bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Long non‐coding RNA UCA1 increases chemoresistance of bladder cancer cells by regulating Wnt signaling
Authors: Fan Yu , Shen Bing , Tan Mingyue , Mu Xinyu , Qin Yan , Zhang Fang , Liu Yong 
Published: February 2014

Chemotherapy is a reasonable alternative to cystectomy in patients with invasive and advanced bladder cancer. However, bladder cancer cells often develop drug resistance to these therapies, and ~ 50% of patients with advanced bladder cancer do not respond to chemotherapy. Recent studies have shown that long non‐coding RNA (lncRNA) is involved in the development of chemoresistance. Here we investigated the role of the urothelial cancer‐associated 1 (UCA1) lncRNA in cisplatin resistance during chemotherapy for bladder cancer. We showed that cisplatin‐based chemotherapy results in up‐regulation of UCA1 expression in patients with bladder cancer. Similarly, UCA1 levels are increased in cisplatin‐resistant bladder cancer cells. Over‐expression of UCA1 significantly increases the cell viability during cisplatin treatment, whereas UCA1 knockdown reduces the cell viability during cisplatin treatment. UCA1 inhibition also partially overcomes drug resistance in cisplatin‐resistant T24 cells. Furthermore, we showed that UCA1 positively regulates expression of wingless‐type MMTV integration site family member 6 (Wnt6) in human bladder cancer cell lines. UCA1 and Wnt6 expression is also positively correlated in vivo. Up‐regulation of UCA1 activates Wnt signaling in a Wnt6‐dependent manner. We finally demonstrate that UCA1 increases the cisplatin resistance of bladder cancer cells by enhancing the expression of Wnt6, and thus represents a potential target to overcome chemoresistance in bladder cancer.
The time aspect of bioenergy – climate impacts of solid biofuels due to carbon dynamics
Authors: Zetterberg Lars , Chen Deliang 
Published: February 2014

AbstractThe climate impacts from bioenergy involve an important time aspect. Using forest residues for energy may result in high initial emissions, but net emissions are reduced over time since, if the residues were left on the ground, they would decompose and release CO2 to the atmosphere. This article investigates the climate impacts from bioenergy with special focus on the time aspects. More specifically, we analyze the climate impacts of forest residues and stumps where combustion related emissions are compensated by avoided emissions from leaving them on the ground to decompose. These biofuels are compared with fossil gas and coal. Net emissions are defined as emissions from utilizing the fuel minus emissions from a reference case of no utilization. Climate impacts are estimated using the measures radiative forcing and global average surface temperature. We find that the climate impacts from using forest residues and stumps depend on the decomposition rates and the time perspective over which the analysis is done. Over a 100 year perspective, branches and tops have lower climate impacts than stumps which in turn have lower impacts than fossil gas and coal. Over a 20 year time perspective, branches and tops have lower climate impacts than all other fuels but the relative difference is smaller. However, stumps have slightly higher climate impacts over 20 years than fossil gas but lower impacts than coal. Regarding metrics for climate impacts, over shorter time scales, approximately 30 years or less, radiative forcing overestimates the climate impacts compared with impacts expressed by global surface temperature change, which is due to the inertia of the climate system. We also find that establishing willow on earlier crop land may reduce atmospheric CO2, provided new land is available. However, these results are inconclusive since we haven't considered the effects of producing the agricultural crops elsewhere.
Geographies of E‐waste: Towards a Political Ecology Approach to E‐waste and Digital Technologies
Authors: Pickren Graham 
Published: February 2014

AbstractThe production and circulation of electronic waste, or e‐waste, has garnered significant popular and academic attention over the last decade and a half. While much of this work has come from the fields of waste management, engineering, chemistry, and public policy, geographers have made significant contributions to understanding this uniquely modern problem in a number of areas: mapping e‐waste flows at multiple scales; exploring informal e‐waste economies through ethnographic fieldwork; and critically engaging with development schemes and policies designed to mitigate the many hazards associated with electronics recycling. The main body of the paper charts how these empirical contributions have advanced broader debates about global economic linkages and governance. In the concluding section of the paper, I outline a few directions for future research that can continue to push the e‐waste literature beyond a managerial focus towards a broader problematization of the social and ecological foundations of digital technologies and economies. I suggest that geographers, particularly those who identify with the questions, methods, and modes of explanation found in political ecology, are well‐suited to such a task.
Toward Expanding Links Between Political Geography and African Studies
Authors: Myers Garth Andrew 
Published: February 2014

AbstractAfrica receives limited attention from political geographers, and African studies scholars pay too little attention to political geography. In reviewing the recent literature on African political geography, several themes emerge. This essay concentrates on three of these: the new scramble for Africa, political ecology, and electoral geography. The first two are areas in which a fair amount of political geography work has been done, but where more focus on particularly urban dimensions is warranted. The third arena of research is found to be highly under‐represented in recent scholarship, despite its palpable potential for yielding new insights and greater synergies between African studies and the sub‐field of political geography.
In Vitro Suppression of Dendritic Cells by Helicobacter pylori OipA
Authors: Teymournejad Omid , Mobarez Ashraf M. , Hassan Zuhair M. , Moazzeni Seyed M. , Ahmadabad Hassan N. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractBackgroundOuter inflammatory protein A (OipA) has an important role in Helicobacter pylori pathogenesis. In this study, we purified the outer membrane protein and evaluated the effects of this protein on maturation and cytokine production by dendritic cells (DCs).Materials and MethodsThe oipA gene was inserted into pET28a, and this construct was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). Purification of the recombinant protein was performed by Ni‐NTA affinity chromatography. Immature DCs were purified from spleen of C57BL/6 mice with more than 90% purity and were treated with several concentrations of OipA (1–20 μg/mL) overnight. Expression of maturation markers (CD86, CD40, and MHC‐II) on the surface of DCs and production of IL‐10 and IL‐12 were assessed by flow cytometry and ELISA, respectively.ResultsThe expression of DC maturation markers CD40, CD86, and MHC‐II was downregulated on the surface of OipA‐treated DCs at concentrations of 10 and 20 μg/mL compared with negative control. Production of IL‐10 decreases with increasing OipA concentration at a concentration of 5 μg/mL, but we detected no change in IL‐12 production.ConclusionInability to eliminate H. pylori from stomach is partly due to the evasion of the bacteria from the immune response. DCs are central mediators between innate and adaptive immunity, and DC cytokines direct the types of adaptive immune response. This study indicated that OipA of H. pylori is a DC maturation suppression factor. Previous studies have shown that H. pylori manage tolerogenic programming in DCs leading to long‐time gastric colonization. In conclusion, H. pylori OipA helps the establishment of chronic infection with reduction in IL‐10 and suppression of DC maturation.
THE REFLEXIVE TEST OF HAYDEN WHITE'S METAHISTORY
Authors: WILSON ADRIAN 
Published: February 2014

ABSTRACTThis paper assesses Hayden White's Metahistory through the test of reflexivity; that is, it asks whether the book's “general theory of the structure of that mode of thought which is called ‘historical”’ applies, as it should, to its own history of nineteenth‐century “historical consciousness.” Most components of the theoretical apparatus—the various concepts invoked in the “theory of the historical work” and in the “theory of tropes”—fail the reflexivity test; further, it emerges that those same components are also seriously flawed on other grounds. The sole and partial exception is the concept of emplotment, which passes the reflexivity test, albeit with qualifications, but more particularly has the virtue of illuminating the traditional history of history against which Metahistory's own story was pitched; and this result provides an ironic and unexpected vindication of Metahistory's underlying vision. Thus the book's fundamental insight—that the form of historical writing is epistemologically consequential—can be retained, even though its two theories should now be set aside.
MODERNITY: A PROBLEMATIC CATEGORY IN THE HISTORY OF EMOTIONS
Authors: Rosenwein Barbara H. 
Published: February 2014

ABSTRACTEmotions in History: Lost and Found by Ute Frevert is a lively introduction to some of the issues that historians must address when writing about emotions. Emotions in History notes some of the uses emotions have had in both public and private life, and it charts the changing fate of several emotions—particularly acedia, honor, and compassion—that have been either “lost” or “found” over time. Nevertheless, it suffers from a notion of modernity that obscures rather than clarifies. Making “modernity” the cause of changes in emotional ideas, comportment, and feeling, it cuts today's society off from its earlier roots and fails to see the continuities not only in emotions themselves but also in the mechanisms by which emotions have changed over time. Frevert's assumption that only the modern world has been interested in emotions is belied by eloquent learned writings on the topic in the medieval period (though not using the term “emotions”). Further, modernity is not alone in having effective mechanisms by which ideal standards of emotions and their expression are transmitted to a larger public.
TWO CONTRASTING FRENCH APPROACHES TO HISTORIOGRAPHY
Authors: Iggers Georg G. 
Published: February 2014

ABSTRACTThis essay reviews two books in the French Que Sais‐je? series by Charles‐Olivier Carbonell in 1981 and by Nicolas Offenstadt in 2011 on the topic of historiography. Offenstadt's volume is intended to bring Carbonell's up to date, but goes in very different directions. There is general agreement among historians that a fundamental reorientation has taken place in historical thought and writing in the past half century, about which quite a bit has been written in recent years in the West, including in Latin America, East Asia, and India. But this is not the theme of either of these volumes. Carbonell tells the history of history from the ancient Greeks to the twentieth‐century Annales; Offenstadt is not interested in examining major trends in historiography as much of the historiographical literature has done, but in analyzing the changes that the key concepts that guide contemporary historical studies have undergone. For Carbonell's chronological narrative of the history of historical writing, theory has no place; for Offenstadt, who proceeds analytically, history and theory are inseparable. He deals specifically with changes in conceptions of historical time, of the role of documents, of the place of history within the social sciences, of the centrality of narrative, and finally of historical memory.
Changes of microwave structure/dielectric properties during microwave freeze‐drying process banana chips
Authors: Jiang Hao , Zhang Min , Mujumdar Arun S. , Lim Rui X. 
Published: February 2014

SummaryThis experimental study investigated the trend of structure and dielectric properties during microwave freeze‐drying process banana chips. The mass of banana samples was 160 g, the microwave power set as 2 W g−1 and the highest drying temperature set as 55 °C. The whole drying process can be finished within 6 h. A network analyser and light microscope were used to determine the dielectric properties and structure. The dielectric properties, ε′ (from 20.80 to 1.20) and ε′′ (from 7.74 to 0.15), and the size of cell get smaller as the drying process continues, especially during the 3–4 h drying, which is the end of primary drying stage and the beginning of secondary drying stage. The trend of dielectric properties and microstructure of samples during drying can be an exact indication of drying stage of MFD.
Biochemical, textural and microstructural changes in whole‐soya bean cotyledon sufu during fermentation
Authors: Xia Xuejuan , Li Guannan , Zheng Jiong , Ran Chunxia , Kan Jianquan 
Published: February 2014

SummaryThis study aims to investigate the nutritional value of sufu and reduce environmental problems caused by okara, which results from the traditional processing method of sufu. The feasibility of the whole‐soya bean cotyledon sufu (WSCS) processing method, which does not produce okara, was investigated. WSCS was prepared by ripening okara‐containing tofu through various hydrolytic enzymes secreted by Actinomucor elegans for 70 days. After fermentation, total nitrogen, amino nitrogen and lipid contents were found to be lower in WSCS than in traditional sufu (TS), whereas contents of reducing sugar, dietary fibre, isoflavone aglycone and soya bean polysaccharide were higher in WSCS than in TS. The hardness, springiness and adhesiveness of WSCS were 249.703 ± 0.500 g, 0.606 ± 0.008 and 8.393 ± 0.032 J, respectively. The corresponding values for TS were 264.863 ± 0.572 g, 0.615 ± 0.007 and 7.516 ± 0.031 J, respectively. In addition, microstructural changes in WSCS and TS during fermentation were observed through scanning electron microscopy. The results from this study may provide a basis for industrial production of WSCS.
Some vagaries of neonatal lumbar epidural anaesthesia
Authors: VAS L. , NAREGAL P. , SANZGIRI S. , NEGI A. 
Published: February 2014

SummaryRegional anaesthesia and analgesia offer unique advantages of reduction in general anaesthesia requirements and the demands on NICU resources while improving the general outcome. We assessed the feasibility of continuous lumbar epidural analgesia in 20 neonates for various major surgical procedures lasting from 60–260 min. The babies were aged 18 h to 34 days. They were born at a gestational age of 31–40 weeks. We had difficulty in passing the epidural catheter from the lumbar route in two patients, so we had to resort to the caudal route. The problems associated with the placement of the catheter from the lumbar route are discussed. The analgesia was provided for up to 72 h. Nineeteen of the babies could be extubated in the operating theatre. They were awake but comfortable at the time of extubation. There were no complications due to the technique. Subsequent to this study, epidural analgesia either by lumbar or caudal route has become the routine in our hospital for all major thoraco‐abdominal surgical procedures in neonates.
Land‐use changes and monk parakeet expansion in the Pampas grasslands of Argentina
Authors: Bucher Enrique H. , Aramburú Rosana M. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractAimThe monk parakeet, Myiopsitta monachus (Boddaert, 1783), is a successful invasive species that has established viable populations on four continents, including North America and Europe. Of particular interest is the little known, large‐scale expansion of monk parakeet within its native range on the Pampas grasslands of Argentina during the 20th century. To understand the key factors involved in this large‐scale expansion and their implications in terms of current hypotheses on bird introductions, we investigated in detail the expansion process and related changes in land use during the period 1860–2010.LocationThe Pampas grassland ecoregion of Argentina.MethodsRange expansion was assessed using the following information sources: museum specimens, published scientific literature, reports from government agencies, postal questionnaires, internet public media, and data obtained during extensive travelling by the authors.ResultsThe range of the monk parakeet has expanded by about 327,958 km2 in 150 years. The linear range expansion rate was between 2.1 and 7.6 km year−1. Range expansion followed a neighbourhood diffusion pattern. Key land‐use changes included expansion of eucalyptus trees (the preferred nesting tree), introduction of European cattle, weed (thistle) invasion, conversion of grassland to cropland, and urban development.Main conclusionsEucalyptus was a key factor favouring parakeet range expansion. Food availability increased as a result of changes in grassland structure, weed invasion and cropland expansion. Urban environments operated as expansion stepping stones along the routes of railways. The invasive potential of monk parakeet and other parrots appears to be related to behavioural flexibility and dietary opportunism favoured by high intelligence and morphological adaptations (beak and foot structure).
Kaolinitic clay protects against Flavobacterium columnare infection in channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque)
Authors: Beck B H , Barnett L M , Farmer B D , Peatman E , Carter D 
Published: February 2014

AbstractColumnaris disease, caused by the bacterial pathogen Flavobacterium columnare, continues to be a major problem worldwide in both wild and cultured freshwater finfish. Despite the far‐reaching negative impacts of columnaris disease, safe and efficacious preventatives and curatives for this disease remain limited. In this study, we evaluated the potential of kaolin (Al2Si205(OH)4), a type of clay, for the prevention of columnaris disease. Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque), fingerlings were experimentally challenged with Flavobacterium columnare in untreated water or with water containing kaolin (1 g L−1). Over the 7‐day course of study, kaolin treatment led to significantly (P < 0.001) improved survival (96%) as compared to untreated fish (78% survival). Histological examination of the gills revealed that kaolin‐treated fish had substantially less gill damage than untreated controls. Quantitative PCR analysis of gill tissue revealed that kaolin significantly reduced F. columnare adhesion (measured at 1 h post‐challenge) and colonization (24 h post‐challenge). Incubation of kaolin with F. columnare in vitro demonstrated that kaolin reduced the number of F. columnare cells in culture supernatants, presumably through the formation of physical complexes through adsorption. In summary, kaolin can improve survival, reduce gill pathologies and reduce bacterial attachment to key tissues associated with columnaris disease in channel catfish by binding to F. columnare.
The Role of Social Performance and Physical Attractiveness in Peer Rejection of Socially Anxious Adolescents
Authors: Blöte Anke W. , Miers Anne C. , Westenberg P. Michiel 
Published: February 2014

This study addressed the role of social performance and physical attractiveness in the link between social anxiety and peer rejection in first‐time social situations. Recordings of 20 high and 20 low socially anxious adolescents giving a speech were rated by unfamiliar peers (N = 534) with regard to desire for future interaction (lower scores indicating rejection), social performance, and physical attractiveness; trained adult raters also evaluated social performance. Findings showed high interrelations between the different peer ratings and moderate correlations between adult and peer ratings. High socially anxious students were more rejected and social performance and physical attractiveness partly mediated the link between social anxiety and rejection. The findings may have important implications for socially anxious youth entering new social situations.
Use of ACP‐104 at Different Dilutions for Sperm Cryopreservation of Dourado, Salminus brasiliensis
Authors: Carolina V. Zanandrea Ana , Weingartner Marcos , Zaniboni‐Filho Evoy 
Published: February 2014

AbstractThe dourado, Salminus brasiliensis, is an important fish in South American river basins. The fish‐farming potential and concerns for its conservation in watersheds has stimulated studies with this species. This study compared the effect of different dilutions of two cryoprotectant solutions on the quality of cryopreserved dourado sperm (duration of motility/motility rate) post‐thawing using three different activating solutions. The cryoprotectant solution ACP‐104 was compared with the cryoprotectant solution most commonly used for dourado, which consists of a mixture of dimethyl sulfoxide, glucose, egg yolk, and distilled water. The semen was mixed following dilutions of semen : cryoprotectant solution: 1:3, 1:9, 1:15, 1:21, and 1:27. The cryopreserved samples were activated using distilled water, 0.45% NaCl or 1% NaHCO3. The results showed differences in thawed semen using the different activating solutions and cryoprotectant solutions. The glucose‐based cryoprotectant not only resulted in sperm motility equal to or better than that produced by ACP‐104, but the quality was not affected by the dilution. However, the sperm quality improved with increasing dilutions for ACP‐104. Under the conditions tested, the standard cryoprotectant solution is recommended for the cryopreservation of dourado semen because it requires a lower solution volume and, therefore, reduced storage space for the same volume of semen.
Essential Oregano Oil as a Growth Promoter for the Yellowtail Tetra, Astyanax altiparanae
Authors: de Moraes França Ferreira Pollyanna , da Silva Nascimento Lidiane , Coelho Dias Devlynn , da Veiga Moreira Diogo Magalhães , Lúcia Salaro Ana , Duca de Freitas Mariella Bontempo , Souza Carneiro Antonio Policarpo , Sampaio Zuanon Jener Alexandre 
Published: February 2014

AbstractThis study aimed to evaluate the potential of oregano oil as a growth promoter for the yellowtail tetra, Astyanax altiparanae. The fish (1.46 ± 0.09 g) were distributed into twenty‐four 60‐L aquaria at a stocking density of 0.5 fish/L. Six isonitrogenous (350 g crude protein/kg) and isocaloric (4272 kcal gross energy/kg) diets containing 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 g/kg of oregano oil were evaluated. At the end of 90 d there was a quadratic effect of oregano oil levels for weight gain, specific growth rate, protein efficiency ratio and carcass weight, and the estimated values to maximize these variables were between 0.2 and 0.6 g/kg. There was also a quadratic effect on the feed conversion ratio, and the estimated value to improve this variable was 0.62 g/kg. A positive linear effect of the treatments was observed for muscle glycogen. With increased levels of oregano oil in the diet, there was a reduction in dry matter and ether extract and an increase in the protein content of the carcass. Thus, it can be concluded that oregano oil, at the level of 0.5 g/kg, acts as a growth promoter for A. altiparanae by improving growth performance and carcass composition.