bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Military Interventions against ISIL in Iraq, Syria and Libya, and the Legal Basis of Consent
Authors: BANNELIER-CHRISTAKIS KARINE 
Published: June 2016

AbstractThe legal argument of intervention by invitation has been used by all 11 states intervening in Iraq (nine members of the US-led coalition, Russia, and Iran), by Egypt for its airstrikes against ISIL in Libya, and by Iran and Russia for their interventions in Syria. To the extent that these consensual military interventions targeted ISIL and other UN-designated terrorist groups, their legality has not been challenged by any state. Strong criticisms marked nonetheless military operations undertaken by invitation, but not targeting ‘terrorist groups’, such as the alleged Russian strikes against the ‘Syrian moderate opposition’. The arguments advanced by intervening states seem to confirm the purpose-based approach of intervention by invitation. They did not claim a ‘right to intervene in a civil war’, but relied on the existence of both a request by the government and a legitimate purpose: fighting ISIL and other terrorist groups. The different reactions also show unwillingness by the international community to recognize a general right of intervention in a civil war. Turning to the strikes of the US-led coalition in Syria, it is impossible to rely on the legal basis of ‘intervention by invitation’. The controversial theory of ‘passive consent’ could be used to some extent – but not after September 2015 when Syria denounced these strikes as a ‘flagrant violation’ of its sovereignty. The current efforts of the international community to find consensual solutions to the dramatic conflicts in Syria, Libya, and Iraq could offer new possibilities of consensual interventions against ISIL and other terrorist groups.
Integrating corpus linguistics into online language teacher education programs
Authors: Ebrahimi Alice , Faghih Esmail 
Published: June 2016

AbstractThis study reports on a qualitative study which explored 32 pre-service teachers’ evaluations of two online seven-week introductory courses in corpus linguistics (CL). Data were gathered through questionnaires, participants’ written journals, post-course semi-structured email interviews, and discussion forum entries. The qualitative analysis of data revealed that for successful integration of CL into online language teacher education programs, several procedures should be employed. These include: providing the necessary technological infrastructure in educational settings; incorporating CL instruction in initial stages of language teacher education degree programs and extending it throughout the whole curriculum; focusing more on the practical aspects of CL with much emphasis placed on the necessary pedagogical knowledge and skills for successful exploitation of CL; introducing user-friendly tools and encouraging indirect use of corpora in the absence of necessary technological facilities; providing adequate and effective instructional materials (text-based reading materials, screen capture videos, hands-on activities, etc.) along with sufficient instructor support; and encouraging the participants to reflect on the approach critically. The findings may promise implications for language teacher educators to effectively introduce CL to student teachers in virtual learning environments.
Biomarker-predicted sugars intake compared with self-reported measures in US Hispanics/Latinos: results from the HCHS/SOL SOLNAS study
Authors: Beasley JM , Jung M , Tasevska N , Wong WW , Siega-Riz AM , Sotres-Alvarez D , Gellman MD , Kizer JR , Shaw PA , Stamler J , Stoutenberg M , Van Horn L , Franke AA , Wylie-Rosett J , Mossavar-Rahmani Y 
Published: June 2016

AbstractObjectiveMeasurement error in self-reported total sugars intake may obscure associations between sugars consumption and health outcomes, and the sum of 24 h urinary sucrose and fructose may serve as a predictive biomarker of total sugars intake.DesignThe Study of Latinos: Nutrition & Physical Activity Assessment Study (SOLNAS) was an ancillary study to the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) cohort. Doubly labelled water and 24 h urinary sucrose and fructose were used as biomarkers of energy and sugars intake, respectively. Participants’ diets were assessed by up to three 24 h recalls (88 % had two or more recalls). Procedures were repeated approximately 6 months after the initial visit among a subset of ninety-six participants.SettingFour centres (Bronx, NY; Chicago, IL; Miami, FL; San Diego, CA) across the USA.SubjectsMen and women (n 477) aged 18–74 years.ResultsThe geometric mean of total sugars was 167·5 (95 % CI 154·4, 181·7) g/d for the biomarker-predicted and 90·6 (95 % CI 87·6, 93·6) g/d for the self-reported total sugars intake. Self-reported total sugars intake was not correlated with biomarker-predicted sugars intake (r=−0·06, P=0·20, n 450). Among the reliability sample (n 90), the reproducibility coefficient was 0·59 for biomarker-predicted and 0·20 for self-reported total sugars intake.ConclusionsPossible explanations for the lack of association between biomarker-predicted and self-reported sugars intake include measurement error in self-reported diet, high intra-individual variability in sugars intake, and/or urinary sucrose and fructose may not be a suitable proxy for total sugars intake in this study population.
Cetacean beachings correlate with geomagnetic disturbances in Earth's magnetosphere: an example of how astronomical changes impact the future of life
Authors: Ferrari Thomas E. 
Published: June 2016

AbstractThe beaching and stranding of whales and dolphins around the world has been mystifying scientists for centuries. Although many theories have been proposed, few are substantiated by unequivocal statistical evidence. Advances in the field of animal magnetoreception have established that many organisms, including cetaceans, have an internal ‘compass,’ which they use for orientation when traveling long distances. Astrobiology involves not only the origin and distribution of life in the universe, but also the scientific study of how extraterrestrial conditions affect evolution of life on planet Earth. The focus of this study is how cetacean life is influenced by disturbances in its environment that originate from an astrological phenomenon – in the present study that involves solar flares and cetacean beachings. Solar storms are caused by major coronal eruptions on the Sun. Upon reaching Earth, they cause disturbances in Earth's normally stable magnetosphere. Unable to follow an accurate magnetic bearing under such circumstances, cetaceans lose their compass reading while travelling and, depending on their juxtaposition and nearness to land, eventually beach themselves. (1) This hypothesis was supported by six separate, independent surveys of beachings: (A) in the Mediterranean Sea, (B) the northern Gulf of Mexico, (C) the east and (D) west coasts of the USA and two surveys (E and F) from around the world. When the six surveys were pooled (1614 strandings), a highly significant correlation (R2= 0.981) ofwhenstrandings occurred withwhenmajor geomagnetic disturbances in Earth's magnetosphere occurred was consistent with this hypothesis. (2) Whale and dolphin strandings in the northern Gulf of Mexico and the east coast of the USA were correlated (R2= 0.919,R2= 0.924) with the number of days before and after a geomagnetic storm. (3) Yearly strandings were correlated with annual geomagnetic storm days. (4) Annual beachings of cetaceans from 1998 to 2012 were linearly correlated (R2= 0.751) with frequency of annual sunspot numbers. Thus, consistently strong statistical correlation evidence indicates that an astronomical phenomenon – solar flares – can cause cetaceans to change their behaviour and become disoriented, which eventually causes them to swim onto a shore and beach themselves.
Non-compliance, renegotiation and justice in international adjudication: A WTO perspective
Authors: SHLOMO AGON SIVAN 
Published: June 2016

Abstract:Focusing on the expanding realm of international adjudication, this article approaches justice from the domain of the empirical and shows – through a careful, interview-based case study analysis in the WTO context – that justice in the international context is not only a contested concept, but also a multifaceted one, deeply embedded in notions such as the rule of law, fairness, equality, transformation, and cooperation. Whereas in the past, the primary, if not the sole role of international courts was that of settling disputes, in their modern legalised reincarnation these empowered international institutions have come to be seen primarily as enforcement mechanisms. Mechanisms that have been put in place by states in order to give effect to their originally negotiated commitments, and to hold states (or other entities) accountable for the international rules agreed-upon. Within this common enforcement-centred discourse of international courts, in turn, the natural tendency has so far been to think of ‘justice’ mainly through its ‘legal’ or ‘rule of law’ dimension. This article challenges this enforcement-centred discourse. Focusing on the vibrant WTO dispute settlement system (DSS) and its operation throughout the perennial EC–Bananas dispute, the article argues that the current enforcement-oriented debate of international courts, and the WTO DSS in particular, is lacking in several aspects. First, it brushes aside other important roles served by the DSS, and consequently overshadows the manifold social outcomes – beyond rule-compliance – produced by this system. Second, the prevalent rule-enforcement discourse further works in turn as to mask the multiple challenges of justice encapsulated in international disputes reaching the DSS docket, and obstructs the need to explore other conceptions of justice – beyond its legal-procedural meaning – such as global distributive, corrective, or transformative justice, through which the diverse roles and outcomes of the DSS may (and should) be evaluated. Against this backdrop, the article puts forwards a broad multifunctional account of the WTO DSS, which goes beyond the prevalent view of the system as primarily an enforcement mechanism, portraying it instead as a system of multiple, competing, and shifting roles. Among them, providing an orderly mechanism of renegotiation, redistribution, and settlement. Roles that essentially allow WTO Members to readjust their original WTO commitments and reallocate their burdens and benefits of international cooperation, and thereby to arrive at new – at times not fully legally-compliant – but not necessarily ‘unjust’ cooperative and sustainable social outcomes.
A data-driven network model of primary myelofibrosis: transcriptional and post-transcriptional alterations in CD34+ cells
Authors: Calura E , Pizzini S , Bisognin A , Coppe A , Sales G , Gaffo E , Fanelli T , Mannarelli C , Zini R , Norfo R , Pennucci V , Manfredini R , Romualdi C , Guglielmelli P , Vannucchi A M , Bortoluzzi S ,   on behalf of the Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro Gruppo Italiano Malattie Mieloproliferative (AGIMM) Investigators
Published: June 2016

AbstractmicroRNAs (miRNAs) are relevant in the pathogenesis of primary myelofibrosis (PMF) but our understanding is limited to specific target genes and the overall systemic scenario islacking. By both knowledge-based and ab initio approaches for comparative analysis of CD34+ cells of PMF patients and healthy controls, we identified the deregulated pathways involving miRNAs and genes and new transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulatory circuits in PMF cells. These converge in a unique and integrated cellular process, in which the role of specific miRNAs is to wire, co-regulate and allow a fine crosstalk between the involved processes. The PMF pathway includes Akt signaling, linked to Rho GTPases, CDC42, PLD2, PTEN crosstalk with the hypoxia response and Calcium-linked cellular processes connected to cyclic AMP signaling. Nested on the depicted transcriptional scenario, predicted circuits are reported, opening new hypotheses. Links between miRNAs (miR-106a-5p, miR-20b-5p, miR-20a-5p, miR-17-5p, miR-19b-3p and let-7d-5p) and key transcription factors (MYCN, ATF, CEBPA, REL, IRF and FOXJ2) and their common target genes tantalizingly suggest new path to approach the disease. The study provides a global overview of transcriptional and post-transcriptional deregulations in PMF, and, unifying consolidated and predicted data, could be helpful to identify new combinatorial therapeutic strategy. Interactive PMF network model: http://compgen.bio.unipd.it/pmf-net/.
STAT3 modulates β-cell cycling in injured mouse pancreas and protects against DNA damage
Authors: De Groef S , Renmans D , Cai Y , Leuckx G , Roels S , Staels W , Gradwohl G , Baeyens L , Heremans Y , Martens G A , De Leu N , Sojoodi M , Van de Casteele M , Heimberg H 
Published: June 2016

AbstractPartial pancreatic duct ligation (PDL) of mouse pancreas induces a doubling of the β-cell mass mainly through proliferation of pre-existing and newly formed β-cells. The molecular mechanism governing this process is still largely unknown. Given the inflammatory nature of PDL and inflammation-induced signaling via the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), the activation and the role of STAT3 in PDL-induced β-cell proliferation were investigated. Duct ligation stimulates the expression of several cytokines that can act as ligands inducing STAT3 signaling and phosphorylation in β-cells. β-Cell cycling increased by conditional β-cell-specific Stat3 knockout and decreased by STAT3 activation through administration of interleukin-6. In addition, the level of DNA damage in β-cells of PDL pancreas increased after deletion of Stat3. These data indicate a role for STAT3 in maintaining a steady state in the β-cell, by modulating its cell cycle and protection from DNA damage.
NUPR1, a new target in liver cancer: implication in controlling cell growth, migration, invasion and sorafenib resistance
Authors: Emma M R , Iovanna J L , Bachvarov D , Puleio R , Loria G R , Augello G , Candido S , Libra M , Gulino A , Cancila V , McCubrey J A , Montalto G , Cervello M 
Published: June 2016

AbstractSorafenib, an oral multikinase inhibitor, is the only approved agent for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its benefits are modest, and as its mechanisms of action remain elusive, a better understanding of its anticancer effects is needed. Based on our previous study results, we investigated here the implication of the nuclear protein 1 (NUPR1) in HCC and its role in sorafenib treatment. NUPR1 is a stress-inducible protein that is overexpressed in various malignancies, but its role in HCC is not yet fully understood. We found that NUPR1 expression was significantly higher in primary human HCC samples than in the normal liver. Knockdown of NUPR1 significantly increased cell sensitivity to sorafenib and inhibited the cell growth, migration and invasion of HCC cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, NUPR1 silencing influenced the expression of RELB and IER3 genes. Unsurprisingly, RELB and IER3 knockdown also inhibited HCC cell viability, growth and migration. Using gene expression profiling of HCC cells following stable NUPR1 knockdown, we found that genes functionally involved in cell death and survival, cellular response to therapies, lipid metabolism, cell growth and proliferation, molecular transport and cellular movement were mostly suppressed. Network analysis of dynamic gene expression identified NF-κB and ERK as downregulated gene nodes, and several HCC-related oncogenes were also suppressed. We identified Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) gene as a NUPR1-regulated gene and demonstrated that RUNX2 gene silencing inhibits HCC cell viability, growth, migration and increased cell sensitivity to sorafenib. We propose that the NUPR1/RELB/IER3/RUNX2 pathway has a pivotal role in hepatocarcinogenesis. The identification of the NUPR1/RELB/IER3/RUNX2 pathway as a potential therapeutic target may contribute to the development of new treatment strategies for HCC management.
Junctophilin 3 expresses in pancreatic beta cells and is required for glucose-stimulated insulin secretion
Authors: Li L , Pan Z-F , Huang X , Wu B-W , Li T , Kang M-X , Ge R-S , Hu X-Y , Zhang Y-H , Ge L-J , Zhu D-Y , Wu Y-L , Lou Y-J 
Published: June 2016

AbstractIt is well accepted that junctophilin (JPHs) isoforms act as a physical bridge linking plasma membrane and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) for channel crosstalk in excitable cells. Our purpose is to investigate whether JPHs are involved in the proper communication between Ca2+ influx and subsequent Ca2+ amplification in pancreatic beta cells, thereby participating in regulating insulin secretion. The expression of JPH isoforms was examined in human and mouse pancreatic tissues, and JPH3 expression was found in both the beta cells. In mice, knockdown of Jph3 (si-Jph3) in islets decreased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) accompanied by mitochondrial function impairment. Si-Jph3 lowered the insulin secretory response to Ca2+ signaling in the presence of glucose, and reduced [Ca2+]c transient amplitude triggered by caffeine. Si-Jph3 also attenuated mitofusin 2 expression, thereby disturbing the spatial organization of ER–mitochondria contact in islets. These results suggest that the regulation of GSIS by the KATP channel-independent pathways is partly impaired due to decrease of JPH3 expression in mouse islets. JPH3 also binds to type 2 ryanodine receptors (RyR2) in mouse and human pancreatic tissues, which might contribute to Ca2+ release amplification in GSIS. This study demonstrates some previously unrecognized findings in pancreatic tissues: (1) JPH3 expresses in mouse and human beta cells; (2) si-Jph3 in mouse primary islets impairs GSIS in vitro; (3) impairment in GSIS in si-Jph3 islets is due to changes in RyR2-[Ca2+]c transient amplitude and ER-mitochondria contact.
Multimetallic catalysed radical oxidative C(sp3)–H/C(sp)–H cross-coupling between unactivated alkanes and terminal alkynes
Authors: Tang Shan , Wang Pan , Li Haoran , Lei Aiwen 
Published: June 2016

AbstractRadical involved transformations are now considered as extremely important processes in modern organic synthetic chemistry. According to the demand by atom-economic and sustainable chemistry, direct C(sp3)–H functionalization through radical oxidative coupling represents an appealing strategy for C–C bond formations. However, the selectivity control of reactive radical intermediates is still a great challenge in these transformations. Here we show a selective radical oxidative C(sp3)–H/C(sp)–H cross-coupling of unactivated alkanes with terminal alkynes by using a combined Cu/Ni/Ag catalytic system. It provides a new way to access substituted alkynes from readily available materials. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggest that this reaction proceeds through a radical process and the C(sp3)–H bond cleavage is the rate-limiting step. This study may have significant implications for controlling selective C–C bond formation of reactive radical intermediates by using multimetallic catalytic systems.
Glacial legacies on interglacial vegetation at the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition in NE Asia
Authors: Herzschuh Ulrike , Birks H. John B. , Laepple Thomas , Andreev Andrei , Melles Martin , Brigham-Grette Julie 
Published: June 2016

AbstractBroad-scale climate control of vegetation is widely assumed. Vegetation-climate lags are generally thought to have lasted no more than a few centuries. Here our palaeoecological study challenges this concept over glacial–interglacial timescales. Through multivariate analyses of pollen assemblages from Lake El’gygytgyn, Russian Far East and other data we show that interglacial vegetation during the Plio-Pleistocene transition mainly reflects conditions of the preceding glacial instead of contemporary interglacial climate. Vegetation–climate disequilibrium may persist for several millennia, related to the combined effects of permafrost persistence, distant glacial refugia and fire. In contrast, no effects from the preceding interglacial on glacial vegetation are detected. We propose that disequilibrium was stronger during the Plio-Pleistocene transition than during the Mid-Pliocene Warm Period when, in addition to climate, herbivory was important. By analogy to the past, we suggest today’s widespread larch ecosystem on permafrost is not in climate equilibrium. Vegetation-based reconstructions of interglacial climates used to assess atmospheric CO2–temperature relationships may thus yield misleading simulations of past global climate sensitivity.
Transcriptome sequencing uncovers a three–long noncoding RNA signature in predicting breast cancer survival
Authors: Guo Wenna , Wang Qiang , Zhan Yueping , Chen Xijia , Yu Qi , Zhang Jiawei , Wang Yi , Xu Xin-jian , Zhu Liucun 
Published: June 2016

AbstractLong noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a crucial role in tumorigenesis. The aim of this study is to identify lncRNA signature that can predict breast cancer patient survival. RNA expression data from 1064 patients were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas project. Cox regression, Kaplan–Meier, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed to construct a model for predicting the overall survival (OS) of patients and evaluate it. A model consisting of three lncRNA genes (CAT104, LINC01234, and STXBP5-AS1) was identified. The Kaplan–Meier analysis and ROC curves proved that the model could predict the prognostic survival with good sensitivity and specificity in both the validation set (AUC = 0.752, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.651–0.854) and the microarray dataset (AUC = 0.714, 95%CI: 0.615–0.814). Further study showed the three-lncRNA signature was not only pervasive in different breast cancer stages, subtypes and age groups, but also provides more accurate prognostic information than some widely known biomarkers. The results suggested that RNA-seq transcriptome profiling provides that the three-lncRNA signature is an independent prognostic biomarker, and have clinical significance. In addition, lncRNA, miRNA, and mRNA interaction network indicated lncRNAs may intervene in breast cancer pathogenesis by binding to miR-190b, acting as competing endogenous RNAs.
Two conformational states in D-shaped DNA: Effects of local denaturation
Authors: Lee O.-chul , Kim Cheolhee , Kim Jae-Yeol , Lee Nam Ki , Sung Wokyung 
Published: June 2016

AbstractThe bending of double-stranded(ds) DNA on the nano-meter scale plays a key role in many cellular processes such as nucleosome packing, transcription-control, and viral-genome packing. In our recent study, a nanometer-sized dsDNA bent into a D shape was formed by hybridizing a circular single-stranded(ss) DNA and a complementary linear ssDNA. Our fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurement of D-DNA revealed two types of conformational states: a less-bent state and a kinked state, which can transform into each other. To understand the origin of the two deformed states of D-DNA, here we study the presence of open base-pairs in the ds portion by using the breathing-DNA model to simulate the system. We provide strong evidence that the two states are due to the emergence of local denaturation, i.e., a bubble in the middle and two forks at ends of the dsDNA portion. We also study the system analytically and find that the free-energy landscape is bistable with two minima representative of the two states. The kink and fork sizes estimated by the analytical calculation are also in excellent agreement with the results of the simulation. Thus, this combined experimental-simulation-analytical study corroborates that highly bent D-DNA reduces bending stress via local denaturation.