bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mycobacterium tuberculosis LprE enhances bacterial persistence by inhibiting cathelicidin and autophagy in macrophages
Authors: Padhi Avinash , Bhagyaraj Ella , Zahoor Khan Mehak , Biswas Mainak , Sengupta Srabasti , Ganguli Geetanjali , Jagadev Manaswini , Behera Ananyaashree , Pattanaik Kaliprasad , Das Ishani , Gupta Pawan , Nandicoori Vinay Kumar , Sonawane Avinash 
Published: December 2017

ABSTRACTMycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb)lipoproteins are known to facilitate bacterial survival by manipulating the host immune responses. Here, we have characterized a novelMtblipoprotein LprE(LprEMtb), and demonstrated its role in mycobacterial survival. LprEMtbacts by down-regulating the expression of cathelicidin, Cyp27B1, VDR and p38-MAPK via TLR-2 signaling pathway. Deletion oflprEMtbresulted in induction of cathelicidin and decreased survival in the host. Interestingly, LprEMtbwas also found to inhibit autophagy mechanism to dampen host immune response. Episomal expression of LprEMtbin non-pathogenicMycobacterium smegmatis(Msm) increased bacillary persistence by down-regulating the expression of cathelicidin and autophagy, while deletion of LprEMtborthologue inMsm, had no effect on cathelicidin and autophagy expression. Moreover, LprEMtbblocked phago-lysosome fusion by suppressing the expression of EEA1, Rab7 and LAMP-1 endosomal markers by down-regulating IL-12 and IL-22 cytokines. Our results indicate that LprEMtbplays an important role in mycobacterial pathogenesis in the context of innate immunity.
A role for the Tgf-β/Bmp co-receptor Endoglin in the molecular oscillator that regulates the hair follicle cycle
Authors: Calvo-Sánchez María I. , Carrasco Elisa , Fernández-Martos Sandra , Moreno Gema , Bernabeu Carmelo , Quintanilla Miguel , Espada Jesús 
Published: December 2017

ABSTRACTThe hair follicle is a biological oscillator that alternates growth, regression and rest phases driven by the sequential activation of the proliferation/differentiation programs of resident stem cell populations. The activation of hair follicle stem cell niches and subsequent entry into the growing phase is mainly regulated by Wnt/β-catenin signalling, while regression and resting phases are mainly regulated by Tgf-β/Bmp/Smad activity. A major question still unresolved is the nature of the molecular switch that dictates the coordinated transition between both signalling pathways. Here we have focused on the role of Endoglin (Eng), a key coreceptor for members of the Tgf-β/Bmp family of growth factors.Using anEnghaploinsufficient mouse model we report thatEngis required to maintain a correct follicle cycling pattern and for an adequate stimulation of hair follicle stem cell niches. We further report that β-catenin binds to theEngpromoter depending on Bmp signalling. Moreover, we show that β-catenin interacts with Smad4 in a Bmp/Eng dependent context and both proteins act synergistically to activateEngpromoter transcription. These observations point to the existence of a growth/rest switching mechanism in the hair follicle that is based on an Eng-dependent feedback crosstalk between Wnt/β-catenin and Bmp/Smad signals.
The Poisson process is the universal law of cancer development: driver mutations accumulate randomly, silently, at constant average rate and for many decades, likely in stem cells
Authors: Belikov Aleksey V. , Vyatkin Alexey D. , Leonov Sergey V. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractBackgroundIt is assumed that cancers develop upon acquiring a particular number of (epi)mutations in driver genes, but the law governing the kinetics of this process is not known. We have recently shown that the age distribution of incidence for 20 most prevalent cancers of old age is best approximated by the Erlang probability distribution. The Erlang distribution describes the probability of several successive random events occurring by the given time according to the Poisson process, which allows to predict the number of critical driver events.ResultsHere we show that the Erlang distribution is the only classical probability distribution that can adequately model the age distribution of incidence for all studied childhood and young adulthood cancers, in addition to cancers of old age.ConclusionsThis validates the Poisson process as the universal law describing cancer development at any age and the Erlang distribution as a useful tool to predict the number of driver events for any cancer type. The Poisson process signifies the fundamentally random timing of driver events and their constant average rate. As waiting times for the occurrence of the required number of driver events are counted in decades, it suggests that driver mutations accumulate silently in the longest-living dividing cells in the body - the stem cells.
Systems biology analysis of mitogen activated protein kinase inhibitor resistance in malignant melanoma
Authors: Zecena Helma , Tveit Daniel , Wang Zi , Farhat Ahmed , Panchal Parvita , Liu Jing , Singh Simar J. , Sanghera Amandeep , Bainiwal Ajay , Teo Shuan Y. , Meyskens Frank L , Liu-Smith Feng , Filipp Fabian V. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractKinase inhibition in the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is a standard therapy for cancer patients with activating BRAF mutations. However, the anti-tumorigenic effect and clinical benefit are only transient, and tumors are prone to treatment resistance and relapse. To elucidate mechanistic insights into drug resistance, we have established an in vitro cellular model of MAPK inhibitor resistance in malignant melanoma. The cellular model evolved in response to clinical dosage of BRAF inhibitor, vemurafenib, PLX4032. We conducted transcriptomic expression profiling using RNA-Seq and RT-qPCR arrays. Pathways of melanogenesis, MAPK signaling, cell cycle, and metabolism were significantly enriched among the set of differentially expressed genes of vemurafenib-resistant cells vs control. The underlying mechanism of treatment resistance and pathway rewiring based on non-genomic adaptation was validated in two distinct melanoma models, SK-MEL-28 and A375. Both cell lines have activating BRAF mutations and display metastatic potential. Downregulation of tumor suppressors and negative MAPK regulators, dual specific phosphatases, reengages mitogenic signaling. Upregulation of growth factors or cytokine receptors triggers signaling pathways circumventing BRAF blockage. Changes in amino acid and one-carbon metabolism support cellular proliferation despite MAPK inhibitor treatment. In addition, an upregulation of pigmentation in inhibitor resistant melanoma cells was observed. Cellular pathways utilized during inhibitor resistance promoted melanogenesis, a pathway which partially overlaps with MAPK signaling. Upstream regulator analysis suggested gene expression changes of forkhead box and hypoxia inducible factor family transcription factors. The established cellular models offer mechanistic insight into cellular changes and therapeutic targets under inhibitor resistance in malignant melanoma. At a systems biology level, the MAPK pathway undergoes major rewiring while acquiring inhibitor resistance. The outcome of this transcriptional plasticity is selection for a set of transcriptional master regulators, which circumvent upstream targeted kinases and provide alternative routes of mitogenic activation. A fine-woven network of redundant signals maintains similar effector genes allowing for tumor cell survival and malignant progression in therapy resistant cancer.
Net income risk, crop insurance and hedging
Authors: Walters Cory , Preston Richard 
Published: December 2017

PurposeAt the beginning of the production year producers face a complex risk management decision environment given by risks specific to their operation, multiple crop insurance contracts and hedging opportunities. The purpose of this paper is to provide a producer-level framework for risk management decision making, focusing on the interaction between crop insurance and hedging.Design/methodology/approachThe authors develop a Monte Carlo simulation model that generates a producer’s net income (NI) distribution that incorporates historical producer risk, price-yield correlation via a copula, price risk, and production costs. The authors evaluate the NI distribution through a modified Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) decision framework. The authors use the modified MPT decision framework to explore tradeoffs between expected NI and farm ruin (defined as 1 or 5 percent expected shortfall) from different crop insurance contracts and pre-harvest hedging options.FindingsOnly revenue protection and the highest two levels of coverage level exist on the efficient frontier. The level of hedging on the efficient frontier ranges from 0 to 55 percent of Actual Production History. The authors find that increasing coverage level 5 percent (from 80 to 85 percent) negatively impacts the optimal hedging amount by 26 percentage points (from 35 to 9 percent).Originality/valueThe model provides the precise identification of financial benefits from different risk management strategies by incorporating producer-level historical yield data, using a copula to capture yield-price dependency structure and producer production cost in generating the NI distribution. This model can be applied to any producer’s characteristics and data.
Of stories that matter
Authors: Espia Juhn Chris , Salvador Alma Maria 
Published: December 2017

PurposeThe recent shift in the Philippine Government’s emphasis from response to a more proactive approach came with the recognition that different stakeholders play important roles in the governance of disaster risk. The purpose of this paper is to look beyond the question as to whether all stakeholders are involved in disaster risk management planning and examines the extent by which the narratives of risk of actors at the margins shape how risk is framed in municipal DRM planning in Antique, Philippines.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on a field study carried out in San Jose de Buenavista, Antique Province, Philippines. Data were gathered through key informant interviews and focus group discussions as well as a review of archival records and documents.FindingsThe narratives of CSOs and communities, which revolve around livelihoods and community life are conspicuously absent from the plans whereas that of government actors occupy a central position in the risk discourse. The study highlights the power-saturated process of defining and addressing risk to disasters, where knowledge is intimately linked to power as some voices shape plans and policies, whereas, others are excluded because their knowledge is socially constructed as less reliable and therefore irrelevant.Originality/valueThere is a dearth of studies that examine disaster risk as social constructions in the context of planning in the Philippines and in other disaster-prone countries.
When is green a purchase motive? Different answers from different selves
Authors: Martenson Rita 
Published: December 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide new ways of thinking about what motivates consumers to choose the green alternative, ideas that will be helpful in reducing the unsatisfactory green attitude-behaviour gap. Consumers have many self-aspects. This paper shows why it is necessary to activate consumers’ pragmatic selves if we want to predict purchase behaviour. The pragmatic self is concerned with costs and reference prices. When researchers activate consumers’ idealistic selves, they get idealistic answers which deviate from actual behaviour. The study also distinguishes between green alternatives with desirable green or non-green self-benefits, and green alternatives with other-benefits that are difficult to comprehend.

Design/methodology/approach
This study is based on a consumer survey and the data is analysed with structural equation modelling. The concept environmental colour is introduced to understand purchase differences between different consumer segments on the market.

Findings
This study shows that consumers buy benefits, which is why dark brown consumers choose the green alternative when it has a competitive advantage. It also shows that the propensity to choose the green alternative is highest among consumers who in addition see green as a benefit and have the habit of buying other green products. Another result is that the green consumers have higher self-awareness than brown consumers and are very cost conscious.

Practical implications
Good decisions are based on what consumers actually do, not what they say they would like to do. This paper offers practical help on understanding consumers’ purchase criteria and how to activate their pragmatic selves. Much more could be done to promote the pro-self and pro-social benefits of making sustainable choices.

Social implications
To get a sustainable world, it is urgent to understand what motivates consumers to pay extra for environmentally friendly alternatives.

Originality/value
This paper offers new theoretical insights on how researchers can reduce the green gap.
Entrepreneurship education and training as facilitators of regional development
Authors: Galvão Anderson , Ferreira Joao J. , Marques Carla 
Published: December 2017

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide insights of a systematic literature review (SLR) of the entrepreneurship education and training as facilitators of regional development. Current and future trends in the field are identified.Design/methodology/approachThe paper offers an SLR on the entrepreneurship education and training and advances through a comprehensive bibliometric analysis comprising the period 1973-2016. To collect data, only articles published in scientific journals were used in the SCOPUS database.FindingsThe results highlight that both training and entrepreneurship education can be a strong strategic tool for regional development, and that it is important for entities such as academia, government and business to cooperate towards the same goal in order to strengthen the entrepreneurial intention of society. Findings reveal three clusters as trends of literature: entrepreneurial universities, entrepreneurial spirit and process of business creation.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to fill the gap in terms of SLR on the importance of entrepreneurship education and training for regional development conducted by a bibliometric analysis.
Positive emotion in workplace impact
Authors: Wall Tony , Russell Jayne , Moore Neil 
Published: December 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to highlight the role of positive emotions in generating workplace impacts and examine it through the application of an adapted appreciative inquiry process in the context of a work-based project aimed at promoting integrated working under challenging organisational circumstances.

Design/methodology/approach
The paper adopts a case study methodology which highlights how an organisation facing difficult circumstances (such as austerity measures, siloed cultures, constant threats of reorganisation, and requirement to work across occupational boundaries) adapted an appreciative inquiry intervention/method.

Findings
This paper found, first, that the utilisation of appreciative inquiry in the context of an adapted work-based project in difficult organisational circumstances generated positive emotions manifest through a compelling vision and action plans, second, that the impacts (such as a vision) can become entangled and therefore part of the wider ecological context which promotes pathways to such impact, but that, third, there are a various cultural and climate features which may limit the implementation of actions or the continuation of psychological states beyond the time-bound nature of the work-based project.

Practical implications
The paper illustrates how an organisation adapted a form of appreciative inquiry to facilitate organisational change and generated outcomes which were meaningful to the various occupational groupings involved.

Originality/value
This paper offers new evidence and insight into the adaptation of appreciative inquiry under challenging circumstances in the context of a work-based learning project. It also provides a richer picture of how positive emotion can manifest in ways which are meaningful to a localised context.
Re/searching for “impact”
Authors: Poole Simon Ellis 
Published: December 2017

PurposeAs an exploration of how “impact” might be reconsidered, the purpose of this paper is to suggest that current contemporary understandings of “impact” fail practice and research by obscuring the space for reflexive criticality that is crucial for an individual or organisation to flourish. That it thus leads to an already predefined enculturated understanding of “impact”.Design/methodology/approachOffering some interrogation and folkloristic analogy of the meaning of “impact”, three brief expositions of differing arts-based práxes concerned mainly with reflection and connection, are then discussed through the lens of Ricœur’set al.(1978) conflation of the hermeneutical process with phenomenology.FindingsIt is suggested that the implications of restoring, refreshing, or representing “impact” give license to a personal/professional revitalisation, and that reformulating an understanding of “impact” through re/search might offer a potential pedagogic tool, and alternative organising feature.Originality/valueThrough the introduction of inter-disciplinary thinking and práxes, the paper offers novel autoethnographic arts-based methods for personal, professional and organisational development and growth.
Investment considerations and impressions of integrated reporting
Authors: Hsiao Pei-Chi Kelly , Kelly Martin 
Published: December 2017

Purpose
Integrated reporting (IR) aims to improve the quality of information available to capital providers. While IR is associated with decreases in investor uncertainty and increases in firm value, it is unclear how IR information directly influences investment decisions. This paper aims to investigate the investment considerations of Taiwanese investors and their initial impressions of the International Integrated Reporting Framework (IIRC Framework). In doing so, this study examines the relationships between investment considerations and the IIRC Framework’s concepts.

Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 16 investors in Taiwan. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data collected.

Findings
In addition to economic and financial outlook, competitive advantages and ownership structure, Taiwanese investors emphasise management credibility as an important factor that influences investment decisions. Investors are reliant on private information sources and quantitative data. Sustainability disclosures and sustainability performance beyond legal requirements are often not considered. Taiwanese investors lack awareness of the IIRC Framework and are sceptical about the premise that integrated reports can provide information material to investment appraisal. The assertion that integrated reports reduce information asymmetry and influence investment decisions has to be treated with caution.

Research limitations/implications
Self-selection bias and a potential lack of transferability in the findings are issues inherent in the research method and sample used.

Practical implications
IR information needs to be frequently updated rather than disclosed in a periodic report. Furthermore, integrated reports need to demonstrate a direct link between non-financial performance and financial value creation.

Social implications
Mandating the supply of integrated reports is unlikely to influence investors’ capital allocation decisions unless investor demand is a driver of the regulation.

Originality/value
This study is one of the few to investigate IR from the investor’s perspective. Observations from this preliminary study warrant further investigations into the relevance of IR to investment communities globally.
Traditional and molecular chromosomal abnormality analysis of products of conception in spontaneous and recurrent miscarriage
Authors: Zhang T , Sun Y , Chen Z , Li T 
Published: December 2017

Chromosome abnormalities account for half of the recorded miscarriages. Data from cytogenetic analysis of the products of conception (POC) in miscarriages are reviewed in the paper. Genetic analysis of POC allows patients to be given prognostic information. Molecular genetic techniques can overcome the pitfalls of conventional karyotyping, such as culture failure and trace submicroscopic abnormalities. We compare the pros and cons when these technologies are applied to the analysis of POC after miscarriage. Guidance is also provided for future clinical applications. The objective of the review is to help clinicians understand the limitations and to optimise the usefulness of genetic analysis of POC.Tweetable abstractGenetics and POC of miscarriage.
Invasive cordgrass (Spartina spp.) in south‐eastern Australia induces island formation, salt marsh development, and carbon storage
Authors: Kennedy David M. , Konlechner Teresa , Zavadil Elisa , Mariani Michela , Wong Vanessa , Ierodiaconou Daniel , Macreadie Peter 
Published: December 2017

AbstractInvasive vegetation species can lead to major changes in the geomorphology of coastal systems. Within temperate estuaries in the southern hemisphere, especially Australia and New Zealand, the cordgrass Spartina spp. has become established. These species are highly invasive, and their prolific growth leads to the development of supratidal environments in formerly intertidal and subtidal environments. Here, we quantified the impact of Spartina invasion on the geomorphology and sequestration capacity of carbon in the sediments of Anderson Inlet, Victoria, Australia. Spartina was first introduced to the area in the 1930s to aid in land reclamation and control coastal erosion associated with coastal development. We found that Spartina now dominates the intertidal areas of the Inlet and promotes accretion (18 mm/year) causing the formation of over 108 ha of supratidal islands over the past 100 years. These newly formed islands are calculated to potentially contain over 5.5 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent carbon. Future management of the inlet and other Spartina‐dominated environments within Australian presents a dilemma for resource managers; on the one hand, Spartina is highly invasive and can outcompete native tidal marshes, thereby warranting its eradication, but on the other hand it is likely more resilient to rising sea levels and has the potential for carbon sequestration. Whether or not the potential advantages outweigh the significant habitat change that is anticipated, any management strategies will likely require additional research into costs and benefits of all ecosystem services provided by Spartina including in relation to nutrient cycling, shoreline stabilisation, and biodiversity as well as in response to the longevity of carbon found within the sediments.
Partial Two‐Way Mirror: International Organization Budget Transparency
Authors: Moloney Kim , Stoycheva Rayna 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThis paper evaluates the budget transparency of international organizations. Building on IMF, OECD, IPSAS, and Open Budget Survey standards for sovereign‐state budget transparency, we create a 93‐item budget transparency measure reflective of international organization characteristics. International organizations are important global dispensers of accumulated knowledge. This includes the purveying of advice on member state budget transparency. Despite this role, we find only partial budget transparency among our surveyed international organizations. Nonetheless, the international organization financial management and accountability practices were more transparent than their budget process or budget disclosures.