bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pelagostrobilidium liui n. sp. (Ciliophora, Choreotrichida) from the Coastal Waters of Northeastern Taiwan and an Improved Description of Pelagostrobilidium minutum Liu et al., 2012
Authors: Chen Po‐Cheng , Chiang Kuo‐Ping , Tsai Sheng‐Fang 
Published: January 2017

AbstractThe number of somatic kineties in Pelagostrobilidium ranges from 4 to 6 according to the present state of knowledge. This study investigates Pelagostrobilidium liui n. sp. using live observation, protargol stain, and small subunit rDNA data sequencing. Pelagostrobilidium liui n. sp. is characterized by having a spherical‐shaped body, four somatic kineties, with kinety 2 spiraled around the left side of body, about six elongated external membranelles, and invariably no buccal membranelle. It differs from its most similar congener, Pelagostrobilidium minutum Liu et al., , in (i) cell shape; (ii) macronucleus width; (iii) oral apparatus; (iv) anterior orientation of kinety 2; (v) location where kinety 2 commences; (vi) arrangement of kinety 1; (vii) distance between the anterior cell end and the locations where kineties commence; and (viii) the presence of 12 different bases (including two deletions) in the small subunit rDNA sequences. The diagnosis of P. minutum Liu et al., is also improved to include the following new characteristics: invariably four somatic kineties; kineties 2 and 4 alone commence at the same level; kinety 2 originates from right anterior cell half on ventral side, extends sinistrally posteriorly, over kinety 1, around left posterior region, terminates near posterior cell end on dorsal side; kinety 1 commences below anterior third of kinety 2.
Crosstalk between intestinal epithelial cell and adaptive immune cell in intestinal mucosal immunity
Authors: Lu Jun Tao , Xu An Tao , Shen Jun , Ran Zhi Hua 
Published: January 2017

AbstractConstantly challenged by luminal bacteria, intestinal epithelium forms both a physical and biochemical defense against pathogens. Besides, intestinal epithelium senses dynamic and continuous changes in luminal environment and transmits signals to subjacent immune cells accordingly. It has been long accepted that adaptive immune cells fulfill their roles partly by modulating function of intestinal epithelial cells. Recent studies have brought up the proposal that intestinal epithelial cells also actively participate in the regulation of adaptive immunity, especially CD4+ adaptive T cells, which indicates that there is reciprocal crosstalk between intestinal epithelial cells and adaptive immune cells, and the crosstalk may play important role in intestinal mucosal immunity. This Review makes a comprehensive summary about crosstalk between intestinal epithelial cells and CD4+ adaptive T cells in intestinal immunity. Special attention would be given to their implications in inflammatory bowel disease pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets.
Non‐neuronal acetylcholine involved in reproduction in mammals and honeybees
Authors: Wessler Ignaz Karl , Kirkpatrick Charles James 
Published: January 2017

AbstractBacteria and archaea synthesize acetylcholine (ACh). Thus, it can be postulated that ACh was created by nature roughly three billion years ago. Therefore, the wide expression of ACh in nature (i.e., in bacteria, archaea, unicellular organisms, plants, fungi, non‐vertebrates and vertebrates and in the abundance of non‐neuronal cells of mammals) is not surprising. The term non‐neuronal ACh and non‐neuronal cholinergic system have been introduced to describe the auto‐ and paracrine, that is, local regulatory actions of ACh in cells not innervated by neuronal cholinergic fibers and to communicate among themselves. In this way non‐neuronal ACh binds to the nicotinic or muscarinic receptors expressed on these local and migrating cells and modulates basic cells functions such as proliferation, differentiation, migration and the transport of ions and water. The present article is focused to the effects of non‐neuronal ACh linked to reproduction; data on the expression and function of the non‐neuronal cholinergic system in the following topics are summarized: (i) Sperm, granulosa cells, oocytes; (ii) Auxiliary systems (ovary, oviduct, placenta); (iii) Embryonic stem cells as first step for reproduction of a new individual after fertilization; (iv) Larval food as an example of reproduction in insects (honeybees) and adverse effects of the neonicotinoids, a class of world‐wide applied insecticides. The review article will show that non‐neuronal ACh is substantially involved in the regulation of reproduction in mammals and also non‐mammals like insects (honeybees). There is a need to learn more about this biological role of ACh. In particular, we have to consider that insecticides like the neonicotinoids, but also carbamates and organophosphorus pesticides, interfere with the non‐neuronal cholinergic system thus compromising for example the breeding of honeybees. But it is possible that other species may also be adversely affected as well, a mechanism which may contribute to the observed decline in biodiversity.This is an article for the special issue XVth International Symposium on Cholinergic Mechanisms.
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Splicing regulation and dysregulation of cholinergic genes expressed at the neuromuscular junction
Authors: Ohno Kinji , Rahman Mohammad Alinoor , Nazim Mohammad , Nasrin Farhana , Lin Yingni , Takeda Jun‐ichi , Masuda Akio 
Published: January 2017

AbstractWe humans have evolved by acquiring diversity of alternative RNA metabolisms including alternative means of splicing and transcribing non‐coding genes, and not by acquiring new coding genes. Tissue‐specific and developmental stage‐specific alternative RNA splicing is achieved by tightly regulated spatiotemporal regulation of expressions and activations of RNA‐binding proteins that recognize their cognate splicing cis‐elements on nascent RNA transcripts. Genes expressed at the neuromuscular junction are also alternatively spliced. In addition, germline mutations provoke aberrant splicing by compromising binding of RNA‐binding proteins, and cause congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS). We present physiological splicing mechanisms of genes for agrin (AGRN), acetylcholinesterase (ACHE), MuSK (MUSK), acetylcholine receptor (AChR) α1 subunit (CHRNA1), and collagen Q (COLQ) in human, and their aberration in diseases. Splicing isoforms of AChET, AChEH, and AChER are generated by hnRNP H/F. Skipping of MUSK exon 10 makes a Wnt‐insensitive MuSK isoform, which is unique to human. Skipping of exon 10 is achieved by coordinated binding of hnRNP C, YB‐1, and hnRNP L to exon 10. Exon P3A of CHRNA1 is alternatively included to generate a non‐functional AChR α1 subunit in human. Molecular dissection of splicing mutations in patients with CMS reveals that exon P3A is alternatively skipped by hnRNP H, polypyrimidine tract‐binding protein 1, and hnRNP L. Similarly, analysis of an exonic mutation in COLQ exon 16 in a CMS patient discloses that constitutive splicing of exon 16 requires binding of serine arginine‐rich splicing factor 1. Intronic and exonic splicing mutations in CMS enable us to dissect molecular mechanisms underlying alternative and constitutive splicing of genes expressed at the neuromuscular junction.This is an article for the special issue XVth International Symposium on Cholinergic Mechanisms.
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Evolutionary aspects of the development of teeth and baleen in the bowhead whale
Authors: Thewissen J. G. M. , Hieronymus Tobin L. , George John C. , Suydam Robert , Stimmelmayr Raphaela , McBurney Denise 
Published: January 2017

AbstractIn utero, baleen whales initiate the development of several dozens of teeth in upper and lower jaws. These tooth germs reach the bell stage and are sometimes mineralized, but toward the end of prenatal life they are resorbed and no trace remains after birth. Around the time that the germs disappear, the keratinous baleen plates start to form in the upper jaw, and these form the food‐collecting mechanism. Baleen whale ancestors had two generations of teeth and never developed baleen, and the prenatal teeth of modern fetuses are usually interpreted as an evolutionary leftover. We investigated the development of teeth and baleen in bowhead whale fetuses using histological and immunohistochemical evidence. We found that upper and lower dentition initially follow similar developmental pathways. As development proceeds, upper and lower tooth germs diverge developmentally. Lower tooth germs differ along the length of the jaw, reminiscent of a heterodont dentition of cetacean ancestors, and lingual processes of the dental lamina represent initiation of tooth bud formation of replacement teeth. Upper tooth germs remain homodont and there is no evidence of a secondary dentition. After these germs disappear, the oral epithelium thickens to form the baleen plates, and the protein FGF‐4 displays a signaling pattern reminiscent of baleen plates. In laboratory mammals, FGF‐4 is not involved in the formation of hair or palatal rugae, but it is involved in tooth development. This leads us to propose that the signaling cascade that forms teeth in most mammals has been exapted to be involved in baleen plate ontogeny in mysticetes.
Dynamic Frailty Count Process in Insurance: A Unified Framework for Estimation, Pricing, and Forecasting
Authors: Lu Yang 
Published: January 2017

AbstractWe study count processes in insurance, in which the underlying risk factor is time varying and unobservable. The factor follows an autoregressive gamma process, and the resulting model generalizes the static Poisson‐Gamma model and allows for closed form expression for the posterior Bayes (linear or nonlinear) premium. Moreover, the estimation and forecasting can be conducted within the same framework in a rather efficient way. An example of automobile insurance pricing illustrates the ability of the model to capture the duration dependent, nonlinear impact of past claims on future ones and the improvement of the Bayes pricing method compared to the linear credibility approach.
The Cross‐Section of Asia‐Pacific Mortality Dynamics: Implications for Longevity Risk Sharing
Authors: Biffis Enrico , Lin Yijia , Milidonis Andreas 
Published: January 2017

AbstractWe study the dynamics of longevity risk across a subset of countries in the Asia‐Pacific (APAC) region. We use hand‐collected and existing data on age‐specific mortality rates from emerging and developed economies to understand how secular changes in mortality vary within and across APAC countries. We use our results to identify cross‐hedging opportunities among longevity risk exposures in the APAC region. We also introduce k‐forward contracts, which offer natural risk‐sharing opportunities to hedgers in different countries. We consider the example of Korea and Japan as a case study.
A ROP2‐RIC1 pathway fine‐tunes microtubule reorganization for salt tolerance in Arabidopsis
Authors: Li Changjiang , Lu Hanmei , Li Wei , Yuan Ming , Fu Ying 
Published: January 2017

AbstractThe reorganization of microtubules induced by salt stress is required for Arabidopsis survival under high salinity conditions. RIC1 is an effector of Rho‐related GTPase from plants (ROPs) and a known microtubule‐associated protein. In this study, we demonstrated that RIC1 expression decreased with long‐term NaCl treatment, and ric1‐1 seedlings exhibited a higher survival rate under salt stress. We found that RIC1 reduced the frequency of microtubule transition from shortening to growing status and knockout of RIC1 improved the reassembly of depolymerized microtubules caused by either oryzalin treatment or salt stress. Further investigation showed that constitutively active ROP2 promoted the reassembly of microtubules and the survival of seedlings under salt stress. A rop2‐1 ric1‐1 double mutant rescued the salt‐sensitive phenotype of rop2‐1, indicating that ROP2 functions in salt tolerance through RIC1. Although ROP2 did not regulate RIC1 expression upon salt stress, a quick but mild increase of ROP2 activity was induced, led to reduction of RIC1 on microtubules. Collectively, our study reveals an ROP2‐RIC1 pathway that fine‐tunes microtubule dynamics in response to salt stress in Arabidopsis. This finding not only reveals a new regulatory mechanism for microtubule reorganization under salt stress but also the importance of ROP signalling for salinity tolerance.
Improving Profits by Bundling Vertically Differentiated Products
Authors: Honhon Dorothée , Pan Xiajun Amy 
Published: January 2017

We consider a firm managing a category of vertically differentiated goods, that is, products which differ with respect to an attribute for which all consumers prefer more to less. The goods can be sold individually, in which case they are referred to as components, or in bundles. The firm chooses the assortment of components and bundles and their selling prices to maximize profit. We show that each bundling strategy (pure components, pure bundling or mixed bundling) can be optimal and obtain closed‐form expressions for the optimal selling prices. We provide insights on the structure of the optimal assortment and prices. In particular, we show that, when consumers benefit from consuming the components jointly, the products in the optimal assortment form nested sets. When consumers do not benefit from the joint consumption of components, the bundles should be offered at a positive discount. We find that bundling vertically differentiated products can significantly improve profits, even if consumers do not benefit from consuming the components jointly. The value of bundling comes from increased sales: a firm, which understands that its customers may buy multiple types of components, offers bundles of components, incentivizing customers to buy more.
Entrepreneurial Saving Practices and Reinvestment: Theory and Evidence
Authors: Beck Thorsten , Pamuk Haki , Uras Burak R. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractWe use a novel enterprise survey to gauge the relationship between saving instruments and entrepreneurial reinvestment. We show that while most informal saving practices are not associated with a lower likelihood of reinvestment when compared with formal saving practices, there is a significantly lower association of saving within the household with the likelihood of reinvesting profits than other savings form, most importantly, formal saving forms. This result is robust to the model specification and controlling for a large array of variables including district‐level fixed effects. We also provide empirical tests to address reverse causation and omitted variable concerns. Our work contributes to the debate on the implications of different saving instruments in developing countries and expands the entrepreneurial financing constraints literature by focusing on internal rather than external funding constraints.
Identifying Effective Nurse‐Led Care Transition Interventions for Older Adults With Complex Needs Using a Structured Expert Panel
Authors: Jeffs Lianne , Kuluski Kerry , Law Madelyn , Saragosa Marianne , Espin Sherry , Ferris Ella , Merkley Jane , Dusek Brenda , Kastner Monika , Bell Chaim M. 
Published: January 2017

ABSTRACTBackgroundNursing plays a central role in facilitating care transitions for complex older adults, yet there is no consensus of the components of nurse‐led care transitions interventions to facilitate high quality care transitions among complex older adults. A structured expert panel was established with the purpose of identifying effective nurse‐led care transition interventions.MethodsA modified Delphi consensus technique based on the RAND method was employed. Panelists (n = 23) were asked to individually rate a series of statements derived from a realist synthesis of the literature for relevance, feasibility and likely impact. Statements receiving an aggregate score of ≥75% (7/9) were reviewed and revised at a face‐to‐face consensus meeting. A second round of rating following the same process as round one was used, followed by a final ranking of the statements.ResultsThe five highest ranked intervention components and contextual factors were: (a) educating and coaching patients, their family members and caregivers about self‐management skills; (b) ensuring patients, their family members and caregivers are aware of follow‐up medical appointments and postdischarge care plan; (c) using standardized documentation tools and comprehensive communication strategies during care transitions; (d) optimizing nurses’ roles and scopes of practice across the care transitions spectrum; and (e) having strong leadership, strategic alignment and accountability structures in organizations to enable quality care transitions for the complex older person population.Linking Evidence to ActionKey insights on optimizing the nurses’ roles and scope of practice during care transitions included having nurses provide “warm hand‐offs” and serve as the “go‐to person.” The panel also identified current challenges to optimizing the nurses’ roles and scope of practice across care transition points. Future research is required to determine effective nurse‐led intervention components and in which context do they work or do not.
Reviewer Acknowledgements
Authors: Gibbs Nikki 
Published: January 2017

Applied Economics and Finance [AEF] would like to acknowledge the following reviewers for their assistance with peer review of manuscripts for this issue. Many authors, regardless of whether AEF publishes their work, appreciate the helpful feedback provided by the reviewers. Their comments and suggestions were of great help to the authors in improving the quality of their papers. Each of the reviewers listed below returned at least one review for this issue. Reviewers for Volume 3, Number 2 Aleksandar Vasilev Ali Massoud Arash Riasi Dimitrios Vortelinos Erdal Gumus George Theocharides Getamesay Bekele Ian Mcfarlane Igor Matyushenko Iulia Lupu Jin Yong Yang Magdalena Zioło Manuel Caravaca Martin Jaekel Ramona Orastean Ruhet Genc,Vice Dean Steven V. Cates Vilas Gaikar Nikki Gibbs Editorial Assistant On behalf of, The Editorial Board of Applied Economics and Finance Redfame Publishing 9450 SW Gemini Dr. #99416 Beaverton, OR 97008, USA URL: http://aef.redfame.com
Reviewer Acknowledgements
Authors: Smith Robert 
Published: January 2017

Journal of Education and Training Studies (JETS) would like to acknowledge the following reviewers for their assistance with peer review of manuscripts for this issue. Many authors, regardless of whether JETS publishes their work, appreciate the helpful feedback provided by the reviewers. Their comments and suggestions were of great help to the authors in improving the quality of their papers. Each of the reviewers listed below returned at least one review for this issue. Reviewers for Volume 4, Number 5 Ardi Marwan Begoña Montero-Fleta Cynthia M. Compton Dodzi Amemado Elena Jerves Enisa Mede Jeyavel Sundaramoorthy John Cowan Katya De Giovanni Laima Kyburiene Mara Carsote Marcie Zaharee Michael Baron Mustafa Çakır Richard Beresford Richard H. Martin Sahar Younes Othman Sandra Kaplan Yerlan Seisenbekov Robert Smith Editorial Assistant On behalf of, The Editorial Board of Journal of Education and Training Studies Redfame Publishing 9450 SW Gemini Dr. #99416 Beaverton, OR 97008, USA URL: http://jets.redfame.com
Reviewer Acknowledgements
Authors: Johnson Patricia 
Published: January 2017

Studies in Media and Communication (SMC) would like to thank the following reviewers for reviewing manuscripts from December 1, 2013, to May 31, 2014. Their comments and suggestions were of great help to the authors in improving the quality of their papers. Many authors, regardless of whether SMC publishes their work, appreciate the helpful feedback provided by the reviewers. Redfame Publishing appreciates the following reviewers’ rigorous and conscientious efforts for this journal. Each of the reviewers listed below returned at least one review during this period. Ahmed K. Al-Rawi Androniki Kavoura Ann Grand Bernard Naledzani Rasila Camelia Cmeciu Christos Giannoulis Dorina Ticu Javier Serrano Puche Jenny-Ann Danell Joerg Tropp John Mills Margarida Sardo Mark Stuhlfaut Nina Gunnarsson Rodney S. Ciboh Simone Tosoni
Effects of exercise training on brain‐derived neurotrophic factor in skeletal muscle and heart of rats post myocardial infarction
Authors: Lee Heow Won , Ahmad Monir , Wang Hong‐Wei , Leenen Frans H. H. 
Published: January 2017

New Findings
What is the central question of this study?
Exercise training increases brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus, which depends on a myokine, fibronectin type III domain‐containing protein 5 (FNDC5). Whether exercise training after myocardial infarction induces parallel increases in FNDC5 and BDNF expression in skeletal muscle and the heart has not yet been studied.

What is the main finding and its importance?
Exercise training after myocardial infarction increases BDNF protein in skeletal muscle and the non‐infarct area of the LV without changes in FNDC5 protein, suggesting that BDNF is not regulated by FNDC5 in skeletal muscle and heart. An increase in cardiac BDNF may contribute to the improvement of cardiac function by exercise training.

Exercise training after myocardial infarction (MI) attenuates progressive left ventricular (LV) remodelling and dysfunction, but the peripheral stimuli induced by exercise that trigger these beneficial effects are still unclear. We investigated as possible mediators fibronectin type III domain‐containing protein 5 (FNDC5) and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the skeletal muscle and heart. Male Wistar rats underwent either sham surgery or ligation of the left descending coronary artery, and surviving MI rats were allocated to either a sedentary (Sed‐MI) or an exercise group (ExT‐MI). Exercise training was done for 4 weeks on a motor‐driven treadmill. At the end, LV function was evaluated, and FNDC5 and BDNF mRNA and protein were assessed in soleus muscle, quadriceps and non‐, peri‐ and infarct areas of the LV. At 5 weeks post MI, FNDC5 mRNA was decreased in soleus muscle and all areas of the LV, but FNDC5 protein was increased in the soleus muscle and the infarct area. Mature BDNF (mBDNF) protein was decreased in the infarct area without a change in mRNA. Exercise training attenuated the decrease in ejection fraction and the increase in LV end‐diastolic pressure post MI. Exercise training had no effect on FNDC5 mRNA and protein, but increased mBDNF protein in soleus muscle, quadriceps and the non‐infarct area of the LV. The mBDNF protein in the non‐infarct area correlated positively with ejection fraction and inversely with LV end‐diastolic pressure. In conclusion, mBDNF is induced by exercise training in skeletal muscle and the non‐infarct area of the LV, which may contribute to improvement of muscle dysfunction and cardiac function post MI.