bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Feminist Theories of International Relations
Authors: Steans Jill
Published: May 2014

The publication of the special issue of the journal Millennium on Women and International Relations (Vol. 17, no. 3, 1988) and the appearance of the pathbreaking book Bananas, Beaches and Bases: Making Feminist Sense of International Politics (Enloe 1989, cited under Textbooks) marked the beginnings of the project to gender international relations (IR). There has subsequently been a substantial growth in research and scholarship, which bears testimony to the dynamism of the field. Indeed, the growth and vibrancy of feminist scholarship in IR was evidenced by the establishment of a specialist journal, International Feminist Journal of Politics, in 1999. Although there is a distinctive body of feminist literature with a recognizable international relations disciplinary focus, feminists often draw on scholarship from across a range of academic disciplines. For this reason, the indicative literature included in this bibliography includes some texts written by feminists working in other fields of study such as sociology, geography, and international law. Similarly, many feminist IR texts are useful to students studying global gender issues and global gender politics in other disciplinary contexts. Feminist IR embraces a range of approaches, which, in distinctive ways, interrogate gender as a site of power and social regulation. Feminist analyses interrogate how identities are constructed and reproduced, and how power relations and social and cultural norms, specifically heteronormative and patriarch norms, are constructed and maintained in varied contexts pertinent to international relations. In short, feminists study the difference gender makes in international relations. Often this entails embracing a normative commitment to progressive gender politics and, therefore, feminists are interested in tracking the trajectory of political and social developments that further, or conversely, impede, this project. The intellectual origins of feminist IR are rooted in distinctive traditions of feminist theory. Some strands of feminist scholarship also draw from critical work on gender identities and sexualities, including queer theory. However, feminist IR must also be seen as integral to the “critical” and “cultural” turns in IR in the 1980s; specifically, feminist IR emerged in the wake of the intellectual and political space opened up by the “fourth debate” (positivist-post-positivist debate) in IR. As such, feminists share with constructivists and critical theorists broadly conceived concern with ethical issues of exclusion and hierarchy; issues inherent in boundary-marking processes, notably the making of states and nations; and practices of “othering.”
Sign Language Linguistics
Authors: Börstell Carl , Sandler Wendy , Aronoff Mark
Published: May 2014

Sign language linguistics is one of the younger areas of linguistic research, having been a field in its own right only since the 1960s, when the first research investigating sign languages from a linguistic perspective was published. Since sign language was historically considered not to be language at all, but merely a gesture-based aid for basic communication, early research was focused on demonstrating the linguistic status of sign languages—that they are indeed languages in their own right, equivalent to spoken languages. The earliest research used traditional linguistic tools to investigate the phonological structure of sign language (specifically American Sign Language [ASL]), and to demonstrate that sign languages had duality of patterning, but the field soon expanded in all directions. Within the following decades, more in-depth analyses of the phonological and grammatical structure of sign languages were published, as well as investigations on the acquisition and use of sign language. With time, existing theoretical models for spoken language were applied to sign languages as well, and a number of new models for representing the syntax and phonology of sign languages were introduced. Cross-linguistic research on different sign languages, as well as on different social environments (e.g., urban versus village sign languages), has become more and more popular, as have cross-modal comparisons with spoken languages. In applied fields of linguistics, education and interpreting have become two of the main areas of investigation, as has the study of sign language in artistic use (e.g., poetry), often in close connection to the field of deaf studies. The interface between sign language and gesture has become a hot topic, especially within the domains of language emergence and foundations of human cognition. Finally, neurolinguistics has also expanded to include sign language within the scope of research.
Determiners
Authors: Panagiotidis E. Phoevos
Published: May 2014

Determiners are a nominal syntactic category distinct both from adjectives and nouns, despite the close affinity among them. They are commonly understood to comprise the word classes of article, demonstrative, and quantifier, as well as some possessives and some nominal agreement markers. Determiners became a prominent topic of study in grammatical theory during the 1980s, due both to advances in semantic theorizing, such as Generalized Quantifier Theory, and to the generalization of the X’ phrasal schema to minor (functional) categories, to which determiners are posited to belong. The main questions that have been the focus of theoretical and typological inquiry ever since are the categorial status of determiners (functional or lexical), whether they are universal as a distinct syntactic category, whether they constitute a uniform category or not, their structural position, their feature content, their role in argumenthood and semantic interpretation in general, and their relation to pronouns. Answers to these questions are, in part, determined by whether one takes determiners to be the nominal equivalent of complementizers (i.e., to constitute the topmost functional layer of the nominal phrase) or to be all quantifiers, defining relations between predicates. At the same time, a wealth of syntactic phenomena involving determiners have been investigated, shedding light not only on the structure of the nominal phrase and on the distribution of nominal features within it, but also on the nature of adjectives, possessives, and nouns.
Dravidian Languages
Authors: Steever Sanford
Published: May 2014

By number of speakers, the Dravidian language family is the fourth or fifth largest in the world. It includes approximately twenty-six modern languages, four of which also have extensive literary traditions predating the modern era. While some sources have listed the number of languages as high as seventy, many of these turn out to be alternative names or dialects of existing languages. Comparative study shows that, on the basis of shared innovations, the Dravidian languages comprise four subgroups: South Dravidian, South-Central Dravidian, Central Dravidian, and North Dravidian. The majority of the languages lack a written tradition and were not recorded before the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. At one end of the spectrum is Naiki, a Central Dravidian language, which we know only from annotated word lists. At the other end stands Tamil, a South Dravidian language with two thousand years of literature, an indigenous grammatical tradition, and no lack of grammatical descriptions. While concentrated primarily in south and central India, several Dravidian languages, such as Tamil, have spread through commerce and colonization to Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Singapore as well as eastern Africa and parts of the Caribbean.
Meuse-Argonne Offensive
Authors: Lengel Edward G.
Published: May 2014

The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, lasting from 26 September 1918 to 11 November 1918, constituted the largest and bloodiest engagement of American forces in World War I. Part of a series of concentric attacks devised by Marshal Ferdinand Foch against German positions on the Western Front in the autumn of 1918, it aimed at the capture of the important railway junction at Mézières, which supplied a large portion of the German forces in France. German forces in this area did not enjoy the luxury of trading space for time, and they were under orders to defend to the last. The offensive is usually said to have resulted in 120,000 American casualties, including 26,000 dead, most of them having fallen in the offensive’s first three weeks. Combat in the Meuse-Argonne was extremely intensive, and had a profound effect on all who participated in it, but whether it impacted the development of American military doctrine is debatable. The Meuse-Argonne is controversial in the sense that American historians have tended to emphasize its importance in overall operations on the Western Front in 1918, while many European historians have dismissed it as insignificant. Comparatively little has been published about the offensive in either article or book form. Only four general studies have been published—in 1919, 1987, 2007, and 2008—but none of these works are comprehensive in scope. Scattered writings exist on various aspects of the offensive, from celebrated heroes, such as Alvin C. York, to individual episodes, such as the saga of the Lost Battalion or the attack on Montfaucon. Numerous articles have been published, mostly in the 1930s and 1960s, about the role of artillery and gas warfare units in the offensive; however, aside from a single-volume collection of essays to be published in 2014, not much has been written about infantry combat, tanks and aircraft, or the problems of logistics and command. Next to nothing has appeared in any language on German or French participation in the Meuse-Argonne. Published American personal accounts exist in abundance, however, and vast archival sources remain untapped in the National Archives and at the US Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, PA.
Sports and Consumerism
Authors: Iber Jorge
Published: May 2014

In 2001, Arlene Dávila’s book Latinos, Inc. (Berkeley: University of California Press) noted that in the early 21st century, Latinos/Latinas were on the radar of major corporations as potential consumers. No longer would these individuals, at least theoretically, be perceived strictly as a specialty market that purchased only the basics for familial survival or products that reminded recent immigrants of “home.” Since the 1980s a fair percentage of this population has moved into the middle (and ever upper) class, creating a substantial amount of disposable income (early-21-century estimates are as high as one trillion dollars of purchasing power) for all manner of goods and services. It is not surprising, therefore, that sporting-goods manufacturers, franchises of various sport leagues (at all levels of competition), and college teams are looking determinedly to get in on the sports “action” tied to the Latino market. Given the dramatic increase in the population’s numbers, and greater dispersal throughout the country, it is considered an absolute must to reach out to this consumer base, even in locales that might not, at first, seem to call for Latino-targeted campaigns. Not surprisingly, soccer, boxing, and baseball are three key athletic undertakings that have aggressively sought to develop this market. Still, sports that would be considered nontraditional, in terms of Latino fan-base interest (such as the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing [NASCAR]), have also aggressively moved to capture a slice of the community’s sports-related dollars. One of the key issues relating to this topic is how best to reach and entice this burgeoning economic segment: Should advertisements be in Spanish or English, or both? How can costly missteps be avoided? Do Latinos like only those sports that they know from “back home,” or can they be enticed, in a consistent manner, to attend other events? These questions have been debated by marketers since the late 20th century, and the discussions have generated a substantial number of publications that can serve as a starting point for studying the topic, both from a marketing/business and a historical perspective. Although there is a fair amount of information that relates specifically to Latinos as consumers of sport, it is necessary to begin research on this line of inquiry with a sense of how Spanish speakers came to the attention of corporate America as general consumers (worthy of advertising and marketing expenditures) and of the economic and social benefits and problems associated with this trend. For this, it is imperative to consult the work of scholars such as Arlene Dávila and Marta Tienda (see General Overviews and Related Articles). In addition, researchers should peruse works that deal directly with Latinos as athletes and the role that sport has played in Spanish-speaking communities throughout American history; for example, the work of José Alamillo, Samuel O. Regalado, Arnoldo De León, and Jorge Iber (see General Overviews and Related Articles).
Yan'an and the Revolutionary Base Areas
Authors: Keating Pauline
Published: May 2014

The field of base area studies grew, in part, out of the search by Western analysts to understand why the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was able to defeat the Guomindang (GMD) and seize state power in 1949. The Cold War conspiracy and organizational weapon theories of the 1950s gave way in the early 1960s to Chalmers Johnson’s argument that, from 1937, the Party won the support of rural populations by tapping a “peasant nationalism.” Since Johnson, scholars have broadly agreed that the secret of CCP “success” lay in the resistance war period (1937–1945), but there has been a lot less agreement about how the Communists might have “appealed” to the peasants in that period. Lucien Bianco in 1967 argued the salience of socioeconomic appeals as well as nationalism, but stronger challenges to Johnson came from scholars such as Donald Gillin in 1964 and Mark Selden in 1971. Selden’s study of social revolution in a region that was never occupied by Japan was a strong reply to Johnson, but his Yenan Way model was itself challenged by scholars who could demonstrate that the Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region, with Yan’an (Yenan) as its capital, was very different from the rear-area bases. The challenges to both the peasant nationalism and Yenan Way arguments gave rise to the base area studies genre, a turn to local history that has been a broad trend in recent decades. A definitive feature of the genre has been the rejection of grand theory (monolithic explanations of the CCP success), a dereification of “the Party” and the partial de-Maoification of Party history, and a strong emphasis on the regional diversities that resulted from, for example, different ecologies, stages of development, proximity to war fronts, and local cultures. A major factor in the rapid growth of base area studies in the 1980s and 1990s was the progressive opening of Chinese archives beginning in 1978, the explosion of document-compilation work among Chinese researchers, and the collaborations between Chinese and Western scholars in base area research. The collaborations have served significantly to expand and enrich the scholarship in this field.
Qing Dynasty up to 1840
Authors: Littrup Leif
Published: May 2014

The territory of the Qing dynasty was in 1840 still at its maximum, roughly 25 percent larger than the present Chinese territory and more than double the size of the previous Ming dynasty. The history of the Qing dynasty is about this expansion and how Han Chinese tradition and institutions interacted with a leadership dominated by ethnic or organizational minorities, the Manchus and other bannermen. It was a time of change in society and government that belies the still heard claim that it was an immobile empire both internally and in a world context. This article focuses mainly on government and political history; it touches on social and cultural history, but these are dealt with more extensively in other articles in the Oxford Bibliographies in Chinese Studies. The population probably doubled in the period, and many people may have experienced rising or at least adequate living standards. There were few technological breakthroughs in production, but rational application and expansion of existing methods to more land in combination with other economic measures secured a rise in production, at least until around 1800, aided by a government apparatus with qualifications and flexibility to solve problems that arose. The ethnic or organizational complexity of government administration may have helped to create a strong administration, but state finances were never strong enough to evade corruption and its threats to society. Foreigners arrived as before, Qing subjects went abroad, and the integration of China in the world and the world economy before the European powers started to intrude on Qing territory, both on the coast and the continental borders, is now accepted by most historians although it is always possible to find rhetoric, rules, and actions that, seen in isolation, may support the impression of an isolating empire.
Genetic Analyses of the FRNK Motif Function of Turnip mosaic virus Uncover Multiple and Potentially Interactive Pathways of Cross-Protection
Authors: Kung Yi-Jung , Lin Pin-Chun , Yeh Shyi-Dong , Hong Syuan-Fei , Chua Nam-Hai , Liu Li-Yu , Lin Chan-Pin , Huang Yu-Hsin , Wu Hui-Wen , Chen Chin-Chih , Lin Shih-Shun
Published: May 2014

Cross-protection triggered by a mild strain of virus acts as a prophylaxis to prevent subsequent infections by related viruses in plants; however, the underling mechanisms are not fully understood. Through mutagenesis, we isolated a mutant strain of Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV), named Tu-GK, that contains an Arg182Lys substitution in helper component-proteinase (HC-ProK) that confers complete cross-protection against infection by a severe strain of TuMV in Nicotiana benthamiana, Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0, and the Arabidopsis dcl2-4/dcl4-1 double mutant defective in DICER-like ribonuclease (DCL)2/DCL4-mediated silencing. Our analyses showed that HC-ProK loses the ability to interfere with microRNA pathways, although it retains a partial capability for RNA silencing suppression triggered by DCL. We further showed that Tu-GK infection triggers strong salicylic acid (SA)-dependent and SA-independent innate immunity responses. Our data suggest that DCL2/4-dependent and –independent RNA silencing pathways are involved, and may crosstalk with basal innate immunity pathways, in host defense and in cross-protection.
Infection Courts and Timing of Infection of Apple Fruit by Phacidiopycnis washingtonensis in the Orchard in Relation to Speck Rot During Storage
Authors: Sikdar P. , Mazzola M. , Xiao C. L.
Published: May 2014

Phacidiopycnis washingtonensis is the cause of speck rot, a recently reported postharvest fruit rot disease of apple. The pathogen is believed to incite infections in the field, and disease symptoms become evident only during storage. To determine the timing of apple fruit infection in relation to development of speck rot in storage, ‘Red Delicious’ and ‘Fuji’ apple fruit were inoculated in the orchard with P. washingtonensis at different times during the growing season, harvested, and monitored for decay development during storage at 0°C. Fruit inoculated in both field and laboratory also were used to identify the infection courts and mode of apple fruit penetration by P. washingtonensis. In all 3 years, stem-end speck rot and calyx-end speck rot developed during cold storage on fruit inoculated during the growing season, regardless of inoculation time; and the incidence of total speck rot in storage increased as the fruit inoculation time approached harvest. On fruit floral parts, the pathogen colonized sepals at higher rates than stamens. Availability of naturally occurring necrotic tissues favored the colonization of the fungus on sepals. Histological studies indicated that infection occurred through micro-cracks on the surfaces of pedicels and sepals of the fruit, and invasion of these tissues was restricted between the cuticle and epidermis. Findings of this study will assist in the development of effective control strategies for speck rot.
Wide Phenotypic Diversity for Resistance to Phytophthora infestans Found in Potato Landraces from Peru
Authors: Pérez Willmer , Ñahui Miriam , Ellis David , Forbes Gregory A.
Published: May 2014

The wild and cultivated species of potato have been utilized in potato breeding to good effect but only a very small sample of the available biodiversity has been exploited. In total, 468 accessions of wild and cultivated species of potato were assessed for resistance to the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans using greenhouse assays. Wide phenotypic variation for resistance was found within a species (i.e., among accessions) but not among species which, on average, were similar. Nineteen accessions had resistance levels better than or similar to the variety Chucmarina, which is routinely used by the International Potato Center as a resistant control. Surprisingly, a number of accessions were significantly more susceptible than the susceptible control, Tomasa Condemayta. Frequency histograms of species indicated continuous variation for resistance with little evidence for functional resistance genes.
Co-infection and Disease Severity of Ohio Maize dwarf mosaic virus and Maize chlorotic dwarf virus Strains
Authors: Morales Katia , Zambrano Jose Luis , Stewart Lucy R.
Published: May 2014

Two major maize viruses have been reported in the United States: Maize dwarf mosaic virus (MDMV) and Maize chlorotic dwarf virus (MCDV). These viruses co-occur in regions where maize is grown, such that co-infections are likely. Co-infection of different strains of MCDV is also observed, and a synergistic enhancement of symptoms in co-infected plants was previously reported. Here, we examined the impact of co-infections of two strains of MCDV (MCDV-S and MCDV-M1, severe and mild, respectively), and co-infections of MCDV and MDMV in the sweet corn hybrid ‘Spirit’ in greenhouse experiments. Quantitative plant growth and development parameters were measured and virus accumulation was measured by reverse-transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Virus symptoms were enhanced and plants showed no recovery over time in co-infections of MDMV-OH and MCDV-S but virus titers and quantitative growth parameters did not indicate synergy in co-infected plants. MCDV-M1 co-infections with either MDMV-OH or MCDV-S did not show symptom enhancement or evidence of synergism.
Soybean Resistance to Cercospora sojina Infection Is Reduced by Silicon
Authors: Nascimento Kelly Juliane Telles , Debona Daniel , França Sueny Kelly Santos , Gonçalves Mariana Gabriele Marcolino , DaMatta Fábio Murilo , Rodrigues Fabrício Ávila
Published: May 2014

Frogeye leaf spot, caused by Cercospora sojina, is one of the most important leaf diseases of soybean worldwide. Silicon (Si) is known to increase the resistance of several plant species to pathogens. The cultivars Bossier and Conquista, which are susceptible and resistant, respectively, to frogeye leaf spot, supplied and nonsupplied with Si were examined for the activities of defense enzymes and the concentrations of total soluble phenolics (TSP) and lignin-thioglycolic acid (LTGA) derivatives at 8, 14, and 16 days after inoculation (dai) with C. sojina. The importance of cell wall degrading enzymes (CWDE) to the infection process of C. sojina and the effect of Si on their activities were also determined. Soybean plants were grown in hydroponic culture containing either 0 or 2 mM Si (−Si and +Si, respectively) and noninoculated or C. sojina inoculated. Severity of frogeye leaf spot was higher in cultivar Bossier plants than cultivar Conquista and also in the +Si plants compared with their −Si counterparts. Except for the concentrations of TSP and LTGA derivatives, activities of defense enzymes and the CWDE did not change for +Si noninoculated plants regardless of the cultivar. The activities of lipoxygenases, phenylalanine ammonia-lyases, chitinases, and polyphenoloxidases as well as the activities of CWDE decreased for the +Si inoculated plants. The results from this study demonstrated that defense enzyme activities decreased in soybean plants supplied with Si, which compromised resistance to C. sojina infection.
Grapevine red blotch-associated virus Is Widespread in the United States
Authors: Krenz B. , Thompson J. R. , McLane H. L. , Fuchs M. , Perry K. L.
Published: May 2014

Grapevine red blotch disease has been recognized since 2008 as affecting North American grape production. The presence of the newly described Grapevine red blotch-associated virus (GRBaV) is highly correlated with the disease. To more effectively detect and monitor the presence of the virus, a sample processing strategy and multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay were developed. A total of 42 of 113 vine samples collected in or received from seven of the United States were shown to harbor the virus, demonstrating the virus is widely distributed across North America. Phylogenetic analyses of a viral replication-associated protein (Rep) gene fragment from the 42 isolates of GRBaV demonstrated distinct clades of the virus (1 and 2), with clade 1 showing the greatest variability. The full-length genome of six virus isolates was sequenced, and phylogenetic analyses of 14 whole genomes recapitulated results seen for the Rep gene. A comparison of GRBaV genomes revealed evidence of recombination underlying some of the variation seen among GRBaV genomes within clade 1. Phylogenetic analyses of coat and replicase-associated protein sequences among single-stranded DNA viruses showed GRBaV to group within the family Geminiviridae. This grouping is distinct from members of the families Nanoviridae and Circoviridae, with limited significant affinities to both recognized genera and novel plant-infecting, gemini-like viruses.
Changes in isoflavone content and quality characteristics of Cheonggukjang prepared with Bacillus subtilis HJ18-3 and KACC 15935
Authors: Lee Kyung ha , Choi Hye Sun , Choi Yoon Hee , Park Shin Young , Song Jin
Published: May 2014

This study was conducted in order to investigate the change of isoflavone composition (glycoside and bio-active aglycone), and to evaluate the quality characteristics of Cheonggukjang, which was prepared by different bacillus strains. After the 48-hour fermentation, the contents of daidzein, genistein, and glycitein in the Bacillus subtilis HJ18-3 have significantly increased up to approximately 89.06±3.59, 10.36±0.28, and 101.37±3.67 ug/g, respectively. The contents of daidzein, genistein, and glycitein in the Bacillus subtilis KACC 15935 were 38.88±5.39, 12.58±2.14, and 80.13±0.71 ug/g, respectively. The original content of daidzein was 3.96 ug/g, while genistein and glycitein were not measured. However, the contents of daidzen and genistein in HJ18-3 and in KACC 15935 were decreased. The α-Amylase and cellulase activities of Chungkookjang in HJ18-3 were higher than in the KACC 15935. The contents of Chungkookjang in HJ18-3 were 29.70±11.66 and 4861.3±388.07 unit/g, respectively. The amino type nitrogen contents and ammonia type nitrogen contents of Chungkookjang in KACC 15935 were higher than in the HJ18-3. These results suggested that it could be used to increase the bioactivity via fermentation with the Bacillus subtilis possessing a β-glucosidase activity with a view towards the development of functional foods.
Quality characteristics of domestic dried persimmon and imported dried persimmon
Authors: Hur Sang-Sun , Kang Bok-Hee , Lee Dong-Sun , Lee Sang-Han , Lee Jin-Man
Published: May 2014

The physicochemical quality characteristics of the domestic and imported commercial dried persimmons were investigated. The moisture content of dried persimmon was approximately 22.78~61.64%, while the moisture contents of the Chinese dried persimmon were 22.78 and 28.20%, respectively, and were lower than the domestic dried persimmon. The pH of the Chinese dried persimmon was 5.09~5.99, while the pH of the Haman dried persimmon has the highest value (pH 5.99). The Brix was approximately 25.07~42.93 °Brix and weight of dried persimmons were 29.77~77.95 g, while the weight of Yeongdong dried persimmon has the lowest (29.77 g), and the weight of the Sancheong dried persimmon has the highest value. The L values were 18.27~66.20. The a values were -1.26∼10.70 and a value of the Sancheong dried persimmon was 10.70, which was the highest. The b values were 2.81∼25.25, wherein the b value of the Cheongdo semi-dried persimmon and Sancheong dried persimmon were25.25 and 21.98, respectively, and were higher than others. The appearance score of the sensory characteristics were the highest in Cheongdo semi-dried persimmon, while the appearance score of Wanju black persimmon was 1.39, which was the lowest. The overall acceptability of the Chinese dred persimmons (No.2) was the highest, while that of the Yeongdong, Hadong and Sangju dried persimmons have higher values than the other dried persimmons. The sulfur dioxide content of the 9 kinds of commercial dried persimmon was lower than 10 mg/kg, but not detected.
Quality changes of fresh-cut winter squash treated with different postharvest ripening periods and packaging methods
Authors: Kim Ji-Gang , Choi Ji-Woen , Cho Mi-Ae
Published: May 2014

This study was conducted in order to evaluate the effect of postharvest ripening periods and packaging methods on maintaining the quality of fresh-cut winter squash. Winter squash (var. Bouchang) was ripened at 22°C for 1 or 2 weeks after harvest. The samples were washed in tap water, sanitized in 100 μL/L chlorine water, peeled, and cut into 16 parts. Samples were then vacuum packaged or non-vacuum packaged in 80 μm nylon/polyethylene (Ny/PE) films and stored at 5°C for 21 days. Results indicated that different postharvest ripening periods affected gas concentration, firmness, off-odor development, color, and overall quality of fresh-cut winter squash. Samples treated with 2-week ripening periods maintained quality with higher redness value and soluble solid content (SSC) and lower CO2 concentration and off-odor development compared to samples treated with a 1-week ripening period. Non vacuum packaging was effective in increasing visual quality and reducing off-odor development. A combination treatment of 2-week ripening periods and non-vacuum packaging maintained good quality with the lowest off-odor development and the highest visual quality scores at the end of the storage period.
Quality characteristics of rice cookies as affected by coffee addition
Authors: Seong Jong-Hwan , Chung Hun-Sik , Kim Han-Bit , Lee Joo-Baek , Moon Kwang-Deog
Published: May 2014

The effects of adding varying amounts (0%, 1.5%, 3%, 6%, and 12%) of the medium roasted coffee powder on the quality characteristics of rice cookies, which were prepared without wheat flour, were studied. The ingredients were mixed, cut, baked at 170~180°C for 10 min, cooled, and packaged in plastic bags. Lightness (L*), yellowness (b*), chroma (C*), and hue angle (ho) of cookies decreased as the addition amount of the coffee powder increased. Redness (a*) increased with the amount of the coffee powder. Firmness and phenolic compounds tended to increase with the increase in coffee content, however, the firmness levels of the cookies containing 1.5~3% coffee powder were insignificantly different. Antioxidant activity of cookies increased with the increase in the amount of coffee powder. Antioxidant activity of the cookies added with 3% coffee powder was significantly higher than that of the cookies added with 1.5% coffee powder. As a results of the sensory evaluation, the intensity of darkness, smell, bitterness, hardness of the cookies tended to increase with the increase in the amount of coffee powder. The overall acceptability of the cookies was significantly higher for the cookies containing 1.5~3% coffee powder than for the other samples. These results suggested that coffee powder (approximately 3%) can be utilized as an additive for preparing rice cookies which have simultaneously high antioxidant activity and acceptability.
Antioxidant, angiotensinconverting enzyme and xanthin oxidase inhibitory activity of extracts from Saururus chinensis leaves by ultrafine grinding
Authors: Cho Young-Je
Published: May 2014

In this study, the biological activity of water and ethanol extracts from Saururus chinensis by ultra-fine grinding for functional food source are examined. It is more effective to use ethanol than water when extracting phenolic compounds. Approximately 2.5 times higher extraction yield were shown when it was ultra-fine grinded because the particle size decreases, thereby increasing the extraction yield. Normal grinded sample extracts showed 69.8% of DPPH inhibition effect, while fine grinded and ultra-fine grinded sample extracts showed 70.7% and 83.8% each, respectively. Normal extract, as well as fine grinded and ultra-fine grinded extracts, showed over 97% of ABTS inhibition effect, thereby indicating only a slight difference in the anti-oxidative activity with the grinding method. Higher PF was determined with fine grinded and ultra-fine grinded extracts than the normal grinded extract, while ultra-fine grinded 50% ethanol extracts showed the highest anti-oxidative activity value of 1.8 PF. The fine grinded and ultra-fine grinded particle sizes are smaller than the normal grinded particle size, thus increasing the inhibition rate of the TBARS. Furthermore, the ethanol extract was revealed to have a higher effect than the water extracts. The xanthin oxidase inhibition, on the other hand, was identified as ultra-fine grinded that led to the increase in the enzyme inhibition effect. In the angiotensin-converting enzyme, water extracts with normal grinding did not show inhibition activity, while 50% ethanol extracts showed 24% inhibition activity. Moreover, the ethanol extracts showed higher inhibition effect compared to the water extracts. Ultra-fine grinded 50% ethanol extracts showed a slight antibacterial effect on the Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, while the other extracts showed none. The result suggests that Saururus chinensis extracts by ultra-fine grinding may be more useful than normal grinding as potential sources due to anti-oxidation, angiotensin converting enzyme and xanthine oxidase inhibition.
Antioxidant activities of hot-water extracts from Aster scaber by cultivation and drying methods
Authors: Hong Ju-Yeon , Kim Kyu-Min , Nam Hak-Sik , Shin Seung-Ryeul
Published: May 2014

This study was conducted in order to analyze the polyphenol contents and antioxidant activities of hot-water extracts of Aster scaber in the wild field and cultivated field, and through the drying methods for the comparison on the quality characteristics of Aster scaber, according to cultivation and drying methods, and the development of functional materials. The extraction yield was higher in the Aster scaber cultivated field than those of the Aster scaber in the wild field, and high from the dried Aster scaber. The total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of Aster scaber hot-water extracts from the wild field were higher than those in the cultivated field. The total polyphenol contents were high in the extract of blanched and dried Aster scaber, and the flavonoid content was high in the non-treated Aster scaber. The electron donating ability (EDA) values of Aster scaber hot-water extracts were increased along with the increase of extract concentration, while the EDA of the blanched and dried Aster scaber extracts was higher than the other extracts. Furthermore, the SOD-like activity was increased by the extract concentration, and was high in the extract of the non-treated Aster scaber. The nitrite scavenging ability in pH 1.2 was high in the non-treated, blanched, dried, and natural dried Aster scaber. The xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities were increased through the increase of extract concentrations, and higher in the hot-water extract from Aster scaber in the wild field (WRA) than those in the other extracts. The inhibition of tyrosinase and reduction of power were increased by the increased extract concentration, and high in the extracts of blanched and dried Aster scaber. The reduced power was higher in the Aster scaber hot-water extracts of cultivated field, and was higher in the extracts of blanched and dried Aster scaber than those in the extracts dried through the use of other drying methods. Aster scaber has a high content of polyphenol and flavonoid, and antioxidant activities, which were developed as functional materials.
A study to reduce the intestinal transport of endosulfan by indole
Authors: Gong Daecheol , Kim Juyeon , Choi Hansol , Noh Sang Kyu
Published: May 2014

Evidence suggests that dietary indole, particularly rich in cruciferous vegetables, may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Endosulfan is a residual organochlorine pesticide, which is detected in fruits, vegetables, and crops. In this study, we investigated the effect of luminal indole on endosulfan transport in the small intestine in mesenteric lymph duct-cannulated rats. The duodenum was also cannulated and a fasting phosphate buffered saline-glucose solution was infused overnight at 3 mL/hr. After recovery, a lipid emulsion containing [2,3-14C] endosulfan (14C-endosulfan) was infused into the duodenum for 8 hours. The tested rats were infused with the same lipid emulsion, but with indole. Samples from the lymph-fistula were collected hourly, and the luminal contents and mucosa were collected at the end of the infusion. The lymph flow in the mesenteric lymph did not differ between the two groups. However, the intestinal absorption of both endosulfan and cholesterol were significantly decreased by indole. The amount of radioactive endosulfan, which remained in the mucosa, was greater in the indole-infused rats due to the decreased transport of endosulfan into the lymph. This study indicates that the indole decreases the intestinal transport of endosulfan into the mesenteric lymph.
Anti-obesity effect of Polygala tenuifolia
Authors: Hwang Ju-Young , Wu Yong-Xiang , Hwang Dae-Il , Bae Suk-Jae , Kim Taewan
Published: May 2014

This study was performed in order to investigate the anti-obesity effect of Polygala tenuifolia on lipid mechanism in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The chemical composition of the P. tenuifolia was analyzed in order to assess its nutritional value. Total dietary fiber was the highest among the proximate component of the P. tenuifolia. These results showed that the P. tenuifolia may be used as a potential functional ingredient for anti-obesity effect. Intracellular lipid droplets in the adipocyte were stained with oil-red O dye and quantified. In comparison to the control, lipid accumulation was significantly decreased by 40.1% and 22.4% when treated with the water extract and 70% EtOH extract of the P. tenuifolia at the concentration of 10 μg/mL, respectively. The anti-adipogenic effect of the water extract was stronger than that of the 70% EtOH extract. The gene expression levels were measured via Western blot and real-time PCR. As a result, the water extract was found to have decrease the gene expression of SREBP-1c, PPAR, C/EBP α, FAS, ACC in a dose-dependent manner. These indicate that the water extract inhibits pre-adipocyte differentiation and adipogenesis by blocking the SREBP-1c gene expression in 3T3-L1 cells. Therefore, P. tenuifolia can be used as an effective anti-obesity agent.
N-BLR, a primate-specific non-coding transcript, modulates the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and leads to colorectal cancer invasion and migration
Authors: Rigoutsos Isidore , Lee Sang Kil , Nam Su Youn , Ivkovic Tina Catela , Pichler Martin , Rossi Simona , Clark Peter , Yi Jing , Ling Hui , Shimizu Masayoshi , Redis Roxana Simona , Shah Maitri Yogen , Zhang Xinna , Jung Eun Jung , Tsirigos Aristotelis , Huang Li , Ferdin Jana , Gafa Roberta , Spizzo Riccardo , Nicoloso Milena , Shariati Maryam , Tiron Aida , Yeh Jen Jen , Teruel Raul , Melo Sonia , Xiao Lianchun , Flores Elsa Renee , Negrini Massimo , Bar Eli Menashe , Mani Sendurai , Liu Chang-Gong , Berindan-Neagoe Ioana , Esteller Manel , Keating Michael , Lanza Giovanni , Calin George
Published: May 2014

Non-coding RNAs have been commanding increasingly greater attention in recent years as the few that have been functionalized to date play important roles in key cellular processes. Here we show that N-BLR, a ~900 bp non-coding RNA, modulates the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, increases colorectal cancer invasion, and functions as a migration enabler by affecting the expression of ZEB1 and E-cadherin. In patients with colorectal cancer, N-BLR expression associates with tumor stage and invasion potential. As N-BLR contains several instances of a category of DNA motifs known as pyknons, we also designed a custom-made array to investigate the possibility that other pyknon loci may be transcribed. For several of the loci probed by the array we found that the corresponding pyknons are differentially expressed between cancer and normal tissue samples. Taken together the data suggest that a systematic study of other pyknon-containing non-coding RNAs like N-BLR may be warranted in the context of colorectal cancer.
Visual areas exert feedforward and feedback influences through distinct frequency channels
Authors: Bastos Andre M , Vezoli Julien , Bosman Conrado A , Schoffelen Jan-Mathijs , Oostenveld Robert , Dowdall Jarrod R , De Weerd Peter , Kennedy Henry , Fries Pascal
Published: May 2014

Visual cortical areas are thought to form a hierarchy and to subserve cognitive functions by interacting in both feedforward and feedback directions. While feedforward influences convey sensory signals, feedback influences modulate brain responses to a given sensory stimulus according to the current behavioural context. Many studies have demonstrated effects of feedback influences on feedforward driven responses and on behaviour. Also, anatomical projections in both directions have been identified. However, although these studies have revealed the anatomical paths and the neurophysiological consequences of influences in both directions, the neurophysiological mechanisms through which these influences are exerted remain largely elusive. Here we show that in the primate visual system, feedforward influences are carried by theta-band (~4 Hz) and gamma-band (~60-80 Hz) synchronization, and feedback influences by beta-band (~14-18 Hz) synchronization. These frequency-specific asymmetries in directed influences were revealed by simultaneous local field potential recordings from eight visual areas and an analysis of Granger-causal influences across all 28 pairs of areas. The asymmetries in directed influences correlated directly with asymmetries in anatomy and enabled us to build a visual cortical hierarchy from the influence asymmetries alone. Across different task periods, most areas stayed at their hierarchical position, whereas particularly frontal areas moved dynamically. Our results demonstrate that feedforward and feedback signalling use different frequency channels, which might subserve their differential communication requirements and lead to differential local consequences. The possibility to infer hierarchical relationships through functional data alone might make it possible to derive a cortical hierarchy in the living human brain.
MOSAIC EPIGENETIC DYSREGULATION OF ECTODERMAL CELLS IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER
Authors: Berko Esther R. , Suzuki Masako , Beren Faygel , Lemetre Christophe , Alaimo Christine M. , Calder R. Brent , Ballaban-Gil Karen , Gounder Batya , Kampf Kaylee , Kirschen Jill , Maqbool Shahina B. , Momin Zeineen , Reynolds David M. , Russo Natalie , Shulman Lisa , Stasiek Edyta , Tozour Jessica , Valicenti-McDermott Maria , Wang Shenglong , Abrahams Brett S. , Hargitai Joseph , Inbar Dov , Zhang Zhengdong , Buxbaum Joseph D. , Molholm Sophie , Foxe John J. , Marion Robert W. , Auton Adam , Greally John
Published: May 2014

DNA mutational events are increasingly being identified in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the potential additional role of dysregulation of the epigenome in the pathogenesis of the condition remains unclear. The epigenome is of interest as a possible mediator of environmental effects during development, encoding a cellular memory reflected by altered function of progeny cells. Advanced maternal age (AMA) is associated with an increased risk of having a child with ASD for reasons that are not understood. To explore whether AMA involves covert aneuploidy or epigenetic dysregulation leading to ASD in the offspring, we tested an homogeneous ectodermal cell type from 47 individuals with ASD compared with 48 typically developing (TD) controls born to mothers of ≥35 years, using a quantitative genome-wide DNA methylation assay. We show that DNA methylation patterns are dysregulated in ectodermal cells in these individuals, having accounted for confounding effects due to subject age, sex and ancestral haplotype. We did not find mosaic aneuploidy or copy number variability to occur at differentially-methylated regions in these subjects. Of note, the loci with distinctive DNA methylation were found at genes expressed in the brain and encoding protein products significantly enriched for interactions with those produced by known ASD-causing genes, representing a perturbation by epigenomic dysregulation of the same networks compromised by DNA mutational mechanisms. The results indicate the presence of a mosaic subpopulation of epigenetically-dysregulated, ectodermally-derived cells in subjects with ASD. The epigenetic dysregulation observed in these ASD subjects born to older mothers may be associated with aging parental gametes, environmental influences during embryogenesis or could be the consequence of mutations of the chromatin regulatory genes increasingly implicated in ASD. The results indicate that epigenetic dysregulatory mechanisms may complement and interact with DNA mutations in the pathogenesis of the disorder.
Case of disseminated cutaneous Mycobacterium chelonae infection mimicking cutaneous vasculitis
Authors: Ichihara Asako , Jinnin Masatoshi , Fukushima Satoshi , Inoue Yuji , Ihn Hironobu
Published: May 2014

Mycobacterium chelonae is a non‐tuberculous, rapidly growing mycobacteria and is widely distributed in the natural environment. In the immunocompetent status, localized cutaneous infections such as cellulitis and subcutaneous abscesses commonly occur after traumatic injury. However, disseminated cutaneous infections occur on a background of immunosuppression. Cutaneous M. chelonae infection presents with a variety of skin eruptions. We report a case of disseminated M. chelonae infection mimicking cutaneous vasculitis. The patient was treated with long‐term oral corticosteroids and injected etanercept for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. Because the skin eruptions were preceded by asthma and rheumatoid arthritis and the pathological findings showed fibrinoid necrosis around the vascular of dermis, cutaneous vasculitis was first suspected. The culture from the pus revealed the bacterium which grew within 5 days on Ogawa's culture medium suggesting a rapidly growing mycobacteria. This bacterium was identified as M. chelonae by the DNA–DNA hybridization method. We chose 800 mg/day clarithromycin and 500 mg/day levofloxacin as a result of the drug‐sensitivity test. After 6 months of the treatment, infection symptoms disappeared. Rapidly growing mycobacteria should be considered in the differential diagnosis of infections in patients under immunosuppression caused by diseases or drugs such as corticosteroids and biologic agents. Repeated bacterial examinations are important and required for the diagnosis of rapidly growing mycobacteria.