other rat from confinement. The present study was conducted to determine the effects of heroin on prosocial behavior in rats. For 2 weeks, rats were given the opportunity to rescue their cagemate from confinement, and the occurrence of and latency to free the confined rat was recorded. After baseline rescuing behavior was established, rats were randomly selected to self‐administer heroin (0.06 mg/kg/infusion i.v.) or sucrose pellets (orally) for 14 days. Next, rats were retested for rescuing behavior once daily for 3 days, during which they were provided with a choice between freeing the trapped cagemate and continuing to self‐administer their respective reinforcer. Our results indicate that rats self‐administering sucrose continued to rescue their cagemate, whereas heroin rats chose to self‐administer heroin and not rescue their cagemate. These findings suggest that rats with a history of heroin self‐administration show deficits in prosocial behavior, consistent with specific diagnostic criteria for opioid use disorder. Behavioral paradigms providing a choice between engaging in prosocial behavior and continuing drug use may be useful in modeling and investigating the neural basis of social functioning deficits in opioid addiction.
Effects of depth of neuromuscular block on surgical conditions during laparoscopic colorectal surgery: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Koo B. W. , Oh A. Y. , Na H. S. , Lee H. J. , Kang S. B. , Kim D. W. , Seo K. S. 
Published: May 2018

SummaryThere have been few objective evaluations of the effects of deep neuromuscular blockade on intra‐operative conditions. In this prospective randomised controlled study, we evaluated the effects of deep neuromuscular block on surgical conditions during laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Patients were randomly allocated using a computer‐generated randomisation code to either moderate (train‐of‐four count 1–2 maintained and antagonised with neostigmine) or deep (post‐tetanic count 1–2 maintained and reversed with sugammadex) levels of neuromuscular blockade. The primary outcome measure was the number of abrupt increases in intra‐abdominal pressure intra‐operatively. Secondary outcome variables were intra‐operative restoration of spontaneous breathing, number of surgical requests for additional neuromuscular blockade, surgical rating of operating conditions and patient satisfaction. The surgeon who rated the surgical conditions score and investigator who checked the postoperative variables were blinded to patient allocation. In total, we recruited 70 patients of whom 64 (32 in each group) were analysed. Increases in intra‐abdominal pressure (14/32 vs. 6/32; p = 0.031), intra‐operative restoration of spontaneous breathing (16/32 vs. 2/32; p < 0.001) and request for additional neuromuscular blockade (21/32 vs. 8/32; p = 0.001) were more frequent in the moderate compared with the deep group. In patients undergoing elective laparoscopic colorectal surgery, deep neuromuscular blockade provided better surgical conditions than moderate neuromuscular blockade, as measured by a reduction in the incidence of intra‐abdominal pressure alarms.
The Effect of Litigation Risk Increase on Big N Auditor Exits and Audit Quality in the Korean Savings Banking Industry
Authors: Jung Nam Chul , Kim Hyun Ah 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThis study investigates whether an increase in litigation risk results in Big N auditors leaving the industry and examines the impact of this increase on audit quality. Using a sample of Korean savings banks from 2009 to 2015, the study finds that the proportion of Big N auditors sharply decreases after a savings bank crisis, suggesting that Big N auditors are likely to reject riskier clients, while audit quality is unchanged. The results provide new evidence that an increase in litigation risk does not necessarily increase audit quality. The findings have academic and practical implications, as they suggest that policies for improving audit quality should consider auditors’ strategies in response to litigation risk.
Will cognitive enhancement create post‐persons? The use(lessness) of induction in determining the likelihood of moral status enhancement
Authors: Mihailov Emilian , Dragomir Alexandru 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThe prospect of cognitive enhancement well beyond current human capacities raises worries that the fundamental equality in moral status of human beings could be undermined. Cognitive enhancement might create beings with moral status higher than persons. Yet, there is an expressibility problem of spelling out what the higher threshold in cognitive capacity would be like. Nicholas Agar has put forward the bold claim that we can show by means of inductive reasoning that indefinite cognitive enhancement will probably mark a difference in moral status. The hope is that induction can determine the plausibility of post‐personhood existence in the absence of an account of what the higher status would be like. In this article, we argue that Agar's argument fails and, more generally, that inductive reasoning has little bearing on assessing the likelihood of post‐personhood in the absence of an account of higher status. We conclude that induction cannot bypass the expressibility problem about post‐persons.
Intra‐operative cell salvage in urological surgery: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of comparative studies
Authors: Kinnear Ned , O'Callaghan Michael , Hennessey Derek , Liddell Heath , Newell Bradley , Bolt John , Lawrentschuk Nathan 
Published: May 2018

ObjectiveTo evaluate systematically the safety and efficacy of intra‐operative cell salvage (ICS) in urology.MethodsA search of Medline, Embase and Cochrane Library to August 2017 was performed using methods pre‐published on PROSPERO. Reporting followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis guidelines. Eligible titles were comparative studies published in English that used ICS in urology. Primary outcomes were allogeneic transfusion rates (ATRs) and tumour recurrence. Secondary outcomes were complications and cost.ResultsFourteen observational studies were identified, with a total of 4 536 patients. ICS was compared with no the blood conservation technique (seven studies), preoperative autologous donation (PAD; five studies) or both (two studies). Cohorts underwent open prostatectomy (11 studies), open cystectomy (two studies) or open partial nephrectomy (one study). Meta‐analysis was possible only for ATRs within prostatectomy studies. In this setting, ICS reduced ATR compared with no the blood conservation technique (odds ratio [OR] 0.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.15–0.76) but not PAD (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.39–1.31). In the non‐prostatectomy setting, ATRs amongst patients who underwent ICS were significantly higher or similar in one and two studies, respectively. Tumour recurrence was found to be significantly less common (two studies), similar (eight studies) or not measured (four studies). All six studies reporting complications found no difference in their ICS cohorts. Regarding cost, one study from 1995 found ICS more expensive than PAD, while two more recent studies found ICS to be cheaper than no blood conservation technique. As a result of inter‐study heterogeneity, meta‐analyses were not possible for recurrence, complications or cost.ConclusionLow‐level evidence exists that, compared with other blood conservation techniques, ICS reduces ATR and cost while not affecting complications. It does not appear to increase tumour recurrence post‐prostatectomy, although follow‐up durations were short. Small study sizes and short follow‐ups mean conclusions cannot be drawn with regard to recurrence after nephrectomy or cystectomy. Randomized trials with long‐term follow‐up evaluating ICS in urology are required.
Production and preservation of resins – past and present
Authors: Seyfullah Leyla J. , Beimforde Christina , Dal Corso Jacopo , Perrichot Vincent , Rikkinen Jouko , Schmidt Alexander R. 
Published: May 2018

ABSTRACTAmber is fossilised plant resin. It can be used to provide insights into the terrestrial conditions at the time the original resin was exuded. Amber research thus can inform many aspects of palaeontology, from the recovery and description of enclosed fossil organisms (biological inclusions) to attempts at reconstruction of past climates and environments. Here we focus on the resin itself, the conditions under which it may have been exuded, and its potential path to fossilisation, rather than on enclosed fossils. It is noteworthy that not all plants produce resin, and that not all resins can (nor do) become amber. Given the recent upsurge in the number of amber deposits described, it is time to re‐examine ambers from a botanical perspective. Here we summarise the state of knowledge about resin production in modern ecosystems, and review the biological and ecological aspects of resin production in plants. We also present new observations on conifer‐derived resin exudation, with a particular focus on araucarian conifer trees. We suggest that besides disease, insect attacks and traumatic wounding from fires and storms, other factors such as tree architecture and local soil conditions are significant in creating and preserving resin outpourings. We also examine the transformation of resin into amber (maturation), focusing on geological aspects of amber deposit formation and preservation. We present new evidence that expands previous understanding of amber deposit formation. Specific geological conditions such as anoxic burial are essential in the creation of amber from resin deposits. We show that in the past, the production of large amounts of resin could have been linked to global climate changes and environmental disruption. We then highlight where the gaps in our knowledge still remain and potential future research directions.
A new tool for neighbourhood change research: The Canadian Longitudinal Census Tract Database, 1971–2016
Authors: Allen Jeff , Taylor Zack 
Published: May 2018

AbstractPerforming longitudinal analysis of socio‐economic change in small‐area spatial units such as census tracts presents several methodological complications and requires significant data preparation. Unit boundaries are revised each census year because of changes in population and delineation methodologies. This limits cross‐year comparison since data are not representative of the same spatial units. To address these problems, we have developed an innovative procedure to reduce error when comparing tract‐level data across census years by apportioning data to the same areal units. This paper describes the methods used to create the Canadian Longitudinal Tract Database. Our procedure is a combination of map‐matching techniques, dasymetric overlays, and population‐weighted areal interpolation. The output is a set of tables with apportionment weights pertaining to pairs of unique boundary identifiers across census years, which can be linked with census data or other data with census identifiers that require longitudinal comparison.
Children's Belief in Counterintuitive and Counterperceptual Messages
Authors: Lane Jonathan D. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractChildren's cognition is shaped, in part, by the messages provided by parents, educators, and peers. Some of these messages defy children's own knowledge or perceptions—these claims may be confronted regularly in science classes and museums (e.g., when learning about invisible gases or species categorization) and in religious settings (e.g., when learning about all‐powerful deities, souls, or qi). How are children's beliefs influenced by these countermessages? Using a constructivist framework, I review research to chart a developmental account for how children adjust their beliefs in response to counterintuitive and counterperceptual messages. I focus on how and why children's receptivity to such claims shifts across development, and I discuss cognitive and contextual factors that influence these developments.
Leptin and IGF‐1 in relation to body composition and bone mineralization of preterm‐born children from infancy to 8 years
Authors: Ruys Charlotte A. , van de Lagemaat Monique , Lafeber Harrie N. , Rotteveel Joost , Finken Martijn J.J. 
Published: May 2018

SummaryObjectivePreterm birth has been associated with altered body composition, especially increased fat mass (FM) and decreased bone mineralization, and leptin and IGF‐1 have been suggested to be involved in the regulation of both. We aimed to study the interplay between leptin, IGF‐1, FM and bone mineralization measured in infancy and childhood of children born preterm.DesignObservational study.Patients/subjectsSeventy‐nine (40 boys) preterm‐born children (gestational age ≤32 weeks and/or birth weight ≤1500 g) aged 8 years.MeasurementsSerum leptin and IGF‐1 were measured at term age, at 3‐ and 6‐month corrected age (CA), and 8 years. Body composition (fat and lean mass) and bone parameters (bone area, mineral content and density) were measured by Dual‐energy X‐ray Absorptiometry (DXA) at term age, 6‐month CA and 8 years.ResultsLeptin was positively associated with FM at all time points and with bone parameters at term age and 6‐month CA. IGF‐1 was associated with body composition and bone density at most of the time points. Explained variation in bone mineralization increased significantly by adding bone area (BA) and height to the models.ConclusionsDuring infancy and childhood, leptin and IGF‐1 were associated with body composition in preterm‐born children. In addition, leptin was associated with bone parameters in early infancy, but not in childhood. It is hypothesized that a complicated interplay between multiple pathways, which most likely changes over time, is involved in regulation of body composition and bone mineralization of preterm‐born infants.
Converting loss‐on‐ignition to organic carbon content in arable topsoil: pitfalls and proposed procedure
Authors: Jensen J. L. , Christensen B. T. , Schjønning P. , Watts C. W. , Munkholm L. J. 
Published: May 2018

SummaryAssessments of changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks depend heavily on reliable values of SOC content obtained by automated high‐temperature C analysers. However, historical as well as current research often relies on indirect SOC estimates such as loss‐on‐ignition (LOI). In this study, we revisit the conversion of LOI to SOC using soil from two long‐term agricultural field experiments and one arable field with different contents of SOC, clay and particles <20 μm (Fines20). Clay‐, silt‐ and sand‐sized fractions were isolated from the arable soil. Samples were analysed for texture, LOI (500°C for 4 hours) and SOC by dry combustion. For a topsoil with 2 g C and 30 g clay 100 g−1 soil, converting LOI to SOC by the conventional factor 0.58 overestimated the SOC stock by 45 Mg C ha−1. The error increased with increasing contents of clay and Fines20. Converting LOI to SOC by a regression model underestimated the SOC stock by 5 Mg C ha−1 at small clay and Fines20 contents and overestimated the SOC stock by 8 Mg C ha−1 at large contents. This was due to losses of structural water from clay minerals. The best model to convert LOI to SOC incorporated clay content. Evaluating this model against an independent dataset gave a root mean square error and mean error of 0.295 and 0.125 g C 100 g−1, respectively. To avoid misleading accounts of SOC stocks in agricultural soils, we recommend re‐analysis of archived soil samples for SOC using high‐temperature dry combustion methods. Where archived samples are not available, accounting for clay content improves conversion of LOI to SOC considerably. The use of the conventional conversion factor 0.58 is antiquated and provides misleading estimates of SOC stocks.Highlights
Assessment of SOC contents is often based on less accurate methods such as LOI.
Reliable accounts of changes in SOC stocks remain high on the agenda (4‰ initiative).
Conversion of LOI to SOC is considerably improved by accounting for clay content.
Converting LOI to SOC by the conventional factor 0.58 leads to grossly overestimated SOC stocks.
Seasonal dynamics of bacterial communities in aBetula albosinensisforest
Authors: Du C. , Xu C.‐Y. , Jian J.‐S. , He W.‐X. , Hou L. , Geng Z.‐C. 
Published: May 2018

Soil bacteria play a key role in nutrient cycling, but the mechanisms behind seasonal variation of bacterial communities in different types of soil remain unclear. In this study, the bacterial composition during four seasons and at four soil depths (0–10, 10–20, 20–40 and 40–60 cm) in aBetula albosinensisforest of the Qinling Mountains (southern Shaanxi Province, China) was investigated. Illumina 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to analyse soil bacterial diversity and communities. The soil properties, including temperature, pH, water content, organic carbon and total nitrogen content, were determined. Soil bacterial diversity did not decrease with increasing depth, indicating that the bacterial communities in the top‐ and sub‐soil had adapted to the availability of different substrates at different depths. The Chao1 richness and Shannon diversity indices at the four depths typically decreased by 54.43–86.87% and 13.31–33.91%, respectively, from warm summer to cold winter, which was probably a result of the decrease in soil temperature. Moreover, the abundance ofAcidobacteriaincreased with soil temperature, whereas the abundance ofBacteroidetesdecreased with increasing temperature. Soil temperature accounted for 49% of the total variation among the bacterial taxa. Overall, the results suggested that changes in the bacterial communities were attributable to physiological adaptation, which was controlled by soil temperature.HighlightsWe assessed the effects of soil depth and season on soil bacterial community structure.We used Illumina 16S rRNA sequencing to study bacterial diversity and community composition.Changes in bacterial Shannon index with soil depth were influenced by carbon type, not quantity.Soil temperature had important effects on bacterial communities and abundance.