Plos One
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Several uncorroborated, false, or misinterpreted conceptions have for years been widely distributed in academic publications, thus becoming scientific myths. How can such misconceptions persist and proliferate within the inimical environment of academic criticism? Examining 613 articles we demonstrate that the reception of three myth-exposing publications is skewed by an 'affirmative citation bias': The vast majority of articles citing the critical article will affirm the idea criticized. 468 affirmed the myth, 105 were neutral, while 40 took a negative stance. Once misconceptions proliferate wide and long enough, criticizing them not only becomes increasingly difficult, efforts may even contribute to the continued spreading of the myths.
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The local infectious origin and the putative role of Cutibacterium acnes (CA) of a particular subtype of discopathy (Modic 1) are still debated. ⋯ In spine surgery the prevalence of CA in culture was significantly higher in IVD samples collected through a posterior approach compared to an anterior approach, suggesting a contamination process. This study did not support the CA related local infectious origin of Modic 1 discopathy.
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To investigate the association between ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) and ossification of the nuchal ligament (ONL) in terms of incidence and size. ⋯ The presence of ONL was associated with the presence of OPLL. The length of OPLL and ONL showed no correlation.
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Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) are widely used for measuring DNA methylation levels on a genome-wide scale. Both methods have limitations: WGBS is expensive and prohibitive for most large-scale projects; RRBS only interrogates 6-12% of the CpGs in the human genome. Here, we introduce methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme bisulfite sequencing (MREBS) which has the reduced sequencing requirements of RRBS, but significantly expands the coverage of CpG sites in the genome. ⋯ This combined approach allowed us to estimate differential methylation across 60% of the genome using read count data alone, and where counts were sufficiently high in both samples (about 1.5% of the genome), our estimates were significantly improved by the single CpG conversion information. We show that differential DNA methylation values based on MREBS data correlate well with those based on WGBS and RRBS. This newly developed technique combines the sequencing cost of RRBS and DNA methylation estimates on a portion of the genome similar to WGBS, making it ideal for large-scale projects of mammalian genomes.
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Climate change is driving shifts in the abundance and distribution of marine fish and invertebrates and is having direct and indirect impacts on seafood catches and fishing communities, exacerbating the already negative effects of unsustainably high fishing pressure that exist for some stocks. Although the majority of fisheries in the world are managed at the national or local scale, most existing approaches to assessing climate impacts on fisheries have been developed on a global scale. It is often difficult to translate from the global to regional and local settings because of limited relevant data. ⋯ Using the climate impact estimations and model outputs, we identify high priority stocks, fleets, and regions for policy reform in Mexico in the face of climate change. This approach can be applied in other data-poor circumstances to focus future research and policy reform efforts on stocks now subject to additional stress due to climate change. Considering their growing relevance as a critical source of protein and micronutrients to nourish our growing population, it is urgent for regions to develop sound fishery management policies in the short-term as they are the most important intervention to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on marine fisheries.