bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Associations between Th17-related inflammatory cytokines and asthma in adults: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Zhou Ting , Huang Xiji , Zhou Yun , Ma Jixuan , Zhou Min , Liu Yuewei , Xiao Lili , Yuan Jing , Xie Jungang , Chen Weihong 
Published: November 2017

AbstractChronic airway inflammation is recognized as an essential process in the pathogenesis of asthma. Cytokine profiles derived from immune and inflammation cells such as T-helper (Th) cells, eosinophilia and neutrophilia are not limited to the Th2 type in asthma. However, little is understood about associations between Th2-low inflammatory cytokine profiles and risk of asthma in adults. A case-control study of 910 adult asthma and 881 healthy controls was conducted. Inflammatory cytokines screening was undertaken by high-throughput protein microarray technology, and Th17-related inflammatory cytokines (IL17A, IL-9, adipsin and CCL11) were finally selected. Associations between these four cytokines and adult asthma risk were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression models. We observed that plasma IL-17A and IL-9 levels were significantly increased in asthmatics when compared with controls. However, the plasma expressions of adipsin and CCL11 in asthmatics were significantly lower than that in health controls. The adjusted ORs (95%CI) of association between IL-17A, IL-9, adipsin and CCL11 expressions and adult asthma were 3.08 (1.91, 4.97), 1.93 (1.41, 2.64), 10.02 (6.99, 14.37) and 3.29 (2.36, 4.59), respectively (all Ptrend < 0.0001). Our results suggested that elevated IL-17A and IL-9 expressions and decreased levels of adipsin and CCL11 were positively associated with adult asthma.
The Elusive Evidence of Volcanic Lightning
Authors: Genareau K. , Gharghabi P. , Gafford J. , Mazzola M. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractLightning strikes are known to morphologically alter and chemically reduce geologic formations and deposits, forming fulgurites. A similar process occurs as the result of volcanic lightning discharge, when airborne volcanic ash is transformed into lightning-induced volcanic spherules (LIVS). Here, we adapt the calculations used in previous studies of lightning-induced damage to infrastructure materials to determine the effects on pseudo-ash samples of simplified composition. Using laboratory high-current impulse experiments, this research shows that within the lightning discharge channel there is an ideal melting zone that represents roughly 10% or less of the total channel radius at which temperatures are sufficient to melt the ash, regardless of peak current. The melted ash is simultaneously expelled from the channel by the heated, expanding air, permitting particles to cool during atmospheric transport before coming to rest in ash fall deposits. The limited size of this ideal melting zone explains the low number of LIVS typically observed in volcanic ash despite the frequent occurrence of lightning during explosive eruptions.
Stimulation of primordial follicle assembly by estradiol-17β requires the action of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2)
Authors: Chakraborty Prabuddha , Roy Shyamal K. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractPrimordial follicle (PF) pool determines the availability of follicles for ovulation in all mammals. Premature depletion of the PF reserve leads to subfertility or infertility. Bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) promotes PF formation by facilitating oocyte and granulosa cell development. Estradiol-17β (E2) upregulates PF formation in developing hamster ovaries. However, if BMP2 mediates E2 effect is not known. We hypothesize that E2 facilitates the effect of BMP2 on somatic to granulosa cell transition. BMP2 and E2 together significantly upregulated the percentage of PFs in hamster fetal ovaries in vitro compared with either of the treatments alone. E2 also promoted BMP2 expression in vivo. Inhibition of BMP2 receptors suppressed E2-stimulation of PF formation while knockdown of BMP2 in vitro significantly suppressed the E2 effect. In contrast, estrogen receptor blocker did not affect BMP2 action. Inhibition of the activity of E2 or BMP2 receptors, either alone or combined during the last two days of the culture (C6-C8) resulted in a significant decrease in PF formation by C8, suggesting that both BMP2 and E2 action is essential for somatic cell differentiation for PF formation. Together, the results suggest that E2 activates BMP2-BMPR system leading to the formation of primordial follicles.
SUMOylation regulates the localization and activity of Polo-like kinase 1 during cell cycle in the silkworm, Bombyx mori
Authors: Li Zhiqing , Cui Qixin , Xu Jian , Cheng Daojun , Wang Xiaoyan , Li Bingqian , Lee Jae Man , Xia Qingyou , Kusakabe Takahiro , Zhao Ping 
Published: November 2017

AbstractPolo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) is a crucial cell cycle regulator by its specific localization and activity during cell cycle. It has been shown that the phosphorylation and ubiquitylation of Plk1 are required for its own activation and localization. Here, we report that SUMOylation regulates the activity of Plk1 in the lepidopteran insect of Bombyx mori. In the absence of SUMOylation, it causes the lost localization of Plk1 on centrosomes and kinetochores, as well as an uneven distribution in midzone. We further identify that the putative SUMOylation site of Bombyx Plk1 at lysine 466 is required for its localization on centrosomes, and K466 mutation in Plk1 could influence its interaction with Smt3/Ubc9 complex. These findings are also confirmed by Drosophila Polo and human Plk1, which together reveals a conserved role of Plk1 SUMOylation in mammals. Moreover, conjugation of Smt3 to Plk1 SUMOylation mutant promotes its localization on centrosomes and kinetochores, and rescues functional defects of chromosome alignment in cells depleted of endogenous Plk1. Altogether, the present data indicate that the SUMOylation of Plk1 could participate in proper chromosome alignment and segregation during mitosis, and provides a novel layer for the regulation of Plk1 localization and activity throughout cell cycle.
Ambra1 induces autophagy and desensitizes human prostate cancer cells to cisplatin
Authors: Liu Jie , Chen Zhiyuan , Guo Jia , Wang Lei , Liu Xiuheng 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa), the second most mortal cancer from developed countries, presents a high level of chemoresistance. There is emerging evidence underscores the critical role of autophagy in the onset, progression, and chemoresistance of PCa. In the present study, we investigated the possible role of a novel autophagy regulator, activating molecule in beclin1-regulated autophagy1 (Ambra1), a novel ATG gene in the sensitivity or PCa cells to cisplatin. We explored the regulation by the Ambra1 manipulation on the induction of apoptosis and autophagy in human PCa DU145 cells in the presence of cisplatin, via up- or down-regulating Ambra1 expression. In addition, we examined the colony forming of DU145 cells post cisplatin treatment and Ambra1 manipulation. Our results demonstrated that the Ambra1 up-regulation reduced, whereas Ambra1 knockdown increased the cisplatin-induced apoptosis, caspase 3 cleavage, and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage. Interestingly, we also found significant autophagy induction in the cisplatin-treated DU145 cells, with increased autophagic vesicles, up-regulated autophagy-related markers. However, the cisplatin-induced autophagy was up-regulated by the Ambra1 overexpression or was down-regulated by the Ambra1 knockdown. In addition, the colony forming was also positively regulated by Ambra1 in DU145 cells post cisplatin treatment. In conclusion, Ambra1 negatively regulates the cisplatin-induced apoptosis and the cisplatin-mediated growth reduction in DU145 cells, in association with the Ambra1-mediated autophagy promotion. It implies that Ambra1-mediated autophagy might be an important mechanism underlining the sensitivity reduction of PCa cells.
Advanced Intraprocedural Imaging Applications in Hepatobiliary Intervention
Authors: Kapoor Baljendra , Chauhan Nikunj 
Published: November 2017

AbstractIntraprocedural three-dimensional imaging and guidance tools, such as cone-beam CT (CBCT), provide valuable guidance in navigating through challenging vascular and nonvascular structures while performing complex hepatobiliary and portal venous interventions, especially in patients with unconventional anatomy and technically difficult pathology. With the advent of these tools, many of the procedures that were once considered contraindicated can now be performed due to improved safety profile and operator confidence. This review describes application of these tools in various oncologic and nononcologic hepatobiliary and portal venous interventions.
The Role of Lipids in the Pathogenesis of Metabolic Syndrome in Adolescents
Authors: Taghizadeh Shahnaz , Alizadeh Mohammad 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThe increasing prevalence of childhood obesity is a driving force behind the increase in adolescent’s metabolic syndrome (MetS). Although there is no clear consensus about the pediatric definition for MetS, this syndrome is becoming very common among adolescents. It is characterized by insulin resistance (IR), dyslipidemia, abdominal obesity and hypertension, and is associated with a high risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus and CVD in adulthood. Due to the increasing prevalence of obesity, there is strong incentive to reduce the impact of the adverse health effects associated with MetS. We explored the etiological role of nutrient-derived metabolic stressors, especially fatty acids, in the development of obesity and MetS. We also reviewed the evidence that pro-inﬂammatory stressors may predispose to obesity-induced insulin resistance. This article presents the opinion that reducing the impact of metabolic and inﬂammatory stressors may reduce the adverse health effects of obesity, and slow the progression towards MetS and CVD in adolescents. Evidence so far is limited from pediatric dietary epidemiological and interventional studies investigating the potential preventive and therapeutic effects of dietary fatty acid modiﬁcation. This review will further investigate our understanding of the interaction between fatty acids in the pathogenesis and progression of MetS in adolescents.
Evaluation der augenärztlichen Versorgung ehemaliger früh- und reifgeborener Kinder im Alter von 4 bis 10 Jahren in Deutschland – Ergebnisse der Wiesbaden Prematurity Study (WPS)
Authors: Fieß Achim , Kölb-Keerl Ruth , Elflein Heike Maria , Schuster Alexander K. , Knuf Markus , Kirchhof Bernd , Oberacher-Velten Isabel , Muether Philipp S. , Bauer Jacqueline 
Published: November 2017

Zusammenfassung
Hintergrund Ziele der vorliegenden Untersuchung waren die Evaluation ophthalmologischer Nachsorgeuntersuchungen ehemaliger früh- und reifgeborener Kinder im Alter von 4 bis 10 Jahren und der Vergleich mit den deutschen Leitlinien.
Methodik In der prospektiven Wiesbaden Prematurity Study (WPS) wurden 503 Kinder, davon 239 Frühgeborene (FG) mit Gestationsalter (GA) ≤ 32 Wochen und 264 Reifgeborene (RG) mit GA ≥ 37 Wochen (Kontrollgruppe) im Alter von 4 bis 10 Jahren inklusive Refraktionsmessung und orthoptischem Status untersucht. Anisometropie war definiert als Refraktionsunterschied von ≥ 1 dpt sphärischem Äquivalent. Die Eltern wurden zusätzlich gefragt, ob nach der Entlassung aus dem Krankenhaus eine augenärztliche Untersuchung stattgefunden habe und wie oft eine solche innerhalb der letzten 12 Monate durchgeführt wurde.
Ergebnis Insgesamt zeigten sich ein Strabismus bzw. eine Anisometropie bei 18 bzw. 10% aller FG- und 2 bzw. 5% aller RG-Kinder. Von den 4 bis 6 Jahre alten FG waren 65% und von den 4 bis 6 Jahre alten RG 42% innerhalb der letzten 12 Monate bei einer augenärztlichen Untersuchung (p = 0,002). Bei 15% aller Kinder mit Strabismus war innerhalb der letzten 12 Monate keine augenärztliche Untersuchung erfolgt. Die Eltern von 3 frühgeborenen Kindern berichteten nach der Entlassung aus dem Krankenhaus, nie bei einer augenärztlichen Kontrolluntersuchung gewesen zu sein.
Schlussfolgerung Zwei Drittel der ehemaligen FG nahmen nach Aussage der Eltern im Alter von 4 bis 6 Jahren innerhalb der letzten 12 Monate an einer augenärztlichen Kontrolluntersuchung teil, was in den Leitlinien für die Versorgung ehemaliger frühgeborener Kinder empfohlen wird. Hier zeigt sich noch Verbesserungspotenzial, um diese Risikopopulation, insbesondere für Strabismus und Amblyopie, bestmöglich zu versorgen.
Contesting Consent: Contemporary Democracy and Ecological Crisis
Authors: Curran Giorel 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
This paper argues that ecological problems and potential ecological crises expose serious deficiencies in the procedural and normative contours of liberal democratic practice. The contemporary contexts of globalisation and accelerating ecological depletion put novel and unprecedented pressures on these liberal democratic polities. Democracy's traditional claims to consent and legitimacy are openly challenged and contested in the light of the emergent ecological trajectory. These issues will be explored through three broad sections. Firstly, ‘legitimation crises’ and problems of consent are examined in the context of ecological (and associated social) imperatives. Some parallels are also drawn from feminist theory. Secondly, the changed meaning of bounded territoriality and the implications it exposes are examined in the light of contemporary ecological, economic and political ‘transboundariness’. Finally, a more participative and discursive democratic alternative is sketched. The claim defended is that more (substantive) democracy, not less, is required in order to mediate the development of ecologically unstainable social visions.
Women's Work and the Howard Government
Authors: Ostenfeld Shane , Strachan Glenda 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
This paper undertakes a preliminary exploration of the impact of social conservatism on Australian industrial relations. It posits that contradictions have emerged under the current government in terms of, on the one hand, support for ‘freeing up’ of the labour market, and, on the other hand, the inherent logic of Howard's free-market economic agenda. The contradiction is that freeing up the labour market involves support for a male breadwinner wage so that women do not enter the workplace. This agenda is carried out driven by free market ideas of minimum legislation, including no minimum wage legislation. To explain this agenda, attention is turned to the influence of right-wing pressure groups. Changes in the composition of the Lyons Forum within the Liberal Party of Australia since the 1998 election are then examined. A continuing influence by the forces of moral conservatism during the second term of the Howard coalition government is evident.
From Technocrats to Classical Bureaucrats: The shifting attitudes of New Zealand's health services purchasing agents
Authors: Gauld Robin 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
This article presents the findings of two surveys conducted in 1993 and 1997 respectively. The surveys are in the tradition of a growing body of international research inquiring into the attitudes of officials in key policy-making and administrative posts toward aspects of their operating environments. The surveys provide comparative ‘snapshots’ of the attitudes of respondents at two very important phases in the existence of the agencies. Moreover, because of the circumstances in which they were conducted, the surveys offer insights into the effect on officials of radical restructuring, and of managing in a politicized and uncertain environment. The findings, limitations and implications of the research for policymakers and public officials are elucidated.
The Quiet Revolution in Australian Higher Education
Authors: Bostock William W 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
Quiet revolution is a term that was used to describe the fundamental transformation of Quebec society in the 1960s: a profound and permanent process that took place with very little violence or other outward signs of resistance. Australia's higher education sector also underwent a profound transformation in the 1990s, also with strangely little protest or even debate, so that it could also reasonably be called a quiet revolution. This paper examines what changed as a result of the revolution, why it occurred, and why it occurred largely in silence. The answers to these questions about the revolution in higher education provide an interesting case study of the complex interaction between policy, organisation and society.
LIBRA-WA: a web application for ligand binding site detection and protein function recognition
Authors: Toti Daniele , Viet Hung Le , Tortosa Valentina , Brandi Valentina , Polticelli Fabio 
Published: November 2017

AbstractSummaryRecently, LIBRA, a tool for active/ligand binding site prediction, was described. LIBRA’s effectiveness was comparable to similar state-of-the-art tools; however, its scoring scheme, output presentation, dependence on local resources and overall convenience were amenable to improvements. To solve these issues, LIBRA-WA, a web application based on an improved LIBRA engine, has been developed, featuring a novel scoring scheme consistently improving LIBRA’s performance, and a refined algorithm that can identify binding sites hosted at the interface between different subunits. LIBRA-WA also sports additional functionalities like ligand clustering and a completely redesigned interface for an easier analysis of the output. Extensive tests on 373 apoprotein structures indicate that LIBRA-WA is able to identify the biologically relevant ligand/ligand binding site in 357 cases (∼96%), with the correct prediction ranking first in 349 cases (∼98% of the latter, ∼94% of the total). The earlier stand-alone tool has also been updated and dubbed LIBRA+, by integrating LIBRA-WA’s improved engine for cross-compatibility purposes.Availability and implementationLIBRA-WA and LIBRA+ are available at: http://www.computationalbiology.it/software.html.Supplementary informationSupplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
RepLong: de novo repeat identification using long read sequencing data
Authors: Guo Rui , Li Yan-Ran , He Shan , Ou-Yang Le , Sun Yiwen , Zhu Zexuan 
Published: November 2017

Abstract

Motivation
The identification of repetitive elements is important in genome assembly and phylogenetic analyses. The existing de novo repeat identification methods exploiting the use of short reads are impotent in identifying long repeats. Since long reads are more likely to cover repeat regions completely, using long reads is more favorable for recognizing long repeats.

Results
In this study, we propose a novel de novo repeat elements identification method namely RepLong based on PacBio long reads. Given that the reads mapped to the repeat regions are highly overlapped with each other, the identification of repeat elements is equivalent to the discovery of consensus overlaps between reads, which can be further cast into a community detection problem in the network of read overlaps. In RepLong, we first construct a network of read overlaps based on pair-wise alignment of the reads, where each vertex indicates a read and an edge indicates a substantial overlap between the corresponding two reads. Secondly, the communities whose intra connectivity is greater than the inter connectivity are extracted based on network modularity optimization. Finally, representative reads in each community are extracted to form the repeat library. Comparison studies on Drosophila melanogaster and human long read sequencing data with genome-based and short-read-based methods demonstrate the efficiency of RepLong in identifying long repeats. RepLong can handle lower coverage data and serve as a complementary solution to the existing methods to promote the repeat identification performance on long-read sequencing data.

Availability and implementation
The software of RepLong is freely available at https://github.com/ruiguo-bio/replong.

Supplementary information
Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The ICC’s First ‘Forced Pregnancy’ Case in Historical Perspective
Authors: Grey Rosemary 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
Reproductive violence, as distinct from the related issue of sexual violence, is yet to be truly ‘surfaced’ in international criminal law. Yet, this kind of violence has long been a feature of war, and is repugnant to the values that international criminal law protects. The Ongwen case, which commenced trial in the International Criminal Court in December 2016, is a step forward in this regard. Not only is this the first case in any international criminal court to include charges of ‘forced pregnancy’; it is also one of the only cases in which reproductive violence outside the context of genocide or ‘ethnic cleansing’ has been understood as a crime under international law. This article situates this landmark case is its historical contex, and raises some broader concerns about the limited response to reproductive violence in the development and enforcement of international criminal law. Based on an analysis of the law and practice of past and present international criminal courts, it shows that accountability for conflict-related reproductive violence has been patchy at best, and that there has been little recognition of the harms that such violence causes to individual victims, as distinct from the groups to which they ‘belong’. The article concludes by sketching out some steps to remedy these omissions, building on the progress made in the Ongwen case. Underlying the article is a view that reproductive autonomy is a distinct value from sexual autonomy, and that, where possible, conduct which offends this value should be punished as a separate crime.
Nanomaterial libraries and model organisms for rapid high-content analysis of nanosafety
Authors: Li Yiye , Wang Jing , Zhao Feng , Bai Bing , Nie Guangjun , Nel André E , Zhao Yuliang 
Published: November 2017

AbstractSafety analysis of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) presents a formidable challenge regarding environmental health and safety, due to their complicated and diverse physicochemical properties. Although large amounts of data have been published regarding the potential hazards of these materials, we still lack a comprehensive strategy for their safety assessment, which generates a huge workload in decision-making. Thus, an integrated approach is urgently required by government, industry, academia and all others who deal with the safe implementation of nanomaterials on their way to the marketplace. The rapid emergence and sheer number of new nanomaterials with novel properties demands rapid and high-content screening (HCS), which could be performed on multiple materials to assess their safety and generate large data sets for integrated decision-making. With this approach, we have to consider reducing and replacing the commonly used rodent models, which are expensive, time-consuming, and not amenable to high-throughput screening and analysis. In this review, we present a ‘Library Integration Approach’ for high-content safety analysis relevant to the ENMs. We propose the integration of compositional and property-based ENM libraries for HCS of cells and biologically relevant organisms to be screened for mechanistic biomarkers that can be used to generate data for HCS and decision analysis. This systematic approach integrates the use of material and biological libraries, automated HCS and high-content data analysis to provide predictions about the environmental impact of large numbers of ENMs in various categories. This integrated approach also allows the safer design of ENMs, which is relevant to the implementation of nanotechnology solutions in the pharmaceutical industry.