bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Antidiabetic effect of free amino acids supplementation in human visceral adipocytes through adiponectin-dependent mechanism
Authors: Srinivasan Vidhya , Radhakrishnan Selvi , Angayarkanni Narayanasamy , Sulochana K.N. 
Published: April 2019

Background & objectives:
Amino acids are general nutrients having anti-diabetic property. The present study was undertaken to investigate the mechanism of anti-diabetic effects of amino acids in human visceral adipocyte cells in high glucose environment.

Methods:
Experiments were carried out in human visceral adipocytes. Adiponectin (APN) siRNAs were designed using Ambion tools. APN mRNA expression was quantified using real-time polymerase chain reaction, and protein level was studied using ELISA. AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) activity was measured and glucose uptake by 2-deoxyglucose uptake method.

Results:
Amino acids (proline and phenylalanine) exposure to adipocytes significantly (P<0.01) increased APN mRNA by 1.5-folds when compared to control whereas proline increased APN secretion by 10.6-folds (P<0.01), phenylalanine by 12.7-folds (P<0.001) and alanine by 6.3-folds (P<0.01). Free amino acid-induced AMPK activity and glucose uptake were decreased with the transient knockdown of APN.

Interpretation & conclusions:
Antidiabetic effect of the tested amino acids was exhibited by increased glucose uptake through the AMPK pathway by an APN-dependent mechanism in human visceral adipocytes. This should be tested and confirmed in in vivo system. Newer treatment modalities with amino acids which can enhance glucose uptake and APN secretion can be developed as drug for treating both diabetes and obesity.
One-Level Density of Low-lying Zeros of Quadratic and Quartic Hecke -functions
Authors: Gao Peng , Zhao Liangyi 
Published: April 2019

AbstractIn this paper we prove some one-level density results for the low-lying zeros of families of quadratic and quartic Hecke $L$-functions of the Gaussian field. As corollaries, we deduce that at least 94.27% and 5%, respectively, of the members of the quadratic family and the quartic family do not vanish at the central point.
The Action of a Plane Singular Holomorphic Flow on a Non-invariant Branch
Authors: Fortuny Ayuso P. , Ribón J. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractWe study the dynamics of a singular holomorphic vector field at $(\mathbb{C}^{2},0)$. Using the associated flow and its pullback to the blow-up manifold, we provide invariants relating the vector field, a non-invariant analytic branch of curve, and the deformation of this branch by the flow. This leads us to study the conjugacy classes of singular branches under the action of holomorphic flows. In particular, we show that there exists an analytic class that is not complete, meaning that there are two elements of the class that are not analytically conjugated by a local biholomorphism embedded in a one-parameter flow. Our techniques are new and offer an approach dual to the one used classically to study singularities of holomorphic vector fields.
O discurso sobre saúde no programa “Bem Estar” à luz das categorias de consciência possível e criação cultural
Authors: Chaves Pombo Alan Cesar Dantas , Malina André , De Azevedo Ângela Celeste Barreto 
Published: April 2019

O presente artigo foi realizado a partir de uma pesquisa sobre um programa de TV de tipo mass media. Do ponto de vista teórico-metodológico, utilizou-se as categorias de consciência possível e criação cultural de Lucien Goldmann para verificar como o discurso sobre saúde e estilo de vida está sendo veiculado nas falas de apresentadores e convidados. Os principais resultados mostraram um eixo norteador de direcionamento discursivo para determinação de comportamentos sociais e, ao mesmo tempo, antagonismo às características da consciência possível e da criação cultural da população que assiste a tal programa de TV.

ABSTRACT:
This article was based on a research on a mass media TV program. From the theoretical and methodological point of view, Lucien Goldmann's categories of possible consciousness and cultural creation were used to verify how the discourse on health and lifestyle is being conveyed in the speeches of presenters and guests in the TV show. The main results showed a guiding axis of discursive direction for determination of social behaviors and, at the same time, antagonism to the characteristics of the possible consciousness and the cultural creation of the population that attends such TV program.

RESUMEN:
El presente artículo se realizó a partir de una investigación sobre un programa de televisión de tipo mass media. Desde el punto de vista teórico-metodológico, se utilizaron las categorías de conciencia posible y creación cultural de Lucien Goldmann para verificar cómo el discurso sobre salud y estilo de vida está siendo vehiculado en las conversaciones de presentadores e invitados. Los principales resultados mostraron un eje orientador de direccionamiento discursivo para la determinación de comportamientos sociales y, al mismo tiempo, antagonismo a las características de la conciencia posible y de la creación cultural de la población que asiste a tal programa de televisión.
ENERGY ANALYSIS OF THE USE PHASE OF CONVENTIONAL TIRES COMPARED TO GUAYULE NR TIRES
Authors: Theregowda Ranjani B. , Eranki Pragnya L. , Landis Amy E. 
Published: April 2019

ABSTRACT
Guayule NR can be grown in the United States and offers a potentially more secure and sustainable alternative to the substantial Hevea NR that is imported from Southeast Asia. This paper presents the first rolling resistance and use-phase energy consumption estimates for guayule tires. The results of this study show that use-phase life cycle energy reductions can be achieved with NRs and that the rolling resistance coefficient (RRcnew) and reference service life (RSL) of the new tire are the critical parameters that pertain to energy and fuel efficiency. A tire's use phase accounts for approximately 86% of its life cycle energy consumption and thus is an important consideration in sustainability assessments. We calculated the use-phase energy consumption for two types of NR tires: a 100% guayule rubber tire and an experimental epoxidized NR tire. These two NR tires were compared against a conventional passenger tire made by Cooper Tire & Rubber Company. The ISO product category rules for passenger tires were used to determine energy consumption, while relevant data were measured from concept tires built in collaboration with Cooper Tire & Rubber Company. The results of this analysis showed that both experimental NR tires have improved use-phase energy consumption compared to conventional rubber tires. Although the epoxidized NR tire with low RRcnew consumes the least energy during the use phase, it is currently not being considered for commercial manufacture. The 100% guayule rubber tire shows a 6% reduction in energy consumption compared to the conventional rubber tire. Results of the sensitivity analysis showed a linear change in use-phase energy consumption with the relevant tire load and RRcnew and an inverse change with the average vehicle fuel efficiency and the RSL.
The Hybrid Course for College-Level Elementary Korean: Its Development and Implementation
Authors: Yong Namseok , Ko Seongyeon 
Published: April 2019

ABSTRACT
The past decades have witnessed a surge of scholarly interest in the development of viable foreign language (FL) curricula that integrate various instructional technologies into traditional face-to-face language instruction. This is because its proper application has proved effective, especially in helping students facing temporal and/or geographical limitations and in motivating students with different learning abilities to engage more actively in various learning tasks (Hampel & Stickler, 2015; Meskill & Anthony, 2015). This article aims to contribute to the needs of KFL educators who want to apply modern instructional technologies to their classroom-only-based teaching/learning environments. We showcase the elementary-level Korean courses (KOREAN 101 and 102) in their hybrid format, built upon the “flipped” classroom learning model at Queens College of the City University of New York.
Linking Language Learning with Community: A Community-Based Learning Project for Advanced Korean Courses
Authors: Lee-Smith Angela 
Published: April 2019

ABSTRACT
This article focuses on the significance of community-based learning (CBL), which has yet to be incorporated more widely and proactively in the field of second language education, including Korean. It introduces the Junior-and-Mentor (JAM) project as a model CBL project for advanced language courses, describes its outcomes, and discusses pedagogical implications. The article concludes with a suggestion for collaboration on expansion of the CBL project repertoires and creation of a CBL project repository for the language-teaching community.
Wettelijke maximering van de vertrekvergoeding onder de Wbfo: géén verplichting voor de rechter tot ambtshalve toepassing
Authors: Helstone A.M. 
Published: April 2019

Wettelijke maximering van de vertrekvergoeding onder de Wbfo: géén verplichting voor de rechter tot ambtshalve toepassing
Op 1 juni 2018 (ECLI:NL:HR:2018:818) heeft de Hoge Raad zich voor het eerst uitgelaten over de procesrechtelijke status van het wettelijk maximum voor de vertrekvergoeding van bestuurders ex artikel 1:125 lid 2 Wft. Volgens de Hoge Raad is deze bepaling geen regel van openbare orde die ex artikel 25 Rv ambtshalve door de rechter zou moeten worden toegepast. In deze annotatie worden de relevante gezichtspunten voor de verplichting tot ambtshalve toepassing ex artikel 25 Rv geanalyseerd. Tevens wordt stilgestaan bij de oorsprong en de doelstellingen van de beloningsnormen van de Wft en de Europese regels. Hiermee wordt beoogd een bijdrage te leveren aan de bredere gedachtevorming over de duiding van wettelijke beloningsnormen als onderdeel van publiekrechtelijke regulering in het civiel procesrecht en de hiervoor geldende rechterlijke toetsing.
Fenomenologie van het proces van bewijzen in strafzaken
Authors: de Jong Thomas Jacobus 
Published: April 2019

Fenomenologie van het proces van bewijzen in strafzaken
In deze bijdrage staat de activiteit van bewijzen in strafzaken centraal. Betoogd wordt dat de vigerende rationalistische opvatting van strafrechtelijk bewijzen eraan voorbij gaat dat het bewijzen zich allereerst voltrekt op een vóór-reflectief niveau. Het primaire blikveld van de mens is namelijk niet het objectiverende kennen, zoals in de rationele bewijstheorieën wordt voorondersteld, maar de praktische relatie tot de wereld. In dit kader wordt eerst de filosofische achtergrond van de rationalistische bewijsopvatting in kaart gebracht, in het bijzonder de invloed van Aristoteles en Descartes. Vervolgens worden de daaruit voortkomende bevindingen aan de hand van ideeën en inzichten die zijn ontleend aan de existentiële fenomenologie kritisch gewaardeerd. Dit leidt tot de uiteenzetting van een hermeneutische opvatting van strafrechtelijk bewijzen.
Acetaminophen Serum Concentrations in Infants Treated Intravenously for Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Authors: McPherson Christopher , Luecke Caitlyn M. , Liviskie Caren J. , Zeller Brandy N. , Vesoulis Zachary A. 
Published: April 2019

OBJECTIVE Although acetaminophen has emerged as a therapeutic option for treating hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm infants, limited data exist on pharmacodynamics. The objective of this research is to report serum acetaminophen concentrations at steady state in infants treated with intravenous acetaminophen for PDA and to examine associations with clinical outcomes.
METHODS This retrospective study evaluated all infants admitted during the study period who received intravenous acetaminophen for the treatment of PDA. Acetaminophen dosing was 15 mg/kg every 6 hours. A serum acetaminophen concentration was obtained 4 hours after the eighth dose. Associations between serum concentrations and efficacy, assessed by ductal constriction on echocardiogram, and safety, assessed by serum creatinine and hepatic transaminases, were explored using simple linear regression.
RESULTS A total of 36 infants were included, with a median birth weight of 720 g (IQR 585–895 g) and a median gestational age of 25 weeks (IQR 24–26 weeks). The median acetaminophen concentration in the cohort was 12.3 mg/L (IQR 6.7–16.5 mg/L; range, 1.1–29.0 mg/L). Serum acetaminophen concentrations did not correlate with infant demographics, hepatic transaminases during treatment, or duct size at treatment completion. We observed ductal closure across a wide range of serum acetaminophen concentrations.
CONCLUSIONS We did not identify an association between acetaminophen serum concentrations following intravenous therapy and ductal response or hepatic toxicity.
Graft-to-Recipient Weight Ratio Associated With Tacrolimus Metabolism Following Pediatric Living Donor Liver Transplantations
Authors: Shoji Kensuke , Miyairi Isao , Inoue Eisuke , Fukuda Akinari , Sakamoto Seisuke , Kasahara Mureo 
Published: April 2019

OBJECTIVES Tacrolimus (TAC) is an important immunosuppressant in liver transplantation. Since TAC is mainly metabolized by the liver enzymes CYP3A4 and 5, liver function is crucial for its pharmacokinetics (PK). Liver function is dynamic after liver transplantation; hence the PK of TAC metabolism after pediatric liver transplantation is not well understood. We aimed to investigate the time-dependent changes in TAC metabolism and to find factors influencing TAC PK after pediatric liver transplantation.METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the characteristics of the donors and recipients in pediatric living donor liver transplantation and used the TAC concentration-dose (CD) ratio as a surrogate marker of TAC metabolism.RESULTS Included were 326 patients with a median age of 13 months. After the liver transplantation, the CD ratio gradually decreased, then plateaued around day 21 to 28. A linear regression analysis demonstrated that a lower graft-to-recipient weight ratio (GRWR) and higher prothrombin time–international normalized ratio (PT-INR) were independently associated with a higher CD ratio in the early period after liver transplantation. However, association between GRWR and TAC CD ratio disappeared around 6 to 12 months after a liver transplantation possibly owing to graft regeneration.CONCLUSIONS Tacrolimus metabolism improved within the first month after liver transplantation, and the small graft size was associated with lower TAC metabolism in the early period after pediatric living donor liver transplantation.
Next-generation sequencing of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes for rapid detection of germline mutations in hereditary breast/ovarian cancer
Authors: Nicolussi Arianna , Belardinilli Francesca , Mahdavian Yasaman , Colicchia Valeria , D’Inzeo Sonia , Petroni Marialaura , Zani Massimo , Ferraro Sergio , Valentini Virginia , Ottini Laura , Giannini Giuseppe , Capalbo Carlo , Coppa Anna 
Published: April 2019

Background
Conventional methods used to identify BRCA1 and BRCA2 germline mutations in hereditary cancers, such as Sanger sequencing/multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA), are time-consuming and expensive, due to the large size of the genes. The recent introduction of next-generation sequencing (NGS) benchtop platforms offered a powerful alternative for mutation detection, dramatically improving the speed and the efficiency of DNA testing. Here we tested the performance of the Ion Torrent PGM platform with the Ion AmpliSeq BRCA1 and BRCA2 Panel in our clinical routine of breast/ovarian hereditary cancer syndrome assessment.

Methods
We first tested the NGS approach in a cohort of 11 patients (training set) who had previously undergone genetic diagnosis in our laboratory by conventional methods. Then, we applied the optimized pipeline to the consecutive cohort of 136 uncharacterized probands (validation set).

Results
By minimal adjustments in the analytical pipeline of Torrent Suite Software we obtained a 100% concordance with Sanger results regarding the identification of single nucleotide alterations, insertions, and deletions with the exception of three large genomic rearrangements (LGRs) contained in the training set. The optimized pipeline applied to the validation set (VS), identified pathogenic and polymorphic variants, including a novel BRCA2 pathogenic variant at exon 3, 100% of which were confirmed by Sanger in their correct zygosity status. To identify LGRs, all negative samples of the VS were subjected to MLPA analysis.

Discussion
Our experience strongly supports that the Ion Torrent PGM technology in BRCA1 and BRCA2 germline variant identification, combined with MLPA analysis, is highly sensitive, easy to use, faster, and cheaper than traditional (Sanger sequencing/MLPA) approaches.
MicroRNA profiling of mouse liver in response to DENV-1 infection by deep sequencing
Authors: Pong Lian Yih , Parkkinen Sinikka , Dhanoa Amreeta , Gan Han Ming , Wickremesinghe Indeevari Abisheka Chiharu , Syed Hassan Sharifah 
Published: April 2019

BackgroundDengue caused by dengue virus (DENV) serotypes −1 to −4 is the most important mosquito-borne viral disease in the tropical and sub-tropical countries worldwide. Yet many of the pathophysiological mechanisms of host responses during DENV infection remain largely unknown and incompletely understood.MethodsUsing a mouse model, the miRNA expressions in liver during DENV-1 infection was investigated using high throughput miRNA sequencing. The differential expressions of miRNAs were then validated by qPCR, followed by target genes prediction. The identified miRNA targets were subjected to gene ontology (GO) annotation and pathway enrichment analysis to elucidate the potential biological pathways and molecular mechanisms associated with DENV-1 infection.ResultsA total of 224 and 372 miRNAs out of 433 known mouse miRNAs were detected in the livers of DENV-1-infected and uninfected mice, respectively; of these, 207 miRNAs were present in both libraries. The miR-148a-3p and miR-122-5p were the two most abundant miRNAs in both groups. Thirty-one miRNAs were found to have at least 2-fold change in upregulation or downregulation, in which seven miRNAs were upregulated and 24 miRNAs were downregulated in the DENV-1-infected mouse livers. The miR-1a-3p was found to be the most downregulated miRNA in the DENV-1-infected mouse livers, with a significant fold change of 0.10. To validate the miRNA sequencing result, the expression pattern of 12 miRNAs, which were highly differentially expressed or most abundant, were assessed by qPCR and nine of them correlated positively with the one observed in deep sequencing.In silicofunctional analysis revealed that the adaptive immune responses involving TGF-beta, MAPK, PI3K-Akt, Rap1, Wnt and Ras signalling pathways were modulated collectively by 23 highly differentially expressed miRNAs during DENV-1 infection.ConclusionThis study provides the first insight into the global miRNA expressions of mouse livers in response to DENV-1 infectionin vivoand the possible roles of miRNAs in modulating the adaptive immune responses during DENV-1 infection.
Integrated analysis of two-lncRNA signature as a potential prognostic biomarker in cervical cancer: a study based on public database
Authors: Wu Wenjuan , Sui Jing , Liu Tong , Yang Sheng , Xu Siyi , Zhang Man , Huang Shaoping , Yin Lihong , Pu Yuepu , Liang Geyu 
Published: April 2019

Background
Cervical cancer (CC) is a common gynecological malignancy in women worldwide. Evidence suggests that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can be used as biomarkers in patients with CC. However, prognostic biomarkers for CC are still lacking. The aim of our study was to find lncRNA biomarkers which are able to predict prognosis in CC based on the data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).

Methods
The patients were divided into three groups according to FIGO stage. Differentially expressed lncRNAs were identified in CC tissue compared to adjacent normal tissues based on a fold change >2 and <0.5 at P < 0.05 for up- and downregulated lncRNA, respectively. The relationship between survival outcome and lncRNA expression was assessed with univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. We constructed a risk score as a method to evaluate prognosis. We used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under curve (AUC) analyses to assess the diagnostic value of a two-lncRNA signature. We detected the expression levels of the two lncRNAs in 31 pairs of newly diagnosed CC specimens and paired adjacent non-cancerous tissue specimens, and also in CC cell lines. Finally, the results were statistically compared using t-tests.

Results
In total, 289 RNA sequencing profiles and accompanying clinical data were obtained. We identified 49 differentially expressed lncRNAs, of which two related to overall survival (OS) in CC patients. These two lncRNAs (ILF3-AS1 and RASA4CP) were found together as a single prognostic signature. Meanwhile, the prognosis of patients with low-risk CC was better and positively correlated with OS (P < 0.001). Further analysis showed that the combined two-lncRNA expression signature could be used as an independent biomarker to evaluate the prognosis in CC. qRT-PCR results were consistent with TCGA, confirming downregulated expression of both lncRNAs. Furthermore, upon ROC curve analysis, the AUC of the combined lncRNAs was greater than that of the single lncRNAs alone (0.723 vs 0.704 and 0.685), respectively; P < 0.05.

Conclusions
Our study showed that the two-lncRNA signature of ILF3-AS1 and RASA4CP can be used as an independent biomarker for the prognosis of CC, based on bioinformatic analysis.
Factors Affecting Farm Mechanization – A Case Study in Assam, India
Authors: Barman Sinki , Deka Nivedita , Deka Pallavi 
Published: April 2019

The study was conducted in Central Brahmaputra Valley and Upper Brahmaputra Valley Zone of Assam in India. Primary data of 240 sample farms by personal interview schedule method and Logit Regression Analysis was used for examining the factors affecting farm mechanization adoption. All data collected from sample farms pertains to the year 2014-15.With the help of logit regression different factors affecting the mechanization adoption was examined in the sample households where seven explanatory variable to explain mechanization adoption viz., age of the head of household i.e. AGE, education level of the household i.e. EDU, size of land holdings i.e. LHD, access to irrigation i.e. IRA, access to extension agents i. e. EXT, area under high yielding varieties i.e. HYA and the access to institutional credit i.e. BLN were included and the negative value of the coefficient of AGE showed that the younger generation of farmers favoured the mechanization of farm much more compared to the old block. The coefficient of EDU (4.325) was positive and highly significant level confirming that the adoption of farm mechanization was more prevalent among the farms having relatively literate in the study area. It was found from the above analysis that there were different factors which affect the farm mechanization. Linkage of extension functionaries with the grassroots level by creating awareness about the use of farm machineries amongst the farmers.