bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Procurement Contracts in the Presence of Endogenous Disruption Risk
Authors: Huang He , Shen Xiaoyu , Xu Hongyan 
Published: October 2015

ABSTRACTWe consider a manufacturer facing an unreliable supplier with high or low type on initial reliability. The private reliability can be enhanced through process improvement initiated by either manufacturer (manufacturer‐initiated improvement, MI) or supplier (supplier‐initiated improvement, SI). We derive optimal procurement contracts for both mechanisms and find that the moral hazard does not necessarily generate more profit for high‐type supplier. Furthermore, information asymmetry causes a greater possibility of not ordering from low type in SI than MI. For low type, when an upward effort distortion appears in both mechanisms, a decreased (increased) unit penalty should be imposed in MI (SI) compared with symmetric information case. Although possibly efficient effort from the supplier could yield greater channel profit in SI, several scenarios violate this expectation. However, the manufacturer's expected profit in MI is no less than that in SI. When MI is extended to MSI where both manufacturer and supplier can exert effort, the expected profits of two parties are equal to those in SI. We further extend SI to SID, where both process improvement and dual‐sourcing are available. The manufacturer considers the trade‐off between the benefit from diversification and the loss from dual information rent to decide to choose SID or MI. By comparing SID with pure dual‐sourcing, we find that supplier's process improvement could either accelerate or retard the exercise of dual‐sourcing.
Ionic mechanisms of spinal neuronal cold hypersensitivity in ciguatera
Authors: Patel Ryan , Brice Nicola L. , Lewis Richard J. , Dickenson Anthony H. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractCold hypersensitivity is evident in a range of neuropathies and can evoke sensations of paradoxical burning cold pain. Ciguatoxin poisoning is known to induce a pain syndrome caused by consumption of contaminated tropical fish that can persist for months and include pruritus and cold allodynia; at present no suitable treatment is available. This study examined, for the first time, the neural substrates and molecular components of Pacific ciguatoxin‐2‐induced cold hypersensitivity. Electrophysiological recordings of dorsal horn lamina V/VI wide dynamic range neurones were made in non‐sentient rats. Subcutaneous injection of 10 nm ciguatoxin‐2 into the receptive field increased neuronal responses to innocuous and noxious cooling. In addition, neuronal responses to low‐threshold but not noxious punctate mechanical stimuli were also elevated. The resultant cold hypersensitivity was not reversed by 6‐({2‐[2‐fluoro‐6‐(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]‐2‐methylpropyl}carbamoyl)pyridine‐3‐carboxylic acid, an antagonist of transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8). Both mechanical and cold hypersensitivity were completely prevented by co‐injection with the Nav1.8 antagonist A803467, whereas the transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) antagonist A967079 only prevented hypersensitivity to innocuous cooling and partially prevented hypersensitivity to noxious cooling. In naive rats, neither innocuous nor noxious cold‐evoked neuronal responses were inhibited by antagonists of Nav1.8, TRPA1 or TRPM8 alone. Ciguatoxins may confer cold sensitivity to a subpopulation of cold‐insensitive Nav1.8/TRPA1‐positive primary afferents, which could underlie the cold allodynia reported in ciguatera. These data expand the understanding of central spinal cold sensitivity under normal conditions and the role of these ion channels in this translational rat model of ciguatoxin‐induced hypersensitivity.
The effect of ageing on isoniazid pharmacokinetics and hepatotoxicity in Fischer 344 rats
Authors: Mach John , Huizer – Pajkos Aniko , Mitchell Sarah J. , McKenzie Catriona , Phillips Leo , Kane Alice , Jones Brett , de Cabo Rafael , Cogger Victoria , Le Couteur David G. , Hilmer Sarah N. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractIsoniazid is the first‐line treatment for tuberculosis; however, its use is limited by hepatotoxicity. Age‐related differences in isoniazid pharmacokinetics and hepatotoxicity are uncertain. We aimed to investigate these in young (3 ± 0 months, n = 26) and old (23.0 ± 0.2 months, n = 27) male Fischer 344 rats following a low‐ or high‐dose toxic regimen of isoniazid or vehicle (4 doses/day over 2 days; low: 100, 75, 75, 75 mg/kg; high: 150, 105, 105, 105 mg/kg i.p. every 3 h). Fifteen hours after the last dose, animals were euthanized and sera and livers were prepared for analysis. Isoniazid treatment increased serum hepatotoxicity markers (alanine and aspartate transaminase) in young animals but not in old animals, and only reached significance with the high dose in young animals. Isoniazid treatment caused a trend towards an increase in necrosis in young animals with both doses. In contrast, microvesicular steatosis was increased in old isoniazid‐treated animals, reaching significance only with the low dose (steatosis prevalence in old: vehicle 1/9, isoniazid 4/5; P < 0.05). Among isoniazid‐treated animals, concentrations of toxic intermediates acetylhydrazine and hydrazine were higher in old than young animals (P < 0.05). With both doses, hepatic cytochrome P450 2E1 activity was higher in young animals compared with old (P < 0.05). There were no other age effects seen on any of the other measured enzymes involved in isoniazid metabolism (N‐acetyl transferase, amidase, glutathione‐S‐transferase). These results show age‐related changes in isoniazid pharmacokinetics may contribute towards differential patterns of toxicity and confirm that standard hepatotoxicity markers do not detect isoniazid‐induced microvesicular steatosis.
Enhanced winter soil frost reduces methane emission during the subsequent growing season in a boreal peatland
Authors: Zhao Junbin , Peichl Matthias , Nilsson Mats B. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractWinter climate change may result in reduced snow cover and could, consequently, alter the soil frost regime and biogeochemical processes underlying the exchange of methane (CH4) in boreal peatlands. In this study, we investigated the short‐term (1–3 years) vs. long‐term (11 years) effects of intensified winter soil frost (induced by experimental snow exclusion) on CH4 exchange during the following growing season in a boreal peatland. In the first 3 years (2004–2006), lower CH4 emissions in the treatment plots relative to the control coincided with delayed soil temperature increase in the treatment plots at the beginning of the growing season (May). After 11 treatment years (in 2014), CH4 emissions were lower in the treatment plots relative to the control over the entire growing season, resulting in a reduction in total growing season CH4 emission by 27%. From May to July 2014, reduced sedge leaf area coincided with lower CH4 emissions in the treatment plots compared to the control. From July to August, lower dissolved organic carbon concentrations in the pore water of the treatment plots explained 72% of the differences in CH4 emission between control and treatment. In addition, greater Sphagnum moss growth in the treatment plots resulted in a larger distance between the moss surface and the water table (i.e., increasing the oxic layer) which may have enhanced the CH4 oxidation potential in the treatment plots relative to the control in 2014. The differences in vegetation might also explain the lower temperature sensitivity of CH4 emission observed in the treatment plots relative to the control. Overall, this study suggests that greater soil frost, associated with future winter climate change, might substantially reduce the growing season CH4 emission in boreal peatlands through altering vegetation dynamics and subsequently causing vegetation‐mediated effects on CH4 exchange.
Response to CO2 enrichment of understory vegetation in the shade of forests
Authors: Kim Dohyoung , Oren Ram , Qian Song S. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractResponses of forest ecosystems to increased atmospheric CO2 concentration have been studied in few free‐air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiments during last two decades. Most studies focused principally on the overstory trees with little attention given to understory vegetation. Despite its small contribution to total productivity of an ecosystem, understory vegetation plays an important role in predicting successional dynamics and future plant community composition. Thus, the response of understory vegetation in Pinus taeda plantation at the Duke Forest FACE site after 15–17 years of exposure to elevated CO2, 6–13 of which with nitrogen (N) amendment, was examined. Aboveground biomass and density of the understory decreased across all treatments with increasing overstory leaf area index (LAI). However, the CO2 and N treatments had no effect on aboveground biomass, tree density, community composition, and the fraction of shade‐tolerant species. The increases of overstory LAI (~28%) under elevated CO2 resulted in a reduction of light available to the understory (~18%) sufficient to nullify the expected growth‐enhancing effect of elevated CO2 on understory vegetation.
Field Evaluation of Cocksfoot, Tall Fescue and Phalaris for Dry Marginal Environments of South‐Eastern Australia. 1. Establishment and Herbage Production
Authors: Clark S. G. , Nie Z. N. , Culvenor R. A. , Harris C. A. , Hayes R. C. , Li G. D. , Norton M. R. , Partington D. L. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractNewly developed candidate cultivars of cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.), phalaris (Phalaris aquatica L.) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. = syn. L. arundinaceum (Schreb) Darbysh.) were evaluated over four years for persistence and productivity against current commercial cultivars in small plots at five locations selected for lower and less reliable rainfall and difficult soils (low pH and high Al) in south‐eastern Australia known to be marginally too dry for these grass species. The five locations were ‐ representing summer dominant rainfall, Inverell, in northern New South Wales (NSW); ‐ representing uniform rainfall; Trungley Hall, (medium rainfall), and Beckom (lower rainfall) both in southern NSW; and; representing a winter dominant pattern ‐ Eversley, (higher rainfall), and Bealiba, (lower rainfall), in central Victoria. The objective was to determine if the new candidate cultivars were more likely to persist and to be productive than current commercial cultivars. The study showed that most phalaris and cocksfoot treatments were highly productive in high rainfall years at one or both sites in southern NSW. However, all treatments had become much less productive by the end of the experimental period due to plant loss under hot, dry conditions in the final summer. At Bealiba in central Victoria, cocksfoot was the most productive species with several cocksfoot treatments of both subsp. hispanica and subsp. glomerata still present at the final harvest despite a hot and dry final summer‐autumn. Tall fescue was the most productive species in the two higher rainfall environments (Inverell, Eversley) although most treatments of all species performed well at those sites. Continental tall fescues were more productive on average than Mediterranean tall fescues at the strongly acidic Eversley site. As a result of this work, two of the new cocksfoot candidates (Moroccan Fine and AVH48 Selection) and one of the tall fescue candidates (Summer Active 1) have been licensed for commercial development and release.
A review of sugar consumption from nationally representative dietary surveys across the world
Authors: Newens K. J. , Walton J. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractBackgroundGovernment and health organisations worldwide have recently reviewed the evidence on the role of dietary sugars in relation to health outcomes. Hence, it is timely to review current intakes of dietary sugars with respect to this guidance and as a benchmark for future surveillance.MethodsThis review collates data from nationally representative dietary surveys across the world and reports estimates of intakes of total and added sugars, and sucrose in different population subgroups. Total sugars includes all mono‐ and disaccharides; namely, glucose, fructose, lactose, sucrose and maltose. Added and free sugars differ in the quantity of natural sugars included in their definitions. Free sugars include sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates, whereas added sugars typically only refer to those added during processing.ResultsMost countries reported intakes of total sugars, with fewer reporting intakes of added sugars and sucrose. No country reported intakes of free sugars. The available data suggest that total sugars as a percentage of energy were highest in the infant (<4 years), with mean values ranging from 20.0% to 38.4%, and decreased over the lifespan to 13.5–24.6% in adults. Intakes of added sugars were higher in school‐aged children and adolescents (up to 19% of total energy) compared to younger children or adults.ConclusionsFurther research into the dietary patterns contributing to added sugars intake in children and adolescents is warranted. It would also be beneficial to policy guidance if future dietary surveys employed a uniform way of expressing sugars that is feasible to measure and has public health significance.
Dynamical electron diffraction simulation for non‐orthogonal crystal system by a revised real space method
Authors: LV C.L. , LIU Q.B. , CAI C.Y. , HUANG J. , ZHOU G.W. , WANG Y.G. 
Published: October 2015

SummaryIn the transmission electron microscopy, a revised real space (RRS) method has been confirmed to be a more accurate dynamical electron diffraction simulation method for low‐energy electron diffraction than the conventional multislice method (CMS). However, the RRS method can be only used to calculate the dynamical electron diffraction of orthogonal crystal system. In this work, the expression of the RRS method for non‐orthogonal crystal system is derived. By taking Na2Ti3O7 and Si as examples, the correctness of the derived RRS formula for non‐orthogonal crystal system is confirmed by testing the coincidence of numerical results of both sides of Schrödinger equation; moreover, the difference between the RRS method and the CMS for non‐orthogonal crystal system is compared at the accelerating voltage range from 40 to 10 kV. Our results show that the CMS method is almost the same as the RRS method for the accelerating voltage above 40 kV. However, when the accelerating voltage is further lowered to 20 kV or below, the CMS method introduces significant errors, not only for the higher‐order Laue zone diffractions, but also for zero‐order Laue zone. These indicate that the RRS method for non‐orthogonal crystal system is necessary to be used for more accurate dynamical simulation when the accelerating voltage is low. Furthermore, the reason for the increase of differences between those diffraction patterns calculated by the RRS method and the CMS method with the decrease of the accelerating voltage is discussed.
Labor Dystocia: Uses of Related Nomenclature
Authors: Neal Jeremy L. , Ryan Sharon L. , Lowe Nancy K. , Schorn Mavis N. , Buxton Margaret , Holley Sharon L. , Wilson‐Liverman Angela M. 
Published: October 2015

IntroductionLabor dystocia (slow or difficult labor or birth) is the most commonly diagnosed aberration of labor and the most frequently documented indication for primary cesarean birth. Yet, dystocia remains a poorly specified diagnostic category, with determinations often varying widely among clinicians. The primary aims of this review are to 1) summarize definitions of active labor and dystocia, as put forth by leading professional obstetric and midwifery organizations in world regions wherein English is the majority language and 2) describe the use of dystocia and related terms in contemporary research studies.MethodsMajor national midwifery and obstetric organizations from qualifying United Nations‐member sovereign nations and international organizations were searched to identify guidelines providing definitions of active labor and dystocia or related terms. Research studies (2000‐2013) were systematically identified via PubMed, MEDLINE, and CINAHL searches to describe the use of dystocia and related terms in contemporary scientific publications.ResultsOnly 6 organizational guidelines defined dystocia or related terms. Few research teams (n = 25 publications) defined dystocia‐related terms with nonambiguous clinical parameters that can be applied prospectively. There is heterogeneity in the nomenclature used to describe dystocia, and when a similar term is shared between guidelines or research publications, the underlying definition of that term is sometimes inconsistent between documents.DiscussionFailure to define dystocia in evidence‐based, well‐described, clinically meaningful terms that are widely acceptable to and reproducible among clinicians and researchers is concerning at both national and global levels. This failure is particularly problematic in light of the major contribution of this diagnosis to primary cesarean birth rates.
In vivo and ex vivo regulation of breast cancer resistant protein (Bcrp) by peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor alpha (Pparα) at the blood–brain barrier
Authors: Hoque Md. Tozammel , Shah Arpit , More Vijay , Miller David S. , Bendayan Reina 
Published: October 2015

AbstractBreast cancer resistance protein (Bcrp/Abcg2) localized at the blood–brain barrier (BBB) limits permeability into the brain of many xenobiotics, including pharmacological agents. Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor α (Pparα), a ligand‐activated transcription factor, primarily involved in lipid metabolism, has been shown to regulate the functional expression of Bcrp in human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (hCMEC/D3). The aim of this study was to investigate ex vivo and in vivo, the regulation of Bcrp by Pparα in an intact BBB. Ex vivo quantitative real‐time PCR and immunoblot analyses showed significant up‐regulation of Abcg2/Bcrp mRNA and protein levels in CD‐1 mouse brain capillaries incubated with clofibrate, a Pparα ligand. Fluorescence‐based transport assays in CD‐1 and C57BL/6 brain capillaries showed that exposure to clofibrate significantly increased Bcrp transport activity. This increase was not observed in capillaries isolated from Pparα knockout mice. In vivo, we found: i) significant Bcrp protein up‐regulation in clofibrate‐dosed CD‐1 and C57BL/6 capillary lysates, but no effect in Pparα knockout capillary lysates, and ii) significantly increased Bcrp transport activity in capillaries isolated from clofibrate‐treated mice. These results demonstrate an increase in Bcrp functional expression by Pparα in brain capillaries, and suggest that Pparα is another nuclear receptor that can contribute to the regulation of membrane efflux transporters and drug permeability at the BBB.
imageWe propose the involvement of the following pathways in clofibrate‐mediated induction of the drug transporter Abcg2/Bcrp mRNA, protein expression and function by the nuclear receptor Pparα, in mouse brain capillary endothelial cells. Upon activation with clofibrate (Pparα, ligand), Pparα complex translocates from the cytoplasm into the nucleus and further recruits coactivators and transcription machinery which induce the transcription of Abcg2 gene and ultimately results in upregulation of Bcrp protein expression and function. These findings have significant implications since Bcrp is known to play an important role at the BBB in preventing the permeability of several xenobiotics and drugs into the brain.
Epothilone D prevents binge methamphetamine‐mediated loss of striatal dopaminergic markers
Authors: Killinger Bryan A , Moszczynska Anna 
Published: October 2015

AbstractExposure to binge methamphetamine (METH) can result in a permanent or transient loss of dopaminergic (DAergic) markers such as dopamine (DA), dopamine transporter, and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the striatum. We hypothesized that the METH‐induced loss of striatal DAergic markers was, in part, due to a destabilization of microtubules (MTs) in the nigrostriatal DA pathway that ultimately impedes anterograde axonal transport of these markers. To test this hypothesis, adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were treated with binge METH or saline in the presence or absence of epothilone D (EpoD), a MT‐stabilizing compound, and assessed 3 days after the treatments for the levels of several DAergic markers as well as for the levels of tubulins and their post‐translational modifications (PMTs). Binge METH induced a loss of stable long‐lived MTs within the striatum but not within the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Treatment with a low dose of EpoD increased the levels of markers of stable MTs and prevented METH‐mediated deficits in several DAergic markers in the striatum. In contrast, administration of a high dose of EpoD appeared to destabilize MTs and potentiated the METH‐induced deficits in several DAergic markers. The low‐dose EpoD also prevented the METH‐induced increase in striatal DA turnover and increased behavioral stereotypy during METH treatment. Together, these results demonstrate that MT dynamics plays a role in the development of METH‐induced losses of several DAergic markers in the striatum and may mediate METH‐induced degeneration of terminals in the nigrostriatal DA pathway. Our study also demonstrates that MT‐stabilizing drugs such as EpoD have a potential to serve as useful therapeutic agents to restore function of DAergic nerve terminals following METH exposure when administered at low doses.imageAdministration of binge methamphetamine (METH) negatively impacts neurotransmission in the nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) system. The effects of METH include decreasing the levels of DAergic markers in the striatum. We have determined that high‐dose METH destabilizes microtubules in this pathway, which is manifested by decreased levels of acetylated (Acetyl) and detyrosinated (Detyr) α‐tubulin (I). A microtubule stabilizing agent epothilone D protects striatal microtubules form the METH‐induced loss of DAergic markers (II). These findings provide a new strategy for protection form METH ‐ restoration of proper axonal transport.