bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Building financial management capacity for community ownership of development initiatives in rural Zambia
Authors: Sakanga Viviane I.R. , Chastain Parker S. , McGlasson Kathleen L. , Kaiser Jeanette L. , Bwalya Misheck , Mwansa Melvin , Mataka Kaluba , Kalaba David , Scott Nancy A. , Vian Taryn 
Published: May 2019

SummaryBackgroundBuilding financial management capacity is increasingly important in low‐ and middle‐income countries to help communities take ownership of development activities. Yet, many community members lack financial knowledge and skills.MethodsWe designed and conducted financial management trainings for 83 members from 10 community groups in rural Zambia. We conducted pre‐training and post‐training tests and elicited participant feedback. We conducted 28 in‐depth interviews over 18 months and reviewed financial records to assess practical application of skills.ResultsThe training significantly improved knowledge of financial concepts, especially among participants with secondary education. Participants appreciated exercises to contextualize financial concepts within daily life and liked opportunities to learn from peers in small groups. Language barriers were a particular challenge. After trainings, sites successfully adhered to the principles of financial management, discussing the benefits they experienced from practicing accountability, transparency, and accurate recordkeeping.ConclusionFinancial management trainings need to be tailored to the background and education level of participants. Trainings should relate financial concepts to more tangible applications and provide time for active learning. On‐site mentorship should be considered for a considerable time. This training approach could be used in similar settings to improve community oversight of resources intended to strengthen developmental initiatives.
Central bank independence and inflation—Old story told anew
Authors: Kokoszczyński Ryszard , Mackiewicz‐Łyziak Joanna 
Published: May 2019

AbstractCentral bank independence (CBI) and its link to inflation have become a part of conventional wisdom. However, the literature shows that there is a lack of a stable general pattern for the relation between CBI and inflation, even for relatively homogenous groups of countries. In this study, we use two indexes for CBI proposed in the literature. For the panel of 51 countries (24 advanced and 27 nonadvanced economies), we estimate two regression models—one with inflation as a dependent variable and another with inflation gap in this role. We use two estimation methods: the panel fixed effects model with serial autocorrelation in the error term and the Arellano‐Bond difference generalized method of moments estimator. In addition, we use disaggregated indices to check what aspects of independence are of highest importance. Our results suggest that CBI has a negative significant impact on inflation mostly by results for nonadvanced economies and that this relationship did not change during the recent crisis.
Foregrounding Collaboration in Disciplinary Literacy: Implications From JAAL, 2008–2017
Authors: Hinton KaaVonia , Suh Yonghee 
Published: May 2019

AbstractIn this review, the authors examined articles on collaboration within the context of disciplinary literacy that appeared in the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy between October 2008, when Moje published “Foregrounding the Disciplines in Secondary Literacy Teaching and Learning: A Call for Change,” and December 2017. Findings suggest that the definition of disciplinary literacy has expanded, collaboration is important for both teacher and student learning, and tension surfaces when collaboration happens. The authors propose that greater attention needs to be given to the role of collaboration as a space to engage and enhance disciplinary literacy practices.
An epigenome‐wide DNA methylation study of workers with an occupational exposure to lead
Authors: Zhang Xing‐xu , He Zhen , Feng Bin , Shao Hua 
Published: May 2019

AbstractUsing the Illumina Infinium Methylation EPIC BeadChip (850 K), we report genome‐wide differences in DNA methylation between occupational workers with high blood Pb levels (BLL) and low BLL. We observed 356 significant CpG sites. In particular, GSTM1 methylation was negatively associated with high BLL. Gene ontology and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were performed to determine the complex biological systems of Pb exposure. Enriched gene sets were involved in the oxidation‐reduction process, glutathione derivative biosynthetic process and nervous system development. To our knowledge, this is the first study to employ an 850 K array to examine whether workers with occupational exposure to high levels of Pb can have an epigenetic effect on the DNA methylation pattern.
Prediction of potential drugs and targets based on meibomian gland dysfunction module classification to guide individualized treatment
Authors: Ni Qingfeng , Zhao Jingcong , Gao Yingying , Qin Dongju , Chen Xiaomei , Ainiwaer Xiamuxiya 
Published: May 2019

AbstractMeibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is an epidemic chronic ocular inflammation. However, little is known about its effective treatment. Here, this study identified important MGD‐related genes, core regulators, and potential drugs and their targets though integrating a series of bioinformational analyses. First, there were 665 differentially expression genes (DEGs) were identified. Then, 56 coexpression modules were exacted based on the expression of DEGs and their interactors. Moreover, core transcription factors (TF) significantly regulated modules were identified, including RELA, HIF1A, SIRT1, and MYC, which related to variety of eye diseases. Finally, the prediction of potential drugs and the identification of their target were performed. The results showed that artenimol, copper, and glutathione may have the remarkable curative effect or the toxicology to MGD. Moreover, their targets module gene LDHA (lactate dehydrogenase A), ENO1 (enolase 1), ALB (albumin), and PKM (pyruvate kinase M) are play important role in eye diseases. It suggests that these potential drugs may be useful for the treatment of MGD by acting on their targets. It provides valuable references for drug redirection and new drug development for drug developers, and provides individualized treatment strategies for tarsal gland dysfunction.
The hopeful anticancer role of oleuropein in breast cancer through histone deacetylase modulation
Authors: Mansouri Neda , Alivand Mohammad Reza , Bayat Sahar , Khaniani Mahmoud Shekari , Derakhshan Sima Mansoori 
Published: May 2019

AbstractBreast cancer (BC) is one of the most common cancers among women worldwide. Genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors play a crucial role in BC development. Because epigenetic imbalance occurs earlier than expression in carcinogenesis and is reversible, epigenetic reprogramming strategies could be more useful for cancer prevention and therapy. There is evidence indicating that the use of herbal compounds with low toxicity can offer a real benefit in the prevention or treatment of cancer. Oleuropein (OLE), as a natural polyphenol, has shown the anticancer property in cancers. In this study, we investigated for the first time the link between histone deacetylase (HDAC) and OLE to have an anticancer effect in BC. The potential apoptotic and anti‐invasive effects of OLE were tested using MCF‐7 cells. Transcript expression of HDAC1 and HDAC4 genes after treatment was determined using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. OLE obviously reduced invasiveness and cell viability and simultaneously induced cell apoptosis in MCF‐7 cancer cells. Dose‐dependent reduction of HDAC4 was observed, whereas apparent changes could not be observed in HDAC1 expression. The current research indicated that OLE can inhibit proliferation and invasion of cells by inducing apoptosis likely through modulation of an important epigenetic factor, HDAC4, in MCF‐7 cells. OLE has the potential to be a therapeutic drug for BC prevention and treatment.
Overexpression of the long noncoding RNA TRHDE‐AS1 inhibits the progression of lung cancer via the miRNA‐103/KLF4 axis
Authors: Zhuan Bing , Lu Yuting , Chen Qian , Zhao Xia , Li Ping , Yuan Qun , Yang Zhao 
Published: May 2019

AbstractAimThe aim of this study was to explore the role and molecular basis of the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) TRHDE‐AS1 in lung cancer.MethodsWe used real‐time polymerase chain reaction to analyze the messenger RNA expression levels of TRHDE‐AS1, miR‐103, and KLF4. The cell viability, proliferation, and invasion rates were assessed via 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide, Cell Counting Kit‐8, and Transwell assays to elucidate the role of TRHDE‐AS1.ResultsOur results demonstrated that the lncRNA TRHDE‐AS1 is mainly located in the cytoplasm and that the cell proliferation and invasion were suppressed in the group of overexpressed TRHDE‐AS1. We also showed that miR‐103 could directly bind to TRHDE‐AS1 and provided evidence of the oncogenic function of miR‐103. Besides, we proved that miR‐103 exerted its function by adjusting the expression level of the tumor‐suppressor gene KLF4, and the expression level was negatively associated with miR‐103.ConclusionIn summary, we determined that the effects of TRHDE‐AS1 on proliferation, invasion, and cell death could be rescued by the overexpression of miR‐103. Our experiments demonstrate that the TRHDE‐AS1/miR‐103/KLF4 axis may provide new evidence for understanding the molecular basis of lung cancer.
Bradykinin protects cardiac c‐kit positive cells from high‐glucose‐induced senescence through B2 receptor signaling pathway
Authors: Fu Cong , Cao Yuhan , Li Bing , Xu Rongfeng , Sun Yuning , Yao Yuyu 
Published: May 2019

AbstractCardiac c‐kit positive cells are cardiac‐derived cells that exist within the heart and have a great many protective effects. The senescence of cardiac c‐kit positive cells probably leads to cell dysfunction. Bradykinin plays a key role in cell protection. However, whether bradykinin prevents cardiac c‐kit positive cells from high‐glucose‐induced senescence is unknown. Here, we found that glucose treatment causes the premature senescence of cardiac c‐kit positive cells. Bradykinin B2 receptor (B2R) expression was declined by glucose‐induced senescence. Bradykinin treatment inhibited senescence and reduced intracellular oxygen radicals according to senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase staining and 2′,7′‐dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate staining. Moreover, the mitochondrial membrane potential was damaged, as measured by JC‐1 staining. The mitochondrial membrane potential was preserved under bradykinin treatment. The concentration of superoxide was decreased, and the concentration of intracellular adenosine triphosphate was increased after bradykinin treatment. Western blot showed that bradykinin leads to AKT and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) phosphorylation and decreased levels of P53 and P16 when compared with glucose treatment alone. Antagonists of B2R, phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K), mTOR, and B2R small interfering RNA prevented the protective effect of bradykinin. P53 antagonist also inhibited the glucose‐induced senescence of cardiac c‐kit positive cells. In conclusion, bradykinin prevents the glucose‐induced premature senescence of cardiac c‐kit positive cells through the B2R/PI3K/AKT/mTOR/P53 signal pathways.
Thyroid autoimmune diseases and thyroid tumors: Would EBV infection be the link?
Authors: de Almeida Jacqueline Fátima Martins , Ward Laura Sterian 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe role of EBV in thyroid cancer development and the patient's outcome is still unclear. Using nested‐PCR, Moghoofei et al. reported a high incidence of a virus in thyroid tumor samples, different from our results, obtained by quantitative real‐time PCR and confirmed by in situ hybridization. Because lymphocytes are the main reservoir of the virus and tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes are commonly observed in thyroid cancer, it is important to distinguish follicular cells infection from lymphoid tissue infection. The association between autoimmune diseases and thyroid cancer raises the importance of continuing to investigate the role of ubiquitous pathogens in thyroid tumorigenesis.
Knockdown of lncRNA NEAT1 inhibits Th17/CD4+ T cell differentiation through reducing the STAT3 protein level
Authors: Shui Xiaolong , Chen Shaomin , Lin Jinti , Kong Jianzhong , Zhou Chengwei , Wu Jiaozhen 
Published: May 2019

AbstractCD4+ T cells differentiated into Th17 cells are a main cause for occurrence and development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study aims to define the role of long noncoding RNA nuclear‐enriched abundant transcript 1 (lncRNA NEAT1) and its downstream molecule in Th17 cell differentiation. Determination of lncRNA NEAT1 expression in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with RA and in Th17 cells induced differentiation in vitro used quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction. Lentivirus‐constructed short hairpin RNA interference for NEAT1 (Lenti‐siRNA‐NEAT1) was pretransfected into CD4+ T cells before inducing treatment of Th17 cell differentiation. NEAT1 targets STAT3 protein was proved by RNA pull down. Lenti‐siRNA‐NEAT1 was injected into the joint of the mice arthritis model to verify the function of NEAT1 knockdown. Our results showed that NEAT1 is significantly upregulated in the PBMCs of RA patients, as well as in Th17 cells in vitro induced from CD4+ T cells. The knockdown of NEAT1 restrains CD4+ T cells differentiate into Th17 cells. STAT3 protein, a critical molecule for Th17 cell differentiation, is a downstream molecule for NEAT and its cellular level can be positively targeted and regulated by NEAT via reducing the ubiquitination level. Moreover, the cotreatment of NEAT1 knockdown and STAT3 overexpression promotes Th17 cell differentiation compared with NEAT1 knockdown alone. Knockdown of Th17 by in vivo injection of lenti‐siRNA‐NEAT1 relieves arthritis degree in II type collagen induced mice arthritis model. These data concluded that NEAT1 is auxo‐active molecule for CD4+ T cells differentiating into Th17 cells and knockdown of NEAT1 positively inhibits Th17/CD4+ T cell differentiation through reducing the STAT3 protein level.
miR‐139‐5p reverses stemness maintenance and metastasis of colon cancer stem‐like cells by targeting E2‐2
Authors: Ma Xiaoying , Liu Jiajun , Li Jiyu , Li Yueqi , Le Van Minh , Li Shaoyu , Liang Xin , Liu Lingshuang , Liu Jianwen 
Published: May 2019

AbstractColon cancer stem cells (CCSCs) stand for a critical subpopulation of colon cancer cells that possess self‐renewal and multilineage differentiation potentials and drive tumorigenicity. Due to their impact on treatment tolerance, CCSCs have been a hot research topic in the past few years. We have previously reported that miR‐139‐5p is a vital tumor repressive noncoding RNA whose level decreases in the clinical colon cancer samples with the increase of tumor malignancy. This research discovered that miR‐139‐5p targets the Wnt/β‐catenin/TCF7L2 downstream effector E2‐2 in CCSCs. E2‐2 is a pivot molecule in the negative feedback loop of miR‐139‐5p/Wnt/β‐catenin/TCF7L2. Its small interfering RNA reverses the stemness maintenance and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition of colon cancer CSCs. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the clinical diagnosis and medical treatment of recurrent or metastatic colon cancer with miR‐139‐5p and its target E2‐2.
Microbial community‐assisted water quality control and nutrients recovery: emerging technologies for the sustainable development of aquaponics
Authors: Yang Limin , Chen Fufeng , Xiao Yan , Li Huankai , Li Jun , Leng Lijian , Liu Hui , Zhong Yuming , Li Kun , Lu Qian , Zhou Wenguang 
Published: May 2019

AbstractAquaponics is considered as a possible method to produce aquatic animals and plants in an environmentally‐friendly way, but its commercialization is seriously hindered owing to some technical and economic problems. Recently, the integration of microbial community with aquaponics is on the way to becoming the next‐generation technology for the sustainable development and commercialization of the aquaponics industry. This article provides an authoritative discussion on the novel microbial community‐assisted aquaponics, which will be emerging from the research environment to industrial application in the coming future. Principles and key technologies of this novel aquaponics, as well as the potential challenges to its commercialization, are discussed. It is expected that the emerging technologies discussed in this work could address the existed technical problems and further promote the commercialization of aquaponics. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
A quality control approach to better characterize the spatial distribution of snow depth over New Brunswick, Canada
Authors: Baronetti Alice , Fratianni Simona , Acquaotta Fiorella , Fortin Guillaume 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe aim of this work is to develop, from a high‐resolution climate analysis, a quality control standard methodology applied to manual snow cover (HS) series managed by the Snow Survey Database in New Brunswick (Canada). The database collected snow depth data biweekly starting at the end of January until the end of April. A 30‐year (1981–2010) analysis of 60 weather stations belonging to two independent meteorological networks was performed. A quality control of the climatic series was performed to evaluate the homogeneity. Three snow depth climatic areas were defined by means of two geostatistical methods (Kriging and Cluster analyses) applied on monthly snow depth, precipitation and temperature data series. Then, for each cluster, the climatological thresholds that characterize a snow fall event during the cold months were detected. Subsequently, a quality control on the daily snow depth series recorded during the January to April period was performed. For each daily series, outlier values were identified by checking both the sudden day‐to‐day changes and extreme thresholds (95th percentile). The quality control was then carried out to the manual series and the observed doubtful events were compared with the snow depth values recorded in the nearby stations. The results show that for the daily snow depth series, the highest number of suspect events was recorded during the months of March and April, and the analysis also shows that there are rain‐on‐snow events. As for the manual records, questionable snow depth errors randomly distributed in the series were highlighted. Finally, in order to improve the spatial distribution of stations located in the Canadian territory, the results give evidence that, thanks to the high‐resolution climatic analysis, the proposed approach provides all the benchmarks required to conduct a quality control of snow depth series in absence of other auxiliary variables.
Absence of Proteoglycan 4 (Prg4) Leads to Increased Subchondral Bone Porosity Which Can Be Mitigated Through Intra‐Articular Injection of PRG4
Authors: Abubacker Saleem , Premnath Priyatha , Shonak Anchita , Leonard Catherine , Shah Sophia , Zhu Ying , Jay Gregory D. , Schmidt Tannin A. , Boyd Steven , Krawetz Roman 
Published: May 2019

ABSTRACTProteoglycan 4 (PRG4) is a mucin‐like glycoprotein important for joint health. Mice lacking Prg4 demonstrate degeneration of the cartilage and altered skeletal morphology. The purpose of this study was to examine if Prg4 deficiency leads to subchondral bone defects and if these defects could be mitigated through intra‐articular injection of recombinant human PRG4 (rhPRG4). Mice deficient in Prg4 expression demonstrated increased cartilage thickness and increased subchondral bone porosity compared with C57BL/6 controls. While the porosity of the subchondral bone of Prg4−/− mice decreased over time with maturation, intra‐articular injection of rhPRG4 was able to forestall the increase in porosity. In contrast, neither hyaluronan (HA) nor methylprednisolone injections had beneficial effects on the subchondral bone porosity in the Prg4 knockout mice. Bone marrow progenitor cells from Prg4−/− mice demonstrated reduced osteogenic differentiation capacity at 4 weeks of age, but not at 16 weeks of age. While most studies on PRG4/lubricin focus on the health of the cartilage, this study demonstrates that PRG4 plays a role in the maturation of the subchondral bone. Furthermore, increasing joint lubrication/viscosupplementation through injection of HA or controlling joint inflammation through injection of methylprednisolone may help maintain the cartilage surface, but had no positive effect on the subchondral bone in animals lacking Prg4. Therefore, alterations in the subchondral bone in models with absent or diminished Prg4 expression should not be overlooked when investigating changes within the articular cartilage regarding the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis/arthrosis. © 2019 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 37:2077–2088, 2019
Using a shifted Grünwald‐Letnikov scheme for the Caputo derivative to study anomalous solute transport in porous medium
Authors: Mascarenhas Pedro Victor Serra , de Moraes Ricardo Mendonça , Cavalcante André Luís Brasil 
Published: May 2019

SummaryWe propose an extension of the shifted Grünwald‐Letnikov method to solve fractional partial differential equations in the Caputo sense with arbitrary fractional order derivative α and with an advective term. The method uses the relation between Caputo and Riemann‐Liouville definitions, the shifted Grünwald‐Letnikov, and the traditional backward and forward finite difference method. The stability of the method is investigated for the implicit and explicit scheme with homogeneous boundary conditions, and a stability criterion is found for the advective‐dispersive equation. An application of the method is used to solve contaminant diffusion and advective‐dispersive problems. The numerical solution for the fractional diffusion and fractional advection‐dispersion is compared with their respective analytical solutions for different time and space grid refinements. The diffusion simulation exhibited a good fit between the analytical and numerical solutions, with the explicit scheme going from stable to unstable as the time and space refinement changes. The fractional advection‐dispersion application produced small deviations from the analytical solution. These deviations, however, are analogous to the numerical dispersions encountered in conventional finite difference solutions of the advection‐dispersion equation. The new method is also compared with the traditional L2 method. Notably, an example that involves asymmetrical fractional conditions, a fractional diffusivity that depends on time, and a source term show how the methods compare. Overall, this study assesses the quality and easiness of use of the numerical method.
Optimal control strategy for the immunotherapeutic treatment of HIV infection with state constraint
Authors: Biswas Md. Haider Ali , Haque Md. Mohidul , Mallick Uzzwal Kumar 
Published: May 2019

SummaryThis paper deals with a nonlinear model of HIV immunology which describes the interactions between the human immune system and the virus. The optimal immunotherapeutic strategies are obtained using the Pontryagin maximum principle where the state constraint is active. The aim is to find the optimal treatment strategy such that the number of uninfected CD4+T cells count at the end of treatment is maximized while minimizing the hazardous side effects of the antiretroviral drug doses as well as the systematic cost. The novelty of this work is the introduction of a state constraint in the dynamics to modify the model. The model is investigated analytically and the result is verified with numerical findings. The result of our state‐constrained optimal control model shows the better effective treatment strategy for HIV infection.