bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Lavandula multifida response to salinity: Growth, nutrient uptake, and physiological changes
Authors: García‐Caparrós Pedro , Llanderal Alfonso , Pestana Maribela , Correia Pedro José , Lao María Teresa 
Published: December 2016

AbstractFern leaf lavender (Lavandula multifida L.) is a perennial shrub native to Almería with known medicinal properties, which grows in saline soils that are increasingly present in the Mediterranean region. However, the effects of salinity on the mineral nutrition and physiology of L. multifida are unknown. In the present study, we evaluated the salt resistance of this species and compared it with other members of the Lamiaceae. Plants of L. multifida were grown in pots in a mixture of sphagnum peat‐moss and Perlite, and treated with five different NaCl concentrations [10 (control), 30, 60, 100, and 200 mM NaCl] over a period of 60 d. The effects of different levels of salinity on mineral nutrient and osmolyte concentrations and on biomass were evaluated. Our results show that L. multifida plants were able to grow with 60 mM NaCl without significant biomass reduction. Na+ and Cl− were the main contributors to the osmotic potential in both roots and leaves, whereas total soluble sugars (TSS) and proline made only a small contribution. The concentrations of TSS and proline showed different trends in the different organs: in roots, both showed the highest concentrations at 60 mM NaCl, whereas in leaves TSS increased and proline decreased with increasing salt stress. To survive salinity, L. multifida plants increased salt excretion (Na+ and Cl−) by leaves at 100 and 200 mM NaCl and leaf succulence at 60, 100, and 200 mM NaCl. Excessive accumulation of Na+ and Cl− was avoided by shedding leaves. Our results indicate that L. multifida is better adapted to salinity compared to other members of the Lamiaceae¸ a consideration that is particularly relevant for their growth in arid saline areas.
Comparative proteomics analyses for 139A and ME7 scrapie infected mice brains in the middle and terminal stages
Authors: Shi Qi , Chen Li‐Na , Lv Yan , Zhang Bao‐Yun , Xiao Kang , Zhou Wei , Chen Cao , Sun Jing , Yang Xiao‐Dong , Dong Xiao‐Ping 
Published: December 2016

PurposeTo analyze the proteomics patterns in the cortex regions of scrapie strains 139A‐ and ME7‐infected mice collected in the middle and terminal stages.Experimental designWestern Blot and immunohistochemistry methods are used to analyze the pathological changes in mice collected in the middle and terminal stages. The technique of iTRAQ and multidimensional LC and MS are used to analyze the proteomics patterns of mice in different stages.ResultsIn total, 2891 with 95% confidence interval are identified. The study here also demonstrates a similar protein expressions in the CNS tissues of two scrapie strains infected mice at the terminal stages, but markedly different one between the middle and terminal samples, not only in the numbers of differentially expressed proteins and involved gene ontologies and pathways but also in the relevant functional constitutions.ConclusionsIt may provide useful clue in exploring the abnormalities of biological functions at different time points of prion infections and in searching for potential therapeutic and diagnostic biomarkers for prion diseases.
Ames Test Prediction on High Energy Molecules by On‐The‐Fly QSAR (OTF‐QSAR)
Authors: Alliod Charlotte , Chemelle Julie‐Anne , Jacob Guy , Terreux Raphaël 
Published: December 2016

AbstractIn collaboration with Herakles, a research program was set up to have, in the future, optimized tools for predicting the toxicity of High Energy Molecules (HEM). Because of the number of mutagenicity tests commonly use in the society, a variety of internationally agreed testing protocols on chemicals was set up, described by REACh (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) and OECD (Organization for the Economic Cooperation and Development). The first test described for the mutagenicity is the Ames test. Several methods can be used to predict toxicity such as (Quantitative) Structure Activity Relationship [(Q)SAR] and “On‐The‐Fly” QSAR (OTF‐QSAR). The aim of this paper is to evaluate the reliability of the SAR and the OTF‐QSAR predictions in accordance with various similarities used. The goal is to obtain a good prediction tool for the Ames test. The prediction tool is compared with softwares often used in the scientific community. It was found that the OTF‐QSAR predictions were more accurate and increased the efficiency of predictions. The precision of the system increases as the degree of similarity increased. A new zone was discovered and the best similarity found and refined. At the end of the study, we validate the similarity information and the OTF‐QSAR on HEM molecules.
Association of Obesity‐Related Hemodilution of Prostate‐Specific Antigen, Dihydrotestosterone, and Testosterone
Authors: Klaassen Zachary , Howard Lauren E. , Moreira Daniel M. , Andriole Gerald L. , Terris Martha K. , Freedland Stephen J. 
Published: December 2016

BACKGROUNDProstate‐specific antigen (PSA) hemodilution is the leading theory for lower PSA values in obese men. However, testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which are necessary for PSA production, are reduced in obese men. We assessed the relationship of body mass index (BMI) and PSA, taking into consideration the effect of testosterone and DHT.METHODSAmong 8,122 participants in Reduction by Dutasteride of Prostate Cancer Events (REDUCE), complete data were available for 7,275. BMI was categorized as normal (<25 kg/m2), overweight (25–29.9 kg/m2), obese (30–34.9 kg/m2), or moderate + severely obese (≥35 kg/m2). Associations between BMI, testosterone, and DHT and the outcome variable of PSA were examined using linear regression.RESULTSThere were 1,964 (27.0%) normal weight, 3,826 (52.6%) overweight, 1,200 (16.5%) obese, and 285 (3.9%) moderately + severely obese patients. With increasing BMI, there was a progressive decrease in PSA (P = 0.02), increase in prostate volume (P < 0.001), and decrease in both testosterone (P < 0.001) and DHT (P < 0.001). Using linear regression, increasing BMI was associated with decreasing serum PSA values. Furthermore, BMI remained inversely associated with PSA after individually adjusting for testosterone and DHT, as well as when adjusting for testosterone and DHT in the same model. Decreased androgen levels accounted for only 19% of the lower PSA in men with higher BMI.CONCLUSIONSOnly a fraction of lower PSA in obese men could be attributed to testosterone and DHT levels. The remaining factors explaining lower PSA are unaccounted for, presumably secondary to hemodilution associated with increased plasma volume in obese men. Prostate 77:466–470, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Clinical Correlates of Benefit From Radium‐223 Therapy in Metastatic Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer
Authors: Alva Ajjai , Nordquist Luke , Daignault Stephanie , George Saby , Ramos Jorge , Albany Costantine , Isharwal Sudhir , McDonald Matthew , Campbell Gregory , Danchaivijitr Pongwut , Yentz Sarah , Anand Aseem , Yu Evan Y. 
Published: December 2016

BACKGROUNDWe sought to identify potential clinical variables associated with outcomes after radium‐223 therapy in routine practice.METHODSConsecutive non‐trial mCRPC patients who received ≥1 dose of radium dichloride‐223 at four academic and one community urology‐specific cancer centers from May 2013 to June 2014 were retrospectively identified. Association of baseline and on‐therapy clinical variables with number of radium doses received and clinical outcomes including overall survival were analyzed using chi‐square statistics, cox proportional hazards, and Kaplan–Meier methods. Bone Scan Index (BSI) was derived from available bone scans using EXINI software.RESULTSOne hundred and forty‐five patients were included. Radium‐223 was administered for six cycles in 74 patients (51%). One‐year survival in this heavily pre‐treated population was 64% (95%CI: 54–73%). In univariate and multivariate analysis, survival was highly associated with receiving all six doses of Radium‐223. Receipt of six doses was associated with ECOG PS of 0–1, lower baseline PSA & pain level, no prior abiraterone/enzalutamide, <5 BSI value, and normal alkaline phosphatase. In patients who reported baseline pain (n = 72), pain declined in 51% after one dose and increased in 7%. PSA declined ≥50% in 16% (18/110). Alkaline phosphatase declined ≥25% in 48% (33/69) and ≥50% in 16/69 patients. BSI declined in 17 (68%) of the 25 patients who had bone scan available at treatment follow‐up. Grade ≥3 neutropenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia occurred in 4% (n = 114), 4% (n = 125), and 5% (n = 123), respectively.CONCLUSIONSPatients earlier in their disease course with <5 BSI, low pain score, and good ECOG performance status are optimal candidates for radium‐223. Radium‐223 therapy is well tolerated with most patients reporting declines in pain scores and BSI. Prostate 77:479–488, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
How the use of nitrogen fertiliser may switch plant suitability for aphids: the case of Miscanthus, a promising biomass crop, and the aphid pest Rhopalosiphum maidis
Authors: Bogaert Florent , Chesnais Quentin , Catterou Manuella , Rambaud Caroline , Doury Géraldine , Ameline Arnaud 
Published: December 2016

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe use of nitrogen fertiliser in agrosystems can alter plant nitrogen and consequently improve nutrient availability for herbivores, potentially leading to better performance for herbivores and higher pest pressure in the field. We compared, in laboratory conditions, the effects of nitrogen fertilisation on a promising biomass crop, Miscanthus × giganteus, and its parents M. sinensis and M. sacchariflorus. The plant‐mediated effects were compared on the second trophic level, the green corn leaf aphid Rhopalosiphum maidis.RESULTSResults showed that the biomass and leaf C:N ratio of M. sinensis plants treated with nitrogen fertiliser were significantly greater than those of non‐treated plants. As regards M. × giganteus and M. sacchariflorus, the only reported change was a significantly smaller leaf C:N ratio for treated M. sacchariflorus compared with non‐treated plants. Surprisingly, nitrogen fertilisation had opposite effects on plant–herbivore interactions. Following nitrogen treatments, M. sinensis was less suitable in terms of intrinsic rate of increase for R. maidis, the feeding behaviour of which was negatively affected, while M. sacchariflorus and M. × giganteus exhibited greater suitability in terms of aphid weight.CONCLUSIONNitrogen fertilisation had contrasting effects on the three species of Miscanthus plants. These effects cascaded up to the second trophic level, R. maidis aphid pests, either through a modification of their weight or demographic parameters. The implications of these results were discussed in the context of agricultural sustainability and intensive production practices. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Design Considerations for the Next Generation Hip Resurfacing Implant
Authors: Su Edwin P. 
Published: December 2016

The current generation of hip resurfacing consists of a metal-on-metal ball and monoblock socket of minimal thickness. Although results in certain patient subgroups have been excellent at up to 15 years of follow-up, other subgroups have had poor results. The hard-on-hard bearing is susceptible to edge-loading conditions and may produce excessive metallic debris; furthermore, other patients have had allergic reactions to the metal byproducts. In both situations, there can be clinical failures from adverse local tissue reactions. As such, the role of hip resurfacing has diminished over the last decade because of these issues. Developing the next generation hip resurfacing is essential to address these problems, and there are multiple design considerations in doing so. The choice of materials will be of prime concern, with the decision to use a hard-on-soft or hard-on-hard articulation. The dimensions of the resurfacing implant also pose a challenge, because of the requirement to preserve the bone. Fixation of the implant is another area of interest, in order to maximize implant longevity.
Beyond the Liberal Democracy Paradigm: A Fresh Look at Power and Institutions
Authors: Hyden Goran 
Published: December 2016

Abstract:Compared to political developments in Eastern Europe and Latin America, democratization in sub-Saharan Africa has been more problematic and uneven. Looking at the performance in four subregions—central Africa, East Africa, southern Africa, and West Africa—yields no convincing evidence of a “wave” of democratization; countries next to each other differ considerably with regard to their Freedom House scores. This does not mean that democratization has necessarily stalled, but it does demonstrate that the prevailing vertical cleavages along ethnic, racial, or religious lines can make such a transition volatile, as suggested by the cases of Burundi, Mali, and even Kenya. While political competition in mature democracies, typically divided along horizontal group or class lines, tends to generate positive-sum outcomes, such competition in Africa easily turns into “prisoner’s dilemma” games. The uncertainty about the value of cooperation in such situations usually produces political “truces” that are easily abandoned if the costs of adherence exceed the benefits. Against the background of this prevailing political logic, this article calls for a new approach to conceptualizing notions of “institution” and “power” in the analysis of politics in the region.
Staging a “Revolution”: The 2011–12 Electoral Protests in Senegal
Authors: Demarest Leila 
Published: December 2016

Abstract:This paper advances a resource mobilization perspective on the 2011–12 electoral protests in Senegal based on social movement theory. Motivational explanations, in the form of grievance accounts, have already been used to explain successful protest mobilization in this case. Here the emphasis is placed on organizational efforts and the financial and human resources behind social movements. Using this approach to analyze the rise and fall of the social movement created to protest against President Abdoulaye Wade reveals its strategic role for opposition parties and their leaders. These findings add nuance to the perception of a democratic revolution in Senegal.
Mineral Wealth and Protest in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Arce Moisés , Miller Rebecca E. 
Published: December 2016

Abstract:Challenging the scholarship on the relationship between natural resources and civil society, this article advances a framework that differentiates the various types of protests surrounding mineral extraction in sub-Saharan Africa and explains how this extraction encourages contentious activity. On the basis of protest event data from thirty-nine countries in SSA for the 1990–2006 period, as well as available survey data, the article provides confirming evidence that mineral wealth increases protest activity.
Dance, Discipline, and the Liberal Self at a Ugandan Catholic Boarding School
Authors: Pier David G. 
Published: December 2016

Abstract:In the last years of Idi Amin’s reign, modern dance was introduced at Namasagali College, a Catholic boarding school in rural Uganda, as a means of encouraging modern, liberal self-awareness in students. Drawing on interviews with Namasagali’s former headmaster, teachers, and students, this article offers the first scholarly consideration of this important school, and contextualizes its modern dance curriculum within Africa’s historical modernity/modernization problematic. The school’s progressive educational program, with its focus on creative exploration and ownership of the body, was framed within a neocolonial regimen of discipline and punishment that aimed to drill modern behavior into students. In its clashing modes of government, this school exhibited contradictions that have perennially troubled Western liberal intervention in Africa.
Developing mental health research in sub-Saharan Africa: capacity building in the AFFIRM project
Authors: Schneider M. , Sorsdahl K. , Mayston R. , Ahrens J. , Chibanda D. , Fekadu A. , Hanlon C. , Holzer S. , Musisi S. , Ofori-Atta A. , Thornicroft G. , Prince M. , Alem A. , Susser E. , Lund C. 
Published: December 2016

BackgroundThere remains a large disparity in the quantity, quality and impact of mental health research carried out in sub-Saharan Africa, relative to both the burden and the amount of research carried out in other regions. We lack evidence on the capacity-building activities that are effective in achieving desired aims and appropriate methodologies for evaluating success.MethodsAFFIRM was an NIMH-funded hub project including a capacity-building program with three components open to participants across six countries: (a) fellowships for an M.Phil. program; (b) funding for Ph.D. students conducting research nested within AFFIRM trials; (c) short courses in specialist research skills. We present findings on progression and outputs from the M.Phil. and Ph.D. programs, self-perceived impact of short courses, qualitative data on student experience, and reflections on experiences and lessons learnt from AFFIRM consortium members.ResultsAFFIRM delivered funded research training opportunities to 25 mental health professionals, 90 researchers and five Ph.D. students across 6 countries over a period of 5 years. A number of challenges were identified and suggestions for improving the capacity-building activities explored.ConclusionsHaving protected time for research is a barrier to carrying out research activities for busy clinicians. Funders could support sustainability of capacity-building initiatives through funds for travel and study leave. Adoption of a train-the-trainers model for specialist skills training and strategies for improving the rigor of evaluation of capacity-building activities should be considered.
Moral geometry in Restoration Ireland: Samuel Foley’s ‘Computatio universalis’ (1684) and the science of colonisation
Authors: McCormick Ted 
Published: December 2016

AbstractDespite the importance of the new science in the colonisation of Stuart Ireland, and the many Irish links to major figures in the Scientific Revolution, these connections remain relatively little studied outside of major episodes such as the Down Survey. This article examines a much smaller project, the ‘Computatio Universalis’ (1684) of Church of Ireland clergyman (later bishop of Down and Connor) Samuel Foley (1655–1695). Submitted to the Dublin Philosophical Society in 1684 as an attempt to ‘to demonstrate a universal standard’ of value, Foley’s project was in fact a guide to the achievement of ‘happiness’ through the careful stewardship of time and wealth. Foley’s project recalls earlier Christian humanist and Protestant concern with stewardship, however, and also reflects seventeenth-century economic writers’ and moral reformers’ concern with avoiding idleness. In the context of Restoration Ireland, however, it can also be seen more specifically as a project harnessing new methods of quantification for the cultural maintenance of a ruling Protestant elite historically threatened by degeneration in a colonial setting, as well as a reflection of Protestant anxieties about the Catholic church’s control over time.
Bookmakers, betting offices and the business of gambling in independent Ireland, 1926–31
Authors: O’Callaghan Liam 
Published: December 2016

AbstractThe Betting Act 1926 legalised cash betting in Ireland and led to the appearance, for the first time, of the legally regulated and licensed betting office. The introduction of this legislation was a pragmatic step, designed to eradicate the undesirable practice of street bookmaking. This article seeks to examine the operation of the legislation over the entire period of its enactment before it was superseded by the Betting Act 1931. What follows focuses on the bookmaker, their social background, geographical distribution, clientele and business practices. The industry, as it made its transition from its illegal to regulated forms, was characterised by both continuity and change. How bookmakers were perceived in the context of the puritanical atmosphere of the Free State is also considered. Attitudes to bookmakers depended on the scale of their involvement in the business, where they conducted their business, and who they conducted it with. Debates featuring these issues were spliced with contemporary concerns about class, gender and youth.
The formation of the Ulster Home Guard
Authors: Butler William 
Published: December 2016

AbstractThis article explores the problems encountered in the formation of the Ulster Home Guard, supposedly a direct equivalent to its well-known British counterpart, as part of the paramilitary Ulster Special Constabulary in Northern Ireland, during the Second World War. Predictably, the Ulster Home Guard became an almost exclusively Protestant organisation which led to many accusations of sectarianism from a variety of different national and international voices. This became a real concern for the British government, as well as the army, which understandably wished to avoid any such controversy. Though assumptions had previously been made about the numbers of Catholics in the force, this article explores just how few joined the organisation throughout the war. Additionally, the article investigates the rather awkward constitutional position in which the Ulster Home Guard was placed. Under the Government of Ireland Act, the Stormont administration had no authority on matters of home defence. It did, however, have the power to raise a police force as a way to maintain law and order. Still, the Ulster Home Guard, although formed as part of the Ulster Special Constabulary, was entrusted solely with home defence and this had wider implications for British policy towards Northern Ireland throughout the Second World War.
Climate and base-level controlled fluvial system change and incision during the last glacial–interglacial transition, Roer river, the Netherlands – western Germany
Authors: Kasse C. , Van Balen R.T. , Bohncke S.J.P. , Wallinga J. , Vreugdenhil M. 
Published: December 2016

AbstractThe fluvial development of the Roer river in the southeastern Netherlands and western Germany is presented for the Late Pleniglacial, Late-glacial and Early Holocene periods. Reconstruction of fluvial-style changes is based on geomorphological and sedimentological analysis. Time control comes from correlation to the pollen-based biochronostratigraphic framework of the Netherlands combined with independent optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages. At the Pleniglacial to Late-glacial transition a system and channel pattern change occurred from an aggrading braided to an incising meandering system. Rapid rates of meander migration, as established for the Late-glacial by optical dating, were likely related to the sandy nature of the substratum and the Late-glacial incision of the Meuse that resulted in a higher river gradient in the downstream part of the Roer. In the Roer valley the Younger Dryas cooling is not clearly reflected by a fluvial system response, but this may also be related to Holocene erosion of Younger Dryas fluvial forms. An important incision and terrace formation was established at the Younger Dryas to Early Holocene transition, probably related to forest recovery, reduced sediment supply and base-level lowering of the Meuse. The results of this study show a stepwise reduction in the number of channel courses from a multi-channel braided system in the Pleniglacial, to a double meander-belt system in the Late-glacial and a single-channel meandering system in the Early Holocene. The results show that the forcing factors of fluvial-system change in the Roer valley are climate change (precipitation, permafrost and vegetation) and downstream base-level control by the Meuse.