bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cooperative Governance and the Legitimacy Dilemma: A Case Study in a Credit Cooperative
Authors: Jansen Aline Castro , Maehler Alisson Eduardo , Wegner Douglas 
Published: October 2018

Objective: Our goal was to analyze whether governance practices implemented by credit cooperatives, according to the guidelines of the Central Bank of Brazil (BACEN), contribute to an increase in participation by cooperative members and an increase in the legitimacy of decisions. Method: This research was developed around a case study. Data collection was conducted through interviews, non-participant observations, and documentary analysis in a credit cooperative of free admission. Originality / Relevance: We detected the need to advance the academic literature on governance issues. There is currently a lack of research that analyzes the institutional mechanisms of cooperatives that reinforce their legitimacy, such as the participation of the cooperative in decision-making processes. Results: The social programs implemented aim to increase the representativeness of the members in the cooperative. The new assembly process promoted a significant change in the participation of the members, resulting in an increase in the number of voters in the assemblies. This strengthened their involvement and increased the legitimacy of the cooperative vis-à-vis regulatory institution. Theoretical contributions: The theoretical contribution of this study is related to the advancement of issues of cooperative governance. We noticed that the demand for increased participation of members is linked to the search for legitimacy, both in relation to the market, and to the members and the BACEN. Furthermore, the latter induces normative isomorphism through good governance practices. Management contributions: The main managerial contribution of this study is to provide credit cooperatives with awareness of the fact that governance directly influences the participation of members, which, in turn, affects the legitimacy of the institutional and social environments.
A monographic revision of the Neotropical dung beetle genus Sylvicanthon Halffter & Martínez, 1977 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Deltochilini), including a reappraisal of the taxonomic history of ‘Canthon sensu lato’
Authors: Cupello Mario , Vaz-de-Mello Fernando Z. 
Published: October 2018

Although extensively studied by different authors over the past 150 years, the taxonomy of Canthon Hoffmannsegg, 1817 and allied genera (which are here informally referred to as ‘Canthon sensu lato’) still remains problematic. With the aim of resolving some of the questions surrounding these taxa, the present work reviews the taxonomy of one of them, the genus Sylvicanthon Halffter & Martínez, 1977. As defined here, Sylvicanthon is distributed mainly throughout the vast areas of tropical rainforests in the Neotropical region and includes 15 species divided into two groups: the enkerlini group, with a single species, S. enkerlini (Martínez et al., 1964) comb. nov., and the candezei group, with five subgroups: the candezei subgroup, with S. candezei (Harold, 1869), S. genieri sp. nov. and S. foveiventris (Schmidt, 1920); the aequinoctialis subgroup, with S. aequinoctialis (Harold, 1868) comb. nov. and S. proseni (Martínez, 1949) stat. et comb. nov.; the bridarollii subgroup, with S. bridarollii (Martínez, 1949), S. seag sp. nov., S. edmondsi sp. nov. and S. attenboroughi sp. nov.; the furvus subgroup, with S. furvus (Schmidt, 1920), S. monnei sp. nov., S. mayri sp. nov. and S. obscurus (Schmidt, 1920); and the securus subgroup, with a single species, S. securus (Schmidt, 1920) comb. nov. Three species originally included in Sylvicanthon are here (re)transferred to Canthon: Canthon xanthopus Blanchard, 1846 and C. machadoi (Martínez & Pereira, 1967) comb. nov., as well as C. cobosi (Pereira & Martínez, 1960) stat. et comb. nov., which had been previously in synonymy under C. xanthopus. Descriptions, redescriptions, illustrations and comparative tables on the external morphology (including the genital capsule) of the genus and its species are presented, as well as a detailed discussion on their biogeography, comparative morphology, hypotheses on their phylogenetic relationships, data on natural history and a detailed historical revision of the classification of ‘Canthon sensu lato’. Finally, we also discuss the so-called ‘species problem’ (i.e., the definition of the scientific term ‘species’) and its consequences to dung beetle taxonomy and favour the solution offered by the Biological Species Concept.
Personalized Medicine Needs Enlightened Regulation To Realize Its Potential
Authors: Miller Henry I. 
Published: October 2018

Precision, or personalized, medicine, reflects that treatments -- especially those using biopharmaceuticals -- are gradually shifting from a relatively imprecise "one size fits all" approach to a more personalized one, so that patients can be matched to the best therapy based on their genetic makeup and other predictive factors. However, for the pharmaceutical industry, it could be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it could diminish the number of patients required to demonstrate efficacy in clinical trials, but on the other, it might narrow the approved labeling indications (uses), once the FDA allows the drug to be marketed. Moreover, if regulators require huge safety studies, that could offset the advantage of being able to show efficacy with smaller numbers of patients.
Can there be value-based medicine without … values?
Authors: Pitts Peter J. 
Published: October 2018

“Value-based” is the new, hot prefix. Value-based medicine, value-based insurance design, value-based contracting. It seems that everyone agrees that everything should be based on “value.” But do they – really? Do we really all agree that “value” is the denominator” rather than “price?” Clearly not considering that the “price of medicine” is still very much driving the media and political conversation.But “value” is what patients care about, because “value” means clinical outcomes.When patients say, “My drugs are too expensive!” – what do they mean? As a rule it means that their co-pays and co-insurance fees (their out of pocket expenses) are too high. What are we doing about that? Who sets those costs? What do they mean? How do they impact formulary design and … value-based contracting?Let’s simplify that question: How does value-based contracting impact access and affordability – the only things patients care about and generally the last things that are taken into consideration. And how does it impact PBM and payer profitability?
Biotechnology Can Address the Mystery and Urgency of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Marmor Mina , Miller Henry I 
Published: October 2018

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a scourge that in time could virtually bankrupt healthcare systems worldwide, is one of the most intensively researched areas of medicine. Because of the existing uncertainty about its pathophysiology the unavailablity of reliable diagnostic tests, it is difficult to predict which prophylactic or therapeutic interventions are likely to be effective, but many biotechnology-derived drugs are prime candidates. We summarize the most promising approaches and drugs.
Evaluating physiological stress in Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) rescued from bile farms in Vietnam
Authors: Narayan E , Willis A , Thompson R , Hunter-Ishikawa M , Bendixsen T 
Published: October 2018

AbstractAsiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) face chronic stress in bile farms. In this study, we investigated whether bile-farmed bears show significantly high levels of stress at rescue and whether stress levels reduce over time in a bear sanctuary where the bears are supported with environmental enrichment and veterinary care to improve animal welfare. We measured stress hormone levels using faecal cortisol metabolites (FCM) in 16 Asiatic black bears freshly rescued from bile farms in Vietnam. Fresh faeces were collected from each bear on the rescue truck and on a weekly basis for a 22-week study period at a bear sanctuary in Vietnam. Results showed that for all 16 rescued bears (with one exception) individual FCM levels from truck samples were above mean baseline FCMs of bears previously rehabilitated to a bear sanctuary. This suggested the majority of the rescued bears were still capable of showing a stress endocrine response during the rescue operation despite being exposed to conditions causing chronic stress in bears on bile farms. Results showed that mean FCM levels of the rescued bears differed significantly between time-periods (higher at the rescue [on truck samples] compared to week 22 samples) and mean FCM levels showed an overall decline over the first 22 weeks after they arrived at the bear sanctuary. The bears also demonstrated acute FCM stress responses to management interventions at the sanctuary, such as veterinary health checks and transportation. In conclusion, rescued bears tend to modulate their stress endocrine response after rehoming at the bear sanctuary. This is an important result, indicating that the rescue effort and rehabilitation of bile-farm bears is effective. Whether this also coincides with behavioural adjustments in rehabilitating bears (eg lessening of stereotypic behaviour) warrants further investigation.
Survival rates of cat-attacked birds admitted to RSPCA wildlife centres in the UK: implications for cat owners and wildlife rehabilitators
Authors: Baker PJ , Thompson R , Grogan A 
Published: October 2018

AbstractFree-ranging pet cats (Felis catus) frequently kill wildlife but also return live prey to their owners. This raises welfare concerns if live animals released by cat owners subsequently die, since this is preventable, eg through prompt euthanasia. To estimate the mortality rate of birds released alive by cat owners, we examined the fates of 3,597 cat-attacked individuals submitted to four RSPCA wildlife centres in the UK. Individuals from 64 species were received but most cases (77%) involved just seven species commonly found in urban areas. The overall mortality rate (based on all individuals received at centres, ie including those which perished in transport, those which were euthanased on arrival and those which were admitted for care after having been triaged) was 78%; the post-admittance mortality rate (n = 2,070 birds admitted for care) was 62%. On average, individuals that perished (n = 2,798) survived for 3.0 days before dying or being euthanased. Juveniles were more likely to survive to release than adults, possibly because their small size means they are less likely to receive injuries that are ultimately fatal. Extrapolating from the limited data currently available, and applying conservative estimates at each stage, we estimate that a minimum of 0.3 million birds are released annually by cat owners but subsequently die. Substantial welfare improvements could be achieved if owners were more prepared to adopt strategies to limit hunting behaviour (eg fitting cats with collars and bells) and if owners and rehabilitators were able to effectively identify individuals with fatal injuries. The latter will require studies that quantify the effects of identifiable physical injuries on the likelihood of survival to release, in order to establish effective triage criteria.
Humane euthanasia of neonates II: field study of the effectiveness of the Zephyr EXL non-penetrating captive-bolt system for euthanasia of newborn piglets
Authors: Grist A , Knowles TG , Wotton SB 
Published: October 2018

AbstractA previous study demonstrated the effectiveness of the Bock Industries Zephyr EXL non-penetrating captive bolt, using the abolition of visual-evoked potentials as a determination of brain death, in piglets in a laboratory. A second trial, reported here, involved the field-testing of this device, on-farm, in a commercial setting. Two hundred and seven piglets (mean [± SEM] dead weight: 1.86 [± 0.74] kg) requiring dispatch under the farm's protocols were euthanased with the device and demonstrated immediate loss of consciousness, subjectively assessed by behavioural signs and no recovery. Post mortem examination of the heads was undertaken confirming massive traumatic damage to the cerebrum with associated haemorrhage and bone plate shards forced down to the level of the corpus callosum in the majority of cases. A further trial of 106 piglets demonstrated that under commercial production conditions it took less than 7 s to select, place and euthanase a piglet using the device. One hundred percent of animals in the study were immediately killed. Given this complete kill rate and the sample size of the study, a statistical 95% confidence interval provides a maximum percentage of animals that would not immediately be stunned/killed, by this mechanical non-penetrating captive-bolt system, to be at most 1.2% and at least 0%. The results here, combined with the previous study, allow recommendation of the Bock Industries Zephyr EXL as being suitable as a single application euthanasia device for piglets up to 10.9 kg liveweight.
Update on pathological platelet activation in coronary thrombosis
Authors: Elia Edoardo , Montecucco Fabrizio , Portincasa Piero , Sahebkar Amirhossein , Mollazadeh Hamid , Carbone Federico 
Published: October 2018

AbstractAlthough coronary thrombosis (CT) is integral to cardiovascular outcomes, the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms remain unclear. CT may occur in case of atherosclerotic plaque erosion/rupture, or even after stenting implantation. Platelets (PLT) activation is the keystone of atherothrombosis and depends on many dysregulated elements, including endothelial dysfunction, oxidized lipoproteins, and immune response. Besides the classical view of PLT as an effector of hemostatic response, a new repertoire of PLT activities is emerging. PLT lipidome oxidation is a self‐maintaining process which promotes PLT reactivity, coagulation cascade, and inflammatory cell activation. PLT‐innate immune cell interaction is also sustained by neutrophil extracellular traps and NLRP3 inflammasome pathways. Other noteworthy emerging mechanisms are implicated in the crosstalk between PLT and surrounding cells. Especially, microvesicles (MVs) released from PLT may extend their signaling network far beyond the classical cell−cell interactions. Moreover, the recognition of noncoding RNA in PLT MVs introduce another layer of complexity in terms of intercellular signaling by a direct regulation of messenger RNA profile and gene expression in the recipient cells. The aim of this narrative review is to update the recent advance in CT and intracoronary stent thrombosis, including causal factors and potential translation of experimental evidence into the clinical setting.
It’s time for Westernization: the advantages of the early start for long-term economic development at the local level
Authors: Kampanelis Sotiris 
Published: October 2018

Abstract
This article examines the ‘early start’ hypothesis at the local level in the context of Australian colonization. It is found that the longer a place experiences economic activity under European management, the higher the level of economic development it achieves in the long-run. A theoretical framework is proposed under which a set of dynamic forces work in aggregate and enhance urban economic development. Results from several robustness checks that account for an array of possible biases validate the initial findings. Overall, the nature of Australian colonization reflects a relatively random variation in the duration of the Western presence at the local level, causing uneven urban development.
Generalized displacement of DNA- and RNA-binding factors mediates the toxicity of arginine-rich cell-penetrating peptides
Authors: Lafarga V. , Sirozh O. , Díaz-López I. , Hisaoka M. , Zarzuela E. , Boskovic J. , Jovanovic B. , Fernandez-Leiro R. , Muñoz J. , Stoecklin G. , Ventoso I. , Fernandez-Capetillo O. 
Published: October 2018

ABSTRACTDue to their capability to transport chemicals or proteins into target cells, cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are being developed as therapy delivery tools. However, and despite their interesting properties, arginine-rich CPPs often show toxicity for reasons that remain poorly understood. Using a (PR)n dipeptide repeat that has been linked to amyotrophic-lateral sclerosis (ALS) as a model of an arginine-rich CPP, we here show that the presence of (PR)n leads to a generalized displacement of RNA- and DNA-binding proteins from chromatin and mRNA. Accordingly, any reaction involving nucleic acids such as RNA transcription, translation, splicing and degradation or DNA replication and repair are impaired by the presence of the CPP. Interestingly, the effects of (PR)n are fully mimicked by PROTAMINE, a small arginine-rich protein that displaces histones from chromatin during spermatogenesis. We propose that widespread coating of nucleic acids and consequent displacement of RNA- and DNA-binding factors from chromatin and mRNA accounts for the toxicity of arginine-rich CPPs, including those that have been recently associated to the onset of ALS.
Designing metabolic division of labor in microbial communities
Authors: Thommes Meghan , Wang Taiyao , Zhao Qi , Paschalidis Ioannis Ch. , Segrè Daniel 
Published: October 2018

AbstractMicrobes face a tradeoff between being metabolically independent and relying on neighboring organisms for the supply of some essential metabolites. This balance of conflicting strategies affects microbial community structure and dynamics, with important implications for microbiome research and synthetic ecology. A “gedanken experiment” to investigate this tradeoff would involve monitoring the rise of mutual dependence as the number of metabolic reactions allowed in an organism is increasingly constrained. The expectation is that below a certain number of reactions, no individual organism would be able to grow in isolation, and cross-feeding partnerships and division of labor would emerge. We implemented this idealized experiment usingin silicogenome-scale models. In particular, we used mixed integer linear programming to identify tradeoff solutions in communities ofEscherichia colistrains. The strategies we found reveal a large space of nuanced and nonintuitive metabolic division of labor opportunities, including, for example, splitting the TCA cycle into two separate halves. The systematic computation of possible division of labor solutions for 1-, 2-, and 3-strain consortia resulted in a rich and complex landscape. This landscape displays a nonlinear boundary, indicating that the loss of an intracellular reaction is not necessarily compensated by a single imported metabolite. Different regions in this landscape are associated with specific solutions and patterns of exchanged metabolites. Our approach also predicts the existence of regions in this landscape where independent bacteria are viable, but outcompeted by cross-feeding pairs, providing a possible incentive for the rise of division of labor.
A framework for space-efficient variable-order Markov models
Authors: Cunial Fabio , Alanko Jarno , Belazzougui Djamal 
Published: October 2018

AbstractMotivationMarkov models with contexts of variable length are widely used in bioinformatics for representing sets of sequences with similar biological properties. When models contain many long contexts, existing implementations are either unable to handle genome-scale training datasets within typical memory budgets, or they are optimized for specific model variants and are thus inflexible.ResultsWe provide practical, versatile representations of variable-order Markov models and of interpolated Markov models, that support a large number of context-selection criteria, scoring functions, probability smoothing methods, and interpolations, and that take up to 4 times less space than previous implementations based on the suffix array, regardless of the number and length of contexts, and up to 10 times less space than previous trie-based representations, or more, while matching the size of related, state-of-the-art data structures from Natural Language Processing. We describe how to further compress our indexes to a quantity related to the redundancy of the training data, saving up to 90% of their space on repetitive datasets, and making them become up to 60 times smaller than previous implementations based on the suffix array. Finally, we show how to exploit constraints on the length and frequency of contexts to further shrink our compressed indexes to half of their size or more, achieving data structures that are 100 times smaller than previous implementations based on the suffix array, or more. This allows variable-order Markov models to be trained on bigger datasets and with longer contexts on the same hardware, thus possibly enabling new applications.Availability and implementationhttps://github.com/jnalanko/VOMM
The Cuon Enigma: Genome survey and comparative genomics of the endangered Dhole (Cuon alpinus)
Authors: Habib Bilal , Ghaskadbi Pallavi , Nigam Parag , Modi Shrushti , Kumar Peddamma Sathish , Sharma Kanika , Singh Vidhya , Kumar Bipin , Tripathi Abhishek , Kothandaraman Harish , Yellaboina Sailu , Baghel Dushyant Singh , Mondol Samrat 
Published: October 2018

AbstractThe Asiatic wild dog is an endangered monophyletic canid restricted to Asia; facing threats from habitat fragmentation and other anthropogenic factors. Dholes have unique adaptations as compared to other wolf-like canids for large litter size (larger number of mammae) and hypercarnivory making it evolutionarily notable. Over evolutionary time, dhole and the subsequent divergent wild canids have lost coat patterns found in African wild dog. Here we report the first high coverage genome survey of Asiatic wild dog and mapped it with African wild dog, dingo and domestic dog to assess the structural variants. We generated a total of 124.8 Gb data from 416140921 raw read pairs and retained 398659457 reads with 52X coverage and mapped 99.16% of the clean reads to the three reference genomes. We identified ~13553269 SNV’s, ~2858184 InDels, ~41000 SVs, ~1854109 SSRs and about 1000 CNVs. We compared the annotated genome of dingo and domestic dog with dhole genome sequence to understand the role of genes responsible in pelage pattern, dentition and mammary glands. Positively selected genes for these phenotypes were looked for SNP variants and top ranked genes for coat pattern, dentition and mammary glands were found to play a role in signalling and developmental pathways. Mitochondrial genome assembly predicted 35 genes, 11 CDS and 24 tRNA. This genome information will help in understanding the divergence of two monophlyletic canids,CuonandLycaon, and the evolutionary adaptations of dholes with respect to other canids.