bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Microbial protein: future sustainable food supply route with low environmental footprint
Authors: Matassa Silvio , Boon Nico , Pikaar Ilje , Verstraete Willy 
Published: July 2016

SummaryMicrobial biotechnology has a long history of producing feeds and foods. The key feature of today's market economy is that protein production by conventional agriculture based food supply chains is becoming a major issue in terms of global environmental pollution such as diffuse nutrient and greenhouse gas emissions, land use and water footprint. Time has come to re‐assess the current potentials of producing protein‐rich feed or food additives in the form of algae, yeasts, fungi and plain bacterial cellular biomass, producible with a lower environmental footprint compared with other plant or animal‐based alternatives. A major driver is the need to no longer disintegrate but rather upgrade a variety of low‐value organic and inorganic side streams in our current non‐cyclic economy. In this context, microbial bioconversions of such valuable matters to nutritive microbial cells and cell components are a powerful asset. The worldwide market of animal protein is of the order of several hundred million tons per year, that of plant protein several billion tons of protein per year; hence, the expansion of the production of microbial protein does not pose disruptive challenges towards the process of the latter. Besides protein as nutritive compounds, also other cellular components such as lipids (single cell oil), polyhydroxybuthyrate, exopolymeric saccharides, carotenoids, ectorines, (pro)vitamins and essential amino acids can be of value for the growing domain of novel nutrition. In order for microbial protein as feed or food to become a major and sustainable alternative, addressing the challenges of creating awareness and achieving public and broader regulatory acceptance are real and need to be addressed with care and expedience.
An Exploratory Association Study of Alcohol Use Disorder and DNA Methylation
Authors: Hagerty Sarah L. , Bidwell L. Cinnamon , Harlaar Nicole , Hutchison Kent E. 
Published: July 2016

BackgroundEpigenetic factors, including DNA methylation, play an important role in the etiology of alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Noncandidate‐based methylome‐wide studies leveraging multiple tissue types are needed in order to identify a set of CpG targets that reliably differentiate AUD patients from controls and strongly correlate across brain tissue and more commonly collected tissue types (e.g., buccal cells).MethodsPostmortem precuneus brain tissue samples were collected from 49 alcohol‐dependent (AD) cases and 47 controls (sample I), and DNA was extracted from precuneus and putamen brain tissue and buccal cells in 24 postmortem subjects (sample II). Methylation levels were analyzed at over 450,000 CpG sites in both samples. CpGs that demonstrated significant methylation differences between cases and controls were advanced for further analysis with the goal of identifying CpGs that also demonstrated consistent methylation correlations across tissue type.ResultsIn the primary analysis, 244 hypomethylated and 188 hypermethylated CpGs met a priori criteria for both significant methylation differences between cases and controls as well as significant correlation across brain and buccal cell tissue types, employing stringent Bonferroni p‐value correction. Many of these CpGs were involved in gene networks related to lipid metabolism, immune response, inflammatory response/disease, and gastro‐intestinal disease.ConclusionsMore than 400 CpGs demonstrated differences in methylation between AD cases and controls and showed significant correlation across tissue types. Several genes and pathways (e.g., inflammation and immune functioning) that have been previously associated with AUD were identified in the current analyses.
Role for the Rostromedial Tegmental Nucleus in Signaling the Aversive Properties of Alcohol
Authors: Glover Elizabeth J. , McDougle Molly J. , Siegel Griffin S. , Jhou Thomas C. , Chandler L. Judson 
Published: July 2016

BackgroundWhile the rewarding effects of alcohol contribute significantly to its addictive potential, it is becoming increasingly appreciated that alcohol's aversive properties also play an important role in the propensity to drink. Despite this, the neurobiological mechanism for alcohol's aversive actions is not well understood. The rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) was recently characterized for its involvement in aversive signaling and has been shown to encode the aversive properties of cocaine, yet its involvement in alcohol's aversive actions have not been elucidated.MethodsAdult male and female Long–Evans rats underwent conditioned taste aversion (CTA) procedures where exposure to a novel saccharin solution was paired with intraperitoneal administration of saline, lithium chloride (LiCl), or ethanol (EtOH). Control rats underwent the same paradigm except that drug and saccharin exposure were explicitly unpaired. Saccharin consumption was measured on test day in the absence of drug administration, and rats were sacrificed 90 to 105 minutes following access to saccharin. Brains were subsequently harvested and processed for cFos immunohistochemistry. The number of cFos‐labeled neurons was counted in the RMTg and the lateral habenula (LHb)—a region that sends prominent glutamatergic input to the RMTg.ResultsIn rats that received paired drug and saccharin exposure, EtOH and LiCl induced significant CTA compared to saline to a similar degree in males and females. Both EtOH‐ and LiCl‐induced CTA significantly enhanced cFos expression in the RMTg and LHb but not the hippocampus. Similar to behavioral measures, no significant effect of sex on CTA‐induced cFos expression was observed. cFos expression in both the RMTg and LHb was significantly correlated with CTA magnitude with greater cFos being associated with more pronounced CTA. In addition, cFos expression in the RMTg was positively correlated with LHb cFos.ConclusionsThese data suggest that the RMTg and LHb are involved in the expression of CTA and are consistent with previous work implicating the RMTg in aversive signaling. Furthermore, increased cFos expression in the RMTg following EtOH‐induced CTA suggests that this region plays a role in signaling alcohol's aversive properties.
Resource saving and productivity enhancing impacts of crop management innovation packages in Ethiopia
Authors: Jaleta Moti , Kassie Menale , Tesfaye Kindie , Teklewold Tilaye , Jena Pradyot Ranjan , Marenya Paswel , Erenstein Olaf 
Published: July 2016

AbstractCrop management innovations are often not discrete fixed stand‐alone options—and their adoption may imply various combinations and adaptations. This potentially confounds their impact assessment. This article assesses the resource saving and productivity enhancing impacts of a crop management package revolving around minimum tillage in maize‐based farming systems in northwest Ethiopia. An endogenous switching regression model was applied to plot‐ and household‐level survey data collected from 290 rural households operating 590 maize plots during the 2012 production year. Controlling for variations in plot and household characteristics, the average effect of minimum tillage package (minimum tillage package) on maize productivity is 0.44 t/ha. Compared to conventional practice (CP), adoption of the MTP decreased the average male and female labor use in maize production by 14.4 and 8.2 person‐days per ha, respectively. Similarly, MTP adoption decreased draft power use for land preparation by 13.2 pair of oxen‐days per ha. Compared to CP, in general, there is a considerable short‐run maize productivity gain and reduction in labor and draft power use under MTP.
Agricultural price transmission elasticity: importance of controlling for unobserved common factors
Authors: Dissanayake Jagath 
Published: July 2016

AbstractA voluminous amount of the literature estimates price transmission from world markets to domestic markets ignoring unobserved factors that commonly affect domestic markets. This article reevaluates the long‐run and short‐run transmission elasticity of world food price shocks to domestic markets using a “common factor framework” that takes unobserved common factors that are correlated with regressors into consideration. In the estimation, annual price data for rice, wheat, and maize for a panel of developed and developing countries that are observed over the period of 1960–2007 are used. The results from a common factor framework to those that do not account for common factors are then compared. Our findings suggest that ignorance of common factors is likely to result in upwardly biased elasticity estimates.
Atopic dermatitis, atopic eczema, or eczema? A systematic review, meta‐analysis, and recommendation for uniform use of ‘atopic dermatitis’
Authors: Kantor R. , Thyssen J. P. , Paller A. S. , Silverberg J. I. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractBackgroundThe lack of standardized nomenclature for atopic dermatitis (AD) creates unnecessary confusion for patients, healthcare providers, and researchers. It also negatively impacts accurate communication of research in the scientific literature. We sought to determine the most commonly used terms for AD.MethodsA systematic review of the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and LILACS (1945–2016) for the terms AD, atopic eczema (AE), and multiple other eczematous disorders.ResultsIn MEDLINE, 33 060 were identified, of which 21 299 (64.4%) publications used the term ‘AD’, 15 510 (46.9%) ‘eczema’, and only 2471 (7.5%) AE. Most of these publications used the term AD (82.0%) or eczema (70.8%) without additional nomenclature; only 1.2% used AE alone. Few publications used the terminology ‘childhood eczema’, ‘flexural eczema’, ‘infantile eczema’, ‘atopic neurodermatitis’, or ‘Besnier's prurigo’. AD was rarely used until the late 1970s, after which it became the most commonly used of the three terms and continuously increased until 2015. Atopic eczema decreased between 2008 and 2015. Atopic dermatitis was the most commonly used term in studies across almost all publication types, languages, and journals.ConclusionAtopic dermatitis is the most commonly used term and appears to be increasing in popularity. Given that eczema is a nonspecific term that describes the morphological appearance of several forms of dermatitis, we strongly suggest the use of a more specific term, AD, in publications, healthcare clinician training, and patient education. Support from researchers, reviewers, and editors is key to success.
Antinociceptive and Anti‐Inflammatory Effects of Ketamine and the Relationship to Its Antidepressant Action and GSK3 Inhibition
Authors: do Vale Eduardo Mulato , Xavier Cecília Coelho , Nogueira Brenda Gomes , Campos Bruna Caldas , de Aquino Pedro Everson Alexandre , da Costa Roberta Oliveira , Leal Luzia Kalyne Almeida Moreira , de Vasconcelos Silvânia Maria Mendes , Neves Kelly Rose Tavares , de Barros Viana Glauce Socorro 
Published: July 2016

AbstractKetamine (KET), a NMDA antagonist, exerts an antidepressant effect at subanaesthetic doses and possesses analgesic and anti‐inflammatory activities. We evaluated the involvement of KET antinociceptive and anti‐inflammatory effects with its antidepressant action. Male Swiss mice were subjected to formalin, carrageenan‐induced paw oedema and forced swimming tests, for assessing antinociceptive, anti‐inflammatory and antidepressant effects. The treatment groups were as follows: control, KET (2, 5 and 10 mg/kg), lithium (LI: 5 mg/kg) and KET2 + LI5 combination. Immunohistochemistry analyses (TNF‐α, iNOS, COX‐2 and GSK3) in oedematous paws were performed. KET5 and KET10 reduced licking times in neurogenic (22 and 38%) and inflammatory (67 and 78%) phases of the formalin test, respectively, as related to controls. While LI5 inhibited the second phase by 24%, the licking time was inhibited by 26 and 59% in the KET2 + LI5 group (first and second phases). Furthermore, oedema volumes were reduced by 37 and 45% in the KET5 and KET10 groups, respectively. Oedema reductions were 29% in the LI5 group and 48% in the KET2 + LI5 group. In the forced swimming test, there were 23, 38 and 53% decreases in the immobility time in KET2, KET5 and KET10 groups, respectively. While LI5 caused no significant effect, decreases of 52% were observed with KET2 + LI5. KET also decreased TNF‐α, iNOS, COX‐2 and GSK3 immunostainings in oedematous paws, effects intensified with KET2 + LI5. We showed that KET presents antinociceptive and anti‐inflammatory effects associated with its antidepressant response. Furthermore, our results indicate the close involvement of GSK3 inhibition and blockade of inflammatory responses, in the antidepressant drug effect.
An Effective Machine Learning Approach for Prognosis of Paraquat Poisoning Patients Using Blood Routine Indexes
Authors: Chen Huiling , Hu Lufeng , Li Huaizhong , Hong Guangliang , Zhang Tao , Ma Jianshe , Lu Zhongqiu 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThe early identification of toxic paraquat (PQ) poisoning in patients is critical to ensure timely and accurate prognosis. Although plasma PQ concentration has been reported as a clinical indicator of PQ poisoning, it is not commonly applied in practice due to the inconvenient necessary instruments and operation. In this study, we explored the use of blood routine indexes to identify the degree of PQ toxicity and/or diagnose PQ poisoning in patients via machine learning approach. Specifically, we developed a method based on support vector machine combined with the feature selection technique to accurately predict PQ poisoning risk status, then tested the method on 79 (42 male and 37 female; 41 living and 38 deceased) patients. The detection method was rigorously evaluated against a real‐world data set to determine its accuracy, sensitivity and specificity. Feature selection was also applied to identify the factors correlated with risk status, and the results showed that there are significant differences in blood routine indexes between dead and living PQ‐poisoned individuals (p‐value < 0.01). Feature selection also showed that the most important correlated indexes are white blood cell and neutrophils. In conclusion, the toxicity or prognosis of PQ poisoning can be preliminarily ascertained by blood routine testing without PQ concentration data, representing an additional tool and innovative approach to assess the prognosis of PQ poisoning.
Podcasts: A technology for all?
Authors: Gachago Daniela , Livingston Candice , Ivala Eunice 
Published: July 2016

AbstractWhile the pedagogical benefits and challenges of podcasting as a teaching and learning practice are well researched, sometimes with contradictory results, literature on the potential of podcasting as a socially inclusive technology is scanty. Using a quantitative survey design, framed by concepts such as emerging technologies, low‐threshold applications and nontraditional students, this study investigated students perceptions at a large institution in South Africa on the access and use of podcasts. Findings indicate that podcasting was well received by all students. Particularly nontraditional students, with specific reference to gender, age and home language, were the ones who engaged most extensively with podcasts. Regular recordings of difficult, content‐heavy lectures were perceived as the most effective use of podcasting, showing that course design matters in terms of podcasting usage. Findings also challenged the view of podcasting as facilitating passive learning. In our context, which is defined by severe resource constraints and fear of technology among both lecturers and students, the simplicity and accessibility of podcasts promises a successful mainstream adoption of a low‐threshold technology for African higher education.
Using online discussion forums to support learning of paraphrasing
Authors: Tan Kok‐Eng 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThe online discussion forum (ODF) is one of the many online interactive tools used for educational purposes. This paper discusses a study in a Malaysian university that examined the ODF interactions of students completing an assignment on paraphrasing. A class of 43 English as a Second Language (ESL) students enrolled in a writing course were divided into four forums. Their interactions consisting of 161 posts were collected in the 20‐day period of the assignment. Content analysis found the online interactions have all four elements of the analysis framework, namely, cognitive skills, evaluation, social cues and invitational form. Students were found to do their assignment in a self‐directed and self‐regulated manner within cultural and institutional constraints. The findings have implications for teaching ESL in a university context to tap into the contemporary online literacy practices of the students.
Relation between Alice software and programming learning: A systematic review of the literature and meta‐analysis
Authors: Costa Joana M. , Miranda Guilhermina L. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThis paper presents the results of a systematic review of the literature, including a meta‐analysis, about the effectiveness of the use of Alice software in programming learning when compared to the use of a conventional programming language. Our research included studies published between the years 2000 and 2014 in the main databases. We gathered 232 papers. Taking into account the selection criteria to make the meta‐analysis, we retained six papers with a quasi‐experimental design, with 464 participants in total. To combine the results we used the random effect model. It resulted in an effect size of 0.54 (Cohen's d) with a confidence interval between 0.34 and 0.74.We concluded that until now there have been few experimental results on the effectiveness of Alice programming language to introduce students in learning how to program. The results we found were the expression of different experimental treatments and distinguished teaching methods which made the comparison of the results obtained more subtle. However, the existing experimental results that were submitted to the meta‐analysis allowed us to assume with a certain margin of safety that a teaching strategy that uses Alice should obtain more effective results than the use of a conventional programming language.
Recent advances in the understanding of myelodysplastic syndromes with ring sideroblasts
Authors: Malcovati Luca , Cazzola Mario 
Published: July 2016

SummaryMyeloid neoplasms with ring sideroblasts are currently categorized within the myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) or myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDS/MPN) in the World Health Organization classification. Recent findings have identified that the presence of ring sideroblasts in these disorders has a unique molecular basis, i.e., the somatic mutation of SF3B1, a gene encoding a splicing factor. Mutations of SF3B1 occur in up to 90% of patients with refractory anaemia with unilineage dysplasia (RARS) and 70% of those with refractory cytopenia with multilineage dysplasia and ring sideroblasts or RARS associated with marked thrombocytosis. Experimental evidence has shown that mutant SF3B1 results in the abnormal splicing of several genes, primarily due to misrecognition of 3′ splice sites. The resulting aberrant mRNAs undergo nonsense‐mediated mRNA decay (NMD), resulting in haploinsufficiency of canonical transcripts and protein expression. In addition, it is also possible that NMD‐insensitive aberrant transcripts are translated into proteins with altered function. Patients with MDS carrying the SF3B1 mutation show a homogeneous disease phenotype characterized by isolated erythroid dysplasia and mild dysplasia in granulocytic or megakaryocytic lineages, supporting the notion that the SF3B1 mutation identifies a distinct entity within MDS. The available evidence suggests that these findings may have relevant impact on the diagnosis, classification and management of patients with these neoplasms.
Decreased function of Fas and variations of the perforin gene in adult patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia
Authors: Boggio Elena , Gigliotti Casimiro L. , Rossi Davide , Toffoletti Eleonora , Cappellano Giuseppe , Clemente Nausicaa , Puglisi Simona , Lunghi Monia , Cerri Michaela , Vianelli Nicola , Cantoni Silvia , Tieghi Alessia , Beggiato Eloise , Gaidano Gianluca , Comi Cristoforo , Chiocchetti Annalisa , Fanin Renato , Dianzani Umberto , Zaja Francesco 
Published: July 2016

SummaryA defective switching off of the immune response is involved in several autoimmune diseases. This switching off involves Fas‐mediated apoptosis, perforin‐mediated fratricide of activated lymphocytes, and the suppressive activity of regulatory T (Treg) cells. These mechanisms are altered in autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome that often displays autoimmune thrombocytopenia. The aim of this research was to evaluate these mechanisms in adult patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), compared with healthy controls. The results show that a substantial subgroup of the ITP patients displayed a defective Fas function; most of them displayed decreased Fas expression in T cells activated in vitro. Moreover, ITP patients displayed an increased frequency of rare missense variations of the PRF1 gene and decreased levels of Treg. Immunological analysis showed that levels of Interleukin (IL)10 and IL17 were decreased and marginal zone B cells were increased. Moreover, myeloid and plasmacytoid dendritic cells were decreased in ITP patients. In conclusion, in adult ITP patients, several mechanisms involved in shutting off the immune response are defective and several immunological parameters are dysregulated; these alterations may play a role in the clinical heterogeneity of the disease.
Anti‐angiogenic effects of novel cyclin‐dependent kinase inhibitors with a pyrazolo[4,3‐d]pyrimidine scaffold
Authors: Zhang S , Ulrich M , Gromnicka A , Havlíček L , Kryštof V , Jorda R , Strnad M , Vollmar A M , Zahler S 
Published: July 2016

Background and PurposeCyclin‐dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) has recently emerged as an attractive target in several tumour entities. Inhibition of CDK5 has been shown to have anti‐angiogenic effects in vitro and in vivo. However, potent inhibitors of CDK5, which can be applied in vivo, are still scarce. We have recently developed a new series of 5‐substituted 3‐isopropyl‐7‐[4‐(2‐pyridyl)benzyl]amino‐1(2)H‐pyrazolo[4,3‐d]pyrimidines that show a preference for inhibiting CDK5 and tested them in vitro and in vivo in a murine model of hepatocellular carcinoma.Experimental ApproachAll compounds were initially examined for effects on proliferation of HUVECs. The most potent compounds were then tested on migration, and one of them, LGR2674, was selected for assessing effects on nuclear fragmentation, cell cycle, cell viability and metabolic activity. Furthermore, LGR2674 was tested in a tube formation assay and in vivo in a murine model of hepatocellular carcinoma, induced by s.c. injection of HUH7 cells (measurement of in vivo toxicity, tumour vascularization, tumour cell proliferation and tumour size).Key ResultsLGR2674 showed an EC50 in the low nanomolar range in the proliferation and migration assays. Cytotoxic effects started at 50 nM, a concentration that did not influence the cell cycle. In vivo, LGR2674 was well tolerated and caused a clear reduction in vessel density in the tumours; also tumour cell proliferation was inhibited and tumour growth retarded.Conclusions and ImplicationsPyrazolo[4,3‐d]pyrimidine is a novel scaffold for the development of potent CDK inhibitors with in vivo potential. Such structures are good candidates for broadening our pharmacological arsenal against various tumours.