bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nrf2 attenuates inflammatory response in COPD/emphysema: Crosstalk with Wnt3a/β‐catenin and AMPK pathways
Authors: Cui Wenhui , Zhang Zhihui , Zhang Panpan , Qu Jiao , Zheng Cheng , Mo Xiaoting , Zhou Wencheng , Xu Liang , Yao Hongwei , Gao Jian 
Published: April 2018

AbstractChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by persistent airflow limitation and abnormal inflammatory response. Wnt/β‐catenin and AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) have been shown to modulate lung inflammatory responses and injury. However, it remains elusive whether Wnt/β‐catenin and AMPK modulate nuclear factor erythroid‐2 related factor‐2 (Nrf2)‐mediated protective responses during the development of emphysema. Here we showed that treatment with a Wnt pathway activator (LiCl) reduced elastase‐induced airspace enlargement and cigarette smoke extract (CSE)‐induced lung inflammatory responses in WT mice, which was associated with increased activation of Nrf2 pathway. Interestingly, these effects of LiCl were not observed in Nrf2−/− mice exposed to elastase. In normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells, Wnt3a overexpression up‐regulated, whereas Wnt3a knockdown further down‐regulated the levels of Nrf2 and its target proteins heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) and NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) by CSE treatment. In contrast, Nrf2 deficiency did not have any effects on Wnt/β‐catenin pathway in mouse lungs and NHBE cells. Both elastase and CSE exposures reduced AMPK phosphorylation. A specific AMPK activator metformin increased Wnt3a, β‐catenin, Nrf2 phosphorylation and activation but reduced the levels of IL‐6 and IL‐8 in NHBE cells and mouse lungs exposed to CSE. Furthermore, Nrf2 deficiency abolished the protection of metformin against CSE‐induced increase in IL‐6 and IL‐8 in NHBE cells. In conclusion, Nrf2 mediates the protective effects of both Wnt3a/β‐catenin and AMPK on lung inflammatory responses during the development of COPD/emphysema. These findings provide potential therapeutic targets for the intervention of COPD/emphysema.
A Life Cycle Assessment on the Dehairing of Rawhides: Chemical Treatment versus Enzymatic Recovery through Solid State Fermentation
Authors: Catalán Eva , Komilis Dimitrios , Sánchez Antoni 
Published: April 2018

SummaryThe leather industry needs to switch from the traditional chemically based dehairing process to an environmentally friendly one so that the overall burdens to the environment are reduced. The primary goal of the work was thus to compare the chemical leather dehairing process to an enzymatically based one using the enzymes that are extracted after the application of solid state fermentation (SSF) on hair wastes generated after dehairing. The environmental burdens of the dehairing stage were determined using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach by comparing the two aforementioned management scenarios. The first scenario was the commonly used technology in which hair is removed via a chemical process and then composted in open piles. This scenario included two subscenarios where hair waste is either incinerated or landfilled. In the second scenario, the proteolytic enzymes extracted during the SSF of the residual hair are used to dehair the new rawhides instead of chemicals. Industrial and laboratory data were combined with international databases using the SimaPro 8.0 LCA software to make comparisons. The environmental impacts associated with the enzymatic dehairing were significantly lower than the ones associated to the conventional chemical dehairing process. This difference is attributed to the impacts associated with the original production of the chemicals and to the electricity consumed in the conventional method. A sensitivity analysis revealed that the results are affected by the amounts of chemicals used during dehairing.
Efforts for a Circular Economy in China: A Comprehensive Review of Policies
Authors: Zhu Junming , Fan Chengming , Shi Haijia , Shi Lei 
Published: April 2018

SummaryCircular economy concepts, practices, and policies are increasingly drawing attention as important means for the pursuit of sustainable development. This article uses a conceptual framework to catalogue and investigate policy efforts for the circular economy in China. Based on the framework, policy prototypes and specific examples are identified: resource‐oriented, production‐oriented, waste, and use‐oriented and life cycle policies. A comprehensive review of 280 related policies shows that China has a long history of resource‐oriented policies and implemented production‐oriented policies very quickly after the year 2000. China's policies toward the circular economy became more comprehensive through time, with a broad engagement of government agencies, an extensive and progressive coverage of recycling opportunities, production initiatives across multiple scales, and use of different policy instruments. The continuous progress has been driven by proactive state actors and their learning from the international society. The current policy framework, however, is concerned more with the means rather than the ends of the circular economy, and relies too much on direct subsidies and other financial incentives. Policy making can be improved by more explicit consideration of the whole production life cycle and use of market‐based policy design.
Corporate and Product Carbon Footprint under Compound Hybrid Analysis: Application to a Spanish Timber Company
Authors: Alvarez Sergio , Tobarra Maria‐Angeles , Zafrilla Jorge‐Enrique 
Published: April 2018

SummaryThe European Union (EU) is advancing steadily toward the stabilization of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. Various sectors are now obliged to make reductions, and new policies based on the carbon footprint are being encouraged. However, voluntary reporting of so‐called scope 3 emissions is hindering successful implementation of these policies. In this study, we present a tiered hybrid analysis to report emissions according to the ISO/TR 14069 standards and to obtain complete measures of scope 3 emissions. A process analysis for scope 1 and scope 2 emissions is complemented with a multiregional input‐output analysis for upstream scope 3 emissions. This novel approach is applied to the case study of a Spanish timber company. Its total carbon footprint in 2011 was 783,660 kilograms of carbon‐dioxide equivalent, of which 88% correspond to scope 3 emissions. These emissions are globally distributed; 71% are from European countries, followed by 8% from emerging economies (Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia, Australia, and Turkey), 5% from China, and, finally, 16% from the rest of the world. We identify and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this novel approach, the European implementation of which could be highly effective in reducing global carbon emissions.
From SLCA to Positive Sustainability Performance Measurement: A Two‐Tier Delphi Study
Authors: Kühnen Michael , Hahn Rüdiger 
Published: April 2018

SummaryLife cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) currently has a preoccupation with capturing and repairing negative dysfunctions and pathologies instead of fostering positive features that make a human life sustainable and worth living. With the intention to overcome this imbalance, this paper aims at transferring the shift to a positive sustainability performance measurement (PSPM) perspective in industrial ecology. We argue that positive performance is likely to develop from the lens of social life cycle assessment (SLCA), because sustainability is an anthropocentric concept that puts positive benefits to human well‐being (i.e., the social dimension of sustainability) at the center of the analysis. However, the field of SLCA is highly fragmented, without a coherent theoretical understanding and without a clear prioritization of problems and future research directions. Therefore, we engage in an extensive Delphi study with experts from academia and practice to foster a discussion of lessons learned from SLCA for PSPM. In this way, the paper contributes to a more coherent and deeper understanding of both connected fields. The results emphasize that SLCA has become a defensive risk management instrument against reputational damages, whereas PSPM offers the potential to proactively measure and manage positive contributions to sustainable development. We identify three main challenges (definitional, methodological, and managerial) and two main areas of benefits (organizational and societal) and use them to consolidate the debate on SLCA and PSPM and to provide a roadmap for future research.
The Global Flow of Hard Disk Drives: Quantifying the Concept of Value Leakage in E‐waste Recovery Systems
Authors: Sabbaghi Mostafa , Cade Willie , Olson William , Behdad Sara 
Published: April 2018

SummaryThe remaining value within end‐of‐use/life hard disk drives (EoU/L HDDs) is often not optimally recovered. The improper collection and recovery of HDDs contribute not only to rising environmental and social concerns worldwide, but also to the transformation of the economy and a significant loss of value. Currently, the most preferred treatment option for used hard drives is to recover the metals with the highest recycling effectiveness, such as steel and aluminum, via a shredding‐based recycling process that results in both value and material leakages. The complexity of retrieving the remaining values within EoU/L HDDs demands a larger view of the global supply of HDDs available for recovery. The aim of this paper is to first identify the geographical patterns of transboundary global shipments of new and used HDDs between developing and developed regions, and then capture and quantify the value leakage by bringing several unique perspectives. Two analyses have been conducted. First, the loss of value due to the insufficient recovery of neodymium (Nd) at the global level is quantified. Second, the value leakage as a result of the delay on on‐time reuse of HDDs is captured. Furthermore, the central challenges toward proper recovery of HDDs, where consumer electronic industry can make significant contributions, have been identified. HDDs are well positioned to contribute important insights to the recovery of other electronic devices, so the findings from HDDs can be adopted for other types of electronics.
Environmental Impact Assessment of Wood Use in Japan through 2050 Using Material Flow Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment
Authors: Kayo Chihiro , Dente Sébastien M.R. , Aoki‐Suzuki Chika , Tanaka Daisuke , Murakami Shinsuke , Hashimoto Seiji 
Published: April 2018

SummaryIn this study, we used material flow analysis and life cycle assessment to quantify the environmental impacts and impact reductions related to wood consumption in Japan from 1970 to 2013. We then conducted future projections of the impacts and reductions until 2050 based on multiple future scenarios of domestic forestry, wood, and energy use. An impact assessment method involving characterization, damage assessment, and integration with a monetary unit was used, and the results were expressed in Japanese yen (JPY). We found that environmental impacts from paper consumption, such as climate change and urban air pollution, were significant and accounted for 56% to 83% of the total environmental impacts between 1970 and 2013. Therefore, reductions of greenhouse gas, nitrogen oxide, and sulfur oxide emissions from paper production would be an effective measure to reduce the overall environmental impacts. An increase in wood use for building construction, civil engineering, furniture materials, and energy production could lead to reductions of environmental impacts (via carbon storage, material substitution, and fuel substitution) amounting to 357 billion JPY in 2050, which is equivalent to 168% of the 2013 levels. Particularly, substitution of nonwooden materials, such as cement, concrete, and steel, with wood products in building construction could significantly contribute to impact reductions. Although an increase of wood consumption could reduce environmental impacts, such as climate change, resource consumption, and urban air pollution, increased wood consumption would also be associated with land‐use impacts. Therefore, minimizing land transformations from forest to barren land will be important.
Language‐in‐Use Living under Militarisation and Insecurity: How Securitisation Discourse Wounds Trinidad
Authors: Kerrigan Dylan 
Published: April 2018

ResumenEn este artículo se contextualizan los datos de la entrevista de un proyecto de investigación en marcha sobre la militarización de la vida cotidiana en Trinidad, y se explora discursivamente el lenguaje en uso para proporcionar una visión de las experiencias cotidianas de (in) seguridad en St. Barbs, Laventille. Demuestra cómo el lenguaje puede estar implicado en la justificación, el apoyo y la aceptación de vivir en condiciones de militarización e inseguridad. El artículo sugiere que las ideologías, los discursos y las visiones del mundo mediadas masivamente en Trinidad producen y reproducen dentro y por medio del lenguaje una hegemonía cultural que está implicada en la aceptación ritual de una cultura de militarización, hiper‐masculinidad e inseguridad. Basándose en los conceptos de drama social y actuación cultural de Victor Turner, esta creciente aceptación implica el consentimiento individual de definiciones de la vida cotidiana que oscurecen las narrativas sociales del racismo histórico, la pobreza estructural y la desventaja acumulativa, y las reemplaza por la creación neoliberal de mitos culpando a la personalidad, la psicología y la moral dudosa de los problemas sociales y la inseguridad. [Caribbean, Trinidad y Tobago, antropologia, colonialismo, discurso, politica, postcolonial]
PDGFRA mRNA overexpression is associated with regional metastasis and reduced survival in oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Ong Hui Shan , Gokavarapu Sandhya , Tian Zhen , Li Jiang , Xu Qin , Zhang Chen Ping , Cao Wei 
Published: April 2018

BackgroundPlatelet‐derived growth factor alpha (PDGFRA) is a gene encoding tyrosine kinase receptor and both EGFR and PDGFRA activate tyrosine kinases. The implication of PGFRA in many cancers and its prognostic significance irrespective to EGFR status in spinal chordoma, gliomas, and uterine cancers have shown a need for its investigation in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). We investigated the prognostic value of PDGFRA mRNA expression in OSCC.Patients and methodsThe study was conducted in the department of oral maxillofacial surgery‐head and neck oncology, at a tertiary hospital. The data on PDGFRA mRNA expression and immunohistochemical staining status in primary OSCC patients treated for curative surgery from 2010 to 2012 were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed with other cofactors for survival.ResultsA total of 114 consecutive patients with primary OSCC who received treatment were studied. Thirty‐one patients died of the disease. Strong PDGFRA immunohistochemical staining and high expression of PDGFRA mRNA were associated with positive pN status (P < .001), disease‐free survival (P < .001), and overall survival (P < .001) in multivariate cox regression when all other factors such as pN status and histological grading were analyzed. Kaplan‐Meier analysis revealed that the 2‐year survival and 3‐year survival of patients with PDGFRA mRNA low expression were 96.83%. However, 2‐year survival for PDGFRA mRNA high expression level was 59.64%, which decreased to 45.57% by 3‐years.ConclusionPDGFRA overexpression in oral SCC, in respect to strong PDGFRA immunohistochemical staining and high PDGFRA mRNA expression, was positively associated with regional metastasis and reduced patient survival.
Absence of a moderating effect of parent health literacy on Early Head Start enrollment and dental use
Authors: Burgette Jacqueline M. , Preisser John S. , Weinberger Morris , King Rebecca S. , Lee Jessica Y. , Rozier R. Gary 
Published: April 2018

AbstractObjectivesTo examine the moderating effect of parents' health literacy (HL) on the effectiveness of North Carolina Early Head Start (EHS) in improving children's dental use.MethodsParents of 479 children enrolled in EHS and 699 Medicaid‐matched parent–child dyads were interviewed at baseline when children were approximately 10 months old and 24 months later. We used in‐person computer‐assisted, structured interviews to collect information on sociodemographic characteristics, dental use, and administer the Short Assessment of Health Literacy – Spanish and English (SAHL‐S&E). This quasi‐experimental study tested whether the interaction effect between EHS and parents' HL was associated with dental use. Logit (any use) and marginalized zero‐inflated negative binomial count models (number of dental visits) included random effects to account for clustering and controlled for baseline dental use, dental need, survey language, and a propensity score covariate.ResultsNineteen percent of parents in EHS had low literacy compared to 12 percent of parents in the non‐EHS group (P < 0.01). The interaction term between EHS and parent's HL was not significant in the adjusted logit model (ratio of aORs 0.98, 95 percent CI: 0.43‐2.20) or the adjusted count model (ratio of aRRs 0.88, 95 percent CI: 0.72‐1.09).ConclusionsParents in EHS had a higher prevalence of low HL compared to non‐EHS parents. Parents' HL did not moderate the relationship between EHS and child dental use, suggesting that EHS results in similar improvements in dental use regardless of parent's HL levels.
The mind–body problem and social science: Motivating a quantum social theory
Authors: Wendt Alexander 
Published: April 2018

AbstractThis comment addresses some of the critiques of “Quantum Mind and Social Science” by the other contributors, with special reference to the challenge that the mind‐body problem poses to conventional, classical thinking about social science. A quantum social ontology transcends those challenges, and in the process could transform social scientific thinking across the board. As an example the essay concludes with a consideration of the physics of social structure.
Safety and immunogenicity of HBAI20 Hepatitis B vaccine in healthy naïve and nonresponding adults
Authors: Koc Ö. M. , Savelkoul P. H. M. , van Loo I. H. M. , Peeters A. , Oude Lashof A. M. L. 
Published: April 2018

SummaryApproximately 5% of the healthy adult population respond inadequately to the commercial recombinant hepatitis B vaccines. As the recombinant vaccines all have an aluminium‐based adjuvant, we tried to enhance the immune response by adding a cytokine‐based adjuvant. This new adjuvant AI20, containing 20 μg recombinant human IL‐2 attached to 20 μg aluminium hydroxide, was added to HBVaxPro©‐10 μg (HBAI20). In a double‐blind randomized controlled trial (RCT), 24 naïve subjects were randomized to receive either HBAI20 or commercial HBVaxPro©‐10 μg vaccine. In an open‐label study, 10 nonresponders received HBAI20 vaccine. All participants received 3 vaccinations (0, 1 and 6 months). In the RCT, the occurrence of any adverse events or severe events was similar between the trial arms. At month 7, all naïve participants were seroprotected; moreover, 92% in the HBAI20 group had protective antibodies 10 days after the second vaccination vs 58% in the HBVaxPro©‐10 μg group, P = .16. In the open‐label study, no serious adverse events were noted. The HBAI20 vaccine was able to elicit protective anti‐HBs titres in 90% of nonresponders, 1 month after the third vaccination. According to these results, the new HBAI20 vaccine seems safe, well‐tolerated and may promote more rapid protection against hepatitis B infection.
Aiming for elimination: Outcomes of a consultation pathway supporting regional general practitioners to prescribe direct‐acting antiviral therapy for hepatitis C
Authors: Wade A. J. , McCormack A. , Roder C. , McDonald K. , Davies M. , Scott N. , Wardrop M. , Athan E. , Hellard M. E. 
Published: April 2018

SummaryTo increase access to treatment, the Australian government enabled general practitioners (GPs) to prescribe direct‐acting antivirals (DAAs) to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV)—in consultation with a specialist if inexperienced in HCV management. This study describes the establishment and outcomes of a remote consultation pathway supporting GPs to treat HCV. Key stakeholders from primary and tertiary healthcare services in the Barwon South Western region developed and implemented an HCV remote consultation pathway. Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule prescription data were used to evaluate GP DAA prescription 12 months pre‐and post‐ pathway implementation. A retrospective review of patients referred for remote consultation for 12 months post‐ pathway inception was undertaken to determine the care cascade. HCV treatment initiation by GPs increased after implementation of the remote consultation pathway. In the 12‐month study period, 74 GPs referred 169 people for remote consultation; 114 (67%) were approved for GP DAA treatment; 48 (28%) were referred for specialist assessment. In total, 119 (71%) patients commenced DAA; 69 were eligible for SVR12 assessment. Post‐treatment HCV RNA data were available for 52 (75%) people; 37 achieved SVR12; 15 achieved SVR ranging from week 5 to 11 post‐treatment. No treatment failure was detected. Collaborative development and implementation of a remote consultation pathway has engaged regional GPs in managing HCV. Follow‐up post‐treatment could be improved; however, no treatment failure has been documented. To eliminate HCV as a public health threat, it is vital that specialists support GPs to prescribe DAA.
Hepatitis B virus infection in Taiwan: The role of NTCP rs2296651 variant in relation to sex
Authors: Nfor O. N. , Wu M.‐F. , Debnath T. , Lee C.‐T. , Lee W. , Liu W.‐H. , Tantoh D. M. , Hsu S.‐Y. , Liaw Y.‐P. 
Published: April 2018

SummarySodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) is a functional receptor for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. NTCP rs2296651 is believed to be an Asian‐specific variant responsible for HBV susceptibility. We investigated the relationship between rs2296651 and HBV infection in Taiwan based on stratification by gender and menopausal status. We recruited 10 017 Taiwan Biobank participants aged 30‐70 years with complete genetic data and sociodemographic information. Gender‐stratified multivariate logistic regression models were used to determine the relationship between NTCP variant and HBV infection. Among individuals with HBV infection, the genotype frequencies of GG, AG and AA in women were 0.85, 0.15 and 0 while those in men were 0.82, 0.18 and 0, respectively. The multivariate‐adjusted odds ratios (OR) of HBV infection were 0.77 (95% CI 0.59‐0.10) in women and 0.98 (95% CI 0.79‐1.20) in men. The adjusted OR was 0.87 (CI 0.63‐1.19) in premenopausal and 0.59 (0.36‐0.97) in postmenopausal women. We found that genetic variation in the HBV receptor gene (NTCP) was significantly associated with a decreased risk of HBV infection in Taiwanese women.