bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Understanding the Physicochemical Characteristics and the Improved Enzymatic Saccharification of Corn Stover Pretreated with Aqueous and Gaseous Ammonia
Authors: Yoo Chang Geun , Kim Hoon , Lu Fachuang , Azarpira Ali , Pan Xuejun , Oh Kyeong Keun , Kim Jun Seok , Ralph John , Kim Tae Hyun 
Published: August 2015

AbstractPhysicochemical characteristics of corn stover pretreated by soaking in aqueous ammonia (SAA) and low-moisture anhydrous ammonia (LMAA) were compared and investigated. The glucan digestibility of the treated biomass reached 90 % (SAA) and 84 % (LMAA). The LMAA pretreatment enhanced the digestibility by cleaving cross-linkages between cell wall components, whereas the SAA pretreatment additionally improved the digestibility by efficiently removing a major portion of the lignin under mild reaction conditions without significant loss of carbohydrates. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) revealed the structural and chemical transformations of lignin during the pretreatments. Both pretreatments effectively cleaved ferulate cell wall cross-linking that is associated with the recalcitrance of grass lignocellulosics toward enzymatic saccharification. Extracted lignin from SAA pretreatment was extensively depolymerized but retained “native” character, as evidenced by the retention of β-ether linkages.
Predicting violent behavior: The role of violence exposure and future educational aspirations during adolescence
Authors: Stoddard Sarah A. , Heinze Justin E. , Choe Daniel Ewon , Zimmerman Marc A. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractFew researchers have explored future educational aspirations as a promotive factor against exposure to community violence in relation to adolescents' violent behavior over time. The present study examined the direct and indirect effect of exposure to community violence prior to 9th grade on attitudes about violence and violent behavior in 12th grade, and violent behavior at age 22 via 9th grade future educational aspirations in a sample of urban African American youth (n = 681; 49% male). Multi‐group SEM was used to test the moderating effect of gender.Exposure to violence was associated with lower future educational aspirations. For boys, attitudes about violence directly predicted violent behavior at age 22. For boys, future educational aspirations indirectly predicted less violent behavior at age 22. Implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Meta‐analysis of oral contraceptive use and risks of all‐cause and cause‐specific death
Authors: Zhong Guo‐Chao , Cheng Jia‐Hao , Xu Xiang‐Long , Wang Kang 
Published: August 2015

AbstractBackgroundWhether ever use of oral contraceptives (OCs) is associated with mortality remains unclear.ObjectivesTo evaluate the association between ever use of OCs and mortality.Search strategyOn November 2, 2014, PubMed and Embase were searched for human studies, using the terms “contraceptive,” “contraceptives,” “death,” and “mortality.”Selection criteriaProspective cohort studies were included that provided risk estimates on OC use and mortality, and were reported in English or Chinese.Data collection and analysisA random‐effects model was used to pool data. Random‐effects meta‐regression was used to determine whether duration of OC use and time since last OC use were associated with mortality.Main resultsNine studies were included. Ever use of OCs was not associated with mortality from all causes (hazard ratio [HR] 0.94; 95% CI 0.87–1.02) or breast cancer (HR 1.00; 95% CI 0.95–1.06). Neither the duration of OC use nor the time since last OC use was associated with all‐cause or breast cancer mortality. In an analysis of a small number of studies, ever users were at decreased risk of mortality from ovarian cancer (HR 0.58; 95% CI 0.35–0.94).ConclusionsThere is no significant association between ever use of OCs and mortality from all causes or breast cancer.
A randomized placebo‐controlled trial of preoperative tranexamic acid among women undergoing elective cesarean delivery
Authors: Maged Ahmed M. , Helal Omneya M. , Elsherbini Moutaz M. , Eid Marwa M. , Elkomy Rasha O. , Dahab Sherif , Elsissy Maha H. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractObjectiveTo study the efficacy and safety of preoperative intravenous tranexamic acid to reduce blood loss during and after elective lower‐segment cesarean delivery.MethodsA single‐blind, randomized placebo‐controlled study was undertaken of women undergoing elective lower‐segment cesarean delivery of a full‐term singleton pregnancy at a center in Cairo, Egypt, between November 2013 and November 2014. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) using computer‐generated random numbers to receive either 1 g tranexamic acid or 5% glucose 15 minutes before surgery. Preoperative and postoperative complete blood count, hematocrit values, and maternal weight were used to calculate the estimated blood loss (EBL) during cesarean, which was the primary outcome. Analyses included women who received their assigned treatment, whose surgery was 90 minutes or less, and who completed follow‐up.ResultsAnalyses included 100 women in each group. Mean EBL was significantly higher in the placebo group (700.3 ± 143.9 mL) than in the tranexamic acid group (459.4 ± 75.4 mL; P < 0.001). Only six women, all in the placebo group, experienced an EBL of more than 1000 mL. There were no reports of thromboembolic events up to 4 weeks postoperatively.ConclusionPreoperative administration of tranexamic acid safely reduces blood loss during elective lower‐segment cesarean delivery.Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12615000312549.
Managing contract manufacturer quality in the presence of performance ambiguity
Authors: Gray John V. , Handley Sean M. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractBrand‐owing firms have been outsourcing the production of complete finished products to contract manufacturers (CMs) for some time. Increasingly, brand‐owning firms have been employing CMs to produce products for which performance ambiguity is high. Doing so poses challenges for the management of CM performance. As expected, we find that quality performance ambiguity has a significant negative relationship with CM conformance quality performance, as reported by the buyers (the brand‐owning firms). Drawing from and expanding the quality management (QM) literature, we assess the effectiveness of key constructs, derived primarily from the “supplier QM” meta‐construct, at mitigating the detrimental effect of ambiguity. Two constructs consistently moderate the ambiguity‐CM quality performance link. Heavily emphasizing quality at the time of CM selection moderates this relationship in the expected direction (i.e., it mitigates the challenges created by ambiguity). Surprisingly, we find that using one CM amplifies the negative relationship between ambiguity and conformance quality performance. One possible explanation is that employing only one CM aggravates existing opportunism concerns with regard to conformance quality performance under high levels of ambiguity.
Visiones inglesas sobre la región maya en el siglo XVI
Authors: Valencia Suárez María Fernanda 
Published: August 2015

A través de la presentación y análisis de los documentos que fueron publicados en Inglaterra en el siglo XVI, este artículo aborda la génesis del proceso de construcción de visiones inglesas sobre la región que hoy se identifica como maya. En un contexto marcado por crecientes tensiones con España, la región maya —convenientemente cercana a los bastiones ingleses establecidos en el Caribe— fue vista por algunos en Inglaterra como una zona estratégica para mermar el poder español y promover las nacientes ambiciones imperiales inglesas.
THE AZTEC ATLATL IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM
Authors: Whittaker John C. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractThe British Museum's Aztec atlatl is one of their most famous Mesoamerican objects, yet it has not been studied as a weapon in light of current knowledge of spear-throwers, and the details necessary to do so have not been published. Close examination and experimental replication shows that although it is ornately decorated, it is a serviceable spear-thrower. While evidence of actual use of this specimen is ambiguous, we can at least accept the form as an example of working weapons of Contact period Mesoamerica. The actual effects and circumstances of atlatl use against the Spanish and others are difficult to judge from surviving accounts. The iconography of the decoration, as in other instances, associated this atlatl with elite warfare and deities of war and sacrifice.
RETURN TO MOXVIQUIL: FORM AND FUNCTION IN A SMALL MAYA CITY
Authors: Paris Elizabeth H. , Taladoire Eric , Lee Whiting Thomas A. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractThe excavations of Frans Blom and Clarence Weiant at the small hilltop site of Moxviquil in the early 1950s represent one of the pioneering archaeological projects in highland Chiapas. The results of their excavations, which were minimally published, provide important data on one of the largest Late Classic-Early Postclassic communities in the region. In this paper, we reconsider Moxviquil in light of recent scholarship on Maya urbanism, and present new interpretations of the site as a small city that fulfilled a diversified set of urban functions for residents both within the monumental zone itself, and in the surrounding hinterland areas. Consistent with its likely role as the administrative center of a small, independent highland polity, the monumental center of Moxviquil likely served political, economic, and ritual functions; was an important nucleus of residential settlement; and supported a wide range of household-based craft production and food preparation activities.
INVESTIGATING TEOTIHUACAN THROUGH TMP SURFACE COLLECTIONS AND OBSERVATIONS
Authors: Robertson Ian G. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractIn the 1960s, the Teotihuacan Mapping Project (TMP) focused an ambitious, multiyear survey program on the pre-Columbian urban center of Teotihuacan. In addition to creating a highly detailed map, the TMP made systematic records of surface remains and collected nearly one million artifacts from roughly 5,000 provenience tracts. Taken together, the spatial, descriptive, and artifactual data collected by the TMP still constitutes one of the most extensive and most detailed records in existence for any ancient city. This paper characterizes and provides an update on TMP surface observations, particularly as they exist in digital format. Several analytical case studies illustrate substantive ways in which these data have been used in the decades since the TMP survey to investigate the culture and history of ancient Teotihuacan. The utility of extensive surface survey data for investigating key urban organizational elements such as neighborhoods and social districts is briefly considered, along with the growing importance of the TMP collections and records as increasingly large parts of Teotihuacan are lost to urban sprawl and destructive agricultural practices.
INDIGENOUS COATS OF ARMS IN TÍTULOS PRIMORDIALES AND TECHIALOYAN CÓDICES: NAHUA CORPORATE HERALDRY IN THE LIENZOS DE CHIEPETLAN, GUERRERO, MEXICO
Authors: Gutiérrez Gerardo 
Published: August 2015

AbstractThe introduction of European heraldry in the Americas created a special class of material culture and iconography that circulated widely on coins, paper, architecture, and textiles. More interestingly, its appropriation and use by indigenous communities has not received proper archaeological attention. In this paper I analyze the adoption of royal Spanish heraldry by Nahua political systems (altepetl) during the Colonial period, from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries. My primary goal is to understand the context, meaning, and social practices for three late colonial banners from eastern Guerrero—the Lienzos de Chiepetlan IV, V, and VI. I argue that these three banners can be treated as moveable pieces of a complex heraldic ensemble to form the full ornamented coat of arms of the Spanish king. These three banners permit us to compare and contrast indigenous narratives of allegiance and resistance to Spanish imperialism.
Putting logic-based distributed systems on stable grounds
Authors: AMELOOT TOM J. , VAN DEN BUSSCHE JAN , MARCZAK WILLIAM R. , ALVARO PETER , HELLERSTEIN JOSEPH M. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractIn the Declarative Networking paradigm, Datalog-like languages are used to express distributed computations. Whereas recently formal operational semantics for these languages have been developed, a corresponding declarative semantics has been lacking so far. The challenge is to capture precisely the amount of nondeterminism that is inherent to distributed computations due to concurrency, networking delays, and asynchronous communication. This paper shows how a declarative, model-based semantics can be obtained by simply using the well-known stable model semantics for Datalog with negation. We show that the model-based semantics matches previously proposed formal operational semantics.
A novel lncRNA, LUADT1, promotes lung adenocarcinoma proliferation via the epigenetic suppression of p27
Authors: Qiu M , Xu Y , Wang J , Zhang E , Sun M , Zheng Y , Li M , Xia W , Feng D , Yin R , Xu L 
Published: August 2015

AbstractLong noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are known to regulate the development and progression of various cancers. However, few lncRNAs have been well characterized in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Here, we identified the expression profile of lncRNAs and protein-coding genes via microarrays analysis of paired LUAD tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues from five female non-smokes with LUAD. A total of 498 lncRNAs and 1691 protein-coding genes were differentially expressed between LUAD tissues and paired adjacent normal tissues. A novel lncRNA, LUAD transcript 1 (LUADT1), which is highly expressed in LUAD and correlates with T stage, was characterized. Both in vitro and in vivo data showed that LUADT1 knockdown significantly inhibited proliferation of LUAD cells and induced cell cycle arrest at the G0–G1 phase. Further analysis indicated that LUADT1 may regulate cell cycle progression by epigenetically inhibiting the expression of p27. RNA immunoprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays confirmed that LUADT1 binds to SUZ12, a core component of polycomb repressive complex 2, and mediates the trimethylation of H3K27 at the promoter region of p27. The negative correlation between LUADT1 and p27 expression was confirmed in LUAD tissue samples. These data suggested that a set of lncRNAs and protein-coding genes were differentially expressed in LUAD. LUADT1 is an oncogenic lncRNA that regulates LUAD progression, suggesting that dysregulated lncRNAs may serve as key regulatory factors in LUAD progression.
Single-shot spectro-temporal characterization of XUV pulses from a seeded free-electron laser
Authors: De Ninno Giovanni , Gauthier David , Mahieu Benoît , Ribič Primož Rebernik , Allaria Enrico , Cinquegrana Paolo , Danailov Miltcho Bojanov , Demidovich Alexander , Ferrari Eugenio , Giannessi Luca , Penco Giuseppe , Sigalotti Paolo , Stupar Matija 
Published: August 2015

AbstractIntense ultrashort X-ray pulses produced by modern free-electron lasers (FELs) allow one to probe biological systems, inorganic materials and molecular reaction dynamics with nanoscale spatial and femtoscale temporal resolution. These experiments require the knowledge, and possibly the control, of the spectro-temporal content of individual pulses. FELs relying on seeding have the potential to produce spatially and temporally fully coherent pulses. Here we propose and implement an interferometric method, which allows us to carry out the first complete single-shot spectro-temporal characterization of the pulses, generated by an FEL in the extreme ultraviolet spectral range. Moreover, we provide the first direct evidence of the temporal coherence of a seeded FEL working in the extreme ultraviolet spectral range and show the way to control the light generation process to produce Fourier-limited pulses. Experiments are carried out at the FERMI FEL in Trieste.
ZnuA and zinc homeostasis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Pederick Victoria G. , Eijkelkamp Bart A. , Begg Stephanie L. , Ween Miranda P. , McAllister Lauren J. , Paton James C. , McDevitt Christopher A. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractPseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous environmental bacterium and a clinically significant opportunistic human pathogen. Central to the ability of P. aeruginosa to colonise both environmental and host niches is the acquisition of zinc. Here we show that P. aeruginosa PAO1 acquires zinc via an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) permease in which ZnuA is the high affinity, zinc-specific binding protein. Zinc uptake in Gram-negative organisms predominantly occurs via an ABC permease and consistent with this expectation a P. aeruginosa ΔznuA mutant strain showed an ~60% reduction in cellular zinc accumulation, while other metal ions were essentially unaffected. Despite the major reduction in zinc accumulation, minimal phenotypic differences were observed between the wild-type and ΔznuA mutant strains. However, the effect of zinc limitation on the transcriptome of P. aeruginosa PAO1 revealed significant changes in gene expression that enable adaptation to low-zinc conditions. Genes significantly up-regulated included non-zinc-requiring paralogs of zinc-dependent proteins and a number of novel import pathways associated with zinc acquisition. Collectively, this study provides new insight into the acquisition of zinc by P. aeruginosa PAO1, revealing a hitherto unrecognized complexity in zinc homeostasis that enables the bacterium to survive under zinc limitation.
The Role of Scleraxis in Fate Determination of Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Tenocyte Differentiation
Authors: Li Yonghui , Ramcharan Melissa , Zhou Zuping , Leong Daniel J. , Akinbiyi Takintope , Majeska Robert J. , Sun Hui B. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractMesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are pluripotent cells that primarily differentiate into osteocytes, chondrocytes and adipocytes. Recent studies indicate that MSCs can also be induced to generate tenocyte-like cells; moreover, MSCs have been suggested to have great therapeutic potential for tendon pathologies. Yet the precise molecular cascades governing tenogenic differentiation of MSCs remain unclear. We demonstrate scleraxis, a transcription factor critically involved in embryonic tendon development and formation, plays a pivotal role in the fate determination of MSC towards tenocyte differentiation. Using murine C3H10T1/2 pluripotent stem cells as a model system, we show scleraxis is extensively expressed in the early phase of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-12-triggered tenocytic differentiation. Once induced, scleraxis directly transactivates tendon lineage-related genes such as tenomodulin and suppresses osteogenic, chondrogenic and adipogenic capabilities, thus committing C3H10T1/2 cells to differentiate into the specific tenocyte-like lineage, while eliminating plasticity for other lineages. We also reveal that mechanical loading-mediated tenocytic differentiation follows a similar pathway and that BMP-12 and cyclic uniaxial strain act in an additive fashion to augment the maximal response by activating signal transducer Smad8. These results provide critical insights into the determination of multipotent stem cells to the tenocyte lineage induced by both chemical and physical signals.
Less is More: Design of a Highly Stable Disulfide-Deleted Mutant of Analgesic Cyclic α-Conotoxin Vc1.1
Authors: Yu Rilei , Seymour Victoria A. L. , Berecki Géza , Jia Xinying , Akcan Muharrem , Adams David J. , Kaas Quentin , Craik David J. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractCyclic α-conotoxin Vc1.1 (cVc1.1) is an orally active peptide with analgesic activity in rat models of neuropathic pain. It has two disulfide bonds, which can have three different connectivities, one of which is the native and active form. In this study we used computational modeling and nuclear magnetic resonance to design a disulfide-deleted mutant of cVc1.1, [C2H,C8F]cVc1.1, which has a larger hydrophobic core than cVc1.1 and, potentially, additional surface salt bridge interactions. The new variant, hcVc1.1, has similar structure and serum stability to cVc1.1 and is highly stable at a wide range of pH and temperatures. Remarkably, hcVc1.1 also has similar selectivity to cVc1.1, as it inhibited recombinant human α9α10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor-mediated currents with an IC50 of 13 μM and rat N-type (Cav2.2) and recombinant human Cav2.3 calcium channels via GABAB receptor activation, with an IC50 of ~900 pM. Compared to cVc1.1, the potency of hcVc1.1 is reduced three-fold at both analgesic targets, whereas previous attempts to replace Vc1.1 disulfide bonds by non-reducible dicarba linkages resulted in at least 30-fold decreased activity. Because it has only one disulfide bond, hcVc1.1 is not subject to disulfide bond shuffling and does not form multiple isomers during peptide synthesis.
Self-assembling process of Oxalamide compounds and their nucleation efficiency in bio-degradable Poly(hydroxyalkanoate)s
Authors: Ma Piming , Deshmukh Yogesh S. , Wilsens Carolus H.R.M. , Ryan Hansen Michael , Graf Robert , Rastogi Sanjay 
Published: August 2015

AbstractOne of the key requirements in semi-crystalline polyesters, synthetic or bio-based, is the control on crystallization rate and crystallinity. One of the limiting factors in the commercialization of the bio-based polyesters, for example polyhydroxyalkanoates synthesized by bacteria for energy storage purposes, is the slow crystallization rate. In this study, we show that by tailoring the molecular structure of oxalamide compounds, it is possible to dissolve these compounds in molten poly(hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), having a hydroxyvalerate co-monomer content of less than 2 mol%. Upon cooling the polymer melt, the homogeneously dispersed oxalamide compound crystallizes just below the melting temperature of the polymer. The phase-separated compound reduces the nucleation barrier of the polymer, thus enhancing the crystallization rate, nucleation density and crystallinity. The findings reported in this study provide a generic route for the molecular design of oxalamide-based compounds that can be used for enhancing nucleation efficiency of semi-crystalline bio-based polyesters.
Association of p53 rs1042522, MDM2 rs2279744 and p21 rs1801270 polymorphisms with retinoblastoma risk and invasion in a Chinese population
Authors: Chen Rongxin , Liu Shu , Ye Huijing , Li Jiali , Du Yi , Chen Lingyan , Liu Xiaoman , Ding Yungang , Li Qian , Mao Yuxiang , Ai Siming , Zhang Ping , Ma Wenfang , Yang Huasheng 
Published: August 2015

AbstractSingle nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of p53 rs1042522, MDM2 rs2279744 and p21 rs1801270, all in the p53 pathway, which plays a crucial role in DNA damage and genomic instability, were reported to be associated with cancer risk and pathologic characteristics. This case-control study was designed to analyse the association between these SNPs and retinoblastoma (RB) in a Chinese Han population. These SNPs in 168 RB patients and 185 adult controls were genotyped using genomic DNA from venous blood. No significant difference was observed in allele or genotypic frequencies of these SNPs between Chinese RB patients and controls (all P > 0.05). However, the rs1042522 GC genotype showed a protective effect against RB invasion, as demonstrated by event-free survival (HR = 0.53, P = 0.007 for GC versus GG/CC). This effect was significant for patients with a lag time >1 month and no pre-enucleation treatment (P = 0.007 and P = 0.010, respectively), indicating an interaction between p53 rs1042522 and clinical characteristics, including lag time and pre-enucleation treatment status. Thus, the rs1042522 SNP may be associated with RB invasion in the Han Chinese population; however, further large and functional studies are needed to assess the validity of this association.