bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Physiological Evaluation of Personal Protective Ensembles Recommended for Use in West Africa
Authors: Coca Aitor , Quinn Tyler , Kim Jung-Hyun , Wu Tianzhou , Powell Jeff , Roberge Raymond , Shaffer Ronald 
Published: March 2017

ABSTRACTObjectivePersonal protective equipment (PPE) provides health care workers with a barrier to prevent human contact with viruses like Ebola and potential transmission of the disease. However, PPE can also introduce an additional physiological burden from potentially increased heat stress. This study evaluated the human physiological and subjective responses to continuous light exercise within environmental conditions similar to those in West Africa while wearing 3 different, commonly used PPE ensembles (E1, E2, and E3).MethodsSix healthy individuals were tested in an environmental chamber (32°C, 92% relative humidity) while walking (3 METs, 2.5 mph, 0% incline) on a treadmill for 60 minutes. All subjects wore medical scrubs and PPE items. E1 also had a face shield and fluid-resistant surgical gown; E2 additionally included goggles, coverall, and separate hood; and E3 also contained a highly impermeable coverall, separate hood, and surgical mask cover over the N95 respirator.ResultsHeart rate and core temperature at the end of the exercise were significantly higher for E2 and E3 than for E1. Subjective perceptions of heat and exertion were significantly higher for E2 and E3 than for E1.ConclusionsHeat stress and PPE training, as well as the implementation of a work-to-rest ratio that avoids dehydration and possible heat stress issues, are recommended. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:580–586)
Feeding performance and life table parameters of Khapra Beetle,Trogoderma granariumEverts (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) on various barley cultivars
Authors: Golizadeh A. , Abedi Z. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThe Khapra beetle,Trogoderma granariumEverts (Coleoptera: Dermestidae), is a common pest of cereal grains and other stored products. In this study, the effects of ten barley cultivars (Abidar, Bahman, Line20, Line22, Line30, Lisuei, Lokht11, Makuyi, Sahand, and Sahraa) were evaluated on life table parameters and nutritional indices ofT. granariumunder the following laboratory conditions: 33 ± 1°C, 60 ± 5% RH, and a photoperiod of 14: 10 (L: D) h. Life history parameters ofT. granariumcould be appropriate indices in resistance and susceptibility evaluation of barley cultivars. The maximum survival rate of immature stages was observed on Makuyi and Lisuei cultivars and the minimum rate was on Abidar and Line22 cultivars. The shortest development time was on Makuyi cultivar and the longest on Line22 cultivar. Pupal weight was ranged from 2.56 mg on Lokht11 to 4.86 mg on Makuyi. Fecundity and egg-hatching rates were highest on Lisuei cultivar and the adults were long-lived on Makuyi cultivar. The highestrmvalues were observed on Makuyi and Lisuei cultivars but lower value of it resulted from rearing ofT. granariumon Line22 cultivar (0.0350 female per female day−1). The results showed thatT. granariumlarvae fed on Makuyi cultivar had higher values of relative consumption rate and relative growth rate. The results indicated that Makuyi and Lisuei cultivars were relatively susceptible barley cultivars and Line22 was the most inappropriate cultivar for feeding ofT. granarium, which could prove useful in the development of Integrated Pest Management programs for this pest.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF CUSTOMARY INTERNATIONAL LAW BY INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Authors: Odermatt Jed 
Published: March 2017

AbstractIn his Fourth Report on the Identification of Customary International Law (2016), Special Rapporteur Sir Michael Wood confirmed that ‘[i]n certain cases, the practice of international organizations also contributes to the expression, or creation, of rules of customary international law’. That the practice of international organizations can be relevant when identifying customary international law is relatively uncontroversial. The issue that is more debated is the extent to which the practice of international organizationsas suchmay contribute to the development of customary international law. Using examples from the European Union's treaty practice and from the Court of Justice of the European Union, this article argues that international organizations may contribute to such practice, not only by representing the collective will of States, but as autonomous actors in their own right.
Conditional persistence and tolerance characterize endoparasite–colonial host interactions
Authors: FONTES INÊS , HARTIKAINEN HANNA , TAYLOR NICK G. H. , OKAMURA BETH 
Published: March 2017

SUMMARYColonial hosts offer unique opportunities for exploitation by endoparasites resulting from extensive clonal propagation, but these interactions are poorly understood. The freshwater bryozoan, Fredericella sultana, and the myxozoan, Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae, present an appropriate model system for examining such interactions. F. sultana propagates mainly asexually, through colony fragmentation and dormant propagules (statoblasts). Our study examines how T. bryosalmonae exploits the multiple transmission routes offered by the propagation of F. sultana, evaluates the effects of such transmission on its bryozoan host, and tests the hypothesis that poor host condition provokes T. bryosalmonae to bail out of a resource that may soon be unsustainable, demonstrating terminal investment. We show that infections are present in substantial proportions of colony fragments and statoblasts over space and time and that moderate infection levels promote statoblast hatching and hence effective fecundity. We also found evidence for terminal investment, with host starvation inducing the development of transmission stages. Our results contribute to a growing picture that interactions of T. bryosalmonae and F. sultana are generally characterized by parasite persistence, facilitated by multiple transmission pathways and host condition-dependent developmental cycling, and host tolerance, promoted by effective fecundity effects and an inherent capacity for renewed growth and clonal replication.
On the identity of the Syrianabdāl
Authors: Mikati Rana 
Published: March 2017

AbstractScholarly discussion of theabdāl(substitutes) has been limited to their appearance as the members of a saintly hierarchy first alluded to by al-Ḥakīm al-Tirmidhī (d. 295/905–300/910) and systematized by Ibn ʿArabī (d. 638/1240). However, unlike the other members of this hierarchy, theabdālare also known through the hadith, one of which is attributed to ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib. This article explores this hitherto unstudied hadith material arguing that the concept originated in hadith circles with a specific purported context, the showdown between the Syrians and Iraqis at the Battle of Ṣiffīn (37/657). A gradual loss of this context went hand-in-hand with the emergence of the mystical saintlyabdāl. As monistic Sufism penetrated all elements of Mamluk society, the boundary between theabdālof the traditionists and of the mystics became porous. This paper concludes with an examination of the ensuing debate on the authenticity of the concept.
Preparing the sexual health workforce to deliver integrated services: is education the answer? A qualitative study exploring the impact of sexual health education on developing integrated policy and practice
Authors: Brook Judy , Salmon Debra , Knight Rachael-Anne 
Published: March 2017

Aim
This study aimed to explore the ability of sexual health nurses working in the South West of England, to implement new learning within existing sexual health service delivery models. Drawing on Lipsky’s account of street-level bureaucracy to conceptualise policy implementation, the impact of workforce learning on the development of integrated services across this region of the United Kingdom was assessed.

Background
In order to achieve the United Nations’ goal of universal access to sexual health, it is essential for reproductive and sexual health, including HIV provision, to integrate into a single service. This integration requires a commitment to collaboration by service commissioners and an alignment of principles and values across sexual health and contraceptive services. UK health policy has embraced this holistic agenda but moves towards integrating historically separate clinical services, has presented significant workforce development challenges and influenced policy success.

Methods
Employing a qualitative approach, the study included data from semi-structured telephone interviews and focus groups, and longitudinal data from pre- and post-intervention surveys, collected between September 2013 and September 2015. Data were collected from 88 nurses undertaking a workforce development programme and six of their service managers. Data were analysed using thematic analysis to identify consistent themes.

Findings
Nurses confirmed the role of new learning in enabling them to negotiate the political landscape but expressed frustration at their lack of agency in the integration agenda, exposing a clear dichotomy between the intentions of policy and the reality of practice. Nevertheless, using high levels of professional judgement and discretion practitioners managed the incongruence between policy and practice in order to deliver integrated services in the interests of patients. Workforce education, while essential for the transition to the delivery of integrated services, was insufficient to fulfil the sexual health agenda without a strengthening of public health.
Identification of dimethylamine monooxygenase in marine bacteria reveals a metabolic bottleneck in the methylated amine degradation pathway
Authors: Lidbury Ian , Mausz Michaela A , Scanlan David J , Chen Yin 
Published: March 2017

Abstract
Methylated amines (MAs) are ubiquitous in the marine environment and their subsequent flux into the atmosphere can result in the formation of aerosols and ultimately cloud condensation nuclei. Therefore, these compounds have a potentially important role in climate regulation. Using Ruegeria pomeroyi as a model, we identified the genes encoding dimethylamine (DMA) monooxygenase (dmmABC) and demonstrate that this enzyme degrades DMA to monomethylamine (MMA). Although only dmmABC are required for enzyme activity in recombinant Escherichia coli, we found that an additional gene, dmmD, was required for the growth of R. pomeroyi on MAs. The dmmDABC genes are absent from the genomes of multiple marine bacteria, including all representatives of the cosmopolitan SAR11 clade. Consequently, the abundance of dmmDABC in marine metagenomes was substantially lower than the genes required for other metabolic steps of the MA degradation pathway. Thus, there is a genetic and potential metabolic bottleneck in the marine MA degradation pathway. Our data provide an explanation for the observation that DMA-derived secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) are among the most abundant SOAs detected in fine marine particles over the North and Tropical Atlantic Ocean.
Hidden amorphous phase and reentrant supercooled liquid in Pd-Ni-P metallic glasses
Authors: Lan S. , Ren Y. , Wei X. Y. , Wang B. , Gilbert E. P. , Shibayama T. , Watanabe S. , Ohnuma M. , Wang X. -L. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractAn anomaly in differential scanning calorimetry has been reported in a number of metallic glass materials in which a broad exothermal peak was observed between the glass and crystallization temperatures. The mystery surrounding this calorimetric anomaly is epitomized by four decades long studies of Pd-Ni-P metallic glasses, arguably the best glass-forming alloys. Here we show, using a suite of in situ experimental techniques, that Pd-Ni-P alloys have a hidden amorphous phase in the supercooled liquid region. The anomalous exothermal peak is the consequence of a polyamorphous phase transition between two supercooled liquids, involving a change in the packing of atomic clusters over medium-range length scales as large as 18 Å. With further temperature increase, the alloy reenters the supercooled liquid phase, which forms the room-temperature glass phase on quenching. The outcome of this study raises a possibility to manipulate the structure and hence the stability of metallic glasses through heat treatment.
Mutual reinforcement between telomere capping and canonical Wnt signalling in the intestinal stem cell niche
Authors: Yang Ting-Lin B. , Chen Qijun , Deng Jennifer T. , Jagannathan Geetha , Tobias John W. , Schultz David C. , Wang Shan , Lengner Christopher J. , Rustgi Anil K. , Lynch John P. , Johnson F. Brad 
Published: March 2017

AbstractCritical telomere shortening (for example, secondary to partial telomerase deficiency in the rare disease dyskeratosis congenita) causes tissue pathology, but underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Mice lacking telomerase (for example, mTR−/− telomerase RNA template mutants) provide a model for investigating pathogenesis. In such mice, after several generations of telomerase deficiency telomeres shorten to the point of uncapping, causing defects most pronounced in high-turnover tissues including intestinal epithelium. Here we show that late-generation mTR−/− mutants experience marked downregulation of Wnt pathway genes in intestinal crypt epithelia, including crypt base columnar stem cells and Paneth cells, and in underlying stroma. The importance of these changes was revealed by rescue of crypt apoptosis and Wnt pathway gene expression upon treatment with Wnt pathway agonists. Rescue was associated with reduced telomere-dysfunction-induced foci and anaphase bridges, indicating improved telomere capping. Thus a mutually reinforcing feedback loop exists between telomere capping and Wnt signalling, and telomere capping can be impacted by extracellular cues in a fashion independent of telomerase.
DNA methylation evidence against the accelerated aging hypothesis of schizophrenia
Authors: McKinney Brandon C. , Lin Huang , Ding Ying , Lewis David A. , Sweet Robert A. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThe accelerated aging hypothesis of schizophrenia posits that physiological changes throughout the body that are associated with normal aging occur at an earlier age in individuals with schizophrenia. Testing this hypothesis has been limited by problems measuring biological age. Recently, a method using DNA methylation levels at 353 genomic sites to produce “DNA methylation age”, an estimate of tissue biological age, was described and validated. We used this method to test the hypothesis in the postmortem superior temporal gyrus of 22 non-psychiatric control and 22 schizophrenia subjects. DNA methylation age correlated with chronological age in both non-psychiatric control (r = 0.95, p < 0.0001) and schizophrenia subjects (r = 0.96, p < 0.0001). Age acceleration did not differ between non-psychiatric control and schizophrenia subjects (t = 1.27, p = 0.21). Our findings suggest there is no acceleration of brain aging in schizophrenia. Larger studies using samples from multiple brain regions and homogenous cell populations will be necessary to confirm these findings.
Targeting to the non-genomic activity of retinoic acid receptor-gamma by acacetin in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Zeng Wenjun , Zhang Chunyun , Cheng Hongwei , Wu Yun-Long , Liu Jie , Chen Zekun , Huang Jian-gang , Ericksen Russell Erick , Chen Liqun , Zhang Haiping , Wong Alice Sze Tsai , Zhang Xiao-kun , Han Weiping , Zeng Jin-Zhang 
Published: March 2017

AbstractWe recently demonstrated that retinoic acid receptor-γ (RARγ) is overexpressed and acts as a tumor promoter in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The oncogenic activity of RARγ is mainly attributed to its physiological interaction with p85α regulatory subunit of PI3K leading to constitutive activation of AKT. Here we report RARγ as a negative regulator of p53 signaling and thus extend the oncogenic potential of RARγ to a new role in controlling the balance between AKT and p53. A natural flavonoid acacetin is then identified to be capable of modulating RARγ-dependent AKT-p53 network. It specifically binds to RARγ and inhibitsall-transretinoic acid (atRA) stimulation of RARγ transactivation. However, the anticancer action of acacetin is independent on its modulation of RARγ-driven transcriptional activity. Acacetin induces cancer cell apoptosis through antagonizing the non-genomic effect of RARγ on AKT and p53. When bound to RARγ, acacetin prevents RARγ from its activation of AKT followed by recovery of the normal p53 signaling. Given the implication of AKT-p53 dysregulation in most HCC, targeting the non-genomic signaling of RARγ that switches AKT-p53 from a pro-survival to a pro-apoptotic program in cancer cells should be a promising strategy for developing novel anti-HCC drugs.
Multimode fiber tip Fabry-Perot cavity for highly sensitive pressure measurement
Authors: Chen W. P. , Wang D. N. , Xu Ben , Zhao C. L. , Chen H. F. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractWe demonstrate an optical Fabry-Perot interferometer fiber tip sensor based on an etched end of multimode fiber filled with ultraviolet adhesive. The fiber device is miniature (with diameter of less than 60 μm), robust and low cost, in a convenient reflection mode of operation, and has a very high gas pressure sensitivity of −40.94 nm/MPa, a large temperature sensitivity of 213 pm/°C within the range from 55 to 85 °C, and a relatively low temperature cross-sensitivity of 5.2 kPa/°C. This device has a high potential in monitoring environment of high pressure.
Model explanation of the seasonal variation of δ18O in cow (Bos taurus) hair under temperate conditions
Authors: Chen Guo , Schnyder Hans , Auerswald Karl 
Published: March 2017

AbstractOxygen isotopes (δ18O) in animal and human tissues are expected to be good recorders of geographical origin and migration histories. However, seasonal variation of δ18O may diminish the origin information in the tissues. Here the seasonality of δ18O in tail hair was investigated in a domestic suckler cow (Bos taurus) that underwent different ambient conditions, physiological states, keeping and feeding during five years. A detailed mechanistic model was built to explain this variation. The measured δ18O in hair significantly related (p < 0.05) to the δ18O in meteoric water in a regression analysis. Modelling suggested that this relation was only partly derived from the direct influence of feed moisture. Ambient conditions (temperature, moisture) also affected the animal itself (drinking water demand, transcutaneous vapor etc.). The clear temporal variation thus resulted from complex interactions with multiple influences. The twofold influence of ambient conditions via the feed and via the animal itself is advantageous for tracing the geographic origin because δ18O is then less influenced by variations in moisture uptake; however, it is unfavorable for indicating the production system, e.g. to distinguish between milk produced from fresh grass or from silage. The model is versatile but needs testing under a wider range of conditions.
Apigenin-induced lysosomal degradation of β-catenin in Wnt/β-catenin signaling
Authors: Lin Chung-Ming , Chen Hsin-Han , Lin Chun-An , Wu Hui-Chung , Sheu Jim Jinn-Chyuan , Chen Hui-Jye 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThe bioflavonoid apigenin has been shown to possess cancer-preventive and anti-cancer activities. In a drug screening, we found that apigenin can inhibit Wnt/β-catenin signaling, a pathway that participates in pivotal biological functions, which dis-regulation results in various human diseases including cancers. However, the underlying mechanism of apigenin in this pathway and its link to anti-cancer activities remain largely unknown. Here we showed that apigenin reduced the amount of total, cytoplasmic, and nuclear β-catenin, leading to the suppression in the β-catenin/TCF-mediated transcriptional activity, the expression of Wnt target genes, and cell proliferation of Wnt-stimulated P19 cells and Wnt-driven colorectal cancer cells. Western blotting and immunofluorescent staining analyses further revealed that apigenin could induce autophagy-mediated down-regulation of β-catenin in treated cells. Treatment with autophagy inhibitors wortmannin and chloroquine compromised this effect, substantiating the involvement of autophagy-lysosomal system on the degradation of β-catenin during Wnt signaling through inhibition of the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Our data not only pointed out a route for the inhibition of canonical Wnt signaling through the induction of autophagy-lysosomal degradation of key player β-catenin, but also suggested that apigenin or other treatments which can initiate this degradation event are potentially used for the therapy of Wnt-related diseases including cancers.
Inhibition of serum and glucocorticoid regulated kinase-1 as novel therapy for cardiac arrhythmia disorders
Authors: Bezzerides Vassilios J. , Zhang Aifeng , Xiao Ling , Simonson Bridget , Khedkar Santosh A. , Baba Shiro , Ottaviano Filomena , Lynch Stacey , Hessler Katherine , Rigby Alan C. , Milan David , Das Saumya , Rosenzweig Anthony 
Published: March 2017

AbstractAlterations in sodium flux (INa) play an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiac arrhythmias and may also contribute to the development of cardiomyopathies. We have recently demonstrated a critical role for the regulation of the voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.5 in the heart by the serum and glucocorticoid regulated kinase-1 (SGK1). Activation of SGK1 in the heart causes a marked increase in both the peak and late sodium currents leading to prolongation of the action potential duration and an increased propensity to arrhythmia. Here we show that SGK1 directly regulates NaV1.5 channel function, and genetic inhibition of SGK1 in a zebrafish model of inherited long QT syndrome rescues the long QT phenotype. Using computer-aided drug discovery coupled with in vitro kinase assays, we identified a novel class of SGK1 inhibitors. Our lead SGK1 inhibitor (5377051) selectively inhibits SGK1 in cultured cardiomyocytes, and inhibits phosphorylation of an SGK1-specific target as well as proliferation in the prostate cancer cell line, LNCaP. Finally, 5377051 can reverse SGK1’s effects on NaV1.5 and shorten the action potential duration in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes from a patient with a gain-of-function mutation in Nav 1.5 (Long QT3 syndrome). Our data suggests that SGK1 inhibitors warrant further investigation in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias.
Different antiviral effects of IFNα subtypes in a mouse model of HBV infection
Authors: Song Jingjiao , Li Sheng , Zhou Yun , Liu Jia , Francois Sandra , Lu Mengji , Yang Dongliang , Dittmer Ulf , Sutter Kathrin 
Published: March 2017

AbstractInterferon alpha (IFNα) is commonly used for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. There are 13 different IFNα subtypes in humans, but only the subtype IFNα2 is used for clinical treatment. The antiviral activities of all other IFNα subtypes against HBV have not been studied. To obtain basic knowledge about the direct antiviral as well as the immunomodulatory effects of IFNα subtypes, we used the HBV hydrodynamic injection (HI) mouse model. Application of most IFNα subtype proteins inhibited HBV replication in vivo, with IFNα4 and IFNα5 being the most effective subtypes. Decreased viral loads after therapeutic application of IFNα4 and IFNα5 correlated with expanded effector cell populations of NK cells and T cells in both liver and spleen. Hydrodynamic injection of plasmids encoding for the effective IFNα subtypes (pIFNα) was even more potent against HBV than injecting IFNα proteins. The combination of pIFNα4 and pIFNα5 showed a synergistic antiviral effect on HBV replication, with a strong increase in NK cell and T cell activity. The results demonstrate distinct anti-HBV effects of different IFNα subtypes against HBV in the mouse model, which may be relevant for new therapeutic approaches.