bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Country Politics and Agrarian Systems: Land grab on Bengal frontiers, 1750–1800
Authors: LUDDEN DAVID 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThe forceful expropriation of land, labour, water, and other productive resources is fundamental for processes of agricultural expansion and intensification. What is known today as ‘land grab’ was theorized by Marx as ‘primitive accumulation’ and by David Harvey as ‘accumulation by dispossession’. Today it is most prominent and controversial in Africa, where the governments of India and China are major perpetrators; and it also drives most contemporary urban expansion in India and China. This article deploys David Washbrook's idea of ‘country politics’ to explore the process of land grabbing in the early-modern expansion of agrarian Bengal, where local peasant society and worldwide imperial political economy came together to expand frontiers of farming in what is now the Sylhet District of Bangladesh.
Perceptions of challenges to subsistence agriculture, and crop foraging by wildlife and chimpanzees Pan troglodytes verus in unprotected areas in Sierra Leone
Authors: Garriga Rosa M. , Marco Ignasi , Casas-Díaz Encarna , Amarasekaran Bala , Humle Tatyana 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThe 2009–2010 Sierra Leone National Chimpanzee Census Project estimated there was a population of 5,580 chimpanzees Pan troglodytes verus distributed across the country, with > 50% occurring outside protected areas. The census also highlighted the significance of competition between people and chimpanzees for resources in areas dominated by farming activities where wild chimpanzees forage on crops. We selected four study areas in two districts in Sierra Leone with high chimpanzee density in habitats dominated by agriculture, far from any protected areas. Our objectives were to assess farmers’ perceptions of the main challenges to their agricultural yields, and the wildlife involved in crop foraging, and their perceptions of chimpanzees in particular, as well as the main crop protection measures used. We conducted 257 semi-structured interviews with local farmers across the four study areas. We found that (1) farmers reported wild animals as the main challenge to their agricultural practices; (2) most complaints concerned cane rats Thryonomys swinderianus, which targeted almost all crop types, especially rice and cassava; (3) chimpanzees reportedly targeted 21 of the 23 crop types cultivated, but did so less often than cane rats, focusing particularly on oil palm, cassava and domestic fruits; (4) overall, chimpanzees were not among the top three most destructive animals reported; (5) chimpanzees were generally perceived as being more destructive than dangerous and as having declined since before the civil war; and (6) the main crop protection measure employed was fencing interspersed with traps. Our findings show the importance of investigating farmers’ perceptions to inform the development of appropriate conservation strategies aimed at promoting coexistence of people and wildlife in degraded landscapes.
Genetics and breeding of Sitka spruce
Authors: Faulkner Roy 
Published: April 2017

SynopsisSitka spruce is a monoecious, wind-pollinated, cross-fertilising species showing wide genetic variation which suggests heterozygosity for many alleles and natural selection against self-fertilisation. Phenotypic selection for the important trait of vigour is ineffective, so testing progenies of selected individuals and clonal testing is an essential and time-consuming part of any improvement programme. Old trees can be vegetatively propagated by grafting and very young trees by rooted cuttings.The British tree improvement programme is based, in the short term, on the use of seed collected from superior plantation trees of desirable origins; in the mid term on seed derived from clonal orchards based on mixtures of clones previously tested for superiority in family tests; and in the longer term on highly superior seed or clones derived from a system of recurrent mating with family selection. Three populations are being developed. There is a small interspecific hybridisation programme.
The pathology of Sitka spruce in northern Britain
Authors: Gregory Stephen C. , Redfern Derek B. 
Published: April 2017

SynopsisAn account of the pathology of Sitka spruce in northern Britain is given based on enquiries dealt with by the Pathology Branch of the Forestry Commission Research Division in the last fifteen years. Sitka spruce occupies the major proportion of our forest estate but has given rise to only 15% of enquiries concerning tree damage. The most frequently diagnosed injuries have been those due to frost and to root diseases caused by Heterobasidion annosum and Armillaria spp. Two other root pathogens, Rhizina undulata and Phaeolus schweinitzii, and two needle pathogens, Lophodermiun piceae and Rhizosphaera kalkhoffii, have also been recorded in Sitka spruce plantations as have several wound-infecting stem decay fungi. Only five other fungal diseases, those caused by Botrytis cinerea, Phytophthora citricola, Helicobasidium purpureum, Sirococcus strobilinus and Pythium spp. have been recorded, all in nurseries.
Natural features in the management of upland conifer forests
Authors: Peterken G. F. 
Published: April 2017

SynopsisUpland conifer afforestation has been a major factor in environmental change, and there is every prospect that further afforestation will take place. How can we best develop the existing forests as wildlife habitats? And, if afforestation is to continue, where should further plantations be placed? This paper considers some general aspects of forest habitat design, using the structure and dynamics of natural boreal-temperate conifer forests as its primary reference point.
Watermark disease of tree willows
Authors: Turner J. G. , Davis J. M. L. , Guven K. 
Published: April 2017

SynopsisThe watermark disease is caused by the bacterium Erwinia salicis. It affects six species of tree willow and of these the white willow (Salix alba) and certain of its varieties are particularly susceptible. Unusually for a bacterial disease, the pathogen only colonises the xylem tissues, which become discoloured as a result. Watermark causes severe losses in S. alba var. caerulea, the cricket bat willow, and in several Dutch clones of S. alba which have been widely planted in that country. Although numerous studies have been made of its epidemiology since the disease was first reported in 1924, the infection process remains clusive. Recent research, much of it unpublished, points to the widespread occurrence of symptomless infection, and the possible role of this in the transmission of disease through the propagating material.
The rust diseases of willows in Britain
Authors: Helfer Stephan 
Published: April 2017

SynopsisThe British rust diseases of willows are discussed. Only fungal characters are employed in the identification of the different species, thus avoiding the use of host plant taxa in the characterisation of the diseases. Using spore and sorus characters, 14 different species occurring in Britain could be distinguished. The density of urediniospore ornaments is analysed in particular. The rusts are described in detail, and keys for their identification are presented. A list of the rusts affecting willow hosts in Britain has been compiled.
Some aspects of the development of short-rotation coppice willow for biomass in Northern Ireland
Authors: Dawson Malcolm 
Published: April 2017

SynopsisWork on short-rotation coppice willow as an alternative and renewable energy source began in Northern Ireland in the mid-1970s, prompted by the massive rise in oil prices during that period. Although in the short run oil prices have dropped in real terms, interest in short-rotation coppice willow has ben sustained because of the potential role it has in the development of agriculture, particularly in marginal areas. This is particularly relevant in the current situation of over production of a wide range of agricultural commodities within the European Community and the moves to reduce Government support in the form of farm and export subsidies.Although Salix cultivars have yielded in excess of 30 tonnes dry matter (DM) ha−1 annually under experimental conditions, it is considered that 10–12 tonnes DM ha−1 is a sustainable commercial yield.Melampsora spp. rust has emerged as one of the most important factors limiting the development of short-rotation coppice as a commercial crop. For economic and environmental reasons, the application of fungicide for rust control is not a possibility. Consequently, other disease control strategies have to be established. The main focus of this work is in the selection, for suitability for coppice application, of the widening range of genetic material becoming available from breeding programmes in Canada, Sweden and Finland with a view to their incorporation into mixed stands.End product utilisation is considered a priority area for investigation if short-rotation coppice is to make a contribution to land use and the development of agriculture in marginal areas. Currently two potential end uses are being investigated: firstly fractionation – to produce cellulose for paper manufacture, hemi-cellulose for the production of molasses and lignin for further processing into other industrial chemicals, and secondly the simultaneous generation of heat and power using gasification – ‘combined heat and power’.
Protein-losing enteropathy in biventricular circulation precipitated by mild stenosis of the inferior caval vein in conjunction with total occlusion of the superior caval vein: a word of caution
Authors: Marini Davide , McCrossan Brian A. , Agnoletti Gabriella 
Published: April 2017

AbstractWe report the case of a young boy with a history of total occlusion of the superior caval vein, diagnosed early after complex neonatal cardiac surgery, who developed severe protein-losing enteropathy. Protein-losing enteropathy was precipitated by a relatively mild stenosis at the junction of the inferior caval vein with the right atrium. Percutaneous stent dilation of the veno-atrial junction definitively relieved the stenosis, and the protein-losing enteropathy subsequently resolved.
A Comparison of Three Maneuvers and Their Effect on Laryngoscopic View, Time to Intubate, and Intubation Outcome by Novice Intubators in a Simulated Airway
Authors: Stein Christopher , Gerber Louis , Curtin Denis , Oberem Nicole , Wells Mike 
Published: April 2017

AbstractAimThe goal of this study was to compare the relative effectiveness of three adjunctive maneuvers – head elevation (HE), forward laryngoscope traction (FT), and external laryngeal manipulation (ELM) – on laryngoscopic view, intubation time, and intubation success performed by a sample of novice intubators using a simulated airway.MethodsTwenty-two second year university paramedic students were required to perform laryngoscopy and intubation on a simulator four times on two separate days. The first day involved intubation using no adjunctive maneuvers (control) plus HE, FT, and ELM in random order in a normal simulated airway. A similar approach was used on the second day, but the simulator was configured to have a difficult airway. Percentage of glottic opening (POGO) scores, intubation time, and intubation success were measured for all intubation attempts.ResultsHead elevation was found to be the most effective adjunctive maneuver in the normal airway, increasing the mean POGO score from control by 27% (P=.002), while ELM was most effective in the difficult airway, increasing the mean POGO score by 21% (P=.009) and the proportion of successful intubations by 41% (P<.001). All maneuvers decreased intubation time in the normal and difficult airway and were associated with significant differences in intubation success compared to control in the difficult airway.ConclusionsThis study identified HE as the most effective maneuver for improving laryngoscopic view in a normal airway and ELM as the most effective in a difficult airway in a group of novice intubators.SteinC,GerberL,CurtinD,OberemN,WellsM.A comparison of three maneuvers and their effect on laryngoscopic view, time to intubate, and intubation outcome by novice intubators in a simulated airway.Prehosp Disaster Med.2017;32(4):419–423.
The fatty acid composition of muscle and adipose tissues from entire and castrated male Boer goats raised in Australia
Authors: Werdi Pratiwi N. M. , Murray P. J. , Taylor D. G. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThe fatty acid composition of longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle and adipose tissues (subcutaneous and intermuscular fat) from castrated and entire male Boer goat bucks was investigated. Sixty Boer bucks in groups of between three and five animals were slaughtered at 5, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 and 105 kg live weight (5 and 15 kg animals were not castrated). The fatty acid composition of LT muscle from castrated and entire Boers was significantly affected by slaughter weight. The fatty acid content ofLT muscle and subcutaneous and intermuscular fat from both castrated and entire Boer bucks was primarily composed of oleic acid followed by palmitic and stearic acid. Both oleic and palmitic acid increased with slaughter weight whereas stearic acid decreased. LT muscle from castrated Boer bucks contained higher amounts of desirable fatty acids. In contrast to slaughter weight, castration of Boer bucks resulted in only minor changes in fatty acid composition of adipose tissues. It can be concluded that slaughter weight plays a role in changing the fatty acid composition ofLT muscle and adipose tissues from Boer bucks.
Effect of including purified jack bean lectin in casein or hydrolysed casein-based diets on apparent and true ileal amino acid digestibility in the growing pig
Authors: Yin Y. -L. , Huang R. L. , Libao-Mercado A. J. , Jeaurond E. A. , de Lange C. F. M. , Rademacher M. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThe effect of including purified jack bean lectin (concanavalin A) in the diet of grower pigs on endogenous ileal nitrogen (N) and amino acid (AA) losses, and apparent and true ileal AA digestibility was investigated in a study with four growing pigs (average initial live weight (LW) 25 kg) fitted with simple T-cannulae at the terminal ileum. Both the homo-arginine (HA) method and peptide-alimentation method were used to estimate endogenous gut AA losses. The animals were offered four diets :(1) an enzymatically hydrolysed casein (EHC) containing diet, (2) an EHC containing diet supplemented with 266 mg/kg jack bean lectin, (3) a normal casein (NC) containing diet, and (4) a NC containing diet supplemented with 266 mg/kg lectin. For the estimation of ileal endogenous AA flows in pigs given NC diets, a subsample ofNC was guanidinated to convert lysine to HA. The experiment was conducted using a 4X4 Latin-square design. In each experimental period, pigs were adjusted to the experimental diets for 5 days. On day 6, ileal digesta was collected continuously for 24 hfor determination of apparent ileal digestibility. At 08:30 h of day 8 the HA NC diets were offered to pigs on NC treatments and ileal digesta were again collected for 24 h from all pigs. There were no interactive effects of casein type and added dietary lectin on apparent and true ileal AA digestibility and endogenous ileal AA flows (P > 0-05). The addition of lectin to the diet did not influence (P > 0-05) the apparent ileal digestibility of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP) and AA. Casein type did not affect ileal DM digestibility (P > 0-05). Pigs given the NC-based diets had higher (P < 0-05) apparent ileal AA digestibility than pigs given the EHC-based diets. Addition of lectin to the diet did not influence (P > 0-05) endogenous ileal CP and AA flows. Endogenous ileal AA losses were generally higher (P < 0-05) in pigs given EHC diets than in pigs given NC diets. Neither casein type nor diet lectin level influenced (P > 0-05) the true ileal digestibility ofCP and AA; values ranged for most AA between 0-98 and 1-00. These data suggest that including purified jack bean lectin at the level of 266 mg/kg in a casein-based diet did not influence the ileal endogenous CP and AAflow, nor the apparent and the true ileal digestibility ofCP and AA, in growing pigs between 25 and 50 kg LW. Compared with the HA method, the peptide-alimentation method yielded higher estimates of ileal endogenous CP and AA acid losses in pigs given casein-based diets, although these two methods yielded similar estimates of true ileal AA and CP digestibility.
Erythropoietin protects against rhabdomyolysis-induced acute kidney injury by modulating macrophage polarization
Authors: Wang Shuo , Zhang Chao , Li Jiawei , Niyazi Sidikejiang , Zheng Long , Xu Ming , Rong Ruiming , Yang Cheng , Zhu Tongyu 
Published: April 2017

AbstractErythropoietin (EPO) is a well-known hormone that is clinically used for the treatment of anemia. Very recently, an increasing body of evidence showed that EPO could still regulate bioactivities of macrophages. However, the details about the immunomodulatory effect of EPO on macrophages are not fully delineated, particularly in the setting of renal damages. Therefore, in the present study, we determined whether EPO could exert an impact on the dynamics of macrophages in a well-established model of rhabdomyolysis-induced acute kidney injury and explored the potential mechanisms. EPO was found to ameliorate kidney injuries by reducing macrophages recruitment and promoting phenotype switch toward M2 macrophages in vivo. It was also confirmed that EPO could directly suppress pro-inflammatory responses of M1 macrophages and promote M2 marker expression in vitro. Data indicated the possible involvement of Jak2/STAT3/STAT6 pathway in the augmentation of EPO on M2 polarization. These results improved the understanding of the immunoregulatory capacity of EPO on macrophages, which might optimize the therapeutic modalities of EPO.
DNA origami-based shape IDs for single-molecule nanomechanical genotyping
Authors: Zhang Honglu , Chao Jie , Pan Dun , Liu Huajie , Qiang Yu , Liu Ke , Cui Chengjun , Chen Jianhua , Huang Qing , Hu Jun , Wang Lianhui , Huang Wei , Shi Yongyong , Fan Chunhai 
Published: April 2017

AbstractVariations on DNA sequences profoundly affect how we develop diseases and respond to pathogens and drugs. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) provides a nanomechanical imaging approach for genetic analysis with nanometre resolution. However, unlike fluorescence imaging that has wavelength-specific fluorophores, the lack of shape-specific labels largely hampers widespread applications of AFM imaging. Here we report the development of a set of differentially shaped, highly hybridizable self-assembled DNA origami nanostructures serving as shape IDs for magnified nanomechanical imaging of single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Using these origami shape IDs, we directly genotype single molecules of human genomic DNA with an ultrahigh resolution of ∼10 nm and the multiplexing ability. Further, we determine three types of disease-associated, long-range haplotypes in samples from the Han Chinese population. Single-molecule analysis allows robust haplotyping even for samples with low labelling efficiency. We expect this generic shape ID-based nanomechanical approach to hold great potential in genetic analysis at the single-molecule level.
The interaction of heme with plakortin and a synthetic endoperoxide analogue: new insights into the heme-activated antimalarial mechanism
Authors: Persico Marco , Fattorusso Roberto , Taglialatela-Scafati Orazio , Chianese Giuseppina , de Paola Ivan , Zaccaro Laura , Rondinelli Francesca , Lombardo Marco , Quintavalla Arianna , Trombini Claudio , Fattorusso Ernesto , Fattorusso Caterina , Farina Biancamaria 
Published: April 2017

AbstractIn the present work we performed a combined experimental and computational study on the interaction of the natural antimalarial endoperoxide plakortin and its synthetic analogue 4a with heme. Obtained results indicate that the studied compounds produce reactive carbon radical species after being reductively activated by heme. In particular, similarly to artemisinin, the formation of radicals prone to inter-molecular reactions should represent the key event responsible for Plasmodium death. To our knowledge this is the first experimental investigation on the reductive activation of simple antimalarial endoperoxides (1,2-dioxanes) by heme and results were compared to the ones previously obtained from the reaction with FeCl2. The obtained experimental data and the calculated molecular interaction models represent crucial tools for the rational optimization of our promising class of low-cost synthetic antimalarial endoperoxides.
Thiourea priming enhances salt tolerance through co-ordinated regulation of microRNAs and hormones in Brassica juncea
Authors: Srivastava Ashish Kumar , Sablok Gaurav , Hackenberg Michael , Deshpande Uday , Suprasanna Penna 
Published: April 2017

AbstractActivation of stress tolerance mechanisms demands transcriptional reprogramming. Salt stress, a major threat to plant growth, enhances ROS production and affects transcription through modulation of miRNAs and hormones. The present study delineates salt stress ameliorating action of thiourea (TU, a ROS scavenger) in Brassica juncea and provides mechanistic link between redox, microRNA and hormones. The ameliorative potential of TU towards NaCl stress was related with its ability to decrease ROS accumulation in roots and increase Na+ accumulation in shoots. Small RNA sequencing revealed enrichment of down-regulated miRNAs in NaCl + TU treated roots, indicating transcriptional activation. Ranking analysis identified three key genes including BRX4, CBL10 and PHO1, showing inverse relationship with corresponding miRNA expression, which were responsible for TU mediated stress mitigation. Additionally, ABA level was consistently higher till 24 h in NaCl, while NaCl + TU treated roots showed only transient increase at 4 h suggesting an effective stress management. Jasmonate and auxin levels were also increased, which prioritized defence and facilitated root growth, respectively. Thus, the study highlights redox as one of the “core” components regulating miRNA and hormone levels, and also strengthens the use of TU as a redox priming agent for imparting crop resilience to salt stress.
Activation of the Hypoglossal to Tongue Musculature Motor Pathway by Remote Control
Authors: Horton Garret A. , Fraigne Jimmy J. , Torontali Zoltan A. , Snow Matthew B. , Lapierre Jennifer L. , Liu Hattie , Montandon Gaspard , Peever John H. , Horner Richard L. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractReduced tongue muscle tone precipitates obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and activation of the tongue musculature can lessen OSA. The hypoglossal motor nucleus (HMN) innervates the tongue muscles but there is no pharmacological agent currently able to selectively manipulate a channel (e.g., Kir2.4) that is highly restricted in its expression to cranial motor pools such as the HMN. To model the effect of manipulating such a restricted target, we introduced a “designer” receptor into the HMN and selectively modulated it with a “designer” drug. We used cre-dependent viral vectors (AAV8-hSyn-DIO-hM3Dq-mCherry) to transduce hypoglossal motoneurons of ChAT-Cre+ mice with hM3Dq (activating) receptors. We measured sleep and breathing in three conditions: (i) sham, (ii) after systemic administration of clozapine-N-oxide (CNO; 1 mg/kg) or (iii) vehicle. CNO activates hM3Dq receptors but is otherwise biologically inert. Systemic administration of CNO caused significant and sustained increases in tongue muscle activity in non-REM (261 ± 33% for 10 hrs) and REM sleep (217 ± 21% for 8 hrs), both P < 0.01 versus controls. Responses were specific and selective for the tongue with no effects on diaphragm or postural muscle activities, or sleep-wake states. These results support targeting a selective and restricted “druggable” target at the HMN (e.g., Kir2.4) to activate tongue motor activity during sleep.