bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of Aluminium on Long‐Term Memory in Rats and on SIRT1 Mediating the Transcription of CREB‐Dependent Gene in Hippocampus
Authors: Yan Dongying , Jin Cuihong , Cao Yang , Wang Lulu , Lu Xiaobo , Yang Jinghua , Wu Shengwen , Cai Yuan 
Published: April 2017

AbstractEpidemiological investigations have shown that aluminium (Al) is an important neurotoxicant which can be absorbed by organisms via various routes. Previous studies have confirmed that exposure to Al could cause neurodegenerative diseases, decline CREB phosphorylation and then down‐regulate the transcription and protein expression of its target genes including BDNF. However, recent studies revealed that CREB activation alone was far from enough to activate the expression of long‐term memory (LTM)‐related genes; there might be other regulatory factors involved in this process. Several studies showed that TORC1 might be involved in regulating the transcription of downstream target genes as well. Also, TORC1 could be mediated by SIRT1 during the formation of LTM. However, the role of CREB regulating system in Al‐induced LTM impairment was still not utterly elucidated till now. This study was designed to establish the rat model of subchronic Al exposure to observe the neuroethology, regulatory factor levels and molecular biological alterations in hippocampal cells. The results showed that, with the increasing AlCl3 dose, blood Al content increased gradually; morphology of the hippocampus and neuronal ultrastructure were aberrant; in the Morris water maze test, the escape latency and distance travelled became longer, swimming traces turned more complicated in the place navigation test; intracellular Ca2+, cAMP levels declined significantly in AlCl3‐treated rats, followed by abated nuclear translocation of TORC1 and decreased SIRT1, TORC1 and pCREB levels. These results indicate that SIRT1 and TORC1 might play an important mediating role in Al‐induced LTM impairment.
Pedagogical, social and technical designs of a blended synchronous learning environment
Authors: Wang Qiyun , Huang Changqin 
Published: April 2017

AbstractIn this study, a blended synchronous learning environment (BSLE) was designed from pedagogical, social and technical perspectives. It was created for a group of master's students to attend lessons in the classroom and at the same time allow a few of them to join the identical sessions using video conferencing from different sites. The purpose of the study was to describe the guiding principles for pedagogical, social and technical designs and specific strategies applied, and identify the students' learning experiences and perceptions of the environment. Results showed that the BSLE could extend certain features of classroom instruction to the online students and they had equivalent learning experiences. They also liked the flexibility and convenience of attending lessons via video conferencing. This study further found that smooth and clear audio communication, redesign of certain learning activities and the quality of audio were crucial for the BSLE to be useful in practice.
Impacts of taxonomic inertia for the conservation ofAfrican ungulate diversity: an overview
Authors: Gippoliti Spartaco , Cotterill Fenton P. D. , Zinner Dietmar , Groves Colin P. 
Published: April 2017

ABSTRACTWe review the state of African ungulate taxonomy over the last 120 years, with an emphasis on the introduction of the polytypic species concept and the discipline's general neglect since the middle of the 20th century. We single out negative consequences of ‘orthodox’ taxonomy, highlighting numerous cases of neglect of threatened lineages, unsound translocations that led to lineage introgression, and cases of maladaptation to local conditions including parasitic infections. Additionally, several captive breeding programmes have been hampered by chromosome rearrangements caused by involuntary lineage mixing. We advocate that specimen‐based taxonomy should regain its keystone role in mammal research and conservation biology, with its scientific values augmented with genomic evidence. While integration with molecular biology, ecology and behaviour is needed for a full understanding of ungulate alpha diversity, we stress that morphological diversity has been neglected despite its tremendous practical importance for some groups of ‘utilizers’ such as trophy hunters, wildlife tourists and conservationists. We conclude that there is no evidence that purported ‘taxonomic inflation’ has adverse effects on ungulate conservation: rather, it is taxonomic inertia that has such adverse effects. We stress that sound science, founded on robust taxonomy, should underpin effective sustainable management (hunting, ranching, captive breeding and reintroduction programmes) of this unique African natural resource.
α‐Mangostin decreases β‐amyloid peptides production via modulation of amyloidogenic pathway
Authors: Zhao Lan‐Xue , Wang Yan , Liu Ting , Wang Yan‐Xia , Chen Hong‐Zhuan , Xu Jian‐Rong , Qiu Yu 
Published: April 2017

SummaryAimsβ‐amyloid (Aβ) aggregation and deposition play a central role in the pathogenic process of Alzheimer's disease (AD). α‐Mangostin (α‐M), a polyphenolic xanthone, have been shown to dissociate Aβ oligomers. In this study, we further investigated the effect of α‐M on Aβ production and its molecular mechanism.MethodsThe Aβ and soluble amyloid precursor protein α (sAPPα) in culture medium of cortical neurons were measured by ELISA. The activities of α‐, β‐, and γ‐secretases were assayed, and the interaction between α‐M and β‐ or γ‐secretases was simulated by molecular docking.Resultsα‐M significantly decreased Aβ40 and Aβ42 production. α‐M did not affect the expression of enzymes involved in nonamyloidogenic and amyloidogenic pathways, but significantly decreased the activities of β‐secretase and likely γ‐secretase with IC50 13.22 nmol·L−1 and 16.98 nmol·L−1, respectively. Molecular docking demonstrated that α‐M interacted with β‐site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 and presenilin 1 to interfere with their active sites.ConclusionsOur data demonstrate that α‐M decreases Aβ production through inhibiting activities of β‐secretase and likely γ‐secretase in the amyloidogenic pathway. The current data together with previous study indicated that α‐M could be a novel neuroprotective agent through intervention of multiple pathological processes of AD.
Expanding access to naloxone for family members: The Massachusetts experience
Authors: Bagley Sarah M. , Forman Leah S. , Ruiz Sarah , Cranston Kevin , Walley Alexander Y. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractIntroduction and AimsThe Massachusetts Department of Public Health Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution Program provides overdose education and naloxone rescue kits to people at risk for overdose and bystanders, including family members. Using Massachusetts Department of Public Health data, the aims are to: (i) describe characteristics of family members who receive naloxone; (ii) identify where family members obtain naloxone; and (iii) describe characteristics of rescues by family members.Design and MethodsWe conducted a retrospective review using program enrollee information collected on a standardised form between 2008 and 2015. We calculated descriptive statistics, including demographics, current substance use, enrolment location, history of witnessed overdoses and rescue attempt characteristics. We conducted a stratified analysis comparing family members who used drugs with those who did not.ResultsFamily members were 27% of total program enrollees (n = 10 883/40 801). Family members who reported substance use (n = 4679) were 35.6 years (mean), 50.6% female, 76.3% non‐Hispanic white, 75.6% had witnessed an overdose, and they obtained naloxone most frequently at HIV prevention programs. Family members who did not report substance use (n = 6148) were 49.2 years (mean), 73.8% female, 87.9% non‐Hispanic white, 35.3% had witnessed an overdose, and they obtained naloxone most frequently at community meetings. Family members were responsible for 20% (n = 860/4373) of the total rescue attempts.Discussion and ConclusionsThe Massachusetts experience demonstrates that family members can be active participants in responding to the overdose epidemic by rescuing family members and others. Targeted intervention strategies for families should be included in efforts to expand overdose education and naloxone in Massachusetts.
HIV/AIDS and other household shocks as catalysts of local commercialization of non‐timber forest products in Southern Africa
Authors: Weyer D. , Shackleton C. M. , Adam Y. O. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractLocal trade in non‐timber forest products (NTFPs) is increasing globally, yet the causes have been little studied. We examine household shock as a driver of NTFP trade in five southern African countries, with an emphasis on HIV/AIDS‐related illness and death. Over the past two years, 95% of trader households experienced at least one shock, with family illness and death recorded for 68% and 42% of households, respectively. Almost 40% had entered the trade because of HIV/AIDS‐related shocks. Additional shocks included natural disasters, crop pests or failure and livestock loss. The sale of NTFPs was the third most common coping strategy, after kinship and agricultural adjustments. Coping strategies differed between sites and type of shock.
Impacts of grazing intensity and increased precipitation on a grasshopper assemblage (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in a meadow steppe
Authors: ZHU HUI , QU YEKUAN , ZHANG DUO , LI JUNJIAN , WEN MING , WANG DELI , REN BINGZHONG 
Published: April 2017

1. Grasshoppers are dominant herbivores in grassland ecosystems, and many studies have examined how grazing by large herbivores and precipitation patterns individually influence the dynamics of grassland grasshopper assemblages, but their combined effects are largely unknown.2. In this study, grazing intensities (ungrazed, moderate, and heavy) were manipulated and precipitation (ambient and increased amount of rainfall) altered in a field experiment to test the effects of grazing and altered precipitation on a grasshopper community in a meadow steppe in northeastern China.3. It was found that grasshopper species richness did not change according to different grazing intensities under ambient precipitation, but was significantly higher (by 38.1%) in moderate grazing intensities under increased precipitation. Grasshopper abundance increased considerably with increasing grazing intensities in ambient precipitation treatments; however, grasshopper abundance in heavy grazing intensities was significantly lower (by 32.9%) than in the other two grazing intensities under increased precipitation. Moreover, the responses of grasshopper abundance to grazing under altered precipitation were species‐specific.4. Grazing effects on grasshopper species diversity were mediated through the species richness and biomass of grasses (food resources), but the effects on grasshopper abundance were mediated through plant height (vegetation structure) under altered precipitation.5. These results suggest that appropriate grazing by large herbivores would be considered as beneficial management practices for maintaining grasshopper diversity and abundance under conditions of increased precipitation in grassland ecosystems. Additionally, greater attention should be paid to the population dynamics of different grasshopper species to better understand the responses of grasslands to grazing and altered precipitation.
Oviposition preference and offspring performance in container breeding mosquitoes: evaluating the effects of organic compounds and laboratory colonisation
Authors: ALLGOOD DAVID W. , YEE DONALD A. 
Published: April 2017

1. The preference–performance hypothesis (PPH) predicts that organisms lacking parental care should oviposit in habitats that optimise offspring performance. Preference–performance relationships were investigated for theAsian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictusSkuse) and the southern house mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatusSay) (Diptera:Culicidae), two medically important container‐breeding species, in response to an organic chemical blend mimicking decaying plant matter. Additionally, the effects of long‐term laboratory colonisation ofCx. quinquefasciatususing wild and laboratory strains were evaluated.2. Oviposition bioassays were conducted by releasing gravid mosquitoes into field enclosures with automobile tires containing low and high concentrations of the chemical blend, and water controls. The offspring were then reared in water collected from the tires in which they were deposited.3.Aedes albopictusand wildCx. quinquefasciatuslaid more eggs in the chemical blend than water controls but did not differentiate between the low and high concentrations. Conversely, laboratoryCx. quinquefasciatusonly preferred the high concentration to the low concentration. No statistical associations between oviposition preference and larval survival were found, as the chemical blend did not affect survivorship of either species.4. The oviposition preference for the chemical blend over water controls suggests that both species oviposit in the best available resource environment, but further studies are needed before conclusions regarding preference–performance relationships can be drawn.5. It was found that long‐term laboratory colonisation affects the oviposition behaviour inCx. quinquefasciatus, suggesting that behavioural studies on laboratory strains are not always applicable to wild populations.
Working whilst studying in higher education: The impact of the economic crisis on academic and labour market success
Authors: Sanchez‐Gelabert Albert , Figueroa Mijail , Elias Marina 
Published: April 2017

AbstractAn analysis of the phenomenon of combining work and study amongst university students is made using data obtained from surveys of graduates carried out four years after finishing their degrees. First, the article reviews the evolution of the phenomenon over the last ten years, taking into account the Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (AQU) labour market insertion surveys for 2005, 2008, 2011 and 2014. Second, the 2008 and 2014 waves are compared to analyse the impact of the economic crisis. In this case, how combining work and study affects academic results and labour market insertion is studied, in addition to whether or not differences occur according to the family's educational background. A random stratified two‐stage sampling is used to obtain the results; descriptive and ANOVA analyses with different factors are performed. The evolution shows how the numbers of students who combine work and study has increased, especially among those whose parents have little education. Furthermore, this means that lower marks are obtained and that there is a greater degree of inequality in labour market insertion, depending on the educational background of the family of origin. In general, the relationship between the different variables shows how combining work and study has negative effects on marks but positive effects on labour market insertion, especially if the work experience whilst at university is related to the studies.
Transcriptional mechanisms underlying life‐history responses to climate change in the three‐spined stickleback
Authors: Kim Sin‐Yeon , Costa Maria M. , Esteve‐Codina Anna , Velando Alberto 
Published: April 2017

AbstractPhenotypic plasticity, the ability of an organism to express different phenotypes depending on the environment, provides an important mechanism by which an animal population can persist under rapid climate change. We experimentally tested both life‐history and transcriptional responses of an ecological model species, the three‐spined stickleback, to warm acclimation at the southern edge of its European range. We explored cross‐environment genetic correlations of key life‐history traits in male sticklebacks exposed to long‐term temperature changes to examine whether the plasticity pattern was variable among genotypes by using a character‐state approach. We also studied gene expression plasticity by analysing both whole‐transcriptome and candidate gene expression in brain and liver. Male sticklebacks that developed under warmer conditions during winter were smaller in size and invested less in nuptial coloration at the beginning of the breeding season, showing similar responses across different genotypes. The lack of genetic variation in life‐history responses may limit any future evolution of the thermal reaction norm in the study population. After long‐term exposure to increased winter temperatures, genes responsible for several metabolic and oxidation–reduction processes were upregulated, and some hormone genes involved in growth and reproduction were downregulated in the brain. In the liver, there was no significantly represented gene ontology by the differentially expressed genes. Since a higher temperature leads to a higher resting metabolic rate, living in warmer environments may incur higher energetic costs for ectotherms to maintain cellular homoeostasis, resulting in negative consequences for life‐history traits. The expression of genes related to metabolism, cellular homoeostasis and regulatory signalling may underlie temperature‐induced changes in life history.
Lights, Camera, Activism: Using a Film Series to Generate Feminist Dialogue About Campus Sexual Violence
Authors: Purcell John B. K. , Oldham C. Rebecca , Weiser Dana A. , Sharp Elizabeth A. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractWe examine the use of an interdisciplinary film series, “2015 Sexism | Cinema: 50 Years on the Silver Screen,” as a space for discussion where attendees can discover allies, express critical thought, and advance their thinking. A film series is a useful response to the widespread problem of campus sexual assault in three critical ways: (a) a theater provides an informal, recreational space for discussion of feminist thought; (b) the content of the films highlights the insidious nature of sexual violence and gender inequality in our culture; and (c) there exists a degree of separation that subverts defensiveness while inspiring a critical dialogue. We discuss the utility of a film series as an accessible approach to the cultural antecedents of sexual violence on college campuses. We offer our own experiences of the film series and recommend film as a feminist pedagogical tool to address sexual violence.
Feminist Agency, Sexual Scripts, and Sexual Violence: Developing a Model for Postgendered Family Communication
Authors: Rossetto Kelly R. , Tollison Andrew C. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractWe explore the interrelated research on intersectionality, feminist agency, script theory, and gender socialization to uncover the ways in which college students may experience institutionalized sexual scripts and perceptions of agency in sexual encounters. We theorize that changes at the family level could ultimately help create a shift in a campus culture that has become entrenched, with biased sexual scripts that lead to power imbalances and sexual violence. With underpinnings of social role theory and modeling, this article develops a model of postgendered family communication. Practical family communication suggestions based on the model are provided for parents and family educators that could help shift sexual scripts, enable feminist agency, and improve rates of sexual assault incidence and reporting at the institutional level.
Peridynamics for predicting damage and its growth in composites
Authors: Hu Y. , Madenci E. , Phan N. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThis study concerns progressive damage analysis of composite laminates by using peridynamics. It is not limited to any fibre orientation and laminate layup. Its validity is established by comparing against the recent data generated by the Air Force Research Laboratory under the Tech Scout Project. The model simulations predict the stiffness, strength and damage progression in each ply for three different laminate layups with a circular hole under tensile/compressive loading. These predictions compare well with the experimental observations and measurements for each laminate layup.
Do Private Utilities Outperform Local Government-Owned Utilities? Evidence from German Retail Electricity
Authors: Stiel Caroline , Cullmann Astrid , Nieswand Maria 
Published: April 2017

Abstract
Against the background of remunicipalisation trends in European public service sectors, this paper estimates firm-level productivity for German electricity retailers and tests whether the ownership type has a significant impact on productivity. We specify a production function for the retail sector with labour and external services as main inputs, which is estimated using a control function approach. Employing a newly constructed dataset on German utilities by the German Federal Statistical Office for the years 2003-12, we find that firm-level productivity generally increased until 2008 but not afterwards. We do not find any evidence for ownership having an impact on productivity.
Patients’ experiences of consultations with physician associates in primary care in England: A qualitative study
Authors: Halter Mary , Drennan Vari M. , Joly Louise M. , Gabe Jonathan , Gage Heather , de Lusignan Simon 
Published: April 2017

AbstractBackgroundPhysician associates are new to English general practice and set to expand in numbers.ObjectiveTo investigate the patients’ perspective on consulting with physician associates in general practice.DesignA qualitative study, using semi‐structured interviews, with thematic analysis.Setting and participantsThirty volunteer patients of 430 who had consulted physician associates for a same‐day appointment and had returned a satisfaction survey, in six general practices employing physician associates in England.FindingsSome participants only consulted once with a physician associate and others more frequently. The conditions consulted for ranged from minor illnesses to those requiring immediate hospital admission. Understanding the role of the physician associate varied from ‘certain and correct’ to ‘uncertain’, to ‘certain and incorrect’, where the patient believed the physician associate to be a doctor. Most, but not all, reported positive experiences and outcomes of their consultation, with some choosing to consult the physician. Those with negative experiences described problems when the limits of the role were reached, requiring additional GP consultations or prescription delay. Trust and confidence in the physician associate was derived from trust in the NHS, the general practice and the individual physician associate. Willingness to consult a physician associate was contingent on the patient's assessment of the severity or complexity of the problem and the desire for provider continuity.ConclusionPatients saw physician associates as an appropriate general practitioner substitute. Patients’ experience could inform delivery redesign.
Concentration threshold effect on properties of zinc‐doped lithium niobate crystals
Authors: Palatnikov Mikhail N. , Sidorov Nikolay V. , Makarova Olga V. , Manukovskaya Diana V. , Aleshina Ludmila A. , Kadetova Alexandra V. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractResults of LiNbO3:Zn researches often diverge because sharp changes in physicochemical characteristics of the system melt‐crystal that occur at doping are usually not taken into consideration. When a series of doped crystals is grown Zn is usually added to the melt with step 1.5‐2 mol%. This obstructs detection of exact threshold concentration. We have grown LiNbO3:Zn crystals doped by 4.0÷9.0 mol% ZnO with step ~1 mol%. Around the dopant, threshold concentration step was narrowed to ~0.1 mol%. We have researched physicochemical properties of the system melt‐crystal and structure evolution by Raman spectroscopy and full‐profile analysis of XRD. We have detected exact threshold concentration for LiNbO3:Zn and concluded that crystals doped by prethreshold concentrations of ZnO are the best for most applications because of the higher optical homogeneity.