bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Inter-isoform Hetero-dimerization of Human UDP-Glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) 1A1, 1A9 and 2B7 and Impacts on Glucuronidation Activity
Authors: Yuan Ling-Min , Gao Zhang-Zhao , Sun Hong-Ying , Qian Sai-Nan , Xiao Yong-Sheng , Sun Lian-Li , Zeng Su 
Published: November 2016

AbstractHuman UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) play a pivotal role in phase II metabolism by catalyzing the glucuronidation of endobiotics and xenobiotics. The catalytic activities of UGTs are highly impacted by both genetic polymorphisms and oligomerization. The present study aimed to assess the inter-isoform hetero-dimerization of UGT1A1, 1A9 and 2B7, including the wild type (1A1*1, 1A9*1 and 2B7*1) and the naturally occurring (1A1*1b, 1A9*2/*3/*5 and 2B7*71S/*2/*5) variants. The related enzymes were double expressed in Bac-to-Bac systems. The fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) technique and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) revealed stable hetero-dimerization of UGT1A1, 1A9 and 2B7 allozymes. Variable FRET efficiencies and donor-acceptor distances suggested that genetic polymorphisms resulted in altered affinities to the target protein. In addition, the metabolic activities of UGTs were differentially altered upon hetero-dimerization via double expression systems. Moreover, protein interactions also changed the regioselectivity of UGT1A9 for querectin glucuronidation. These findings provide in-depth understanding of human UGT dimerization as well as clues for complicated UGT dependent metabolism in humans.
Inactivation of HCV and HIV by microwave: a novel approach for prevention of virus transmission among people who inject drugs
Authors: Siddharta Anindya , Pfaender Stephanie , Malassa Angelina , Doerrbecker Juliane , Anggakusuma  , Engelmann Michael , Nugraha Boya , Steinmann Joerg , Todt Daniel , Vondran Florian W. R. , Mateu-Gelabert Pedro , Goffinet Christine , Steinmann Eike 
Published: November 2016

AbstractHepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) transmissions among people who inject drugs (PWID) continue to pose a challenging global health problem. Here, we aimed to analyse a universally applicable inactivation procedure, namely microwave irradiation, as a safe and effective method to reduce the risk of viral transmission. The exposure of HCV from different genotypes to microwave irradiation resulted in a significant reduction of viral infectivity. Furthermore, microwave irradiation reduced viral infectivity of HIV-1 and of HCV/HIV-1 suspensions indicating that this inactivation may be effective at preventing co-infections. To translate microwave irradiation as prevention method to used drug preparation equipment, we could further show that HCV as well as HIV-1 infectivity could be abrogated in syringes and filters. This study demonstrates the power of microwave irradiation for the reduction of viral transmission and establishment of this safety strategy could help reduce the transmission of blood-borne viruses.
Multifunctional Indium Tin Oxide Electrode Generated by Unusual Surface Modification
Authors: Bouden Sarra , Dahi Antoine , Hauquier Fanny , Randriamahazaka Hyacinthe , Ghilane Jalal 
Published: November 2016

AbstractThe indium tin oxide (ITO) material has been widely used in various scientific fields and has been successfully implemented in several devices. Herein, the electrochemical reduction of ITO electrode in an organic electrolytic solution containing alkali metal, NaI, or redox molecule, N-(ferrocenylmethyl) imidazolium iodide, was investigated. The reduced ITO surfaces were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and grazing incident XRD demonstrating the presence of the electrolyte cation inside the material. Reversibility of this process after re-oxidation was evidenced by XPS. Using a redox molecule based ionic liquid as supporting electrolyte leads to fellow electrochemically the intercalation process. As a result, modified ITO containing ferrocenyl imidazolium was easily generated. This reduction process occurs at mild reducing potential around −1.8 V and causes for higher reducing potential a drastic morphological change accompanied with a decrease of the electrode conductivity at the macroscopic scale. Finally, the self-reducing power of the reduced ITO phase was used to initiate the spontaneous reduction of silver ions leading to the growth of Ag nanoparticles. As a result, transparent and multifunctional active ITO surfaces were generated bearing redox active molecules inside the material and Ag nanoparticles onto the surface.
Using community analysis to explore bacterial indicators for disease suppression of tobacco bacterial wilt
Authors: Liu Xiaojiao , Zhang Shuting , Jiang Qipeng , Bai Yani , Shen Guihua , Li Shili , Ding Wei 
Published: November 2016

AbstractAlthough bacterial communities play important roles in the suppression of pathogenic diseases and crop production, little is known about the bacterial communities associated with bacterial wilt. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, statistical analyses of microbial communities in disease-suppressive and disease-conducive soils from three districts during the vegetation period of tobacco showed that Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum, followed by Acidobacteria. Only samples from September were significantly correlated to disease factors. Fifteen indicators from taxa found in September (1 class, 2 orders, 3 families and 9 genera) were identified in the screen as being associated with disease suppression, and 10 of those were verified for potential disease suppression in March. Kaistobacter appeared to be the genus with the most potential for disease suppression. Elucidating microbially mediated natural disease suppression is fundamental to understanding microecosystem responses to sustainable farming and provides a possible approach for modeling disease-suppressive indicators. Here, using cluster analysis, MRPP testing, LEfSe and specific filters for a Venn diagram, we provide insight into identifying possible indicators of disease suppression of tobacco bacterial wilt.
Heat shock transcription factors in banana: genome-wide characterization and expression profile analysis during development and stress response
Authors: Wei Yunxie , Hu Wei , Xia Feiyu , Zeng Hongqiu , Li Xiaolin , Yan Yu , He Chaozu , Shi Haitao 
Published: November 2016

AbstractBanana (Musa acuminata) is one of the most popular fresh fruits. However, the rapid spread of fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) in tropical areas severely affected banana growth and production. Thus, it is very important to identify candidate genes involved in banana response to abiotic stress and pathogen infection, as well as the molecular mechanism and possible utilization for genetic breeding. Heat stress transcription factors (Hsfs) are widely known for their common involvement in various abiotic stresses and plant-pathogen interaction. However, no MaHsf has been identified in banana, as well as its possible role. In this study, genome-wide identification and further analyses of evolution, gene structure and conserved motifs showed closer relationship of them in every subgroup. The comprehensive expression profiles of MaHsfs revealed the tissue- and developmental stage-specific or dependent, as well as abiotic and biotic stress-responsive expressions of them. The common regulation of several MaHsfs by abiotic and biotic stress indicated the possible roles of them in plant stress responses. Taken together, this study extended our understanding of MaHsf gene family and identified some candidate MaHsfs with specific expression profiles, which may be used as potential candidates for genetic breeding in banana.
Metadevice for intensity modulation with sub-wavelength spatial resolution
Authors: Cencillo-Abad Pablo , Zheludev Nikolay I. , Plum Eric 
Published: November 2016

AbstractEffectively continuous control over propagation of a beam of light requires light modulation with pixelation that is smaller than the optical wavelength. Here we propose a spatial intensity modulator with sub-wavelength resolution in one dimension. The metadevice combines recent advances in reconfigurable nanomembrane metamaterials and coherent all-optical control of metasurfaces. It uses nanomechanical actuation of metasurface absorber strips placed near a mirror in order to control their interaction with light from perfect absorption to negligible loss, promising a path towards dynamic diffraction and focusing of light as well as holography without unwanted diffraction artefacts.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance metabolomics reveals an excretory metabolic signature of renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Monteiro Márcia S. , Barros António S. , Pinto Joana , Carvalho Márcia , Pires-Luís Ana S. , Henrique Rui , Jerónimo Carmen , Bastos Maria de Lourdes , Gil Ana M. , Guedes de Pinho Paula 
Published: November 2016

AbstractRCC usually develops and progresses asymptomatically and, when detected, it is frequently at advanced stages and metastatic, entailing a dismal prognosis. Therefore, there is an obvious demand for new strategies enabling an earlier diagnosis. The importance of metabolic rearrangements for carcinogenesis unlocked a new approach for cancer research, catalyzing the increased use of metabolomics. The present study aimed the NMR metabolic profiling of RCC in urine samples from a cohort of RCC patients (n = 42) and controls (n = 49). The methodology entailed variable selection of the spectra in tandem with multivariate analysis and validation procedures. The retrieval of a disease signature was preceded by a systematic evaluation of the impacts of subject age, gender, BMI, and smoking habits. The impact of confounders on the urine metabolomics profile of this population is residual compared to that of RCC. A 32-metabolite/resonance signature descriptive of RCC was unveiled, successfully distinguishing RCC patients from controls in principal component analysis. This work demonstrates the value of a systematic metabolomics workflow for the identification of robust urinary metabolic biomarkers of RCC. Future studies should entail the validation of the 32-metabolite/resonance signature found for RCC in independent cohorts, as well as biological validation of the putative hypotheses advanced.
Nonsequential double ionization with mid-infrared laser fields
Authors: Li Ying-Bin , Wang Xu , Yu Ben-Hai , Tang Qing-Bin , Wang Guang-Hou , Wan Jian-Guo 
Published: November 2016

AbstractUsing a full-dimensional Monte Carlo classical ensemble method, we present a theoretical study of atomic nonsequential double ionization (NSDI) with mid-infrared laser fields, and compare with results from near-infrared laser fields. Unlike single-electron strong-field processes, double ionization shows complex and unexpected interplays between the returning electron and its parent ion core. As a result of these interplays, NSDI for mid-IR fields is dominated by second-returning electron trajectories, instead of first-returning trajectories for near-IR fields. Some complex NSDI channels commonly happen with near-IR fields, such as the recollision-excitation-with-subsequent-ionization (RESI) channel, are virtually shut down by mid-IR fields. Besides, the final energies of the two electrons can be extremely unequal, leading to novel e-e momentum correlation spectra that can be measured experimentally.
Deregulation of the miR-16-KRAS axis promotes colorectal cancer
Authors: You Chaoying , Liang Hongwei , Sun Wu , Li Jialu , Liu Yanqing , Fan Qian , Zhang Haiyang , Yue Xin , Li Jing , Chen Xi , Ba Yi 
Published: November 2016

AbstractKRAS plays a significant role in the etiology and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC), but the mechanism underlying this process has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we found that the KRAS protein levels were higher in CRC tissues than in the normal adjacent tissues, whereas its mRNA levels varied irregularly, suggesting that a post-transcriptional mechanism is involved in the regulation of KRAS. Then, we performed bioinformatic analyses to search for miRNAs that potentially target KRAS. We predicted and experimentally validated that miR-16 directly recognizes the 3′-UTR of the KRAS transcript and regulates KRAS expression. Furthermore, the in vitro results showed that the repression of KRAS by miR-16 suppressed the proliferation and invasion and induced the apoptosis of CRC cells, and the in vivo results revealed that miR-16 exerted a tumor-suppressive effect by negatively regulating KRAS in xenograft mice. Taken together, our findings provide evidence supporting the role of miR-16 as a tumor suppressor in CRC by targeting KRAS.
Inside a Policymaker’s Mind: An Entrepreneurial Approach to Policy Development and Implementation
Authors: Ndemo Bitange 
Published: November 2016

AbstractThis chapter provides an analysis of the policy process that led to the information and communications technology (ICT) boom in Kenya during President Mwai Kibaki’s administration (2003–2013). It offers an analysis of the policy development that spurred the highly successful innovations in the country’s ICT sector. The chapter explains the course of establishing the institutions that supported ICT entrepreneurship and describes the process involved in the making of far-reaching policies and analyzes three case studies in ICT policy development—The East Africa Marine Systems (TEAMS) project, the M-Pesa application project, and the Posta land development project—and discusses their contributions to the ICT boom in Kenya.
The Art of Managing Worldviews in Kenya’s International Technology Sector
Authors: Weiss Tim , Weber Klaus 
Published: November 2016

AbstractWhat do you need to do to become successful in Kenya’s tech scene? This chapter investigates whether there is something like a Kenyan recipe—a holy grail—for success. We find two different worldviews, a Kenyan and an international, that champion opposing prescriptions for how to do it “right.” This dynamic, in turn, gives rise to tensions and is the reason behind the many contested issues surfacing in Kenya’s international tech sector. However, tension and contestation, if tackled with the right mindset, can also become an opportunity. Thus, this chapter introduces the art of managing worldviews in order to equip the reader new tools to work through prevailing issues and infuse technology entrepreneurship with a unique Kenyan character.
Venture Capital in East Africa: Is There a Right Model?
Authors: Gugu Stephen , Mworia Wilfred 
Published: November 2016

AbstractIs there a right model for venture capital (VC) in East Africa? After working with primary and secondary sources, we concluded that such a right model does not exist at the moment. We found that the high cost of operating a fund in the region and the length of time it takes to find, evaluate, and make investments are the top concerns among fund managers. In addition, fund managers in the region are called upon to take on roles that are not typical of conventional fund management—including, in particular, getting heavily involved in their investees’ businesses. We also found that challenges related to deal flow and exit, while perhaps not in the realm of a right model for fund structures per se, inevitably have an impact on which structure works best. We propose various solutions to these and other VC challenges in East Africa that emerged from our study. We conclude that in order to succeed, VC has to adapt more effectively to suit the context and characteristics of venturing in the region.
Addressing Voids: How Digital Start-ups in Kenya Create Market Infrastructure
Authors: Drouillard Marissa 
Published: November 2016

AbstractThe chapter introduces market-enabling digital platforms as a new concept. By using a market structure framework that puts emphasis on salient market inefficiencies—also known as institutional voids—we find that digital platforms in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres have contributed significantly to the development of efficient market infrastructures and intermediaries. We review market-enabling digital platforms in Kenya elicited from previous research on digital entrepreneurship ecosystems, finding examples where Kenyan digital start-ups have achieved success by tackling institutional voids in the marketplace. The framework itself has significant value as a paradigm for explaining a theory of change about how start-ups can create or enhance market infrastructure through providing digital—rather than physical—infrastructure. The chapter also provides a new lens to help understand, conceptualize, and assess start-ups’ potential for contributing to market efficiency and economic vitality.
The Challenges of Technology Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets: A Case Study in Nairobi
Authors: de la Chaux Marlen , Okune Angela 
Published: November 2016

AbstractWhy has the creation of technology start-ups in Nairobi remained so challenging—despite support from growing numbers of motivated entrepreneurs, innovation hubs, and interested seed-capital investors?We took an in-depth look at a case study in Nairobi and discovered that because of technology entrepreneurship’s relative novelty, the key actors’ perspectives on the processes and practices associated with it are not yet aligned.The results were that the actors’ social interactions are marked by contradictions, divergences, and ambiguities that have hampered the creation of successful technology businesses in region.In this chapter, we will explore the challenges faced by today’s new forms of entrepreneurial activity in Kenya—and how to overcome them.
Need for a Smart Solution: Developing a Sourcing Strategy for a Policy System at a German Insurance Company
Authors: Roßmehl Max , Leider Yannick , Redman Monika , Rütten Marco , Hovestadt Christian , Basten Dirk , Werner Michael 
Published: November 2016

The direct insurer Gothaer Insurance Group is among the largest insurance companies in Germany. A project started during the 1990s is still facing the task to introduce a policy system for the commercial sector. The project had its origin in a merger with another German insurer and the system has since evolved over about 18 years. The project team encounters manifold technical and organisational issues as well as external factors which have led the project to a state which requires a decision about its continuance. Driven by a new political agenda that fosters the replacement of mainframe solutions and the use of standard rather than in-house solutions, decisions needed to be made concerning the sourcing strategy: should the system be implemented in-house or with the help of an external partner? Should it be realised by standard software or custom development? A steering committee meeting is set up to decide how to proceed. This case chronicles the series of events leading to that upcoming steering committee and the status quo of the system.
Anomalous dynamics of interstitial dopants in soft crystals
Authors: Tauber Justin , Higler Ruben , Sprakel Joris 
Published: November 2016

Significance
Doping crystalline solids with small impurity atoms is a common approach to tailor material properties, for example to increase mechanical toughness in making steel or to create solid-state batteries. The properties and longevity of doped materials depend sensitively on the spatial distribution and dynamics of the dopants within the lattice. In this paper we show how classical approaches to predict dopant dynamics fail in crystals approaching their melting point. Thermal excitation of the, on-average perfect, lattice breaks local inversion symmetry, causing an instantaneous disordered potential field. As a consequence, the dopants exhibit anomalous and heterogeneous dynamics within an ordered solid. This result sheds unique light on the complex behavior of doped materials that cannot be explained using classical lattice theories.
Biochemical characterization of the medaka (Oryzias latipes) orthologue for mammalian tissue-type transglutaminase (TG2)
Authors: Takada Yuki , Watanabe Yuko , Okuya Kazuho , Tatsukawa Hideki , Hashimoto Hisashi , Hitomi Kiyotaka 
Published: November 2016

Abstract
Transglutaminase is an enzyme family responsible for post-translational modification such as protein cross-linking and the attachment of primary amine and/or deamidation of glutamine-residue in proteins. Medaka (Oryzias latipes), a recently established model fish, has similar functional proteins to those characterized in mammals. Previously, we found the apparent orthologues that correspond to human transglutaminases in medaka. In this study, regarding the medaka orthologue of human tissue-type transglutaminase (OlTGT), recombinant protein was expressed in an active form in bacteria cultured at low temperature. Using the recombinant protein, we biochemically characterized the enzymatic activity and also obtained a monoclonal antibody that specifically recognized OlTGT. Immunochemical analysis revealed that OlTGT was not expressed ubiquitously, unlike its mammalian orthologue, but in primarily limited tissues such as the eye, brain, spinal cord, and gas gland.
Differential Seasonal Steroid and Gonadotropin Expression in Full-Sibling Female Channel Catfish Maturing at Two or Three Years of Age under Normal and Accelerated Thermoperiods
Authors: Small Brian C , Davis Kenneth B , Glover David C 
Published: November 2016

Abstract
The present study was designed to determine whether female Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus exhibiting accelerated maturation display similar steroid (estradiol and testosterone) and gonadotropin (luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone [FSH] messenger RNA) profiles within the first reproductive period compared with full-sibling females that reached maturity 1 year later. The accelerated maturation (AM) fish were maintained under a shortened annual temperature cycle, consisting of 4 months in 26°C water followed by 2 months at 13–14°C, repeated for three cycles. In 2007, 2-year-old AM fish were 12 times more likely to spawn on any given day than the normal maturation (NM) fish. The 2-year-old NM group was 21 times more likely to spawn as 3-year-old fish in 2008 than in the previous year, 2007. In 2007, NM fish had higher body mass in January, March, and May and maintained higher gonadosomatic index (GSI). Two-year-old AM fish never had significantly higher levels of any measured variable than did 2-year-old NM fish. Compared with NM fish (2007), 3-year-old AM fish (2008) in their first reproductive period had significantly higher GSI, body mass, estradiol, and testosterone. The high spawning success of 2-year-old AM fish was not indicative of seasonal steroid and gonadotropin profiles relative to 3-year-old cohorts reared under standard conditions. However, seasonal levels during the first reproductive period of AM fish (2 years of age) were well below those of mature NM fish (3 years of age). The low plasma sex steroids and pituitary FSH and LH messenger RNA expression in fish undergoing accelerated maturation is perhaps the most interesting result of this study, since levels were sufficient enough to result in increased GSI and greater than 70% spawning success in these fish.