bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Relationships between loess and the Silk Road reflected by environmental change and its implications for human societies in the area of ancient Panjikent, central Asia
Authors: Owczarek Piotr , Opała-Owczarek Magdalena , Rahmonov Oimahmad , Razzokov Abdurauf , Jary Zdzisław , Niedźwiedź Tadeusz 
Published: October 2017

AbstractRich ancient societies of central Asia developed on the basis of trade between East and West; their existence was dependent on natural resources that favoured agriculture. The branches of the Silk Road in central Asia clearly coincide with loess areas, where many settlements were erected based on the presence of fertile loess soil and water. The aim of the study was to analyse the environmental factors that led to the growth and decline of one of the most important Silk Road “loess towns,” ancient Panjikent, as an example of human and climatic impacts on landscape changes. The town, established in the fifth century, quickly became one of the most important cities of Sogdiana. Local loess material was used for the production of the sun-dried bricks. Rapid population growth led to deforestation and consequently increased the intensity of erosion rates and reductions in cultivation area. A period of drought near the end of the first millennium AD influenced the final abandonment of the ancient town and its relocation to the lower terrace of the Zarafshan River. A decline in natural and agricultural resources and subsequently climatic forces caused a decline in the number of cities in semiarid regions of central Asia.
AN APPROACH TO CHARACTERISE AGRICULTURAL LIVELIHOODS AND LIVELIHOOD ZONES USING NATIONAL CENSUS DATA IN TIMOR-LESTE
Authors: WILLIAMS ROBERT L. , BACON SAMUEL , FERREIRA ADALFREDO , ERSKINE WILLIAM 
Published: October 2017

SUMMARYThis research aimed to develop a typology of agriculture in Timor-Leste using national census data at the village level. Although Timor-Leste is a relatively small nation, its varied topography contains a rich diversity in agricultural livelihoods, from coffee covered mountains, to dryland-swidden agriculture. Each of the livelihoods are very complex, with a single household often managing more than 10 crop and 4–5 animal species in very small holdings. Using census data from each village only, statistical clustering analysis was used to group villages with similar levels of participation in crop and livestock production. The clustered village groups were then mapped, and it was seen that villages in each cluster, occupied particular locations. Using expert knowledge about the locations of each cluster, livelihood zones based on a small number of rules were defined to mimic the output of the clustering. Seven livelihood zones were identified from mapping the livelihood systems. These included three zones with irrigation (rice-based), two highland zones (coffee-based) and two lowland zones based on rain-fed agriculture. Government and development agencies have endorsed the typology of livelihood zones, which is now in use for planning and decision-making. The technique of using national census data to define agricultural zones through statistical clustering can be replicated wherever there is reliable village-level census data.
AUGUSTUSSENEX:OLD AGE AND THE REMAKING OF THE PRINCIPATE
Authors: Harlow Mary , Laurence Ray 
Published: October 2017

In Septemberad1, on the occasion of his birthday, Augustus wrote to Gaius, his adopted son and grandson by Julia and Agrippa, complaining about his age, stating that he hadpassed the climacteric common to all old men, the sixty-fourth year. And I pray the gods that whatever time is left to me I may pass with you safe and well, with our country in a flourishing condition, while you are playing the man and preparing to succeed to my position.(Gell.NA15.7)
A LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS OF INTERNAL MIGRATION, DIVORCE AND WELL-BEING IN CHINA
Authors: Bhargava Alok , Tan Xiayun 
Published: October 2017

SummaryThe rapid economic growth in China has been accompanied by increases in internal migration as well as marital dissolution. Using longitudinal data from China Health and Nutrition Surveys covering over 19,000 individuals during 1989–2011, this study modelled the inter-relationships between internal migration, divorce and individual well-being, tackling conceptual and methodological aspects such as the joint determination of variables. First, random effects probit models showed that the migration periods of husbands and wives significantly increased their respective chances of divorce. Second, results from dynamic random effects models for self-reported health showed different effects of separation periods for husbands and wives; divorce did not significantly lower health status. Third, dynamic models for systolic and diastolic blood pressures showed significant effects of migration durations of husbands and wives; men hadlowersystolic blood pressure following divorce thereby indicating beneficial effects for unhappily married couples. The implications of the findings are discussed.
Diseased Plantations: Law and the political economy of health in Assam, 1860–1920
Authors: DEY ARNAB 
Published: October 2017

AbstractThis article argues that ideas of health and disease in the Assam tea plantations of northeastern India exceeded instrumental logics of bodily disorder, medical ‘objectivity’, and preventive cure. It looks at cholera, kala-azar (or black-fever), and malaria—the three main killers in these estates—to show that imperatives of private capital and law conditioned and constrained parameters of well-being, mortality, and morbidity in these plantations. It therefore suggests that epidemiological theories and praxis emerged from a simultaneous—but expedient—reading of three versions of the labour body: the pathological, the productive, and the legal. The overlaps between commerce, law, and pathogens provide for a unique, if not exceptional, social history of health in colonial India.
Ensemble Intercontemporain at 40, Philharmonie de Paris
Authors: Jones Stephanie 
Published: October 2017

In response to Paul Valéry's words after the First World War in La Crise de l'esprit – ‘We later civilisations … we too now know that we are mortal’ – the French philosopher Bernard Stiegler remarks, in his own chapter entitled ‘Apocalypse Without God’ in his What Makes Life Worth Living,
We too, earthlings of the twenty-first century know that we are capable of self-destruction. And if in the past the possibility of such an extinction of our kind was inconceivable other than as the consequence of God's anger – of original sin – today there is no longer any religious reference at the origin of this extreme global pessimism’ (p. 9).
Having the sceptre: Wu-Tang Clan and the aura of music in the age of digital reproduction
Authors: Green Ben 
Published: October 2017

AbstractHip hop group Wu-Tang Clan sold only one, expensive copy of their album,Once Upon A Time in Shaolin. This exemplifies recent strategies by popular music artists to establish their work as art, with what Walter Benjamin calls ‘aura’, in response to the accessibility and dematerialisation enabled by digital technology as well as longstanding cultural condescension. Critics argue that popular music should not be restricted but shared, with digital technology increasing opportunities for shared consumption. This article considers the fate of music's aura in the age of mechanical reproduction, arguing that it does not disappear but is dispersed and diversified. The digital acceleration of mass reproduction has drawn mixed responses from artists, fans and commentators, andShaolinand similar projects show how the separation of music from its physical commodity form has brought renewed attention to perennial tensions between the popular, artistic and commercial aspects of popular music.
Post-imperialism, imaginary geography and the women of Led Zeppelin'sIV
Authors: Smith Erin Sweeney 
Published: October 2017

AbstractLed Zeppelin have long been hailed as the ambassadors of cock rock. Yet, the band's fourth album – the commercial behemoth otherwise known asIV– features collaborations with two women: Sandy Denny's vocal contributions to ‘The Battle of Evermore’ and Memphis Minnie's co-songwriting credit on ‘When the Levee Breaks’. The two tracks feature landscapes dominated by powerful female forces via Denny's Queen of Light character and her counterpart embodied in Memphis Minnie's dark floodwaters. Through an analysis of both songs’ feminised soundscapes, I explore the links between Zeppelin's musical style and the social and political climate of 1970s post-imperial Britain. Investigation into these women's roles not only fills a gap in Led Zeppelin research, but also allows for a wider consideration of the connection between gender and representations of landscape as an important component for popular music study, particularly in terms of the cultural attitudes and politics of a post-imperial nation.
Reflections on the challenges of exhibiting popular music at the beginning of the 21st century through a case study of ‘A Magia do Vinil’
Authors: Cortez Alcina 
Published: October 2017

AbstractThis paper sets out to reflect on the implications of the heritagisation of popular music by museums. ‘Heritage’ is not something that holds intrinsic value but rather represents a social construction that produces difference by adding value to specific objects within particular social dynamics. This means that heritagisation processes operant in museums prove highly susceptible to ideological distortion and hence require scrutiny. Studying the case of the Portuguese exhibitionA Magia do Vinil, a Música que Mudou a Sociedade, I analyse two specific domains: the concepts and the narrative deployed to address popular music discursively; and the objects selected for exhibition, in conjunction with the interactive practices they foster with audiences. This case study demonstrates how popular music heritagisation practices may largely correspond with those approaches taken by conventional art exhibitions – not only through the uncritical discourses they reproduce concerning their subject matter, but also through the idea that vision is the means for engaging museumgoers.
Effects of puma on the diversity and composition of Neotropical mammals
Authors: Breviglieri Crasso Paulo B. , Laundré John W. , Romero Gustavo Q. 
Published: October 2017

Abstract:Prey seek to minimize predation risk by moving across the landscape in search of safer areas. Yet, these movements are associated with risks that depend on the intrinsic attributes of the species involved. We evaluated the effect of presence of an apex predator (Puma concolor) on the composition of a community of medium and large-bodied terrestrial mammal species in 23 forest fragments in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, based on overnight footprint surveys over 2 y. We tested if (1) presence of the puma decreases species richness (prey and mesopredator), (2) landscape features interact with puma effects, altering the composition and richness of prey, (3) darker nights strengthen the predation risk effects of puma and (4) this effect can vary among prey species. The puma reduced the richness of prey species by ~45% and presence of mesopredator by 11%. Larger forest fragments and darker nights strengthened the effects of puma on the mammal community. Most prey species showed negative associations with the apex predator, while others were unaffected or showed a positive association. These results add new knowledge about the effects of predation risk and of the landscape characteristics on the composition of the mammal community and the behaviour of different species. Furthermore, our results indicate that medium and large mammals live in a landscape of fear in Neotropical forest remnants.
On Edge-Disjoint Spanning Trees in a Randomly Weighted Complete Graph
Authors: FRIEZE ALAN , JOHANSSON TONY 
Published: October 2017

Assume that the edges of the complete graphKnare given independent uniform [0, 1] weights. We consider the expected minimum total weightμkofk⩽ 2 edge-disjoint spanning trees. Whenkis large we show thatμk≈k2. Most of the paper is concerned with the casek= 2. We show thatm2tends to an explicitly defined constant and thatμ2≈ 4.1704288. . . .
Emerging trends: A tribute to Charles Wayne
Authors: CHURCH KENNETH WARD 
Published: October 2017

AbstractCharles Wayne restarted funding in speech and language in the mid-1980s after a funding winter brought on by Pierce’s glamour-and-deceit criticisms in the ALPAC report and ‘Whither Speech Recognition’. Wayne introduced a new glamour-and-deceit-proof idea, an emphasis on evaluation. No other sort of program could have been funded at the time, at least in America. One could argue that Wayne has been so successful that the program no longer needs him to continue on. These days, shared tasks and leaderboards have become common place in speech and language (and vision and machine learning) research. That said, I am concerned that the community may not appreciate what it has got until it’s gone. Wayne has been doing much more than merely running competitions, but he did what he did in such a subtle Columbo-like way. Going forward, government funding is being eclipsed by consumer markets. Those of us with research to sell need to find more and more ways to be relevant to potential sponsors given this new world order.
Childhood abuse and psychotic experiences – evidence for mediation by adulthood adverse life events
Authors: Bhavsar V. , Boydell J. , McGuire P. , Harris V. , Hotopf M. , Hatch S. L. , MacCabe J. H. , Morgan C. 
Published: October 2017

Aims.We have previously reported an association between childhood abuse and psychotic experiences (PEs) in survey data from South East London. Childhood abuse is related to subsequent adulthood adversity, which could form one pathway to PEs. We aimed to investigate evidence of mediation of the association between childhood abuse and PEs by adverse life events.Methods.Data were analysed from the South East London Community Health Study (SELCoH,n= 1698). Estimates of the total effects on PEs of any physical or sexual abuse while growing up were partitioned into direct (i.e. unmediated) and indirect (total and specific) effects, mediatedviaviolent and non-violent life events.Results.There was strong statistical evidence for direct (OR 1.58, 95% CI: 1.19–2.1) and indirect (OR 1.51, 95% CI: 1.32–1.72) effects of childhood abuse on PEs after adjustment for potential confounders, indicating partial mediation of this effectviaviolent and non-violent life events. An estimated 47% of the total effect of abuse on PEs was mediatedviaadulthood adverse life events, of which violent life events made up 33% and non-violent life events the remaining 14%.Conclusions.The association between childhood abuse and PEs is partly mediated through the experience of adverse life events in adulthood. There is some evidence that a larger proportion of this effect was mediated through violent life events than non-violent life events.
Circular RNAs in cancer: opportunities and challenges in the field
Authors: Kristensen L S , Hansen T B , Venø M T , Kjems J 
Published: October 2017

AbstractCircular RNA (circRNA) is a novel member of the noncoding cancer genome with distinct properties and diverse cellular functions, which is being explored at a steadily increasing pace. The list of endogenous circRNAs involved in cancer continues to grow; however, the functional relevance of the vast majority is yet to be discovered. In general, circRNAs are exceptionally stable molecules and some have been shown to function as efficient microRNA sponges with gene-regulatory potential. Many circRNAs are highly conserved and have tissue-specific expression patterns, which often do not correlate well with host gene expression. Here we review the current knowledge on circRNAs in relation to their implications in tumorigenesis as well as their potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and as possible therapeutic targets in future personalized medicine. Finally, we discuss future directions for circRNA cancer research and current caveats, which must be addressed to facilitate the translation of basic circRNA research into clinical use.
Vertical inhibition of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway is synergistic in breast cancer
Authors: Woo S-U , Sangai T , Akcakanat A , Chen H , Wei C , Meric-Bernstam F 
Published: October 2017

AbstractDeregulation and activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian (or mechanistic) target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway have a major role in proliferation and cell survival in breast cancer. However, as single agents, mTOR inhibitors have had modest antitumor efficacy. In this study, we evaluated the effects of vertical inhibition of mTOR and Akt in breast cancer cell lines and xenografts. We assessed the effects of mTOR inhibitor rapamycin and Akt inhibitor MK-2206, given as single drugs or in combination, on cell signaling, cell proliferation and apoptosis in a panel of cancer cell lines in vitro. The antitumor efficacy was tested in vivo. We demonstrated that MK-2206 inhibited Akt phosphorylation, cell proliferation and apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner in breast cancer cell lines. Rapamycin inhibited S6 phosphorylation and cell proliferation, and resulted in lower levels of apoptosis induction. Furthermore, the combination treatment inhibited phosphorylation of Akt and S6, synergistically inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis with a higher efficacy. In vivo combination inhibited tumor growth more than either agent alone. Our data suggest that a combination of Akt and mTOR inhibitors have greater antitumor activity in breast cancer cells, which may be a viable approach to treat patients.
ESRP1 is overexpressed in ovarian cancer and promotes switching from mesenchymal to epithelial phenotype in ovarian cancer cellsThis article has been corrected since Advance Online Publication and an erratum is also printed in this issue
Authors: Jeong H M , Han J , Lee S H , Park H-J , Lee H J , Choi J-S , Lee Y M , Choi Y-L , Shin Y K , Kwon M J 
Published: October 2017

AbstractEpithelial splicing regulatory protein 1 (ESRP1) and 2 (ESRP2), epithelial cell-specific regulators of alternative splicing, are downregulated during the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). These factors have roles in tumor progression and metastasis in some cancers; however, their expression and function in ovarian cancer (OC) remain unclear. We found that ESRP1 and ESRP2 mRNAs were expressed at higher levels in OC cells than in immortalized ovarian surface epithelial (IOSE) cells, and confirmed their overexpression in OC tissues at the protein level. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data analysis revealed frequent gene amplification of ESRP1 in OC tissues; however, we detected no significant correlation between ESRP1 gene copy number and gene expression in OC cells. Importantly, expression of ESRP1 and ESRP2 was inversely correlated with DNA methylation in OC cells, and ESRP2 overexpression in OC tissues was significantly associated with DNA hypomethylation. Notably, survival analysis using TCGA data from 541 OC tissues revealed that high ESRP1 expression was significantly associated with shorter 5-year survival of patients. Ectopic ESRP1 expression in mesenchymal OC cells promoted cell proliferation but suppressed cell migration. Furthermore, we found that ESRP1 drives a switch from mesenchymal to epithelial phenotype characterized by reduced cell migration in association with induction of epithelial cell-specific variant of CD44 and ENAH. Taken together, our findings suggest that an epigenetic mechanism is involved in ESRP1 overexpression, and that ESRP1 has a role in OC progression.
Androgen receptor increases hematogenous metastasis yet decreases lymphatic metastasis of renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Huang Qingbo , Sun Yin , Ma Xin , Gao Yu , Li Xintao , Niu Yuanjie , Zhang Xu , Chang Chawnshang 
Published: October 2017

AbstractClear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a gender-biased tumor. Here we report that there is also a gender difference between pulmonary metastasis and lymph node metastasis showing that the androgen receptor (AR)-positive ccRCC may prefer to metastasize to lung rather than to lymph nodes. A higher AR expression increases ccRCC hematogenous metastasis yet decreases ccRCC lymphatic metastases. Mechanism dissection indicates that AR enhances miR-185-5p expression via binding to the androgen response elements located on the promoter of miR-185-5p, which suppresses VEGF-C expression via binding to its 3′ UTR. In contrast, AR-enhanced miR-185-5p also promotes HIF2α/VEGF-A expression via binding to the promoter region of HIF2α. Together, these results provide a unique mechanism by which AR can either increase or decrease ccRCC metastasis at different sites and may help us to develop combined therapies using anti-AR and anti-VEGF-C compounds to better suppress ccRCC progression.
HDX reveals the conformational dynamics of DNA sequence specific VDR co-activator interactions
Authors: Zheng Jie , Chang Mi Ra , Stites Ryan E. , Wang Yong , Bruning John B. , Pascal Bruce D. , Novick Scott J. , Garcia-Ordonez Ruben D. , Stayrook Keith R. , Chalmers Michael J. , Dodge Jeffrey A. , Griffin Patrick R. 
Published: October 2017

AbstractThe vitamin D receptor/retinoid X receptor-α heterodimer (VDRRXRα) regulates bone mineralization via transcriptional control of osteocalcin (BGLAP) gene and is the receptor for 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D3). However, supra-physiological levels of 1,25D3 activates the calcium-regulating gene TRPV6 leading to hypercalcemia. An approach to attenuate this adverse effect is to develop selective VDR modulators (VDRMs) that differentially activate BGLAP but not TRPV6. Here we present structural insight for the action of a VDRM compared with agonists by employing hydrogen/deuterium exchange. Agonist binding directs crosstalk between co-receptors upon DNA binding, stabilizing the activation function 2 (AF2) surfaces of both receptors driving steroid receptor co-activator-1 (SRC1) interaction. In contrast, AF2 of VDR within VDRM:BGLAP bound heterodimer is more vulnerable for large stabilization upon SRC1 interaction compared with VDRM:TRPV6 bound heterodimer. These results reveal that the combination of ligand structure and DNA sequence tailor the transcriptional activity of VDR toward specific target genes.
Levels of exhaled carbon monoxide measured during an intervention program predict 1-year smoking cessation: a retrospective observational cohort study
Authors: Shie Huei-Guan , Pan Sheng-Wei , Yu Wen-Kuang , Chen Wei-Chih , Ho Li-Ing , Ko Hsin-Kuo 
Published: October 2017

AbstractLife-long smoking cessation is a critical public health objective, but it is difficult for numerous people. This study aimed to identify the independent predictors of 1-year abstinence in smokers motivated to quit and participating in an intervention program. This 6-year retrospective observational cohort study was conducted in smokers who participated in an intervention program. The exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) was sequentially measured on day 1, 8, 15, and 22 of the intervention program. The primary outcome measure was smoking status at 1 year of follow-up. A total of 162 participants were enrolled and divided into a successful quit group (n = 52) and unsuccessful quit group (n = 110). Using a multivariate logistic regression analysis, we reported that the intention to quit (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.475, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.169–1.862,P-value = 0.001), varenicline use (AOR = 3.199, 95% CI = 1.290–7.934,P-value = 0.012) and the exhaled CO level on day 8 (AOR = 0.937, 95% CI = 0.885–0.992,P-value = 0.025) independently predicted 1-year smoking cessation. Moreover, the level of exhaled CO < 4.5 parts per million on day 8 significantly predict successful 1-year smoking cessation (area under curve 0.761, sensitivity 88.2%, and specificity 57.8%,P-value < 0.001). These independent predictors including intention to quit, varenicline use, and exhaled CO level on day 8, may help primary care physicians rearrange resources and refine the strategies for intervention programs to achieve a higher rate of long-term smoking cessation.