bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Calculative Practices in International Environmental Governance: In (Partial) Defence of Indicators
Authors: Ellis Jaye 
Published: May 2020

AbstractThe role of calculative practices such as goals and indicators in international environmental governance causes concern among many observers, who view them as promoting a reductivist approach to the non-human world and privileging economic understandings of environmental governance above all others. Yet they possess enormous potential to provide insights into the non-human world that could be of great benefit to governance. This article takes seriously critical perspectives of calculative practices, while exploring a weakness in much of the critical literature, namely a failure to examine assumptions about the nature of scientific knowledge and the manner in which it is, and ought to be, taken up by policy makers. I contend that both the design of environmental regimes and critical analyses of these regimes bear the marks of the influence, albeit indirect, of early 20thcentury views on the superiority of scientific knowledge and its unique capacity to ground decision making. I argue that a richer, more nuanced account of the co-production of ecological metrics such as goals and indicators and their potential contributions to ecosystem governance and sustainability is necessary. With such accounts, scholars and political authorities would be in a better position to address the very real pitfalls and dangers of calculative practices while not feeling compelled to forego these potentially powerful approaches.
Do People with Lower IQ Have Weaker Taste Perception? A Hidden Supplementary Table in ‘Is the Association Between Sweet and Bitter Perception Due to Genetic Variation?’
Authors: Hwang Liang-Dar 
Published: May 2020

AbstractThis paper is about Nick’s contribution to the field of taste genetics, how I became involved and how a study on the genetic association between the perception of sweetness and bitterness ended up examining the influence of intelligence on taste perception.
Migraine, Human Genetics and a Passion for Science
Authors: Nyholt Dale R. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractThis note reflects on my collaborations with Nick Martin and the GenEpi group over the past 20 years. Over the past two decades, our work together has focused on gene mapping and understanding the genetic architecture of a wide range of traits with particular foci on migraine and common baldness. Our migraine research has included latent class and twin analyses cumulating in genome-wide association analyses which had identified 44 (34 new) risk variants for migraine. Leveraging these results through polygenic risk score analyses identified subgroups of patients likely to respond to triptans (an acute migraine drug), providing the first step toward precision medicine in migraine [Kogelman et al. (2019) Neurology Genetics, 5, e364].
Nicholas (Nick) G. Martin and the Extended Twin Model
Authors: Maes Hermine H. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractThe extended twin model is a unique design in the genetic epidemiology toolbox that allows to simultaneously estimate multiple causes of variation such as genetic and cultural transmission, genotype–environment covariance and assortative mating, among others. Nick Martin has played a key role in the conception of the model, the collection of substantially large data sets to test the model, the application of the model to a range of phenotypes, the publication of the results including cross-cultural comparisons, the evaluation of bias and power of the design and the further elaborations of the model, such as the children-of-twins design.
Impact of reduced rates of dicamba and glyphosate on sweetpotato growth and yield
Authors: Batts Thomas M , Miller Donnie K. , Griffin James L. , Villordon Arthur O. , Stephenson Daniel O , Jennings Kathrine M. , Chaudhari Sushila , Blouin David C. , Copes Josh T. , Smith Tara P. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractA major concern of sweetpotato producers is the potential negative effects from herbicide drift or sprayer contamination events when dicamba is applied to nearby dicamba-resistant crops. A field study was initiated in 2014 and repeated in 2015 to assess the effects of reduced rates of N,N-Bis-(3-aminopropyl)methylamine (BAPMA) or diglycloamine (DGA) salt of dicamba, glyphosate, or a combination of these individually in separate trials with glyphosate on sweetpotato. Reduced rates of 1/10, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500, 1/750, and 1/1,000 of the 1× use rate of each dicamba formulation at 0.56 kg ha−1, glyphosate at 1.12 kg ha−1, and a combination of the two at aforementioned rates were applied to ‘Beauregard’ sweetpotato at storage root formation (10 d after transplanting) in one trial and storage root development (30 d after transplanting) in a separate trial. Injury with each salt of dicamba (BAPMA or DGA) applied alone or with glyphosate was generally equal to or greater than glyphosate applied alone at equivalent rates, indicating that injury is most attributable to the dicamba in the combination. There was a quadratic increase in crop injury and a quadratic decrease in crop yield (with respect to most yield grades) observed with an increased herbicide rate of dicamba applied alone or in combination with glyphosate applied at storage root development. However, with a few exceptions, neither this relationship nor the significance of herbicide rate was observed on crop injury or sweetpotato yield when herbicide application occurred at the storage root formation stage. In general, crop injury and yield reduction were greatest at the highest rate (1/10×) of either salt of dicamba applied alone or in combination with glyphosate, although injury observed at lower rates would be cause for concern after initial observation by sweetpotato producers. However, in some cases yield reduction of No.1 and marketable grades was observed following 1/250×, 1/100×, or 1/10× application rates of dicamba alone or with glyphosate when applied at storage root development.
Gallium: A New Tracer of Pacific Water in the Arctic Ocean
Authors: Whitmore Laura M. , Pasqualini Angelica , Newton Robert , Shiller Alan M. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractDetermining the proportions of Atlantic and Pacific Ocean seawater entering the Arctic Ocean is important both for understanding the mass balance of this basin as well as its contribution to formation of North Atlantic deep water. To quantify the distribution and amount of Pacific and Atlantic origin seawater in the western Arctic Ocean, we used dissolved Ga in a four‐component linear endmember mixing model. Previously, nutrients, combined in their Redfield ratios, have been used to separate Pacific‐ and Atlantic‐derived waters. These nutrient tracers are not conservative in practice, and there is a need to find quantities that are conserved. Dissolved Ga concentrations show measurable contrast between Atlantic and Pacific source waters, shelf‐influenced waters show little impact of shelf processes on the dissolved Ga distribution, and dissolved Ga in the Arctic basins is conserved along isopycnal surfaces. Thus, we explored the potential of Ga as a new parameter in Arctic source water deconvolution. The Ga‐informed deconvolution was compared to that generated with the NO3:PO4 relationship. While distributions of the water masses were qualitatively similar, the Ga‐based deconvolution predicted higher amounts of Pacific water at depths between 150 and 300 m. The Ga‐based decomposition yields a smoother transition between the halocline and Atlantic layers, while nutrient‐based solutions have sharper transitions. A 1‐D advection‐diffusion model was used to constrain estimates of vertical diffusivity (Kz). The Ga‐based Kz estimates agreed better with those from salinity and temperature than the nutrient method. The Ga‐based approach implies greater vertical mixing between the Pacific and Atlantic waters.
Bone-targeted lncRNA OGRU alleviates unloading-induced bone loss via miR-320-3p/Hoxa10 axis
Authors: Wang Ke , Wang Yixuan , Hu Zebing , Zhang Lijun , Li Gaozhi , Dang Lei , Tan Yingjun , Cao Xinsheng , Shi Fei , Zhang Shu , Zhang Ge 
Published: May 2020

AbstractUnloading-induced bone loss is a threat to human health and can eventually result in osteoporotic fractures. Although the underlying molecular mechanism of unloading-induced bone loss has been broadly elucidated, the pathophysiological role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in this process is unknown. Here, we identified a novel lncRNA, OGRU, a 1816-nucleotide transcript with significantly decreased levels in bone specimens from hindlimb-unloaded mice and in MC3T3-E1 cells under clinorotation-unloading conditions. OGRU overexpression promoted osteoblast activity and matrix mineralization under normal loading conditions, and attenuated the suppression of MC3T3-E1 cell differentiation induced by clinorotation unloading. Furthermore, this study found that supplementation of pcDNA3.1(+)–OGRU via (DSS)6–liposome delivery to the bone-formation surfaces of hindlimb-unloaded (HLU) mice partially alleviated unloading-induced bone loss. Mechanistic investigations demonstrated that OGRU functions as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to facilitate the protein expression of Hoxa10 by competitively binding miR-320-3p and subsequently promote osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. Taken together, the results of our study provide the first clarification of the role of lncRNA OGRU in unloading-induced bone loss through the miR-320-3p/Hoxa10 axis, suggesting an efficient anabolic strategy for osteoporosis treatment.
Generalized sequential state discrimination for multiparty QKD and its optical implementation
Authors: Namkung Min , Kwon Younghun 
Published: May 2020

AbstractSequential state discrimination is a strategy for N separated receivers. As sequential state discrimination can be applied to multiparty quantum key distribution (QKD), it has become one of the relevant research fields in quantum information theory. Up to now, the analysis of sequential state discrimination has been confined to special cases. In this report, we consider a generalization of sequential state discrimination. Here, we do not limit the prior probabilities and the number of quantum states and receivers. We show that the generalized sequential state discrimination can be expressed as an optimization problem. Moreover, we investigate a structure of generalized sequential state discrimination for two quantum states and apply it to multiparty QKD. We demonstrate that when the number of receivers is not too many, generalized sequential state discrimination for two pure states can be suitable for multiparty QKD. In addition, we show that generalized sequential state discrimination for two mixed states can be performed with high optimal success probability. This optimal success probability is even higher than those of quantum reproducing and quantum broadcasting strategy. Thus, generalized sequential state discrimination of mixed states is adequate for performing multiparty QKD. Furthermore, we prove that generalized sequential state discrimination can be implemented experimentally by using linear optics. Finally, we analyze the security of multiparty QKD provided by optimal sequential state discrimination. Our analysis shows that the multiparty QKD guarantees nonzero secret key rate even in low channel efficiency.
DNA fingerprinting: an effective tool for taxonomic identification of precious corals in jewelry
Authors: Lendvay Bertalan , Cartier Laurent E. , Gysi Mario , Meyer Joana B. , Krzemnicki Michael S. , Kratzer Adelgunde , Morf Nadja V. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractPrecious coral species have been used to produce jewelry and ornaments since antiquity. Due to the high value and demand for corals, some coral beds have been heavily fished over past centuries. Fishing and international trade regulations were put in place to regulate fishing practices in recent decades. To this date, the control of precious coral exploitation and enforcement of trade rules have been somewhat impaired by the fact that different species of worked coral samples can be extremely difficult to distinguish, even for trained experts. Here, we developed methods to use DNA recovered from precious coral samples worked for jewelry to identify their species. We evaluated purity and quantity of DNA extracted using five different techniques. Then, a minimally invasive sampling protocol was tested, which allowed genetic analysis without compromising the value of the worked coral objects.The best performing DNA extraction technique applies decalcification of the skeletal material with EDTA in the presence of laurylsarcosyl and proteinase, and purification of the DNA with a commercial silica membrane. This method yielded pure DNA in all cases using 100 mg coral material and in over half of the cases when using “quasi non-destructive” sampling with sampled material amounts as low as 2.3 mg. Sequence data of the recovered DNA gave an indication that the range of precious coral species present in the trade is broader than previously anticipated.
Highly fluorescent few atoms silver nanoclusters with strong photocatalytic activity synthesized by ultrashort light pulses
Authors: Santillán Jesica M. J. , Muñetón Arboleda David , Muraca Diego , Schinca Daniel C. , Scaffardi Lucía B. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractWhile there are conventional chemical synthesis methods to generate metal nanoclusters (NCs), many of them are adversely affected by the unavoidable contamination of the nanoproduct solution, resulting in aggregation, background noise in analytical chemistry, toxicity, and deactivation of the catalyst. In this work, physical method of ultrafast laser ablation as a “green” synthesis approach together with mechanical centrifugation to obtain silver NCs, simplifying widely the chemical synthesis requirements, is proposed. Remarkably, compared with conventional methods for synthesizing Ag NCs, this new approach starts with a colloid that contains nanosized particles as well as smaller species, managing to obtain colloids with few atoms NCs by centrifugation. Those colloids were analyzed by fluorescence spectroscopy observing UV bands corresponding with HOMO-LUMO cluster transitions. Besides, independent HRTEM measurements were made confirming the presence of few atoms Ag NCs, as well as small NPs in different formation stages. Equally important, photocatalytic efficiency of the obtained NCs was studied through degradation of Methylene Blue (MB) when it was mixed with as-prepared or highly centrifuged colloid, showing an enhanced photocatalytic efficiency of 79% as compared to 57% for pure MB after 180 min of illumination. Consequently, this work contributes to establishing a simple approach to synthesize highly fluorescent and photocatalytic NCs.
The role of peer reward and punishment for public goods problems in a localized society
Authors: Ozono Hiroki , Kamijo Yoshio , Shimizu Kazumi 
Published: May 2020

AbstractCooperation in social dilemmas can be sustained if individuals are effectively rewarded or punished from peers within the group. However, as group size increases, we inevitably face localization, in which a global group is divided into several localized groups. In such societies, members can reward and punish only neighbors within the same localized group, while cooperation for social dilemmas should be solved through global group involvement. In this situation, the global group and the local group are not always equal in terms of welfare, and situations can arise in which cooperation is beneficial for the global group but not for the local group. We predict that in such a locally inefficient situation, peer reward and punishment cannot function to sustain global cooperation. We conducted an experiment in which 16 group members played a public goods game incorporating peer reward and punishment. We manipulated the range of peer reward and punishment (only local members/all global members) and payoff structure (locally efficient/locally inefficient). We found that high cooperation was not achieved and that peer reward and punishment did not function when, and only when, the group was divided into localized groups and the payoff structure was locally inefficient.
Assessment of a pro-healing stent in an animal model of early neoatherosclerosis
Authors: Nicol Philipp , Lutter Christoph , Bulin Anna , Castellanos Maria Isabel , Lenz Tobias , Hoppmann Petra , Lahmann Anna Lena , Colleran Roisin , Euller Kristina , Steigerwald Kristin , Neubauer Stefanie , Rechenmacher Florian , Ludwig Beatrice Stefanie , Weinmüller Michael , Kerch Garry , Guo Liang , Cheng Qi , Acampado Eduardo , Koppara Tobias , Kessler Horst , Joner Michael 
Published: May 2020

AbstractBackground: Neoatherosclerosis represents an accelerated manifestation of atherosclerosis in nascent neointima after stenting, associated with adverse events. We investigated whether improved reendothelialization using RGD-coated stents results in diminished vascular permeability and reduced foam cell formation compared to standard DES in atherosclerotic rabbits. Methods and Results: Neointimal foam cell formation was induced in rabbits (n = 7). Enhanced endothelial integrity in RGD-coated stents resulted in decreased vascular permeability relative to DES, which was further confirmed by SEM and TEM. Cell culture experiments examined the effect of everolimus on endothelial integrity. Increasing concentrations of everolimus resulted in a dose-dependent decrease of endothelial cell junctions and foam cell transformation of monocytes, confirming the relevance of endothelial integrity in preventing permeability of LDL. Conclusion: Incomplete endothelial integrity was confirmed as a key factor of neointimal foam cell formation following stent implantation. Pro-healing stent coatings may facilitate reendothelialization and reduce the risk of neoatherosclerosis.
LHRH-Conjugated Drugs as Targeted Therapeutic Agents for the Specific Targeting and Localized Treatment of Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Obayemi J. D. , Salifu A. A. , Eluu S. C. , Uzonwanne V. O. , Jusu S. M. , Nwazojie C. C. , Onyekanne C. E. , Ojelabi O. , Payne L. , Moore C. M. , King J. A. , Soboyejo W. O. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractBulk chemotherapy and drug release strategies for cancer treatment have been associated with lack of specificity and high drug concentrations that often result in toxic side effects. This work presents the results of an experimental study of cancer drugs (prodigiosin or paclitaxel) conjugated to Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone (LHRH) for the specific targeting and treatment of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Injections of LHRH-conjugated drugs (LHRH-prodigiosin or LHRH-paclitaxel) into groups of 4-week-old athymic female nude mice (induced with subcutaneous triple negative xenograft breast tumors) were found to specifically target, eliminate or shrink tumors at early, mid and late stages without any apparent cytotoxicity, as revealed by in vivo toxicity and ex vivo histopathological tests. Our results show that overexpressed LHRH receptors serve as binding sites on the breast cancer cells/tumor and the LHRH-conjugated drugs inhibited the growth of breast cells/tumor in in vitro and in vivo experiments. The inhibitions are attributed to the respective adhesive interactions between LHRH molecular recognition units on the prodigiosin (PGS) and paclitaxel (PTX) drugs and overexpressed LHRH receptors on the breast cancer cells and tumors. The implications of the results are discussed for the development of ligand-conjugated drugs for the specific targeting and treatment of TNBC.
Parasitic mites alter chicken behaviour and negatively impact animal welfare
Authors: Murillo Amy C. , Abdoli Alireza , Blatchford Richard A. , Keogh Eamonn J. , Gerry Alec C. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractThe northern fowl mite,Ornithonyssus sylviarum, is one of the most common and damaging ectoparasites of poultry. As an obligate blood feeding mite, the northern fowl mite can cause anaemia, slower growth, and decreased egg production of parasitized birds. However, the impact of mites or other ectoparasites on hen behaviour or welfare is not well studied. Here, we use activity sensors (three-axis accelerometers) affixed to individual birds to continuously record hen movement before, during, and after infestation with mites. Movements recorded by sensors were identified to specific bird behaviours through a previously trained algorithm, with frequency of these behaviours recorded for individual birds. Hen welfare was also determined before, during, and after mite infestation of hens using animal-based welfare metrics. Northern fowl mites significantly increased hen preening behaviour and resulted in increased skin lesions of infested birds.
A microbiological survey of handwashing sinks in the hospital built environment reveals differences in patient room and healthcare personnel sinks
Authors: Franco Lauren C. , Tanner Windy , Ganim Christine , Davy Terri , Edwards Jonathan , Donlan Rodney 
Published: May 2020

AbstractHandwashing sinks and their associated premise plumbing are an ideal environment for pathogen-harboring biofilms to grow and spread throughout facilities due to the connected system of wastewater plumbing. This study was designed to understand the distribution of pathogens and antibiotic resistant organisms (ARO) within and among handwashing sinks in healthcare settings, using culture-dependent methods to quantify Pseudomonas aeruginosa, opportunistic pathogens capable of growth on a cefotaxime-containing medium (OPP-C), and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). Isolates from each medium identified as P. aeruginosa or Enterobacteriaceae were tested for susceptibility to aztreonam, ceftazidime, and meropenem; Enterobacteriaceae were also tested against ertapenem and cefotaxime. Isolates exhibiting resistance or intermediate resistance were designated ARO. Pathogens were quantified at different locations within handwashing sinks and compared in quantity and distribution between healthcare personnel (HCP) and patient room (PR) sinks. ARO were compared between samples within a sink (biofilm vs planktonic samples) and between sink types (HCP vs. PR). The drain cover was identified as a reservoir within multiple sinks that was often colonized by pathogens despite daily sink cleaning. P. aeruginosa and OPP-C mean log10 CFU/cm2 counts were higher in p-trap and tail pipe biofilm samples from HCP compared to PR sinks (2.77  ± 2.39 vs. 1.23 ± 1.62 and 5.27 ± 1.10 vs. 4.74 ± 1.06) for P. aeruginosa and OPP-C, respectively. P. aeruginosa and OPP-C mean log10 CFU/ml counts were also higher (p < 0.05) in HCP compared to PR sinks p-trap water (2.21 ± 1.52 vs. 0.89 ± 1.44 and 3.87 ± 0.78 vs. 3.21 ± 1.11) for P. aeruginosa and OPP-C, respectively. However, a greater percentage of ARO were recovered from PR sinks compared to HCP sinks (p < 0.05) for Enterobacteriaceae (76.4 vs. 32.9%) and P. aeruginosa (25.6 vs. 0.3%). This study supports previous work citing that handwashing sinks are reservoirs for pathogens and ARO and identifies differences in pathogen and ARO quantities between HCP and PR sinks, despite the interconnected premise plumbing.