bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The rapid evolution of alternative splicing in plants
Authors: Ling Zhihao , Brockmöller Thomas , Baldwin Ian T. , Xu Shuqing 
Published: February 2017

AbstractAlternative pre-mRNA splicing (AS) is prevalent among all plants and is involved in many interactions with environmental stresses. However, the evolutionary patterns and underlying mechanisms of AS in plants remain unclear. By analyzing the transcriptomes of six plant species, we revealed that AS diverged rapidly among closely related species, largely due to the gains and losses of AS events among orthologous genes. Furthermore, AS that generates transcripts containing premature termination codons (PTC), although only representing a small fraction of the total AS, are more conserved than those that generate non-PTC containing transcripts, suggesting that AS coupled with nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) might play an important role in regulating mRNA levels post-transcriptionally. With a machine learning approach we analyzed the key determinants of AS to understand the mechanisms underlying its rapid divergence. Among the studied species, the presence/absence of alternative splicing site (SS) within the junction, the distance between the authentic SS and the nearest alternative SS, the size of exon-exon junctions were the major determinants for both alternative 5’ donor site and 3’acceptor site, suggesting a relatively conserved AS mechanism. Comparative analysis further demonstrated that variations of the identified AS determinants, mostly are located in introns, significantly contributed to the AS turnover among closely related species in both Solanaceae and Brassicaceae taxa. These new mechanistic insights into the evolution of AS in plants highlight the importance of post-transcriptional regulation in mediating plant-environment interactions.One sentence summaryChanges of intron located splicing regulators contributed to the rapid evolution of alternative splicing in plants.
Bursting on a two state stochastic model for gene transcription inDrosophilaembryos
Authors: Yvinec Romain , da Silva Luiz Guilherme S. , Prata Guilherme N. , Reinitz John , Ferreira Ramos Alexandre 
Published: February 2017

AbstractRecent experimental data on the transcription dynamics ofevegene stripe two formation ofDrosophila melanogasterembryos occurs in bursts of multiple sizes and durations. That has motivated the proposition of a transcription model having multiple ON states for the promoter of theevegene each of them characterized by different synthesis rate. To understand the role of multiple ON states on gene transcription we approach the exact solutions for a two state stochastic model for gene transcription inD. melanogasterembryos and derive its bursting limit. Simulations based on the Gillespie algorithm at the bursting limit show the occurrence of bursts of multiple sizes and durations. Based on our theoretical approach, we interpret the aforementioned experimental data as a demonstration of the intrinsic stochasticity of the transcriptional processes in fruit fly embryos. Then, we conceive the experimental arrangement to determine when gene transcription has multiple ON promoter state in a noisy environment.
Ciliomotor circuitry underlying whole-body coordination of ciliary activity in thePlatynereislarva
Authors: Verasztó Csaba , Ueda Nobuo , Bezares-Calderón Luis A. , Panzera Aurora , Williams Elizabeth A. , Shahidi Réza , Jékely Gáspár 
Published: February 2017

AbstractCiliated surfaces harbouring synchronously beating cilia can generate fluid flow or drive locomotion. In ciliary swimmers, ciliary beating, arrests, and changes in beat frequency are often coordinated across extended or discontinuous surfaces. To understand how such coordination is achieved, we studied the ciliated larvae ofPlatynereis dumerilii, a marine annelid.Platynereislarvae have segmental multiciliated cells that regularly display spontaneous coordinated ciliary arrests. We used whole-body connectomics, activity imaging, transgenesis, and neuron ablation to characterize the ciliomotor circuitry. We identified cholinergic, serotonergic, and catecholaminergic ciliomotor neurons. The synchronous rhythmic activation of cholinergic cells drives the coordinated arrests of all cilia. The serotonergic cells are active when cilia are beating. Serotonin inhibits the cholinergic rhythm, and increases ciliary beat frequency. Based on their connectivity and alternating activity, the catecholaminergic cells may generate the rhythm. The ciliomotor circuitry thus constitutes a stop-and-go pacemaker system for the whole-body coordination of ciliary locomotion.
Single cell transcriptome analysis of human pancreas reveals transcriptional signatures of aging and somatic mutation patterns
Authors: Enge Martin , Arda H. Efsun , Mignardi Marco , Beausang John , Bottino Rita , Kim Seung K. , Quake Stephen R. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractAs organisms age, cells accumulate genetic and epigenetic changes that eventually lead to impaired organ function or catastrophic transformation such as cancer. Since aging appears to be a stochastic process of increasing disorder1 cells in an organ will be individually affected in different ways - thus rendering bulk analyses of postmitotic adult tissues difficult to characterize. Here we directly measure the effects of aging in primary human tissue by performing single-cell transcriptome analysis of 2544 human pancreas cells from eight donors spanning six decades of life. We find that islet cells from older donors have increased levels of molecular disorder as measured both by noise in the transcriptome and by the number of cells which display inappropriate hormone expression, revealing a transcriptional instability associated with aging. By further analyzing the spectrum of somatic mutations in single cells, we found a specific age-dependent mutational signature characterized by C to A and C to G transversions. These mutations are indicators of oxidative stress and the signature is absent in single cells from human brain tissue or in a tumor cell line. We have used the single cell measurements of transcriptional noise and mutation level to identify molecular pathways correlated with these changes that could influence human disease. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of using single-cell RNA-seq data from primary cells to derive meaningful insights into the genetic processes that operate on aging human tissue and to determine molecular mechanisms coordinated with these processes.
Factors impacting the adoption of m-banking: understanding brand India’s potential for financial inclusion
Authors: Deb Madhurima , Agrawal Aarti 
Published: February 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this study has been to understand brand India’s potential for financial inclusion in the future. As, digital channels like mobile banking (m-banking) are likely to provide better coverage and more cost-effective services to the unbanked population of India. Conventional banking might not be cost-effective for low-ticket-size transactions, hence financial inclusion, which is on the “Digital India” agenda of the Government of India (GoI), might not be feasible. However, to understand brand India’s potential for financial inclusion in the future, it would be essential to understand Indian customers’ attitudes toward m-banking, especially those who have not yet adopted it. This would bring out the potential of m-banking as a channel to drive financial inclusion based on customers’ intentions to adopt it. Until every Indian has access to a wider range of financial services, there cannot be financial inclusion. Similarly, until every Indian adopts digital channels to access a wider range of financial and non-financial services, the GoI’s initiatives for “Digital India” cannot be realized. Furthermore, a review of the literature suggests that there are very few studies concerning m-banking worldwide and still fewer in the context of India.

Design/methodology/approach
The present study used IBM SPSS and Amos software to test the conceptual model developed using secondary data.

Findings
The findings of the study suggest that subjective norm, output quality and personal innovativeness have impacts on the perceived usefulness of, and attitudes toward, the ultimate adoption of m-banking.

Originality/value
The paper is the original work of the authors. An attempt has been made to integrate all the existing literature on m-banking to develop a complete model for the technology’s adoption.
Design-oriented strategy typology and innovation framework
Authors: Hsu Yen 
Published: February 2017

PurposeUsing Taiwanese enterprises that produce computer and consumer electronics products as case subjects, this study aims to explore the effective product innovation strategies applied to cope with competition in the global market and develop a competitive advantage. The product design strategies and methods of companies that used different types of innovation strategies were then analyzed. Finally, a mapping framework for product innovation and design strategies was proposed for enterprises in the computer and consumer electronics industry in Taiwan.Design/methodology/approachThe two stages of this study were a questionnaire survey and case studies. Stage 1: A questionnaire survey and literature review were performed to explore the innovation strategies used by companies in the Taiwanese computer and consumer electronics industry. The purpose of the literature review was to determine the definitions and content of innovation strategies. Stage 2: Design and R&D managers were interviewed to explore the practical design strategies and approaches to product design in the industry.FindingsThese four innovation strategies and ways of product design are closely related to the scale, business type and product development conditions in enterprises. Notably, different innovation strategies have different approaches to product design. Generally, product design emphasizes “new experience” in aggressive innovation enterprises, “new value” in market innovation enterprises, “new service” in technical innovation enterprises and “new positioning” in opportunity innovation enterprises. The findings of this study provide a reference for product R&D and design in enterprises.Originality/valueIn recent years, the global market of computer and consumer electronic products has been fiercely competitive. Therefore, only enterprises that can innovate, respond rapidly and maintain advantages in product design can survive in the market. Hopefully, this case study of companies in the Taiwan computer and consumer electronic industry can provide a reference for product R&D and design. The findings of this study provide a reference for product R&D and design in enterprises, especially the Chinese market.
The application and barriers of BIM in sustainable building design
Authors: Oduyemi Olufolahan , Okoroh Michael Iheoma , Fajana Oluwaseun Samuel 
Published: February 2017

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore and rank the benefits and barriers (technological and non-technological) of using Building Information Modelling (BIM) in sustainable building design. It also employs the use of a design tool analysis of a case study using BIM compatible tools (Ecotect and Green Building Studio) to determine the environmental performance of a proposed multi-use building at Derby North.Design/methodology/approachThe paper explores the benefits and barriers of using BIM through a literature review. Regression and factor analysis were used to rank these benefits and barriers. A questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 120 practitioners with 69 completing the survey. Finally, the paper employs the use of a design tool analysis of a case study using BIM-compatible tools (Ecotect and Green Building Studio) to determine the environmental performance of a proposed multi-use building at Derby North riverside.FindingsThe key findings of the statistical analysis indicated that professionals ranked the integrated project delivery as the most established benefit, while the lack of interoperability was ranked the greatest technological challenge. Only three of the attributes of non-technological challenges made statistically unique contributions, namely, training costs and software costs, client demand and potential legal issues. It was also discovered that BIM delivers information needed for environmental performance. In a forward-looking approach, the paper attempts to provide some recommendations that would encourage the continuous application of BIM in sustainable building design.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper does not cover all features of BIM functionality, as the scope of BIM is very enormous and the resources of this research were limited.Practical implicationsThe implication of the study is that it will assist in exploring and ranking the benefits and barriers (technological and non-technological) of using BIM while proffering recommendations for future use. This research will be of interest to industry practitioners and academic researchers with an interest in building information modelling.Originality/valueThis paper contributes with new outlooks aimed at syndicating sustainability with environmental performance and adds to the limited empirical studies on the benefits and barriers of the application of BIM.
Evaluating maintenance budget for an AC plant under its contextual conditions
Authors: Gupta Shashank , Gupta Piyush 
Published: February 2017

Purpose
Maintenance actions are initiated by the annual maintenance budget (AMB) allocated for a plant system. It ensures that the assets are kept in a healthy and reliable state. The purpose of this paper is to scientifically evaluate the AMB for an air conditioning (AC) plant system, which forms an integral part of facility management.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper estimates the AMB of an AC system for specific contextual conditions using incidence matrix of the budget influencing variables. The diagonal elements of the matrix represent the values of the budget variables, whereas the off-diagonal elements represent the degree of influence among these. The maintenance budget function is derived from this matrix and is used to evaluate the AMB for the AC system as a percentage of its asset replacement value (ARV).

Findings
The AMB for the AC plant system considered in the work is evaluated as 11.1 per cent of ARV for the conditions unique to its context. The actual maintenance expenditure is lower by 7.6 per cent than the estimated value of the budget.

Research limitations/implications
The results of the methodology are a good guide for practicing facility managers. The shortcoming of the methodology is that it relies on fixed weights of the inter-relations among the budget variables, which may not be necessarily true.

Practical implications
This approach is expected to aid the maintenance managers in envisaging the AMB for their plant systems which operate under contextual conditions specific to their plant.

Originality/value
There is no evidence to indicate existence of maintenance budget evaluation methodology for an AC plant system based on its contextual conditions. This paper attempts to fill this gap.
Participation in clinical trials improves outcomes in women's health: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Nijjar SK , D'Amico MI , Wimalaweera NA , Cooper NAM , Zamora J , Khan KS 
Published: February 2017

BackgroundPrevious reviews examining the effect of participation in trials on outcomes have not consistently shown benefit. Obstetrics and gynaecology is a unique disease area posing challenges for both researchers and patients.ObjectivesTo determine whether participation in randomised controlled trials (RCTs), compared with non‐participation, has a beneficial effect on women's health.Search strategyMedline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and PsycInfo were searched up to December 2015.Selection criteriaWe selected studies that reported the same clinical outcomes for participants in a women's health RCT and a comparable non‐participant cohort.Data collection and analysisData were extracted on quality, characteristics and study results. Outcomes were compared using logistic regression.Main resultsThere were 21 relevant studies (20 160 women, 4759 outcome events). Trial participants, compared with non‐participants, had 25% better odds of improved outcomes on average (OR 0.75; 95% CI 0.64–0.87; I2 = 64.3%). The beneficial effect of participating in a trial was larger in comparisons where: RCTs were of high quality (OR 0.62; 95% CI 0.50–0.76) versus low (OR 0.92; 95% CI 0.74–1.16); and RCT intervention was not available to non‐participants (OR 0.57; 95% CI 0.47–0.69) versus when it was (OR 1.13; 95% CI 0.89–1.44). The effect of trial participation was not influenced by effect size within the RCT (P = 0.48), whether funding was received or not (P = 0.13), whether non‐participants received any treatment or not (P = 0.49), and the quality of the comparison of RCT participants with non‐participants (P = 0.88).ConclusionsWomen participating in RCTs on average experienced better outcomes compared with those outside trials.Tweetable abstractParticipants in obstetric and gynaecology RCTs experience better outcomes compared with non‐participants.
Public Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Forest Disease Control in the UK
Authors: Sheremet Oleg , Healey John R. , Quine Christopher P. , Hanley Nick 
Published: February 2017

AbstractInvasive pests and diseases in trees impose a range of costs on society related to reductions in timber values, impacts on recreational opportunities and effects on forest biodiversity. These costs need to be considered when assessing control options and developing public policy. We investigate the preferences and willingness to pay of the UK general public for a range of forest disease control measures using a choice experiment with a sample of 605 people. Respondents were relatively well informed about general tree disease‐related issues, such as causes and general measures to minimise the risk of disease spread. They were less knowledgeable about specific tree diseases, with Dutch elm disease and chalara ash dieback being the most well known. We find that disease control programmes in publicly‐owned forests and forests owned by charitable trusts are more likely to be supported by the public than equivalent control programmes in privately‐owned and/or commercial forests. The nature of scientific uncertainty about diseases does not affect peoples’ preferences for disease control measures significantly. Higher respondent income, greater ex‐ante knowledge about tree diseases, and more frequent visits to forests are correlated with greater willingness to support publicly‐funded tree disease control programmes in forests. Better knowledge about tree diseases also improves the clarity of respondents’ choices. We find a negative sentiment against some disease control measures, such as clear felling of a forest, and chemical or biocide spraying. We conclude that there is significant public support for part‐financing forest disease control policies in the UK, but that this is conditional on forest ownership and the type of control measures used.
Long‐Term Safety and Efficacy of Bixalomer in Hyperphosphatemic Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease Not on Dialysis
Authors: Akizawa Tadao , Tsukada Junko , Kameoka Chisato , Kuroishi Kentarou , Yamaguchi Yusuke 
Published: February 2017

AbstractBixalomer, a metal‐free, nonabsorbable phosphate binder, is approved in Japan to treat hyperphosphatemia in dialysis patients. Bixalomer is effective and has a favorable safety profile in predialysis patients with hyperphosphatemia. This study examined the long‐term effectiveness and safety of bixalomer in predialysis patients with hyperphosphatemia. This was a 48‐week, multicenter, open‐label, phase 3 study in Japanese predialysis patients with hyperphosphatemia. Patients received bixalomer at an initial dose of 1500 mg/day, which was titrated to a maximum of 7500 mg/day depending on patients’ serum phosphorus responses to bixalomer. A total of 105 patients received bixalomer treatment, and 39 completed the study. The most common reason for discontinuation was initiation of dialysis. Mean serum phosphorus concentrations decreased from 5.15 mg/dL at baseline to 4.67 mg/dL at Week 12 and then fluctuated slightly around this level until it reached 4.58 mg/dL at Week 48. The proportion of total patients achieving the target serum phosphorus concentration (≥2.5 to <4.6 mg/dL) increased after treatment to a maximum of 66.2% at Week 20 and subsequently decreased to 51.3% by Week 48. Most adverse events (AEs) occurred in the first 12 weeks of treatment. The incidence of AEs did not increase with long‐term treatment. Common AEs reported included nasopharyngitis (29.5%), constipation (19%), and upper respiratory tract inflammation (12.4%). These findings suggest that long‐term treatment with bixalomer is effective, well tolerated, and has no new safety concerns. Bixalomer may be an alternative treatment option for the long‐term management of hyperphosphatemia in patients with chronic kidney diseases.
Comparison of Immunomodulatory Effects of Fresh Garlic and Black Garlic Polysaccharides on RAW 264.7 Macrophages
Authors: Li Min , Yan Yi‐Xi , Yu Qing‐Tao , Deng Yong , Wu Ding‐Tao , Wang Ying , Ge Ya‐Zhong , Li Shao‐Ping , Zhao Jing 
Published: February 2017

AbstractGarlic has a long history to be used for medicine and food purposes. Black garlic, the fermented product of fresh garlic, is considered with better biological activities, such as antioxidant activity, and is developed as an increasingly popular functional food. Polysaccharides are the major components of fresh and black garlic, and immunomodulatory activity is one major pharmacological effect of polysaccharides. Therefore, chemical characteristics and immunomodulatory effects of polysaccharides from fresh and black garlic are investigated and compared in vitro for the 1st time, in order to reveal their molecular and pharmacological differences. It is demonstrated that the molecular weights of polysaccharides from the 2 sources and molar ratios of monosaccharides after acid hydrolysis are greatly variant. The effects of polysaccharides from 2 sources on RAW 264.7 macrophages functions, including promotion of phagocytosis, release of NO, and expressions of several immune‐related cytokines (including interleukin [IL]‐6, IL‐10, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and interferon gamma), were different from each other. The results indicated that fresh garlic polysaccharide exhibited stronger immunomodulatory activities than that of black garlic. Moreover, it is revealed that fructan might be the bioactive component in garlic and it is indicated that during the fermentation treatment, fructan constituents of garlic has degraded, and basically no immunomodulatory effect can be found in black garlic polysaccharides.