bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Early Schooling: What Matters?
Authors: Ashby Gerald , Boulton-Lewis Gillian M. 
Published: February 2017

ABSTRACTToo often debate about the pros and cons of early schooling, including preschooling, focuses on age. But is age the most significant variable? How does the focus on age of entry align with current perspectives on development in early childhood? TO what extent does the debate take account of recent advances in teaching strategies and curriculum in early childhood? Too often it would appear that decisions concerning school programs are based on considerations which do not give attention to psychological and other evidence. To this extent the paper argues that the links between psychology and social change are tenuous. The paper undertakes a review of the issues from both developmental and educational viewpoints. In addition consideration is also given to the impact of social and cultural factors upon the movement; of children both from home to school and within school. Specifically the paper advances the view that a central concern in early education is the extent to which curriculum and strategies are able to meet individual needs.
School and Disability: A Review of the Integration Debate
Authors: Jenkinson Jo 
Published: February 2017

ABSTRACTIntegration of students with disabilities into regular schools has come to be one of the most pervasive and controversial issues in special education. The so-called “efficacy” research is beset with methodological problems and offers no clear answer to the debate. This paper reviews influences underlying integration, presents models for its implementation, and discusses their implications for both school organization and disabled students. Some alternative approaches to research are discussed.This paper is based on Jenkinson, J.C. School and Disability: Research and Practice in Integration. Australian Education Review No. 26 Hawthorn, Vic. Australian Council for Educational Research, 1987, and is reproduced with the permission of ACER.
Avoidance in Anxiety and Depression: Adaptation of the Cognitive-Behavioral Avoidance Scale in a Spanish Sample
Authors: Barajas Santiago , Garra Luis , Ros Laura 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThis study examines how cognitive, behavioral and experiential avoidance differs between clinical patients (N = 100), the general population (N = 100), and undergraduate students (N = 54). For this purpose, a Spanish adaptation of the Cognitive-Behavioral Avoidance Scale (CBAS; Ottenbreit & Dobson, 2004) was made. Confirmatory factor analysis supports the four factors structure similar to the original one, yet question the value of three of the items (CFI = .929, RMSEA = .057, SRMR = .051, χ2(333) = 603.28, p < .001, χ2/df = 1.81). Effect sizes calculated using Cohen’s ƒ2 were between 0.30 and 2.57 in all cases, and only one item showed value < 0.35. The internal consistency for the total scale was .95, and adequate alpha values for the four subscales were found (α between .74 and .93). Statistical differences were found between the clinical and non-clinical groups, and also between the clinical and undergraduate groups (GLM, p < .001). The validity was verified using correlations with AAQ-II, MAAS, BDI-II and BAI. There is a correlation between cognitive-behavioral avoidance and experiential avoidance in both the clinical and control groups (rho = .382, rho = .361, p < .01). Patients with higher levels of cognitive-behavioral avoidance have higher levels of depression (rho = .36, p < .01). A score of 53 is suggested as the optimum cut-off point, because at this point, sensitivity and specificity are both 86%. The results suggest that cognitive-behavioral avoidance represents a significant factor in psychopathology. Recommendations for future studies are discussed.
Genome-wide analyses of non-syndromic cleft lip with palate identify 14 novel loci and genetic heterogeneity
Authors: Yu Yanqin , Zuo Xianbo , He Miao , Gao Jinping , Fu Yuchuan , Qin Chuanqi , Meng Liuyan , Wang Wenjun , Song Yaling , Cheng Yong , Zhou Fusheng , Chen Gang , Zheng Xiaodong , Wang Xinhuan , Liang Bo , Zhu Zhengwei , Fu Xiazhou , Sheng Yujun , Hao Jiebing , Liu Zhongyin , Yan Hansong , Mangold Elisabeth , Ruczinski Ingo , Liu Jianjun , Marazita Mary L. , Ludwig Kerstin U. , Beaty Terri H. , Zhang Xuejun , Sun Liangdan , Bian Zhuan 
Published: February 2017

AbstractNon-syndromic cleft lip with palate (NSCLP) is the most serious sub-phenotype of non-syndromic orofacial clefts (NSOFC), which are the most common craniofacial birth defects in humans. Here we conduct a GWAS of NSCLP with multiple independent replications, totalling 7,404 NSOFC cases and 16,059 controls from several ethnicities, to identify new NSCLP risk loci, and explore the genetic heterogeneity between sub-phenotypes of NSOFC. We identify 41 SNPs within 26 loci that achieve genome-wide significance, 14 of which are novel (RAD54B, TMEM19, KRT18, WNT9B, GSC/DICER1, PTCH1, RPS26, OFCC1/TFAP2A, TAF1B, FGF10, MSX1, LINC00640, FGFR1 and SPRY1). These 26 loci collectively account for 10.94% of the heritability for NSCLP in Chinese population. We find evidence of genetic heterogeneity between the sub-phenotypes of NSOFC and among different populations. This study substantially increases the number of genetic susceptibility loci for NSCLP and provides important insights into the genetic aetiology of this common craniofacial malformation.
Rapid and tunable method to temporally control gene editing based on conditional Cas9 stabilization
Authors: Senturk Serif , Shirole Nitin H. , Nowak Dawid G. , Corbo Vincenzo , Pal Debjani , Vaughan Alexander , Tuveson David A. , Trotman Lloyd C. , Kinney Justin B. , Sordella Raffaella 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe CRISPR/Cas9 system is a powerful tool for studying gene function. Here, we describe a method that allows temporal control of CRISPR/Cas9 activity based on conditional Cas9 destabilization. We demonstrate that fusing an FKBP12-derived destabilizing domain to Cas9 (DD-Cas9) enables conditional Cas9 expression and temporal control of gene editing in the presence of an FKBP12 synthetic ligand. This system can be easily adapted to co-express, from the same promoter, DD-Cas9 with any other gene of interest without co-modulation of the latter. In particular, when co-expressed with inducible Cre-ERT2, our system enables parallel, independent manipulation of alleles targeted by Cas9 and traditional recombinase with single-cell specificity. We anticipate this platform will be used for the systematic characterization and identification of essential genes, as well as the investigation of the interactions between functional genes.
GFORCE-PD still going strong in 2016
Authors: Parmar Malin , Takahashi Jun , Studer Lorenz , Barker Roger A 
Published: February 2017

AbstractIn 2014, a new initiative was undertaken by groups working on plans for the transplantation of stem-cell-based derived dopaminergic neurons for treating Parkinson’s disease patients. This GForce-PD group held its annual meeting on 18–19 April 2016 in Chicago at Rush University to discuss their progress and the challenges that the translation of this experimental therapy still faces. Over 2 days, the key issues were discussed around the cell lines that will be used, the differentiation protocols, preclinical testing, GMP-adaptation, and cell manufacturing to allow first in human clinical trials, which are anticipated to start in 2017–2018. GForce-PD members also discussed how they can improve outreach and be of better service to the Parkinson's disease (PD) community and help them to make the best possible decisions when pursuing stem cell treatments.
Gait improvement via rhythmic stimulation in Parkinson’s disease is linked to rhythmic skills
Authors: Bella Simone Dalla , Benoit Charles-Etienne , Farrugia Nicolas , Keller Peter E. , Obrig Hellmuth , Mainka Stefan , Kotz Sonja A. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractTraining based on rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) can improve gait in patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (IPD). Patients typically walk faster and exhibit greater stride length after RAS. However, this effect is highly variable among patients, with some exhibiting little or no response to the intervention. These individual differences may depend on patients’ ability to synchronize their movements to a beat. To test this possibility, 14 IPD patients were submitted to RAS for four weeks, in which they walked to music with an embedded metronome. Before and after the training, patients’ synchronization was assessed with auditory paced hand tapping and walking to auditory cues. Patients increased gait speed and stride length in non-cued gait after training. However, individual differences were apparent as some patients showed a positive response to RAS and others, either no response, or a negative response. A positive response to RAS was predicted by the synchronization performance in hand tapping and gait tasks. More severe gait impairment, low synchronization variability, and a prompt response to a stimulation change foster a positive response to RAS training. Thus, sensorimotor timing skills underpinning the synchronization of steps to an auditory cue may allow predicting the success of RAS in IPD.
Choline ameliorates cardiovascular damage by improving vagal activity and inhibiting the inflammatory response in spontaneously hypertensive rats
Authors: Liu Longzhu , Lu Yi , Bi Xueyuan , Xu Man , Yu Xiaojiang , Xue Runqing , He Xi , Zang Weijin 
Published: February 2017

AbstractAutonomic dysfunction and abnormal immunity lead to systemic inflammatory responses, which result in cardiovascular damage in hypertension. The aim of this report was to investigate the effects of choline on cardiovascular damage in hypertension. Eight-week-old male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and Wistar-Kyoto rats were intraperitoneally injected with choline or vehicle (8 mg/kg/day). After 8 weeks, choline restored the cardiac function of the SHRs, as evidenced by decreased heart rate, systolic blood pressure, left ventricle systolic pressure, and ±dp/dtmax and increased ejection fraction and fractional shortening. Choline also ameliorated the cardiac hypertrophy of the SHRs, as indicated by reduced left ventricle internal dimensions and decreased cardiomyocyte cross-sectional area. Moreover, choline improved mesenteric arterial function and preserved endothelial ultrastructure in the SHRs. Notably, the protective effect of choline may be due to its anti-inflammatory effect. Choline downregulated expression of interleukin (IL)-6 and tumour necrosis factor-α and upregulated IL-10 in the mesenteric arteries of SHRs, possibly because of the inhibition of Toll-like receptor 4. Furthermore, choline restored baroreflex sensitivity and serum acetylcholine level in SHRs, thus indicating that choline improved vagal activity. This study suggests that choline elicits cardiovascular protective effects and may be useful as a potential adjunct therapeutic approach for hypertension.
Alpha-synuclein prevents the formation of spherical mitochondria and apoptosis under oxidative stress
Authors: Menges Stefanie , Minakaki Georgia , Schaefer Patrick M. , Meixner Holger , Prots Iryna , Schlötzer-Schrehardt Ursula , Friedland Kristina , Winner Beate , Outeiro Tiago F. , Winklhofer Konstanze F. , von Arnim Christine A. F. , Xiang Wei , Winkler Jürgen , Klucken Jochen 
Published: February 2017

AbstractOxidative stress (OS), mitochondrial dysfunction, and dysregulation of alpha-synuclein (aSyn) homeostasis are key pathogenic factors in Parkinson’s disease. Nevertheless, the role of aSyn in mitochondrial physiology remains elusive. Thus, we addressed the impact of aSyn specifically on mitochondrial response to OS in neural cells. We characterize a distinct type of mitochondrial fragmentation, following H2O2or 6-OHDA-induced OS, defined by spherically-shaped and hyperpolarized mitochondria, termed “mitospheres”. Mitosphere formation mechanistically depended on the fission factor Drp1, and was paralleled by reduced mitochondrial fusion. Furthermore, mitospheres were linked to a decrease in mitochondrial activity, and preceded Caspase3 activation. Even though fragmentation of dysfunctional mitochondria is considered to be a prerequisite for mitochondrial degradation, mitospheres were not degraded via Parkin-mediated mitophagy. Importantly, we provide compelling evidence that aSyn prevents mitosphere formation and reduces apoptosis under OS. In contrast, aSyn did not protect against Rotenone, which led to a different, previously described donut-shaped mitochondrial morphology. Our findings reveal a dichotomic role of aSyn in mitochondrial biology, which is linked to distinct types of stress-induced mitochondrial fragmentation. Specifically, aSyn may be part of a cellular defense mechanism preserving neural mitochondrial homeostasis in the presence of increased OS levels, while not protecting against stressors directly affecting mitochondrial function.
Dendritic cells derived exosomes migration to spleen and induction of inflammation are regulated by CCR7
Authors: Wei Gao , Jie Yuan , Haibo Liu , Chaoneng Wu , Dong Huang , Jianbing Zhu , Junjie Guo , Leilei Ma , Hongtao Shi , Yunzeng Zou , Junbo Ge 
Published: February 2017

AbstractMature dendritic cells (DCs) home to secondary lymphoid organs through CC chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7). Exosomes derived from DCs (DC-exos) are reported to migrate to spleen and induce inflammationin vivo. In this study, we demonstrated that mature bone marrow DC-exos can activate immature DC and T cellsin vitro. Then we intravenously injected DC-exos into C57BL/6 mice, observing that mature DC-exos accumulated more in spleen than immature DC-exos. These DC-exos in spleen could be uptaken by splenetic DCs and T cells and induce an inflammatory response. We further showed that the increased accumulation of mature DC-exos in spleen was regulated by CCR7, whose reduction led to a decrease of accumulation in spleen and attenuated inflammatory response in serum. These data provide us a new perspective to comprehensively understand exosomes, which might inherit some special functions from their parent cells and exert these functionsin vivo.
Finger posture modulates structural body representations
Authors: Tamè Luigi , Dransfield Elanah , Quettier Thomas , Longo Matthew R. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractPatients with lesions of the left posterior parietal cortex commonly fail in identifying their fingers, a condition known as finger agnosia, yet are relatively unimpaired in sensation and skilled action. Such dissociations have traditionally been interpreted as evidence that structural body representations (BSR), such as the body structural description, are distinct from sensorimotor representations, such as the body schema. We investigated whether performance on tasks commonly used to assess finger agnosia is modulated by changes in hand posture. We used the ‘in between’ test in which participants estimate the number of unstimulated fingers between two touched fingers or a localization task in which participants judge which two fingers were stimulated. Across blocks, the fingers were placed in three levels of splay. Judged finger numerosity was analysed, in Exp. 1 by direct report and in Exp. 2 as the actual number of fingers between the fingers named. In both experiments, judgments were greater when non-adjacent stimulated fingers were positioned far apart compared to when they were close together or touching, whereas judgements were unaltered when adjacent fingers were stimulated. This demonstrates that BSRs are not fixed, but are modulated by the real-time physical distances between body parts.
Superstatistical model of bacterial DNA architecture
Authors: Bogachev Mikhail I. , Markelov Oleg A. , Kayumov Airat R. , Bunde Armin 
Published: February 2017

AbstractUnderstanding the physical principles that govern the complex DNA structural organization as well as its mechanical and thermodynamical properties is essential for the advancement in both life sciences and genetic engineering. Recently we have discovered that the complex DNA organization is explicitly reflected in the arrangement of nucleotides depicted by the universal power law tailed internucleotide interval distribution that is valid for complete genomes of various prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. Here we suggest a superstatistical model that represents a long DNA molecule by a series of consecutive ~150 bp DNA segments with the alternation of the local nucleotide composition between segments exhibiting long-range correlations. We show that the superstatistical model and the corresponding DNA generation algorithm explicitly reproduce the laws governing the empirical nucleotide arrangement properties of the DNA sequences for various global GC contents and optimal living temperatures. Finally, we discuss the relevance of our model in terms of the DNA mechanical properties. As an outlook, we focus on finding the DNA sequences that encode a given protein while simultaneously reproducing the nucleotide arrangement laws observed from empirical genomes, that may be of interest in the optimization of genetic engineering of long DNA molecules.
Cationic Polymethacrylate-Modified Liposomes Significantly Enhanced Doxorubicin Delivery and Antitumor Activity
Authors: Wang Wenxi , Shao Anna , Zhang Nan , Fang Jinzhang , Ruan Jennifer Jin , Ruan Benfang Helen 
Published: February 2017

AbstractLiposome (LP) encapsulation of doxorubicin (DOX) is a clinically validated method for cancer drug delivery, but its cellular uptake is actually lower than the free DOX. Therefore, we modified DOX-LP with a cationic polymer (Eudragit RL100; ER) to improve its cellular uptake and antitumor activity. The resulting DOX-ERLP was a 190 nm nanoparticle that was absorbed efficiently and caused cancer cell death in 5 hrs. Growth as measured by the MTT assay or microscopic imaging demonstrated that DOX-ERLP has at least a two-fold greater potency than the free DOX in inhibiting the growth of a DOX resistant (MCF7/adr) cell and an aggressive liver cancer H22 cell. Further, its in vivo efficacy was tested in H22-bearing mice, where four injections of DOX-ERLP reduced the tumor growth by more than 60% and caused an average of 60% tumor necrosis, which was significantly better than the DOX and DOX-LP treated groups. Our work represents the first use of polymethacrylate derivatives for DOX liposomal delivery, demonstrating the great potential of cationic polymethacrylate modified liposomes for improving cancer drug delivery.
Mussel-inspired Fluoro-Polydopamine Functionalization of Titanium Dioxide Nanowires for Polymer Nanocomposites with Significantly Enhanced Energy Storage Capability
Authors: Wang Guanyao , Huang Xingyi , Jiang Pingkai 
Published: February 2017

AbstractHigh-dielectric-constant polymer nanocomposites are demonstrated to show great promise as energy storage materials. However, the large electrical mismatch and incompatibility between nanofillers and polymer matrix usually give rise to significantly reduced breakdown strength and weak energy storage capability. Therefore, rational selection and elaborate functionalization of nanofillers to optimize the performance of polymer nanocomposites are vital. Herein, inspired by adhesive proteins in mussels, a facile modification by fluoro-polydopamine is employed to reinforce the compatibility of TiO2 nanowires in the fluoropolymer matrix. The loading of 2.5 vol % f-DOPA@TiO2 NWs leads to an ultrahigh discharged energy density of 11.48 J cm−3 at 530 MV m−1, more than three times of commercial biaxial-oriented polypropylene (BOPP, 3.56 J cm−3 at 600 MV m−1). A gratifying high energy density of 9.12 J cm−3 has also been obtained with nanofiller loading as high as 15 vol % at 360 MV m−1, which is nearly double to that of pure P(VDF-HFP) (4.76 J cm−3 at 360 MV m−1). This splendid energy storage capability seems to rival or exceed most of previously reported nano-TiO2 based nanocomposites. The methods presented here provide deep insights into the design of polymer nanocomposites for energy storage applications.
Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 48 regulates Mdm2 protein levels independent of its deubiquitinase activity
Authors: Cetkovská Kateřina , Šustová Hana , Uldrijan Stjepan 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe overexpression of Mdm2 has been linked to the loss of p53 tumour suppressor activity in several human cancers. Here, we present results suggesting that ubiquitin-specific peptidase 48 (USP48), a deubiquitinase that has been linked in previous reports to the NF-κB signaling pathway, is a novel Mdm2 binding partner that promotes Mdm2 stability and enhances Mdm2-mediated p53 ubiquitination and degradation. In contrast to other deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) that have been previously implicated in the regulation of Mdm2 protein stability, USP48 did not induce Mdm2 stabilization by significantly reducing Mdm2 ubiquitination levels. Moreover, two previously characterized USP48 mutants lacking deubiquitinase activity were also capable of efficiently stabilizing Mdm2, indicating that USP48 utilizes a non-canonical, deubiquitination-independent mechanism to promote Mdm2 oncoprotein stability. This study represents, to the best of our knowledge, the first report suggesting DUB-mediated target protein stabilization that is independent of its deubiquitinase activity. In addition, our results suggest that USP48 might represent a new mechanism of crosstalk between the NF-κB and p53 stress response pathways.
A reliable and flexible gene manipulation strategy in posthatch zebra finch brain
Authors: Ahmadiantehrani Somayeh , London Sarah E. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractSongbird models meaningfully contribute to many fields including learned vocal communication, the neurobiology of social interactions, brain development, and ecology. The value of investigating gene-brain-behavior relationships in songbirds is therefore high. Viral infections typically used in other lab animals to deliver gene editing constructs have been less effective in songbirds, likely due to immune system properties. We therefore leveraged the in vivo electroporation strategy used in utero in rodents and in ovo in poultry, and apply it to posthatch zebra finch songbird chicks. We present a series of experiments with a combination of promoters, fluorescent protein genes, and piggyBac transposase vectors to demonstrate that this can be a reliable, efficient, and flexible strategy for genome manipulation. We discuss options for gene delivery experiments to test circuit and behavioral hypotheses using a variety of manipulations, including gene overexpression, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, inducible technologies, optogenetic or DREADD cellular control, and cell type-specific expression.