bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection stimulates mitogen‐activated protein kinases signaling pathway in human megakaryocytes
Authors: Gopala Krishnan Gopi Krishnan , Sethumadhavan Aiswarya , Vellaichamy Pavithra , Mani Maheswaran 
Published: May 2019

AbstractPseudomonas aeruginosa is a major cause of nosocomial infections and contributes to higher mortality in hospitalized individuals. Infection by P. aeruginosa triggers host immune response through activation of pathogen recognition receptors, which are present in innate cells. Several studies have reported the mechanism of P. aeruginosa induced innate immunity in multiple cell types. But so far there is no reports on response of megakaryocytes to P. aeruginosa infection. Hence, our aim was to investigate the precise role and signaling mechanism of megakaryocytes during P. aeruginosa infection. In this study, we used Mo7e cells as representatives of human megakaryocyte and found that P. aeruginosa infection induces cytotoxicity in these cells. We further demonstrated that P. aeruginosa infection modulates p38 and extracellular signal regulated kinase pathways in Mo7e cells. Protein expression profiling in P. aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide‐treated Mo7e cells revealed upregulation of importin subunit β and downregulation of metabolic enzymes. Our results suggest that P. aeruginosa infection regulates mitogen‐activated protein kinases signaling pathway and importin in Mo7e cells and that this is a potential mechanism for nuclear translocation of nuclear factor binding near the κ light‐chain gene in B cells and c‐Jun N‐terminal kinases to induce cell cytotoxicity.
Remotely sensed primary productivity shows that domestic and native herbivores combined are overgrazing Patagonia
Authors: Oliva Gabriel , Paredes Paula , Ferrante Daniela , Cepeda Carla , Rabinovich Jorge 
Published: May 2019

Abstract

Carrying capacity is the maximum animal density an area can sustain without deterioration of its resources. Overgrazing has degraded Patagonia, but sheep stocks decreased and gave way to mixed systems with cattle, goats and guanacos (native wild camelids).

The objective of this paper was to develop a method to estimate the carrying capacity based on the remotely sensed data, and to assess wild and domestic herbivore numbers in order to establish if grazing stocks have evolved to balance with carrying capacity.

Net Primary Productivity (NPP) MOD17/A3 images and field Aerial Net Primary Productivity (ANPP) data of 66 sites were linearly regressed (R2 = 0.83, p < 0.01), and the slope 0.236 used to convert MOD17/A3 NPP to ANPP. Harvest index (proportion of ANPP that may be sustainably consumed) was estimated as a function of ANPP and carrying capacity as a consumable forage/estimated annual consumption, set at 500 (sheep and goats), 3,200 (cattle) and 750 kg Dry Matter head−1 year−1 (guanacos).

Regional ANPP ± SD (2000–2015) was 758 ± 52 kg Dry Matter ha−1 year−1 and Harvest index was 13.7 ± 0.6%. Regional carrying capacity was 14.8 ± 1.6 M sheep or goats, 2.3 ± 0.3 M cattle or 9.9 ± 1.2 M guanacos.

Domestic stock was high from 1920 to 1980, but declined thereafter and remained mostly within 1 SD of mean 2000–2015 carrying capacity. In this century, annual provincial stocks and carrying capacity correlated well (R2 = 0.94, p < 0.01) with a slope close to 1.

Guanacos increased from 0.5 to 2 M between 2000 and 2015, driving linearly combined grazing pressures 36% and 62% above carrying capacity in southern Patagonia provinces in 2015.

Synthesis and applications. From the year 2000, after decades of sheep overstocking, domestic stock has shown a regional trend towards a grazing equilibrium, but growth of guanacos might have upset that trend. Participation of guanacos as a critical excess in total grazing pressure is debatable, but management of these populations is necessary and may be increasingly attractive if combined production systems are developed to incorporate wild meat and fibre. Our method, MOD17/A3 enables a carrying capacity evaluation and stock adjustment in these unique mixed grazing systems, preventing further rangeland degradation and loss of ecosystem services.
Spore diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in human‐modified neotropical ecosystems
Authors: Álvarez‐Lopeztello Jonás , del Castillo Rafael F. , Robles Celerino , Hernández‐Cuevas Laura V. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractNeotropical landscapes are diverse mosaics of ecosystems commonly resulting from different degrees of human intervention. Although easily recognized by their vegetation, the associated soil microbiota including arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is little known. In Mexico, native tropical rainforest and native savannas are rapidly vanishing, remaining in few spots surrounded by human‐made ecosystems. It is unknown, however, how such vegetation types differ in their AMF communities. We compared the spore diversity, spore density and root colonization by AMF in contiguous mosaics of tropical rainforest, savanna and two pine plantations, one managed and the other unmanaged. We detected indicator species associated with tropical rainforest. The savanna displayed the highest values of root colonization of AMF and the lowest spore density. Conversely, the highest spore density and the lowest root colonization rates were found in the tropical rainforest. The two pine plantations showed intermediate values of spore density and colonization between tropical rainforest and the savanna. We did not detect significant seasonal differences (between dry and rainy seasons) in AMF species richness, spore density and root colonization within the vegetation types (except for root colonization in the savanna). Soil cation exchange capacity, phosphorus and nitrogen were negatively associated with AMF spore density and species richness. Our findings suggest that contiguous vegetation types in neotropical landscapes may display significant differences in AMF species composition, spore density and root colonization, and that such differences can be explained in part by soil properties and levels of human intervention.
Conjugative transfer betweenRhizobium etliendosymbionts inside the root nodule
Authors: Bañuelos‐Vazquez Luis Alfredo , Torres Tejerizo Gonzalo , Cervantes‐De La Luz Laura , Girard Lourdes , Romero David , Brom Susana 
Published: May 2019

SummarySince the discovery that biological nitrogen fixation ensues in nodules resulting from the interaction of rhizobia with legumes, nodules were thought to be exclusive for hosting nitrogen‐fixing and plant growth promoting bacteria. In this work, we uncover a novel function of nodules, as a niche permissive to acquisition of plasmids via conjugative transfer. We usedRhizobium etliCFN42, which nodulatesPhaseolus vulgaris. The genome ofR. etliCFN42 contains a chromosome and six plasmids. pRet42a is a conjugative plasmid regulated by Quorum‐Sensing (QS), and pRet42d is the symbiotic plasmid. Here, using confocal microscopy and flow cytometry, we show that pRet42a transfers on the root's surface, and unexpectedly, inside the nodules. Conjugation still took place inside nodules, even when it was restricted on the plant surface by placing the QStraIregulator under the promoter of the nitrogenase gene, which is only expressed inside the nodules, or by inhibiting the QS transcriptional induction of transfer genes with atraMantiactivator on an unstable vector maintained on the plant surface and lost inside the nodules. These results conclusively confirm the occurrence of conjugation in these structures, defining them as a protected environment for bacterial diversification.
How to Advance Social Rights without Jeopardising the Human Rights Act 1998
Authors: Hunt Paul 
Published: May 2019

AbstractWhen the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was drafted, governments grasped that human rights are needed as safeguards, not only against authoritarianism but also against the causes of authoritarianism. For this reason, the UDHR encompasses civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. This holistic vision of human rights was obscured during the Cold War and more recently by economic neo‐liberalism. The UK government neglects social rights, which have a very low public profile, although there is evidence that the profile of these human rights is increasing. UK domestic law and practice is inconsistent with the holistic vision of human rights and the government's binding international social rights obligations. The UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights recommends that the UK provides for ‘the legislative recognition of social rights’ which can be approached in various ways. One way is to proceed social right by social right (for example, the rights to housing, health and education), and sector by sector (for example, the sectors of housing, health and education). This administrative law approach advances explicit social rights without implicating or jeopardising the Human Rights Act 1998.
The Political Economy of Facebook Advertising: Election Spending, Regulation and Targeting Online
Authors: Dommett Katharine , Power Sam 
Published: May 2019

AbstractPolitical advertising on Facebook is the latest in a long line of developments in campaign practice, and is a tool that has been mobilised extensively in elections around the world. In this article, we explore what we know about Facebook advertising at elections and ask what existing data from the UK Electoral Commission can reveal about current usage. Highlighting the principles behind Facebook advertising, we argue that existing metrics offer little insight into current campaign trends—posing analytical, methodological and normative challenges for academics and electoral regulators alike. Moreover, we argue that these challenges strike at the heart of debates about democratic responsibility and the degree to which governments should cede responsibility to commercial actors who may have differing understandings of fundamental democratic norms.
Impact of haemostatic sealant versus electrocoagulation on ovarian reserve after laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy of ovarian endometriomas: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Chung JPW , Law TSM , Chung CHS , Mak JSM , Sahota DS , Li TC 
Published: May 2019

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of haemostatic sealant compared with bipolar coagulation on ovarian reserve after laparoscopic cystectomy for ovarian endometriomas.DesignPatient‐blinded, randomised controlled trial.SettingUniversity‐affiliated tertiary hospital.PopulationWomen aged 18–40 years with 3–8 cm unilateral or bilateral endometriomas.MethodsNinety‐four patients were randomised to receive haemostasis by the application of haemostatic sealant (n = 47) or standard care (n = 47).Main outcome measuresPrimary outcome was the effect on the antral follicular count 3 months after the operation as it captures the effect on the ovary subjected to treatment. Secondary outcomes included the change in anti‐Mullerian hormone, follicular‐stimulating hormone and peri‐operative outcomes including haemostasis, complications, pain, and satisfaction scores.ResultsA total of 94 patients aged 32.36 ± 4.92 years underwent laparoscopic cystectomy for ovarian endometriomas. The average diameter of the endometrioma was 4.21 ± 1.38 cm. The increase in antral follicle count of the affected ovaries at 3 months in the intervention group (+2.36 ± 0.37) was significantly (P = 0.013) higher than that in the control group (+1.08 ± 0.36). Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed significant effect with time (P < 0.001) and of interaction of group × time (P = 0.029) for affected ovary antral follicle count. No significant difference was noted between the two groups with regard to follicular‐stimulating hormone, anti‐Mullerian hormone, and other secondary outcomes.ConclusionsApplying haemostatic sealant after laparoscopic cystectomy of ovarian endometriomas produced a greater increase in antral follicle count 3 months after surgery compared with the control group.Tweetable abstractRCT: Haemostatic sealant in laparoscopic cystectomy of endometriomas increase in the antral follicle count after surgery.
Association of Medicare's Bundled Payments for Care Improvement initiative with patient‐reported outcomes
Authors: Trombley Matthew J. , McClellan Sean R. , Kahvecioglu Daver C. , Gu Qian , Hassol Andrea , Creel Alisha H. , Joy Susan M. , Waldersen Brian W. , Ogbue Christine 
Published: May 2019

AbstractObjectiveTo determine whether the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) initiative affected patient‐reported measures of quality.Data SourcesSurveys of Medicare fee‐for‐service beneficiaries discharged from acute care hospitals participating in BPCI Model 2 and comparison hospitals between October 2014 and June 2017. Variables from Medicare administrative data and the Provider of Services file were used for sampling and risk adjustment.Study DesignWe estimated risk‐adjusted differences in patient‐reported measures of care experience and changes in functional status, for beneficiaries treated by BPCI and comparison hospitals.Data CollectionWe selected a stratified random sample of BPCI and matched comparison beneficiaries. We fielded nine waves of surveys using a mail and phone protocol, yielding 29 193 BPCI and 29 913 comparison respondents.Principal FindingsMost BPCI and comparison survey respondents reported a positive care experience and high satisfaction. BPCI respondents were slightly less likely than comparison respondents to report positive care experience or high satisfaction. Despite these differences in care experience, there was no difference between BPCI and comparison respondents in self‐reported functional status approximately 90 days after hospital discharge.ConclusionsThese findings reduce concerns that BPCI may have unintentionally harmed patient health but suggest room for improvement in patient care experience.
The Influences of Foreclosure Factors on the Value, Yield, Duration and Convexity of a Mortgage
Authors: Chiang Shu Ling , Tsai Ming Shann , Jiang Shan 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThis article presents a theoretical model that considers the influence of foreclosure factors, including foreclosure lag, foreclosure costs and the ratio of the auction price to the unpaid balance of a mortgage (APUPB ratio), on that mortgage's value, yield, duration and convexity. We used data obtained by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to perform the numerical analyses. The results indicate that the average default period and the average foreclosure lag are 2.5 years and 1.9 years, respectively. For each percentage increase in the APUPB ratio, the foreclosure lag decreases by about 4.6 days as we specify a linear relationship between the foreclosure lag and APUPB. The lender's opportunity cost is greater than the foreclosure settlement costs, and the total foreclosure costs are 25% of the house's auction price. Moreover, the foreclosure lag, foreclosure costs and the discounted auction price (i.e., 1‐ APUPB ratio) are negatively correlated with the mortgage's value, duration and convexity, but they are positively correlated with the yield. In addition, a change in the default probability has the greatest influence on mortgage's convexity and the next greatest on the yield. Our study provides a useful tool for portfolio managers and lenders to more appropriately measure the yield, duration and convexity of a mortgage.
Principles of Hyperspectral Microscope Imaging Techniques and Their Applications in Food Quality and Safety Detection: A Review
Authors: Pu Hongbin , Lin Lian , Sun Da‐Wen 
Published: May 2019

AbstractHyperspectral imaging (HSI) techniques play an important role in the food industry for providing rapid, nondestructive, and chemical‐free detection method, whereas a microscope can provide detailed information about the microstructure of a food item. As an emerging imaging spectroscopy technique, hyperspectral microscope imaging (HMI) technique combines the advantages of HSI with microscopic imaging and has been gradually applied in the food industry. This review introduces the principles of different kinds of HMI techniques, such as fluorescence HMI, visible/near‐infrared HMI, Raman HMI, and infrared HMI. Moreover, detailed applications of HMI techniques are summarized, including evaluation of structures of nutrients, and detection of microorganisms and residues. On the other hand, some challenges and future trends in the applications of these techniques are also discussed. It is concluded that by integrating HSI with microscopy, HMI can not only provide both spectral and spatial information about food substances but also provide their chemical information at the molecular or cellular level. Therefore, HMI techniques have great potentials in nondestructive evaluation of structures of nutrients, and detection of microorganisms and residues for the food industry.
Solid Self‐Emulsifying Delivery System (S‐SEDS) of Dihydromyricetin: A New Way for Preparing Functional Food
Authors: Wang Dantong , Ma Yudi , Wang Qiang , Huang Juan , Sun Rui , Xia Qiang 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe present study was aimed at formulating and evaluating a novel solid self‐emulsifying delivery system (S‐SEDS) for the application in functional foods of dihydromyricetin (DMY). First, solubility study and pseudo‐ternary phase diagram analysis were adopted to optimize the formulation of liquid self‐emulsifying delivery system (L‐SEDS). And the thermodynamic stable L‐SEDS with 5% content of DMY was fabricated and further developed into a solid form via vacuum rotary evaporation with Aerosil 300 as the solid adsorbent. Solid state characterization of the S‐SEDS was performed by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, and X‐ray powder diffraction. Furthermore, studies proved that the antioxidant activity and bioaccessibility of DMY were improved after incorporated into S‐SEDS formulation compared to pure DMY. The S‐SEDS showed good resistance against various storage conditions investigated for 10 weeks.Practical ApplicationSolid self‐emulsifying delivery system (S‐SEDS) combined the advantages of liquid self‐emulsifying delivery system with those of a solid dosage form to overcome the disadvantages associated with liquid formulations is more convenient for storage and transportation in practical application. Furthermore, the technology of producing S‐SEDS is simple and can be realized in industrial production. Hence, S‐SEDS could be a promising strategy to overcome the poor water solubility and short biological half‐life of dihydromyricetin for further application in functional foods and beverage industry.
Composite Gels Containing Whey Protein Fibrils and Bacterial Cellulose Microfibrils
Authors: Peng Jinfeng , Calabrese Vincenzo , Geurtz Julia , Velikov Krassimir P. , Venema Paul , van der Linden Erik 
Published: May 2019

AbstractIn this study, we investigated the gelation of WPI fibrils in the presence of bacterial cellulose (BC) microfibrils at pH 2 upon prolonged heating. Rheology and microstructure were investigated as a function of BC microfibril concentration. The presence of BC microfibrils did not influence the gelation dynamics and resulting overall structure of the WPI fibrillar gel. The storage modulus and loss modulus of the mixed WPI‐BC microfibril gels increased with increasing BC microfibril concentration, whereas the ratio between loss modulus and storage modulus remained constant. The WPI fibrils and BC microfibrils independently form two coexisting gel networks. Interestingly, near to the BC microfibrils more aligned WPI fibrils seemed to be formed, with individual WPI fibrils clearly distinguishable. The level of alignment of the WPI fibrils seemed to be dependent on the distance between BC microfibrils and WPI fibrils. This also is in line with our observation that with more BC microfibrils present, WPI fibrils are more aligned than in a WPI fibrillar gel without BC microfibrils. The large deformation response of the gels at different BC microfibril concentration and NaCl concentration is mainly influenced by the concentration of NaCl, which affects the WPI fibrillar gel structures, changing form linear fibrillar to a particulate gel. The WPI fibrillar gel yields the dominant contribution to the gel strength.
RH‐Temperature Stability Diagram of the Dihydrate, β‐Anhydrate, and α‐Anhydrate Forms of Crystalline Trehalose
Authors: Allan Matthew , Chamberlain Mary Claire , Mauer Lisa J. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractTrehalose crystals exhibit polymorphic, deliquescent, and hydrate‐forming traits and can exist in dihydrate, β‐anhydrate, or α‐anhydrate (isomorphic desolvate) forms. The objective of this study was to identify the relative humidity (RH) and temperature boundaries for phase changes of these different trehalose crystal forms. The deliquescence points (RH0s) of the anhydrate and dihydrate trehalose crystals were determined from 20 to 50 °C using a combination of water activity and dynamic vapor sorption measurement techniques. Increasing temperatures from 20 to 50 °C resulted in decreases in RH0 from 95.5% to 90.9% RH for the dihydrate and 69.9% to 62.0% RH for the β‐anhydrate. The effects of temperature on the anhydrate–hydrate RH boundaries were also determined, using a combination of equilibration in controlled water activity solutions, powder X‐ray diffraction, and Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy techniques. Increasing temperatures resulted in increases in the anhydrate–hydrate RH boundaries. The irreversible β‐anhydrate to dihydrate boundary increased from 44.9% to 57.8% RH, and the reversible α‐anhydrate to dihydrate boundary increased from 10% to 25% RH, as temperature increased from 20 to 50 °C. This is the first report of an RH–temperautre stability map for crystalline trehalose.Practical ApplicationThe manuscript addresses the issue of the physical stability and phase transformations of crystalline trehalose stored in different temperature and relative humidity environments. Unwanted hydrate formation or dehydration of crystal hydrates can lead to other undesirable water–solid interactions and/or physical modifications that have the potential to influence product quality and delivery traits. Therefore, this study identified relative humidity and temperature stability boundaries of the different trehalose crystal forms, using a variety of established and novel techniques to create a relative humidity–temperature stability map of crystalline trehalose from 20 to 50 °C.