bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cloning and characterization of TaVIP2 gene from Triticum aestivum and functional analysis in Nicotiana tabacum
Authors: Zhao Pei , Wang Ke , Lin Zhishan , Zhang Wei , Du Lipu , Zhang Yunlong , Ye Xingguo 
Published: November 2016

AbstractWheat is recalcitrant to genetic transformation. A potential solution is to manipulate the expression of some host proteins involved in T-DNA integration process. VirE2 interacting protein 2 (VIP2) plays an important role in T-DNA transport and integration. In this study, a TaVIP2 gene was cloned from common wheat. Southern blot and allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR) combined with an online chromosomal location software tool revealed that three TaVIP2 genes were located on wheat chromosomes 1AL, 1BL, and 1DL. These three homoeoallelic TaVIP2 genes all contained 13 exons and 12 introns, and their coding sequences were the same; there were a few single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among the three genes. The heterologous expression of the TaVIP2 gene in tobacco led to enhancement of the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation efficiency up to 2.5-fold. Transgenic tobacco plants expressing TaVIP2 showed enhanced resistance to powdery mildew. Further quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed that overexpression of TaVIP2 in transgenic tobacco up-regulated the expression of an endogenous gene, NtPR-1, which likely contributed to powdery mildew resistance in transgenic tobacco. Our study indicates that the TaVIP2 gene may be highly useful in efforts to improve Agrobacterium-mediated transformation efficiency and to enhance powdery mildew resistance in wheat.
Akzeptanz von Handlungsempfehlungen des Netzwerks „Gesund ins Leben – Netzwerk Junge Familie“ zur Säuglingsernährung und Ernährung der stillenden Mutter. Befragung unterschiedlicher Berufsgruppen
Authors: Reiss K. , Flothkötter M. , Greif N. , Kolip P. 
Published: November 2016

Zusammenfassung
Ziel der Studie: Das Ziel dieser Untersuchung liegt in der Ermittlung der Akzeptanz der einheitlichen Handlungsempfehlungen des Netzwerks „Gesund ins Leben – Netzwerk Junge Familie“ zu den Themen Säuglingsernährung und Ernährung der stillendenden Mutter bei unterschiedlichen Berufsgruppen.
Methodik: Webbasierte Befragung u. a. unter Frauenärzten/-innen, Kinder- und Jugendärzten/-innen und Hebammen/Entbindungspflegern sowie eine zweite webbasierte Befragung unter Kinder- und Jugendärzten/-innen. Die Zustimmung wurde dichotom erfasst. Der prozentuale Zustimmungsgrad wurde als gering (<75%), mäßig (75–89%), stark (90–94%), sehr stark (95–99%) und absolut (100%) kategorisiert.
Ergebnisse: An der ersten Befragung nahmen 1 311 Personen teil (n=908 Hebammen/Entbindungspfleger), wovon 77,6% angaben, die Handlungsempfehlungen zu kennen. Der durchschnittliche Zustimmungsgrad war bei Hebammen/Entbindungspflegern mit 67,5% am geringsten. An der zweiten Befragung nahmen 119 Kinder- und Jugendärzte/-innen teil, wobei 86,5% Kenntnis von der Existenz der Empfehlungen hatten. Geringe Akzeptanz wiesen bei allen Berufsgruppen insbesondere die Empfehlungen zu den Nährstoffsupplementen Iod und Fluorid auf. Als Ablehnungsgründe wurden eine Orientierung an der individuellen Situation der jungen Familie, an anderen Empfehlungen oder an eigenen Erfahrungen angeführt.
Schlussfolgerung: Die Übertragung der Handlungsempfehlungen in die Hebammenpraxis scheint noch nicht gelungen. Aufgrund der überproportionalen Beteiligung von Hebammen/Entbindungspflegern sind die Ergebnisse aber nicht auf andere Berufsgruppen übertragbar. Die Integration der Empfehlungen in die Aus-, Fort- und Weiterbildung der Berufsgruppen, die Überarbeitung eventuell missverständlicher Formulierungen sowie die Kommunikation der wissenschaftlichen Hintergründe sind sinnvolle Ansatzpunkte für eine Akzeptanzsteigerung.
The Paradigm Shift: Disruption, Creativity, and Innovation in Kenya
Authors: Ndemo Bitange 
Published: November 2016

AbstractA paradigm shift is underway in Kenya. New innovations are destroying old ways of doing business, and smart young start-up entrepreneurs are at the forefront of this quiet but historic transformation. Teams of skilled developers and programmers have sprung up in innovation hubs, incubators, and accelerators across the country to build information and telecom solutions that capitalize on the country’s mix of challenges and opportunities. At the same time, we have seen a number of spinoffs of Kenya’s unique entrepreneurial revolution reach across Africa and into other corners of the world, attracting global recognition for the country.
Developing Strategies to Harness the Power of Parallel Entrepreneurship in Africa
Authors: John Eskor 
Published: November 2016

AbstractThe study of entrepreneurship in general has drawn large interest over the last decade, and the specific subject of parallel entrepreneurship is no exception. Parallel entrepreneurship, or concurrent entrepreneurship, is the simultaneous ownership of at least two business ventures. It is found all over the world but is particularly evident at the international level, in the form of conglomerates. It has been argued that entrepreneurs owning several enterprises at the same time are more experienced than their peers operating single businesses and that studying this particular business model can enhance understanding of entrepreneurship more generally. This chapter identifies some of the most salient factors related to parallel entrepreneurship—factors that, if better understood and supported, have the potential to make a significant contribution to the economic transformation of developing economies. It also explores the contextual factors contributing to the growth of entrepreneurship in Africa and the prevalence and implications of parallel entrepreneurship. It concludes with a number of recommendations on how to support and develop parallel entrepreneurship in the future.
Entrepreneuring for Society: What Is Next for Africa?
Authors: Weiss Tim 
Published: November 2016

AbstractDigital Kenya is a modest representation of the powerful space and time in which an inspiring generation of entrepreneurs finds itself at the present moment—a generation that is working actively to bring the benefits of the digital age to every citizen and organization of Africa, unleashing the power of modern-day technology for the benefit of society. Above all, it is a generation that seeks to help create a brighter future full of opportunities and possibilities for the many generations to come. The book has sought to capture this intriguing moment and—like the snap of a camera’s shutter—permanently conserve and document its uniqueness.
The Internet Journey for Kenya: The Interplay of Disruptive Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Fueling Rapid Growth
Authors: Mureithi Muriuki 
Published: November 2016

AbstractThe Internet has witnessed a dramatic evolution since its launch in 1995, presenting a myriad of opportunities to society and to enterprises, in particular, through access to information. This evolution has also presented significant challenges, including new competition, changing customer engagement and business models, unprecedented transparency, privacy concerns, and cybersecurity threats. This chapter draws on the theory of disruptive innovation pioneered by Christensen (“Executive Forum, 81(2), 27–37”, 2001) in exploring the interplay of disruptive innovation and entrepreneurship in fueling rapid ICT growth in Kenya. The theory explained how a business model is likely to succeed by coming from the lower end of the market and eventually disrupting and taking over the market as the pioneers of each new technology or business process attempt to dominate their competitors. The theory is used to explain these phenomena and is adapted to examine not just the success of the business model, but also to explain the sustaining disruptive effects on the entire market by entrants as challengers of the incumbents. This provides a theoretical lens through which to view the market experience acquired through continuous market engagement by the author in a consultancy practice in Kenya over the last 20 years.
I-Entrepreneurship: Changing Lives Through Technology
Authors: Wamukoya Carmen Merab , Ng’weno Amolo 
Published: November 2016

AbstractAs information and communications technologies (ICTs) and social enterprises are increasingly recognized for their role as drivers of economic growth, opportunities are continuously arising for new business models to address socioeconomic challenges and encourage innovation. This chapter examines the growth of social entrepreneurship in Kenya and demonstrates how businesses can create shared value in the field of technology. It illustrates the role of impact sourcing as a means of generating employment through an examination of Digital Divide Data (DDD) Kenya, the country’s innovative ICT program for the training and education of disadvantaged youth. The DDD case study sheds light on the potential of ICTs to transform businesses and provide an enabling environment for the development of technology-based social enterprise. The impact sourcing model used by DDD Kenya, it will be shown, provides opportunities for youth from low-income and disadvantaged backgrounds to acquire practical, hands-on professional training while pursuing higher education. It also highlights the challenges of setting up a social enterprise and casts light on a number of the lessons and best practices that can be taken up by other entrepreneurs.
From Cyber Café to Smartphone: Kenya’s Social Media Lens Zooms In on the Country and Out to the World
Authors: Kaigwa Mark 
Published: November 2016

AbstractThis chapter investigates Global North paradigms of connectivity contrasted with those of Kenya. It examines the age of the cyber café and the transition into the mobile age that has defined Kenya’s ascent as a technology powerhouse—specifically, the ascent of mobile connectivity as a tool for Internet connectivity, and in particular, for social networking (and the factors of availability, affordability, and accessibility that have proved pivotal). The social networking service Twitter is the focus when it comes to social media. The microblogging network, in addition, is highlighted through initiatives, movements, and various hashtags inspired by online conversations and resulting in real-world outcomes. Before the adoption of localized trending topics, Kenyans on Twitter had their trends set on default to “Worldwide.” From 2010, when a fictional character in a Kenyan music video went viral, creating a global Internet sensation, the wheels were set in motion to see Kenyans discover their identity online and carve a niche as a globally respectable digital citizenry that was worthy of greater understanding and inspection.
In vivo amelioration of endogenous antitumor autoantibodies via low-dose P4N through the LTA4H/activin A/BAFF pathway
Authors: Lin Yu-Ling , Tsai Nu-Man , Hsieh Cheng-Hao , Ho Shu-Yi , Chang Jung , Wu Hsin-Yi , Hsu Ming-Hua , Chang Chia-Ching , Liao Kuang-Wen , Jackson Tiffany L. B. , Mold David E. , Huang Ru Chih C. 
Published: November 2016

SignificanceThis study finds that a small-molecule drug (P4N) is able to inhibit tumor growth by augmentation of endogenous antitumor autoantibodies (EAAs). We show that the enhancement of EAA activity by P4N is mediated through activation of the leukotriene A4 hydrolase (LTA4H)/activin A/B-cell activating factor (BAFF) pathway, revealing a valuable method for developing new immune modulators of tumor growth via humoral immunity. Typically, the effects of the humoral response on tumor inhibition are modest; however, the results of this study demonstrate that by removing the impediment to cancer cell destruction posed by low-activity autoantibodies, the realization of new, more potent immunotherapies for cancer treatment may be possible.
Diameter-dependent wetting of tungsten disulfide nanotubes
Authors: Goldbart Ohad , Cohen Sidney R. , Kaplan-Ashiri Ifat , Glazyrina Polina , Wagner H. Daniel , Enyashin Andrey , Tenne Reshef 
Published: November 2016

Significance
The wetting of solid surfaces by liquids is of great interest in scientific fields ranging from lubrication to the strength of composite materials. These interactions can change dramatically at the nanoscale, impacting on current development of novel devices and materials. We have studied the wetting of individual, size-selected tungsten disulfide nanotubes, both experimentally and theoretically. The results show that wetting forces and free energy can vary by orders of magnitude when capillary action is enhanced in open-ended vs. closed-ended nanotubes, as deduced from the influence of specific nanotube size and geometry in governing the final wetting properties. This work provides a comprehensive view of the molecular-level interactions involved in nanotube wetting.
Topic modeling for untargeted substructure exploration in metabolomics
Authors: van der Hooft Justin Johan Jozias , Wandy Joe , Barrett Michael P. , Burgess Karl E. V. , Rogers Simon 
Published: November 2016

Significance
Tandem MS is a technique for compound identification in untargeted metabolomics experiments. Because of a lack of reference spectra, most molecules cannot be identified, and many spectra cannot be used. We present MS2LDA, an unsupervised method (inspired by text-mining) that extracts common patterns of mass fragments and neutral losses—Mass2Motifs—from collections of fragmentation spectra. Structurally characterized Mass2Motifs can be used to annotate molecules for which no reference spectra exist and expose biochemical relationships between molecules. For four beer extracts, without training data, we show that, with 30 structurally characterized Mass2Motifs, we can annotate approximately three times as many molecules as with library matching. These Mass2Motifs were validated in reference spectra from Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) and MassBank.
Controlling DNA–nanoparticle serum interactions
Authors: Zagorovsky Kyryl , Chou Leo Y. T. , Chan Warren C. W. 
Published: November 2016

Significance
DNA-mediated nanoparticle assembly is an emerging concept to design drug delivery vehicles that can modify their structure or function in response to the in vivo environment. However, better understanding of their interactions with different tissues and organs is needed to establish specific design criteria. Here, we perform a systematic investigation of the molecular properties and mechanisms responsible for serum degradation of DNA-assembled structures. We show that the degradation process is determined by the combined contributions of the surface chemistry of nanoparticles and their supramolecular arrangement. The results also present a strategy for using physiological fluid degradation as the mechanism of controlled drug release. Our findings provide a general framework to study biological interactions of DNA nanostructures.
Substrate recognition and catalysis by GH47 α-mannosidases involved in Asn-linked glycan maturation in the mammalian secretory pathway
Authors: Xiang Yong , Karaveg Khanita , Moremen Kelley W. 
Published: November 2016

Significance
Asn-linked glycosylation of newly synthesized polypeptides occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum of eukaryotic cells. Glycan structures are trimmed and remodeled as they transit the secretory pathway, and processing intermediates play various roles as ligands for folding chaperones and signals for quality control and intracellular transport. Key steps for the generation of these trimmed intermediates are catalyzed by glycoside hydrolase family 47 (GH47) α-mannosidases that selectively cleave α1,2-linked mannose residues. Despite the sequence and structural similarities among the GH47 enzymes, the molecular basis for residue-specific cleavage remains obscure. The present studies reveal enzyme–substrate complex structures for two related GH47 α-mannosidases and provide insights into how these enzymes recognize the same substrates differently and catalyze the complementary glycan trimming reactions necessary for glycan maturation.
Rapid recovery from the effects of early monocular deprivation is enabled by temporary inactivation of the retinas
Authors: Fong Ming-fai , Mitchell Donald E. , Duffy Kevin R. , Bear Mark F. 
Published: November 2016

Significance
Normal development of the visual cortex depends critically on early life visual experience. In humans, a disparity in the quality of vision between two eyes during infancy or early childhood leads to a visual impairment called amblyopia. In animal models, amblyopia can be induced early in life using a brief period of monocular deprivation via eyelid closure. Here we show in two evolutionarily divergent species that experimental amblyopia can be rapidly corrected if binocular visual experience is restored after temporarily silencing the retinas with a local anesthetic. These findings point the way to an approach for clinical management of amblyopia with advantages over the current standard of care.
Tissue-scale, personalized modeling and simulation of prostate cancer growth
Authors: Lorenzo Guillermo , Scott Michael A. , Tew Kevin , Hughes Thomas J. R. , Zhang Yongjie Jessica , Liu Lei , Vilanova Guillermo , Gomez Hector 
Published: November 2016

Significance
We perform a tissue-scale, personalized computer simulation of prostate cancer (PCa) growth in a patient, based on prostatic anatomy extracted from medical images. To do so, we propose a mathematical model for the growth of PCa. The model includes an equation for the reference biomarker of PCa: the prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Hence, we can link the results of our model to data that urologists can easily interpret. Our model reproduces features of prostatic tumor growth observed in experiments and clinical practice. It also captures a known shift in the growth pattern of PCa, from spheroidal to fingered geometry. Our results indicate that this shape instability is a tumor response to escape starvation, hypoxia, and, eventually, necrosis.
Xenogenesis-Production of Channel Catfish × Blue Catfish Hybrid Progeny by Fertilization of Channel Catfish Eggs with Sperm from Triploid Channel Catfish Males with Transplanted Blue Catfish Germ Cells
Authors: Perera Dayan A , Alsaqufi Ahmed , Shang Mei , Wade Donny C , Su Baofeng , Elaswad Ahmed , Fobes Michael , Beam Renee , Garcia Gemerlyn , Dunn David A , Lipke Elizabeth A , Dunham Rex A 
Published: November 2016

Abstract
Putative spermatogonia A from a fresh-cell isolate or a density-gradient-centrifuged isolate from the testes of Blue Catfish Ictalurus furcatus were transplanted into the gonads of triploid Channel Catfish I. punctatus. The cells were introduced into gonads of the host via catheterization (2 × 104–1.43 × 106 cells) or by surgically inserting the cells directly into the gonad (7 × 104–1.25 × 105 cells). Ten months after implantation, DNA was analyzed from biopsies of the gonads and seven of eight males were found to be xenogenic, having Blue Catfish cells in their gonads. The xenogenic males successfully courted normal Channel Catfish that had been induced with hormones to ovulate, but none of the eggs hatched, indicating inadequate sperm production, an inability to ejaculate, and/or low sperm quality. Male xenogenic catfish treated with luteinizing hormone releasing hormone analog had well-developed testes, and sperm production was detected in three of seven xenogenic males examined 2 years after transplantation. Sperm were removed from a male that had been surgically transplanted with Blue Catfish cells and used to fertilize eggs from a hand-stripped Channel Catfish female. One percent of these eggs hatched. All seven surviving 6-month-old progeny of this male had the external morphology, swim bladder shape, nuclear DNA profile, and mitochondrial DNA profile of female Channel Catfish × male Blue Catfish F1 hybrids, indicating that this triploid Channel Catfish male produced Blue Catfish sperm. This is the first report of successful production of xenogenic catfish and the first report of producing 100% hybrid progeny using xenogenesis in fish.
Developing Rested Harvest Strategies for Rainbow Trout
Authors: Trushenski Jesse T , Bowzer John C , Bergman Alexis M , Bowker James D 
Published: November 2016

Abstract
Harvesting fish for slaughter commonly elicits a generalized stress response, which can negatively affect meat quality and processing efficiency. Sedatives used before or during harvest (i.e., “rested harvest”) can minimize these effects. Use of chemical sedatives is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and, unfortunately, none are approved for rested harvest. Electrosedation technology is not currently subject to the same regulatory constraints as chemosedation, but its effectiveness in the context of rested harvest has not been adequately tested. Accordingly, we tested the influence of chemo- and electrosedation rested harvest protocols on Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. Marketable-sized fish (~500 g/fish) were subjected to 3 min of crowding and chasing directly after capture (control) or following treatment with eugenol (10 mg/L) or one of five DC electrosedation protocols. After the challenge, fish were sampled to determine blood chemistry profiles or slaughtered by dewatering (asphyxia) to determine time to mortality and rigor, processing efficiency, and fillet quality. In addition, another group of Rainbow Trout (~520 g/fish) were slaughtered by dewatering or percussion following sedation and the above-described harvest stressors. Overall, results indicated that rested harvest appears to mitigate some aspects of preslaughter stress in Rainbow Trout. Further, rested harvest, including electrosedation-based protocols, appeared to improve some aspects of product quality and may be perceived as a more humane means of slaughter and harvest. The development of rigor mortis was influenced by slaughter method and was delayed by some, but not all, rested harvest protocols. Percussion appears to offer some advantage over dewatering; however, the high postmortem levels of cortisol observed in percussed fish raises some concern. Further research is needed to unequivocally establish the advantages and disadvantages of rested harvest protocols in Rainbow Trout and other cultured fish, but results to date suggest this approach has some merit.