bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Blind spots in agri-environmental governance: some reflections and suggestions from Switzerland
Authors: Forney Jérémie 
Published: April 2016

AbstractAttempts of making our food systems more sustainable have (partly) failed. Food production still contributes significantly to biodiversity losses, global warming and depletion of natural resources. Based on the postulation that this failure in the governance of environmental issues in agri-food systems relates notably to social and cultural aspects, this paper explores the literature in the social sciences looking for explanations. A first statement is that research around agri-environmental governance (AEG) issues remains globally split into two subgroups, one focusing on public policies and the other on the civil society or market aspects of environmental certification, with very little exchange or transversal analysis between the two. Drawing on the literature and on long-term fieldwork and research in Switzerland, I identify three dimensions of AEG that open new paths towards more sustainable food systems: an encompassing approach of the food system; the encouragement of collective knowledge creation and the promotion of autonomy. Joining other emerging scholarships, this paper calls for developments in the research on AEG that produce encompassing theoretical frameworks, which transcends pre-existing categories in order to allow new conceptualisation of governance practices in complex or hybrid systems. The integration of the food, knowledge and autonomy dimensions should help in creating innovative and transformative governance instruments.
Is the Stellar System WR 11 a Gamma-Ray Source?
Authors: Benaglia Paula 
Published: April 2016

AbstractMany early-type stars are in systems; some of them have been indicated as putative high-energy emitters. The radiation would be produced at the region where two stellar winds collide. Compelling evidence of such emission was found only for the colliding-wind binary (CWB) Eta Car, which was associated to a GeV source. Very recently, the closest CWB, WR 11, was proposed as a counterpart of a 6σ emission excess, measured with the Fermi LAT satellite. We sought evidence to support or reject the hypothesis that WR 11 is responsible of the gamma-ray excess. Archive radio interferometric data at 1.4 and 2.5 GHz taken with the Australia Telescope Compact Array along 16 dates were reduced. The sizes of the field-of-view at 2.5 GHz and of the central region of the Fermi LAT excess are alike. We analysed the emission of the WR 11 field, characterised the radio sources detected and derived their spectral indices, to investigate their nature. Eight sources with fluxes above 10 mJy were detected at both frequencies. All but one (WR 11) showed negative spectral indices. Four of them were identified with known objects, including WR 11. A fifth source, labeled here S6, is a promising candidate to produce gamma-ray emission, besides the CWB WR 11.
Reproductive isolation between two populations ofDiatraea saccharalis(F.) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) from different host plant species and regions in Argentina
Authors: Fogliata S.V. , Vera A. , Gastaminza G. , Cuenya M.I. , Zucchi M.I. , Willink E. , Castagnaro A.P. , Murúa M.G. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractThe sugarcane borer,Diatraea saccharalis(F.), has a widespread distribution throughout the Western Hemisphere and is a pest of many crop plants including sugarcane, corn, sorghum and rice. The use ofBacillus thuringiensis(Bt) corn has been the primary tool for managing this species in corn fields. Sugarcane borer control has been recently threatened by observations of susceptibility and/or resistance to certain varieties of Bt corn and the protein used in many newer varieties. This has led to increased interest in understanding sugarcane borer genetic diversity and gene flow within and among its populations and the consequent exchange of alleles between geographically distant populations. The objective of this study was to examine reproductive compatibility between host-associated geographic populations ofD. saccharalisin Argentina and to determine whether this pest represents a complex of host-associated cryptic species rather than a wide ranging generalist species. Intra and inter-population crosses revealed thatD. saccharalispopulations from the northwestern and Pampas regions presented evidence of prezygotic and postzygotic incompatibility. Such a result is likely to be the product of an interruption of gene flow produced by either geographic or host plant associated isolation, suggesting that Tucumán (northwestern) and Buenos Aires (Pampas) populations ofD. saccharalisare a distinct genotype and possibly an incipient species.
Taking a stand against illegal wildlife trade: the Zimbabwean approach to pangolin conservation
Authors: Shepherd Chris R. , Connelly Ellen , Hywood Lisa , Cassey Phillip 
Published: April 2016

AbstractPangolins are increasingly threatened by demand for their scales, which are used in traditional medicines, and for their meat, which is consumed as a luxury. As populations of Asian pangolins decline, the demand is shifting to the four species in Africa, where local cultural use may already pose some level of threat. During 2010−2015 a total of 65 pangolin-related seizures (surrendered and confiscated) were reported in Zimbabwe, with the annual number of confiscations increasing significantly over this period. Zimbabwean authorities have toughened their stance against this trade, and during January−June 2015 three-quarters of confiscations of pangolins (n = 12) resulted in the maximum jail sentence for at least one of the offenders in each case. At present there is no evidence that pangolins are being traded from Zimbabwe to China, and the increased enforcement may be key to ensuring Zimbabwe's pangolins are not threatened by the large-scale illegal trade witnessed in Asia.
Retirement Policies and Support for Emergency Service Personnel: The Transition to Retirement
Authors: Bracken-Scally Mairéad , McGilloway Sinéad , Mitchell Jeffrey T. 
Published: April 2016

RÉSUMÉL’objectif principal de cette étude a été d’examiner les politiques et les procédures pour soutenir les employés prenant leur retraite de leur travail aux services d’urgence. On a mené des entrevues avec les participants qui connaissaient bien les politiques et les procédures actuelles d’un grand ambulance (n= 8) et le service d’incendie (n= 6) en Irlande. Quatre thèmes principaux ont été révelés: (1) «Je ne pense pas que ce soit un bon travail d’etre ambulancier d’urgence quand on a 65 ans»; (2) “ils se sentent véritablement un tout petit peu isolé”; (3) l’amélioration du «choc culturel»; et (4) «Je continue a m’avancer en espérant que tout aille pour le mieux. » Les conclusions indiquent que la retraite est un changement majeur de la vie, et mettent en évidence la nécessité pour une préparation de pré-retraite plus structurée et efficace. Les éléments uniques au personnel des services d’urgence comprennent: le stress physique et émotionnel intense impliqué dans les services d’urgence; une forte identification avec ce service; et un manque de clarté sur les règles et les droits, exigeant meilleure renseignements et préparation pour prendre sa retraite.
TGF-β and BMP signaling in osteoblast, skeletal development, and bone formation, homeostasis and disease
Authors: Wu Mengrui , Chen Guiqian , Li Yi-Ping 
Published: April 2016

AbstractTransforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) and bone morphogenic protein (BMP) signaling has fundamental roles in both embryonic skeletal development and postnatal bone homeostasis. TGF-βs and BMPs, acting on a tetrameric receptor complex, transduce signals to both the canonical Smad-dependent signaling pathway (that is, TGF-β/BMP ligands, receptors, and Smads) and the non-canonical-Smad-independent signaling pathway (that is, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase/p38 MAPK) to regulate mesenchymal stem cell differentiation during skeletal development, bone formation and bone homeostasis. Both the Smad and p38 MAPK signaling pathways converge at transcription factors, for example, Runx2 to promote osteoblast differentiation and chondrocyte differentiation from mesenchymal precursor cells. TGF-β and BMP signaling is controlled by multiple factors, including the ubiquitin–proteasome system, epigenetic factors, and microRNA. Dysregulated TGF-β and BMP signaling result in a number of bone disorders in humans. Knockout or mutation of TGF-β and BMP signaling-related genes in mice leads to bone abnormalities of varying severity, which enable a better understanding of TGF-β/BMP signaling in bone and the signaling networks underlying osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. There is also crosstalk between TGF-β/BMP signaling and several critical cytokines’ signaling pathways (for example, Wnt, Hedgehog, Notch, PTHrP, and FGF) to coordinate osteogenesis, skeletal development, and bone homeostasis. This review summarizes the recent advances in our understanding of TGF-β/BMP signaling in osteoblast differentiation, chondrocyte differentiation, skeletal development, cartilage formation, bone formation, bone homeostasis, and related human bone diseases caused by the disruption of TGF-β/BMP signaling.
Highly selective hydrogenation of arenes using nanostructured ruthenium catalysts modified with a carbon–nitrogen matrix
Authors: Cui Xinjiang , Surkus Annette-Enrica , Junge Kathrin , Topf Christoph , Radnik Jörg , Kreyenschulte Carsten , Beller Matthias 
Published: April 2016

AbstractSelective hydrogenations of (hetero)arenes represent essential processes in the chemical industry, especially for the production of polymer intermediates and a multitude of fine chemicals. Herein, we describe a new type of well-dispersed Ru nanoparticles supported on a nitrogen-doped carbon material obtained from ruthenium chloride and dicyanamide in a facile and scalable method. These novel catalysts are stable and display both excellent activity and selectivity in the hydrogenation of aromatic ethers, phenols as well as other functionalized substrates to the corresponding alicyclic reaction products. Furthermore, reduction of the aromatic core is preferred over hydrogenolysis of the C–O bond in the case of ether substrates. The selective hydrogenation of biomass-derived arenes, such as lignin building blocks, plays a pivotal role in the exploitation of novel sustainable feedstocks for chemical production and represents a notoriously difficult transformation up to now.
Ultrasound modulates ion channel currents
Authors: Kubanek Jan , Shi Jingyi , Marsh Jon , Chen Di , Deng Cheri , Cui Jianmin 
Published: April 2016

AbstractTranscranial focused ultrasound (US) has been demonstrated to stimulate neurons in animals and humans, but the mechanism of this effect is unknown. It has been hypothesized that US, a mechanical stimulus, may mediate cellular discharge by activating mechanosensitive ion channels embedded within cellular membranes. To test this hypothesis, we expressed potassium and sodium mechanosensitive ion channels (channels of the two-pore-domain potassium family (K2P) including TREK-1, TREK-2, TRAAK; NaV1.5) in the Xenopus oocyte system. Focused US (10 MHz, 0.3–4.9 W/cm2) modulated the currents flowing through the ion channels on average by up to 23%, depending on channel and stimulus intensity. The effects were reversible upon repeated stimulation and were abolished when a channel blocker (ranolazine to block NaV1.5, BaCl2 to block K2P channels) was applied to the solution. These data reveal at the single cell level that focused US modulates the activity of specific ion channels to mediate transmembrane currents. These findings open doors to investigations of the effects of US on ion channels expressed in neurons, retinal cells, or cardiac cells, which may lead to important medical applications. The findings may also pave the way to the development of sonogenetics: a non-invasive, US-based analogue of optogenetics.
On residual stresses and homeostasis: an elastic theory of functional adaptation in living matter
Authors: Ciarletta P. , Destrade M. , Gower A. L. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractLiving matter can functionally adapt to external physical factors by developing internal tensions, easily revealed by cutting experiments. Nonetheless, residual stresses intrinsically have a complex spatial distribution and destructive techniques cannot be used to identify a natural stress-free configuration. This work proposes a novel elastic theory of pre-stressed materials. Imposing physical compatibility and symmetry arguments, we define a new class of free energies explicitly depending on the internal stresses. This theory is finally applied to the study of arterial remodelling, proving its potential for the non-destructive determination of the residual tensions within biological materials.
Combining measurements to estimate properties and characterization extent of complex biochemical mixtures; applications to Heparan Sulfate
Authors: Pradines Joël R. , Beccati Daniela , Lech Miroslaw , Ozug Jennifer , Farutin Victor , Huang Yongqing , Gunay Nur Sibel , Capila Ishan 
Published: April 2016

AbstractComplex mixtures of molecular species, such as glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans, have important biological and therapeutic functions. Characterization of these mixtures with analytical chemistry measurements is an important step when developing generic drugs such as biosimilars. Recent developments have focused on analytical methods and statistical approaches to test similarity between mixtures. The question of how much uncertainty on mixture composition is reduced by combining several measurements still remains mostly unexplored. Mathematical frameworks to combine measurements, estimate mixture properties and quantify remaining uncertainty, i.e. a characterization extent, are introduced here. Constrained optimization and mathematical modeling are applied to a set of twenty-three experimental measurements on heparan sulfate, a mixture of linear chains of disaccharides having different levels of sulfation. While this mixture has potentially over two million molecular species, mathematical modeling and the small set of measurements establish the existence of nonhomogeneity of sulfate level along chains and the presence of abundant sulfate repeats. Constrained optimization yields not only estimations of sulfate repeats and sulfate level at each position in the chains but also bounds on these levels, thereby estimating the extent of characterization of the sulfation pattern which is achieved by the set of measurements.
Proteomic dissection of LPS-inducible, PHF8-dependent secretome reveals novel roles of PHF8 in TLR4-induced acute inflammation and T cell proliferation
Authors: Erdoğan Özgün , Xie Ling , Wang Li , Wu Bing , Kong Qing , Wan Yisong , Chen Xian 
Published: April 2016

AbstractEndotoxin (LPS)-induced changes in histone lysine methylation contribute to the gene-specific transcription for control of inflammation. Still unidentified are the chromatin regulators that drive the transition from a transcriptional-repressive to a transcriptional-active chromatin state of pro-inflammatory genes. Here, using combined approaches to analyze LPS-induced changes in both gene-specific transcription and protein secretion to the extracellular compartment, we characterize novel functions of the lysine demethylase PHF8 as a pro-inflammatory, gene-specific chromatin regulator. First, in the LPS-induced, acute-inflamed macrophages, PHF8 knockdown led to both a reduction of pro-inflammatory factors and an increase in a transcriptional-repressive code (H3K9me2) written by the methyltransferase G9a. Through unbiased quantitative secretome screening we discovered that LPS induces the secretion of a cluster of PHF8-dependent, ‘tolerizable’ proteins that are related to diverse extracellular pathways/processes including those for the activation of adaptive immunity. Specifically, we determined that PHF8 promotes T-cell activation and proliferation, thus providing the first link between the epigenetic regulation of inflammation and adaptive immunity. Further, we found that, in the acute-inflamed macrophages, the acute-active PHF8 opposes the H3K9me1/2-writing activity of G9a to activate specific protein secretions that are suppressed by G9a in the endotoxin-tolerant cells, revealing the inflammatory-phenotypic chromatin drivers that regulate the gene-specific chromatin plasticity.
Dietary flavonoid intake and the risk of digestive tract cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Bo Yacong , Sun Jinfeng , Wang Mengmeng , Ding Jizhe , Lu Quanjun , Yuan Ling 
Published: April 2016

AbstractSeveral epidemiological studies have investigated the association between dietary flavonoid intake and digestive tract cancers risk; however, the results remain inconclusive. The aim of our study was to evaluate this association. PubMed and the Web of Knowledge were searched for relevant publications from inception to October 2015. The risk ratio (RR) or odds ratio (OR) with the 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for the highest versus the lowest categories of flavonoid intake were pooled using a fixed-effects model. A total of 15 articles reporting 23 studies were selected for the meta-analysis. In a comparison of the highest versus the lowest categories of dietary flavonoid intake, we found no significant association between flavonoid intake and oesophageal cancer (OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.75–1.10; I2 = 0.0%), colorectal cancer (OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.92–1.14, I2 = 36.2%) or gastric cancer (OR = 0.88; 95% CI = 0.74–1.04, I2 = 63.6%). The subgroup analysis indicated an association between higher flavonoid intake and a decreased risk of gastric cancer in the European population (OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.62–0.97). In conclusion, the results of this meta-analysis do not strongly support an association between dietary flavonoid intake and oesophageal or colorectal cancer. Furthermore, the subgroup analysis suggested an association between higher dietary flavonoid intake and decreased gastric cancer risk in European population.
Fisetin stimulates autophagic degradation of phosphorylated tau via the activation of TFEB and Nrf2 transcription factors
Authors: Kim Sunhyo , Choi Ki Ju , Cho Sun-Jung , Yun Sang-Moon , Jeon Jae-Pil , Koh Young Ho , Song Jihyun , Johnson Gail V. W. , Jo Chulman 
Published: April 2016

AbstractThe neuronal accumulation of phosphorylated tau plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Here, we examined the effect of fisetin, a flavonol, on tau levels. Treatment of cortical cells or primary neurons with fisetin resulted in significant decreases in the levels of phosphorylated tau. In addition, fisetin decreased the levels of sarkosyl-insoluble tau in an active GSK-3β-induced tau aggregation model. However, there was no difference in activities of tau kinases and phosphatases such as protein phosphatase 2A, irrespective of fisetin treatment. Fisetin activated autophagy together with the activation of transcription factor EB (TFEB) and Nrf2 transcriptional factors. The activation of autophagy including TFEB is likely due to fisetin-mediated mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) inhibition, since the phosphorylation levels of p70S6 kinase and 4E-BP1 were decreased in the presence of fisetin. Indeed, fisetin-induced phosphorylated tau degradation was attenuated by chemical inhibitors of the autophagy-lysosome pathway. Together the results indicate that fisetin reduces levels of phosphorylated tau through the autophagy pathway activated by TFEB and Nrf2. Our result suggests fisetin should be evaluated further as a potential preventive and therapeutic drug candidate for AD.
Accurate measurement of liquid transport through nanoscale conduits
Authors: Alibakhshi Mohammad Amin , Xie Quan , Li Yinxiao , Duan Chuanhua 
Published: April 2016

AbstractNanoscale liquid transport governs the behaviour of a wide range of nanofluidic systems, yet remains poorly characterized and understood due to the enormous hydraulic resistance associated with the nanoconfinement and the resulting minuscule flow rates in such systems. To overcome this problem, here we present a new measurement technique based on capillary flow and a novel hybrid nanochannel design and use it to measure water transport through single 2-D hydrophilic silica nanochannels with heights down to 7 nm. Our results show that silica nanochannels exhibit increased mass flow resistance compared to the classical hydrodynamics prediction. This difference increases with decreasing channel height and reaches 45% in the case of 7 nm nanochannels. This resistance increase is attributed to the formation of a 7-angstrom-thick stagnant hydration layer on the hydrophilic surfaces. By avoiding use of any pressure and flow sensors or any theoretical estimations the hybrid nanochannel scheme enables facile and precise flow measurement through single nanochannels, nanotubes, or nanoporous media and opens the prospect for accurate characterization of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic nanofluidic systems.
A direct assessment of human prion adhered to steel wire using real-time quaking-induced conversion
Authors: Mori Tsuyoshi , Atarashi Ryuichiro , Furukawa Kana , Takatsuki Hanae , Satoh Katsuya , Sano Kazunori , Nakagaki Takehiro , Ishibashi Daisuke , Ichimiya Kazuko , Hamada Masahisa , Nakayama Takehisa , Nishida Noriyuki 
Published: April 2016

AbstractAccidental transmission of prions during neurosurgery has been reported as a consequence of re-using contaminated surgical instruments. Several decontamination methods have been studied using the 263K-hamster prion; however, no studies have directly evaluated human prions. A newly developed in vitro amplification system, designated real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC), has allowed the activity of abnormal prion proteins to be assessed within a few days. RT-QuIC using human recombinant prion protein (PrP) showed high sensitivity for prions as the detection limit of our assay was estimated as 0.12 fg of active prions. We applied this method to detect human prion activity on stainless steel wire. When we put wires contaminated with human Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease brain tissue directly into the test tube, typical PrP-amyloid formation was observed within 48 hours, and we could detect the activity of prions at 50% seeding dose on the wire from 102.8 to 105.8 SD50. Using this method, we also confirmed that the seeding activities on the wire were removed following treatment with NaOH. As seeding activity closely correlated with the infectivity of prions using the bioassay, this wire-QuIC assay will be useful for the direct evaluation of decontamination methods for human prions.