bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
CSR Strategy in Technology Companies: Its Influence on Performance, Competitiveness and Sustainability
Authors: Bernal‐Conesa Juan Andres , de Nieves Nieto Carmen , Briones‐Peñalver Antonio Juan 
Published: January 2017

AbstractIn this paper, a structural equation model is presented to study the adoption of a strategy of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) within the Spanish technological industry sector, and how this strategy may influence its performance, competitiveness, and sustainability. For that reason, a survey was submitted to technology companies located in Spanish Science and Technology parks. The study shows that a CSR‐oriented strategy contributes significantly to the performance of the organisation. Moreover, CSR influences the competitiveness of technology companies, and particularly their sustainability. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Genome‐wide analysis of canonical Wnt target gene regulation in Xenopus tropicalis challenges β‐catenin paradigm
Authors: Nakamura Yukio , Hoppler Stefan 
Published: January 2017

AbstractWnt/β‐catenin signaling is an important cell‐to‐cell signaling mechanism that controls gene expression during embryonic development and is critically implicated in human diseases. Developmental, cellular, and transcriptional responses to Wnt signaling are remarkably context‐specific in different biological processes. While nuclear localization of β‐catenin is the key to activation of the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway and target gene expression, the molecular mechanisms of how the same Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway induces specific responses remain undetermined. Recent advances in high‐throughput sequencing technologies and the availability of genome information for Xenopus tropicalis have enabled us to uncover a genome‐wide view of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling in early vertebrate embryos, which challenges previous concepts about molecular mechanisms of Wnt target gene regulation. In this review, we summarize our experimental approaches, introduce the technologies we employed and focus on recent findings about Wnt target gene regulation from Xenopus research. We will also discuss potential functions of widespread β‐catenin binding in the genome that we discovered in this species.
Using Xenopus to understand human disease and developmental disorders
Authors: Sater Amy K. , Moody Sally A. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractModel animals are crucial to biomedical research. Among the commonly used model animals, the amphibian, Xenopus, has had tremendous impact because of its unique experimental advantages, cost effectiveness, and close evolutionary relationship with mammals as a tetrapod. Over the past 50 years, the use of Xenopus has made possible many fundamental contributions to biomedicine, and it is a cornerstone of research in cell biology, developmental biology, evolutionary biology, immunology, molecular biology, neurobiology, and physiology. The prospects for Xenopus as an experimental system are excellent: Xenopus is uniquely well‐suited for many contemporary approaches used to study fundamental biological and disease mechanisms. Moreover, recent advances in high throughput DNA sequencing, genome editing, proteomics, and pharmacological screening are easily applicable in Xenopus, enabling rapid functional genomics and human disease modeling at a systems level.
Tools for live imaging of active Rho GTPases in Xenopus
Authors: Stephenson Rachel E. , Miller Ann L. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractRho family GTPases are signaling molecules that orchestrate cytoskeletal dynamics in a variety of cellular processes. Because they effect localized changes to the cytoskeleton only in their active (GTP‐bound) conformation, the ability to monitor the active state of Rho GTPases in space and time is critical for understanding their function. Here, we summarize popular tools used for live imaging of active Rho GTPases, outlining advantages and drawbacks of these approaches. Additionally, we highlight key features of the Xenopus laevis embryo that make it well‐suited for epithelial cell biology and discuss how application of Rho activity reporters in the Xenopus laevis embryo led to the discovery of a novel phenomenon, junctional Rho flares.
Probing forebrain to hindbrain circuit functions in Xenopus
Authors: Kelley Darcy B. , Elliott Taffeta M. , Evans Ben J. , Hall Ian C. , Leininger Elizabeth C. , Rhodes Heather J. , Yamaguchi Ayako , Zornik Erik 
Published: January 2017

AbstractThe vertebrate hindbrain includes neural circuits that govern essential functions including breathing, blood pressure and heart rate. Hindbrain circuits also participate in generating rhythmic motor patterns for vocalization. In most tetrapods, sound production is powered by expiration and the circuitry underlying vocalization and respiration must be linked. Perception and arousal are also linked; acoustic features of social communication sounds—for example, a baby's cry—can drive autonomic responses. The close links between autonomic functions that are essential for life and vocal expression have been a major in vivo experimental challenge. Xenopus provides an opportunity to address this challenge using an ex vivo preparation: an isolated brain that generates vocal and breathing patterns. The isolated brain allows identification and manipulation of hindbrain vocal circuits as well as their activation by forebrain circuits that receive sensory input, initiate motor patterns and control arousal. Advances in imaging technologies, coupled to the production of Xenopus lines expressing genetically encoded calcium sensors, provide powerful tools for imaging neuronal patterns in the entire fictively behaving brain, a goal of the BRAIN Initiative. Comparisons of neural circuit activity across species (comparative neuromics) with distinctive vocal patterns can identify conserved features, and thereby reveal essential functional components.
A frog's view of EphrinB signaling
Authors: Hwang Yoo‐Seok , Daar Ira O. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractCell–cell and cell–substrate adhesion are essential to the proper formation and maintenance of tissue patterns during development, and deregulation of these processes can lead to invasion and metastasis of cancer cells. Cell surface adhesion and signaling molecules are key players in both normal development and cancer progression. One set of cell surface proteins, the Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their membrane‐bound ligands, ephrins, are significant regulators of these processes. During embryonic development, the Eph/ephrin signaling system is involved in cell–cell contact events that result in cell sorting and boundary formation between receptor and ligand bearing cells. When migrating cells that display the membrane bound ligands or receptors come in contact with cells bearing the cognate partner, the response may be adhesion or repulsion, ultimately leading to the proper positioning of these cells. During cancer progression, the signaling between these receptor/ligand pairs is often deregulated, leading to increased invasion and metastasis. To gain mechanistic insight into the pathways that mediate Eph receptor and ephrin signaling we have relied upon a very tractable system, the frog Xenopus. This model system has proven to be extremely versatile, and represents a relatively quick and manipulable system to explore signaling events and the in vivo processes affected by these signals.
Seeing the future: using Xenopus to understand eye regeneration
Authors: Tseng Ai‐Sun 
Published: January 2017

AbstractStudies of Xenopus eye development have contributed considerably to the understanding of vertebrate neurogenesis, including eye field specification, cell fate determination and identification of genes critical for eye formation. This knowledge has served as a solid foundation for cellular and molecular examinations of the robust regenerative capacity of the Xenopus eye. The retina, lens, and the optic nerve are capable of regeneration after injury in both larval and adult stages. Here, we discuss the current models for studying eye regeneration in Xenopus and their potential applications for providing insights into human eye diseases. As Xenopus has many of the same tools that are available for other regeneration models, we thus highlight the distinct strengths and versatility of this organism that make it especially suited for extrapolating and testing strategies aimed at promoting regeneration and repair in eye tissues. Furthermore, we outline a promising future for the use of new techniques and approaches to address outstanding questions in understanding eye regeneration.
Effects of adding whole‐body vibration to routine day activity program on physical functioning in elderly with mild or moderate dementia: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Lam Freddy M. H. , Liao L. R. , Kwok Timothy C. Y. , Pang Marco Y. C. 
Published: January 2017

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects of whole‐body vibration (WBV) added to a routine activity program on lower limb strength, balance, and mobility among community‐dwelling individuals with mild or moderate dementia, compared with the routine program alone.MethodsFifty‐four older adults (40 women; mean (SD) age: 79.8 (6.1) years) with mild or moderate dementia were recruited from two daycare centers. The participants were randomly allocated to undergo a routine day activity program combined with WBV training (WBV at 30 Hz, 2‐mm peak‐to‐peak amplitude) or the routine program only without WBV for 9 weeks (18 sessions). The primary outcome was functional mobility, measured using the timed up‐and‐go test. The following secondary outcomes were evaluated: Berg Balance Scale, Tinetti balance assessment, time to complete 5 repetitions of sit‐to‐stand, Quality of Life in Alzheimer's disease questionnaire, and Activities‐specific Balance Confidence scale. The attendance rate and incidence of adverse events were also recorded.ResultsThe attendance rate for the training was high (86.0%). The incidence of adverse events was low, with only two of the 27 participants in the WBV group reporting mild knee pain. While significant improvement in timed up‐and‐go, Berg Balance Scale, and Tinetti balance score was found in both groups, none of the outcomes demonstrated a significant group by time interaction.ConclusionsWBV training is feasible and safe to use with people with mild or moderate dementia. However, it did not lead to further improvement in physical function and quality of life than the usual activity program provided at the daycare centers. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Test–retest reliability of functional connectivity networks during naturalistic fMRI paradigms
Authors: Wang Jiahui , Ren Yudan , Hu Xintao , Nguyen Vinh Thai , Guo Lei , Han Junwei , Guo Christine Cong 
Published: January 2017

AbstractFunctional connectivity analysis has become a powerful tool for probing the human brain function and its breakdown in neuropsychiatry disorders. So far, most studies adopted resting‐state paradigm to examine functional connectivity networks in the brain, thanks to its low demand and high tolerance that are essential for clinical studies. However, the test–retest reliability of resting‐state connectivity measures is moderate, potentially due to its low behavioral constraint. On the other hand, naturalistic neuroimaging paradigms, an emerging approach for cognitive neuroscience with high ecological validity, could potentially improve the reliability of functional connectivity measures. To test this hypothesis, we characterized the test–retest reliability of functional connectivity measures during a natural viewing condition, and benchmarked it against resting‐state connectivity measures acquired within the same functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) session. We found that the reliability of connectivity and graph theoretical measures of brain networks is significantly improved during natural viewing conditions over resting‐state conditions, with an average increase of almost 50% across various connectivity measures. Not only sensory networks for audio–visual processing become more reliable, higher order brain networks, such as default mode and attention networks, but also appear to show higher reliability during natural viewing. Our results support the use of natural viewing paradigms in estimating functional connectivity of brain networks, and have important implications for clinical application of fMRI. Hum Brain Mapp 38:2226–2241, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Network over‐connectivity differentiates autism spectrum disorder from other developmental disorders in toddlers: A diffusion MRI study
Authors: Conti E. , Mitra J. , Calderoni S. , Pannek K. , Shen K. K. , Pagnozzi A. , Rose S. , Mazzotti S. , Scelfo D. , Tosetti M. , Muratori F. , Cioni G. , Guzzetta A. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractAdvanced connectivity studies in toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are increasing and consistently reporting a disruption of brain connectivity. However, most of these studies compare ASD and typically developing subjects, thus providing little information on the specificity of the abnormalities detected in comparison with other developmental disorders (other‐DD). We recruited subjects aged below 36 months who received a clinical diagnosis of Neurodevelopmental Disorder (32 ASD and 16 other‐DD including intellectual disability and language disorder) according to DSM‐IV TR. Structural and diffusion MRI were acquired to perform whole brain probabilistic and anatomically constrained tractography. Network connectivity matrices were built encoding the number of streamlines (DNUM) and the tract‐averaged fractional anisotropy (DFA) values connecting each pair of cortical and subcortical regions. Network Based Statistics (NBS) was finally applied on the connectivity matrices to evaluate the network differences between the ASD and other‐DD groups. The network differences resulted in an over‐connectivity pattern (i.e., higher DNUM and DFA values) in the ASD group with a significance of P < 0.05. No contra‐comparison results were found. The over‐connectivity pattern in ASD occurred in networks primarily involving the fronto‐temporal nodes, known to be crucial for social‐skill development and basal ganglia, related to restricted and repetitive behaviours in ASD. To our knowledge, this is the first network‐based diffusion study comparing toddlers with ASD and those with other‐DD. Results indicate the detection of different connectivity patterns in ASD and other‐DD at an age when clinical differential diagnosis is often challenging. Hum Brain Mapp 38:2333–2344, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Nanoscale physicochemical properties of chain‐ and step‐growth polymerized PEG hydrogels affect cell‐material interactions
Authors: Vats Kanika , Marsh Graham , Harding Kristen , Zampetakis Ioannis , Waugh Richard E. , Benoit Danielle S. W. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractPoly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels provide a versatile platform to develop cell instructive materials through incorporation of a variety of cell adhesive ligands and degradable chemistries. Synthesis of PEG gels can be accomplished via two mechanisms: chain and step growth polymerizations. The mechanism dramatically impacts hydrogel nanostructure, whereby chain polymerized hydrogels are highly heterogeneous and step growth networks exhibit more uniform structures. Underpinning these alterations in nanostructure of chain polymerized hydrogels are densely‐packed hydrophobic poly(methyl methacrylate) or poly(acrylate) kinetic chains between hydrophilic PEG crosslinkers. As cell‐material interactions, such as those mediated by integrins, occur at the nanoscale and affect cell behavior, it is important to understand how different modes of polymerization translate into nanoscale mechanical and hydrophobic heterogeneities of hydrogels. Therefore, chain‐ and step‐growth polymerized PEG hydrogels with macroscopically similar macromers and compliance (for example, methacrylate‐functionalized PEG (PEGDM), MW = 10 kDa and norbornene‐functionalized 4‐arm PEG (PEGnorb), MW = 10 kDa) were used to examine potential nanoscale differences in hydrogel mechanics and hydrophobicity using atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was found that chain‐growth polymerized network yielded greater heterogeneities in both stiffness and hydrophobicity as compared to step‐growth polymerized networks. These nanoscale heterogeneities impact cell‐material interactions, particularly human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) adhesion and spreading, which has implications in use of these hydrogels for tissue engineering applications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 1112–1122, 2017.
A simple 2D composite image analysis technique for the crystal growth study of L‐ascorbic acid
Authors: Kumar Krishan , Kumar Virender , Lal Jatin , Kaur Harmeet , Singh Jasbir 
Published: January 2017

AbstractThis work was destined for 2D crystal growth studies of L‐ascorbic acid using the composite image analysis technique. Growth experiments on the L‐ascorbic acid crystals were carried out by standard (optical) microscopy, laser diffraction analysis, and composite image analysis. For image analysis, the growth of L‐ascorbic acid crystals was captured as digital 2D RGB images, which were then processed to composite images. After processing, the crystal boundaries emerged as white lines against the black (cancelled) background. The crystal boundaries were well differentiated by peaks in the intensity graphs generated for the composite images. The lengths of crystal boundaries measured from the intensity graphs of composite images were in good agreement (correlation coefficient “r” = 0.99) with the lengths measured by standard microscopy. On the contrary, the lengths measured by laser diffraction were poorly correlated with both techniques. Therefore, the composite image analysis can replace the standard microscopy technique for the crystal growth studies of L‐ascorbic acid.
Histological features of the vomeronasal organ in the giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis
Authors: Kondoh Daisuke , Nakamura Kentaro G. , Ono Yurie S. , Yuhara Kazutoshi , Bando Gen , Watanabe Kenichi , Horiuchi Noriyuki , Kobayashi Yoshiyasu , Sasaki Motoki , Kitamura Nobuo 
Published: January 2017

AbstractThe vomeronasal organ (VNO) that preferentially detects species‐specific substances is diverse among animal species, and its morphological properties seem to reflect the ecological features of animals. This histological study of two female reticulated giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata) found that the VNO is developed in giraffes. The lateral and medial regions of the vomeronasal lumen were covered with sensory and nonsensory epithelia, respectively. The vomeronasal glands were positive for periodic acid‐Schiff and alcian blue (pH 2.5) stains. The VNO comprises several large veins like others in the order Cetartiodactyla, suggesting that these veins function in a pumping mechanism in this order. In addition, numerous thin‐walled vessels located immediately beneath the epithelia covering the lumen entirely surrounded the vomeronasal lumen. This sponge‐like structure might function as a specific secondary pump in giraffes.
Gene therapy for achromatopsia
Authors: Michalakis Stylianos , Schön Christian , Becirovic Elvir , Biel Martin 
Published: January 2017

AbstractThe present review summarizes the current status of achromatopsia (ACHM) gene therapy‐related research activities and provides an outlook for their clinical application. ACHM is an inherited eye disease characterized by a congenital absence of cone photoreceptor function. As a consequence, ACHM is associated with strongly impaired daylight vision, photophobia, nystagmus and a lack of color discrimination. Currently, six genes have been linked to ACHM. Up to 80% of the patients carry mutations in the genes CNGA3 and CNGB3 encoding the two subunits of the cone cyclic nucleotide‐gated channel. Various animal models of the disease have been established and their characterization has helped to increase our understanding of the pathophysiology associated with ACHM. With the advent of adeno‐associated virus vectors as valuable gene delivery tools for retinal photoreceptors, a number of promising gene supplementation therapy programs have been initiated. In recent years, huge progress has been made towards bringing a curative treatment for ACHM into clinics. The first clinical trials are ongoing or will be launched soon and are expected to contribute important data on the safety and efficacy of ACHM gene supplementation therapy.
On the Size‐Ramsey Number of Hypergraphs
Authors: Dudek Andrzej , Fleur Steven La , Mubayi Dhruv , Rödl Vojtech 
Published: January 2017

AbstractThe size‐Ramsey number of a graph G is the minimum number of edges in a graph H such that every 2‐edge‐coloring of H yields a monochromatic copy of G. Size‐Ramsey numbers of graphs have been studied for almost 40 years with particular focus on the case of trees and bounded degree graphs.We initiate the study of size‐Ramsey numbers for k‐uniform hypergraphs. Analogous to the graph case, we consider the size‐Ramsey number of cliques, paths, trees, and bounded degree hypergraphs. Our results suggest that size‐Ramsey numbers for hypergraphs are extremely difficult to determine, and many open problems remain.
Progress in modification of sunflower oil to expand its industrial value
Authors: Rauf Saeed , Jamil Nazia , Tariq Sultan Ali , Khan Maria , Kausar Maria , Kaya Yalcin 
Published: January 2017

AbstractIncreasing the sunflower seed oil content as well as improving its quality makes it compatible for industrial demands. This is an important breeding objective of sunflower which increases its market value and ensures high returns for the producers. The present review focuses on determining the progress of improving sunflower seed oil content and modifying its quality by empirical and advanced molecular breeding methods. It is known that the sunflower oil content and quality have been altered through empirical selection methods and mutation breeding programmes in various parts of the world. Further improvement in seed oil content and its components (such as phytosterols, tocopherols and modified fatty acid profile) has been slowed down due to low genetic variation in elite germplasm and complex of hereditary traits. Introgression from wild species can be carried out to modify the fatty acids profile and tocopherol contents with linkage drags. Different transgenes introduced through biotechnological methods may produce novel long‐chain fatty acids within sunflower oil. Bio‐engineering of sunflower oil could allow it to be used in diverse industrial products such as bio‐diesel or bio‐plastics. These results showed that past and current trends of modifying sunflower oil quality are essential for its further expansion as an oilseed crop. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry