bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Adolescent Growth in Overweight and Non‐Overweight Children in Japan: a Multilevel Analysis
Authors: Zheng Wei , Suzuki Kohta , Sato Miri , Yokomichi Hiroshi , Shinohara Ryoji , Yamagata Zentaro 
Published: March 2014

AbstractBackgroundA trend towards earlier pubertal growth has been identified along with an increase in childhood obesity rates. The study aimed to identify the differences in growth patterns during adolescence between overweight/obese and non‐overweight children in Japan.MethodsThe participants were children from a prospective cohort study called Project Koshu, who were born between 1991 and 1998, in Japan. They were classified as overweight/obese or non‐overweight according to their body mass index (BMI) in the first grade of elementary school (6−7 years of age) and were followed until graduation from junior high school (14−15 years of age). Anthropometric data were collected at an annual medical check‐up in their school. Height gain trajectories were constructed by BMI categories using multilevel analyses. This analysis was stratified by gender.ResultsOverall, 111/850 (13.1%) girls and 109/911(12%) boys were defined as overweight/obese at baseline. Approximately 80% of the children were followed until the third grades of junior high school. Overweight/obese girls gained more height in the first half period, reached their peak height gain about a year earlier than non‐overweight girls, and experienced an earlier decline in height gain. Similarly, overweight/obese boys gained more height than non‐overweight boys initially. Additionally, non‐overweight boys maintained a higher rate of height gain from the age at peak height gain, although the age at peak height gain did not differ between the two groups.ConclusionsThe overweight/obese children grew faster than the non‐overweight children in the early pubertal stages, and the non‐overweight children caught up and exceeded in height gain at a later stage.
Bioremediation potential, growth and biomass yield of the green seaweed, Ulva lactuca in an integrated marine aquaculture system at the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia at different stocking densities and effluent flow rates
Authors: Al‐Hafedh Yousef S. , Alam Aftab , Buschmann Alejandro H. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractGrowth, production and biofiltration rates of seaweed, Ulva lactuca were investigated at two stocking densities (3 kg and 6 kg m−2) and two effluent flow rates (5.4 and 10.8 m3 day−1) to optimize an integrated mariculture system at Saudi Red Sea coast. effluents from fish‐rearing tank, stocked with 200 kg fish (Oreochromis spilurus), fed to six seaweed tanks via sedimentation tank. Fish growth (weight gain 1.75 g fish day−1), net production (NP, 10.16 kg m−3) and survival (94.24%) were within acceptable limits. Ulva showed significantly higher (F = 62.62, d.f. 3, 35; P < 0.0001) specific growth rates at lower density compared with higher density and under high flow versus low flow (SGR = 5.78% vs. 2.55% at lower flow and 10.60% vs. 6.26% at higher flow). Biomass yield of Ulva at low‐ and high‐stocking densities (111.11 and 83.2 g wet wt m−2 day−1, respectively) at low flow and (267.44 and 244.19 g wet wt m−2 day−1, respectively) at high flow show that high flow rate and lower density favoured growth. Removal rates of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) (0.26–0.31 g m−2 day−1) and phosphate phosphorus (0.32–0.41 g m−2 day−1) by U. lactuca were not significantly different (F = 1.9, d.f. 3, 59; P = 0.1394 for TAN and F = 0.29, d.f. 3, 59; P = 0.8324 for phosphates) at both the flow rates and stocking densities. Results show that the effluent flow rate has significant impact over the performance of the seaweed than stocking density.
The Devil you Know: Pegs vs Floats with Uncertain Outcomes
Authors: Bizuneh Menna , Valev Neven 
Published: March 2014

AbstractTheory predicts that a fixed exchange rate regime will be abandoned after a sizable economic shock as currency devaluation could stimulate exports and output. However, devaluation is risky as the new level of the exchange rate and the rate of inflation cannot be predicted. We show that this uncertainty creates resistance to devaluation. Policymakers prefer to maintain the fixed exchange rate and to undergo internal adjustment. We illustrate the point theoretically and provide supporting evidence from Bulgaria's currency board.
Endogenous Free Trade Agreements and Foreign Lobbying
Authors: Stoyanov Andrey 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThis paper assesses the political viability of free trade agreements (FTAs) in the presence of lobbying by organized foreign interest groups. The assessment is based on a model in which external tariffs and the decision to form an FTA are endogenously determined. The findings demonstrate that, in the presence of an organized lobby group in a prospective partner country, an FTA may initiate an increase in the level of protection against imports from third countries and impede trade with non‐member countries. Further, this study finds that a foreign lobby may encourage the local government to enter a welfare‐reducing trade‐diverting FTA. Finally, this paper shows that an FTA increases the lobbying power of the organized lobby groups of the member countries, which can potentially obstruct the viability of welfare‐improving multilateral trade liberalization.
Understanding State Rulemaking Processes: Developing Fracking Rules in Colorado, New York, and Ohio
Authors: Rinfret Sara , Cook Jeffrey J. , Pautz Michelle C. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractRulemaking is an integral component of environmental policy at both the federal and state level; however, rulemaking at the state level is understudied. With this research, we begin to fill that gap by focusing on rulemaking regarding the issue of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in three states: Colorado, New York, and Ohio. This policy issue is well suited to begin exploring state‐level rulemaking processes because the federal government has left fracking regulation to the states. Through semistructured interviews with a range of actors in the rulemaking process across these states, we establish a foundation from which future research in this area may build. This exploratory research yields some valuable insights into the roles different stakeholders are playing in regulating fracking in these three states, and our findings may be useful for explaining state‐level rulemaking more generally.
Social Structural Location and Vocabularies of Participation: Fostering a Collective Identity in Urban Agriculture Activism
Authors: Lyson Helena C. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractContextualized within the visible inequality that permeates its local food landscape and the broader elitist food culture of California's San Francisco Bay Area, Oakland's urban agriculture movement comprises actors with rich vocabularies of motive for participation. Drawing from 25 in‐depth interviews with movement activists, I uncover a racial and social class homogeneity among participants that contributes to the formation of a collective identity but also limits the movement's outcomes in important ways. This research draws from Bourdieu's theory of class distinction and social movement theories of collective identity formation to contribute to literature on the reproduction of class and racial privilege in alternative food activism. I find that narratives for movement involvement converge on three discourses: possession of education‐derived knowledge to contend with the agroindustrial complex, the conflation of the creation of community through urban food growing with inclusivity, and a missionary‐like desire to educate others as to the benefits of growing their own food. I argue that the movement could benefit from a more diverse repertoire of action generated from a greater integration of racially and economically diverse actors working together to reorient the food system toward local food production alternatives.
Expression of the innate defense receptor S5D‐SRCRB in the urogenital tract
Authors: Miró‐Julià C. , Escoda‐Ferran C. , Carrasco E. , Moeller J. B. , Vadekær D. F. , Gao X. , Paragas N. , Oliver J. , Holmskov U. , Al‐Awqati Q. , Lozano F. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractS5D‐SRCRB is a novel mouse secretory glycoprotein belonging to the ancient and highly conserved scavenger receptor cysteine‐rich superfamily of protein receptors. Available evidence indicates that S5D‐SRCRB interacts with conserved microbial cell wall components, as well as with some endogenous proteins, and presents a restricted tissue expression pattern. This study further analyzes the expression of S5D‐SRCRB along the mouse urogenital tract. Immunohistochemical staining for S5D‐SRCRB was observed in spermatocytes from seminiferous tubules and in the epithelial surface from urethra and bladder, as well as in kidney tubules, mainly from medulla and papilla. Double stainings showed that S5D‐SRCRB is expressed in both principal (P) and intercalated (IC) cells from renal collecting ducts (CD). By using an in vitro cell model of IC cell differentiation, preferential expression of S5D‐SRCRB was observed in the apical border of terminally differentiated IC. Colocalization of S5D‐SRCRB with galectin‐3 (Gal‐3) was also observed in kidney and bladder, but not in testis, supporting concurrent biochemical studies demonstrating the carbohydrate‐dependent interaction of Gal‐3 and S5D‐SRCRB. Furthermore, upregulation of S5D‐SRCRB expression was observed in in vitro and in vivo models of bacterial aggression, reinforcing the emerging view that CD, and specially IC, are important players in innate defense of the urinary tract against infection. Taken together, the results indicate that S5D‐SRCRB is an integral component of the urogenital tract involved in innate immune functions.
A homolog of ETHYLENE OVERPRODUCER, OsETOL1, differentially modulates drought and submergence tolerance in rice
Authors: Du Hao , Wu Nai , Cui Fei , You Lei , Li Xianghua , Xiong Lizhong 
Published: March 2014

SummarySubmergence and drought are major limiting factors for crop production. However, very limited studies have been reported on the distinct or overlapping mechanisms of plants in response to the two water extremes. Here we report an ETHYLENE OVERPRODUCER 1‐like gene (OsETOL1) that modulates differentially drought and submergence tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Two allelic mutants of OsETOL1 showed increased resistance to drought stress at the panicle development stage. Interestingly, the mutants exhibited a significantly slower growth rate under submergence stress at both the seedling and panicle development stages. Over‐expression (OE) of OsETOL1 in rice resulted in reverse phenotypes when compared with the mutants. The OsETOL1 transcript was differentially responsive to abiotic stresses. OsETOL1 was found to interact with OsACS2, a homolog of 1‐amino‐cyclopropane‐1‐carboxylate (ACC) synthase (ACS), which acts as a rate‐limiting enzyme for ethylene biosynthesis. In the osacs2 mutant and OsETOL1‐OE plants, ACC and ethylene content were decreased significantly, and exogenous ACC restored the phenotype of osetol1 and OsETOL1‐OE to wild‐type under submergence stress, implying a negative role for OsETOL1 in ethylene biosynthesis. The expression of several genes related to carbohydrate catabolism and fermentation showed significant changes in the osetol1 and OsETOL1‐OE plants, implying that OsETOL1 may affect energy metabolism. These results together suggest that OsETOL1 plays distinct roles in drought and submergence tolerance by modulating ethylene production and energy metabolism. Findings from the expression and functional comparison of three ethylene overproducer (ETOL) family members in rice further supported the specific role of OsETOL1 in the responses to the two water stresses.
Trehalose metabolism in plants
Authors: Lunn John Edward , Delorge Ines , Figueroa Carlos María , Van Dijck Patrick , Stitt Mark 
Published: March 2014

SummaryTrehalose is a quantitatively important compatible solute and stress protectant in many organisms, including green algae and primitive plants. These functions have largely been replaced by sucrose in vascular plants, and trehalose metabolism has taken on new roles. Trehalose is a potential signal metabolite in plant interactions with pathogenic or symbiotic micro‐organisms and herbivorous insects. It is also implicated in responses to cold and salinity, and in regulation of stomatal conductance and water‐use efficiency. In plants, as in other eukaryotes and many prokaryotes, trehalose is synthesized via a phosphorylated intermediate, trehalose 6‐phosphate (Tre6P). A meta‐analysis revealed that the levels of Tre6P change in parallel with sucrose, which is the major product of photosynthesis and the main transport sugar in plants. We propose the existence of a bi‐directional network, in which Tre6P is a signal of sucrose availability and acts to maintain sucrose concentrations within an appropriate range. Tre6P influences the relative amounts of sucrose and starch that accumulate in leaves during the day, and regulates the rate of starch degradation at night to match the demand for sucrose. Mutants in Tre6P metabolism have highly pleiotropic phenotypes, showing defects in embryogenesis, leaf growth, flowering, inflorescence branching and seed set. It has been proposed that Tre6P influences plant growth and development via inhibition of the SNF1‐related protein kinase (SnRK1). However, current models conflict with some experimental data, and do not completely explain the pleiotropic phenotypes exhibited by mutants in Tre6P metabolism. Additional explanations for the diverse effects of alterations in Tre6P metabolism are discussed.
Running World Cross-Country Championships: A Unique Model for Pacing
Authors: Esteve-Lanao Jonathan , Larumbe-Zabala Eneko , Dabab Anouar , Alcocer-Gamboa Alberto , Ahumada Facundo 
Published: March 2014

The aim of this study was to describe the pacing distribution during 6 editions of the world cross-country championships.Methods:Data from the 768 male runners participating from 2007 to 2013 were considered for this study. Blocks of 10 participants according to final position (eg, 1st to 10th, 11 to 20th, etc) were considered.Results:Taking data from all editions together, the effect of years was found to be significant (F5,266 = 3078.69, P < .001, ω2 = 0.31), as well as the effect of blocks of runners by final position (F4,266 = 957.62, P < .001, ω2 = 0.08). A significant general decrease in speed by lap was also found (F5,1330 = 2344.02, P < .001, ω2 = 0.29). Post hoc analyses were conducted for every edition where several pacing patterns were found. All correlations between the lap times and the total time were significant. However, each lap might show different predicting capacity over the individual outcome.Discussion:Top athletes seem to display different strategies, which allow them to sustain an optimal speed and/or kick as needed during the critical moments and succeed. After the first group (block) of runners, subsequent blocks always displayed a positive pacing pattern (fast to slow speed). Consequently, a much more stable pacing pattern should be considered to maximize final position.Conclusions:Top-10 finishers in the world cross-country championships tend to display a more even pace than the rest of the finishers, whose general behavior shows a positive (fast-to-slow) pattern.
Effect of Whole-Body Periodic Acceleration on Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage after Eccentric Exercise
Authors: Serravite Daniel H. , Perry Arlette , Jacobs Kevin A. , Adams Jose A. , Harriell Kysha , Signorile Joseph F. 
Published: March 2014

Purpose:To examine the effects of whole-body periodic acceleration (pGz) on exercise-induced-muscle-damage (EIMD) -related symptoms induced by unaccustomed eccentric arm exercise.Methods:Seventeen active young men (23.4 ± 4.6 y) made 6 visits to the research facility over a 2-wk period. On day 1, subjects performed a 1-repetition-maximum (1RM) elbowflexion test and were randomly assigned to the pGz (n = 8) or control group (n = 9). Criterion measurements were taken on day 2, before and immediately after performance of the eccentric-exercise protocol (10 sets, 10 repetitions using 120% 1RM) and after the recovery period. During subsequent sessions (24, 48, 72, and 96 h) these data were collected before pGz or passive recovery. Measurements included isometric strength (maximal voluntary contraction [MVC]), blood markers (creatine kinase, myoglobin, IL-6, TNF-α, TBARS, PGF2α, protein carbonyls, uric acid, and nitrites), soreness, pain, circumference, and range of motion (ROM).Results:Significantly higher MVC values were seen for pGz throughout the recovery period. Within-group differences were seen in myoglobin, IL-6, IL-10, protein carbonyls, soreness, pain, circumference, and ROM showing small negative responses and rapid recovery for the pGz condition.Conclusion:Our results demonstrate that pGz can be an effective tool for the reduction of EIMD and may contribute to the training-adaptation cycle by speeding up the recovery of the body due to its performance-loss-lessening effect.
Impact of Staphylococcus aureus on Pathogenesis in Polymicrobial Infections
Authors: Nair Nisha , Biswas Raja , Götz Friedrich , Biswas Lalitha 
Published: March 2014

ABSTRACTPolymicrobial infections involvingStaphylococcus aureusexhibit enhanced disease severity and morbidity. We reviewed the nature of polymicrobial interactions betweenS. aureusand other bacterial, fungal, and viral cocolonizers. Microbes that were frequently recovered from the infection site withS. aureusareHaemophilus influenzae,Enterococcus faecalis,Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Streptococcus pneumoniae,Corynebacteriumsp.,Lactobacillussp.,Candida albicans, and influenza virus. Detailed analyses of severalin vitroandin vivoobservations demonstrate thatS. aureusexhibits cooperative relations withC. albicans,E. faecalis,H. influenzae, and influenza virus and competitive relations withP. aeruginosa,Streptococcus pneumoniae,Lactobacillussp., andCorynebacteriumsp. Interactions of both types influence changes inS. aureusthat alter its characteristics in terms of colony formation, protein expression, pathogenicity, and antibiotic susceptibility.
Type I Interferon Signaling Regulates Activation of the Absent in Melanoma 2 Inflammasome during Streptococcus pneumoniae Infection
Authors: Fang Rendong , Hara Hideki , Sakai Shunsuke , Hernandez-Cuellar Eduardo , Mitsuyama Masao , Kawamura Ikuo , Tsuchiya Kohsuke 
Published: March 2014

ABSTRACTStreptococcus pneumoniae, a Gram-positive bacterial pathogen, causes pneumonia, meningitis, and septicemia. Innate immune responses are critical for the control and pathology of pneumococcal infections. It has been demonstrated thatS. pneumoniaeinduces the production of type I interferons (IFNs) by host cells and that type I IFNs regulate resistance and chemokine responses toS. pneumoniaeinfection in an autocrine/paracrine manner. In this study, we examined the effects of type I IFNs on macrophage proinflammatory cytokine production in response toS. pneumoniae. The production of interleukin-18 (IL-18), but not other cytokines tested, was significantly decreased by the absence or blockade of the IFN-α/β receptor, suggesting that type I IFN signaling is necessary for IL-18 production. Type I IFN signaling was also required forS. pneumoniae-induced activation of caspase-1, a cysteine protease that plays a central role in maturation and secretion of IL-18. Earlier studies proposed that the AIM2 and NLRP3 inflammasomes mediate caspase-1 activation in response toS. pneumoniae. From our results, the AIM2 inflammasome rather than the NLRP3 inflammasome seemed to require type I IFN signaling for its optimal activation. Consistently, AIM2, but not NLRP3, was upregulated inS. pneumoniae-infected macrophages in a manner dependent on the IFN-α/β receptor. Furthermore, type I IFN signaling was found to contribute to IL-18 production in pneumococcal pneumoniain vivo. Taken together, these results suggest that type I IFNs regulateS. pneumoniae-induced activation of the AIM2 inflammasome by upregulating AIM2 expression. This study revealed a novel role for type I IFNs in innate responses toS. pneumoniae.
Helminth-Induced Interleukin-4 Abrogates Invariant Natural Killer T Cell Activation-Associated Clearance of Bacterial Infection
Authors: Hsieh Yi-Ju , Fu Chi-Ling , Hsieh Michael H. 
Published: March 2014

ABSTRACTHelminth infections affect 1 billion people worldwide and render these individuals susceptible to bacterial coinfection through incompletely understood mechanisms. This includes urinary tract coinfection by bacteria andSchistosoma haematobiumworms, the etiologic agent of urogenital schistosomiasis. To study the mechanisms ofS. haematobium-bacterial urinary tract coinfections, we combined the first tractable model of urogenital schistosomiasis with an established mouse model of bacterial urinary tract infection (UTI). A single bladder exposure toS. haematobiumeggs triggers interleukin-4 (IL-4) production and makes BALB/c mice susceptible to bacterial UTI when they are otherwise resistant. Ablation of IL-4 receptor alpha (IL-4Rα) signaling restored the baseline resistance of BALB/c mice to bacterial UTI despite prior exposure toS. haematobiumeggs. Interestingly, numbers of NKT cells were decreased in coexposed versus bacterially monoinfected bladders. Given that schistosome-induced, non-natural killer T (NKT) cell leukocyte infiltration may dilute NKT cell numbers in the bladders of coexposed mice without exerting a specific functional effect on these cells, we next examined NKT cell biology on a per-cell basis. Invariant NKT (iNKT) cells from coexposed mice expressed less gamma interferon (IFN-γ) per cell than did those from mice with UTI alone. Moreover, coexposure resulted in lower CD1d expression in bladder antigen-presenting cells (APC) than did bacterial UTI alone in an IL-4Rα-dependent fashion. Finally, coexposed mice were protected from prolonged bacterial infection by administration of α-galactosylceramide, an iNKT cell agonist. Our findings point to a previously unappreciated role for helminth-induced IL-4 in impairment of iNKT cell-mediated clearance of bacterial coexposure.
Type III Secretion Needle Proteins Induce Cell Signaling and Cytokine Secretion via Toll-Like Receptors
Authors: Jessen Danielle L. , Osei-Owusu Patrick , Toosky Melody , Roughead William , Bradley David S. , Nilles Matthew L. 
Published: March 2014

ABSTRACT

Pathogens are recognized by hosts by use of various receptors, including the Toll-like receptor (TLR) and Nod-like receptor (NLR) families. Ligands for these varied receptors, including bacterial products, are identified by the immune system, resulting in development of innate immune responses. Only a couple of components from type III secretion (T3S) systems are known to be recognized by TLR or NLR family members. Known T3S components that are detected by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) are (i) flagellin, detected by TLR5 and NLRC4 (Ipaf); and (ii) T3S rod proteins (PrgJ and homologs) and needle proteins (PrgI and homologs), detected by NAIP and the NLRC4 inflammasome. In this report, we characterize the induction of proinflammatory responses through TLRs by the
Yersinia pestis
T3S needle protein, YscF, the
Salmonella enterica
needle proteins PrgI and SsaG, and the
Shigella
needle protein, MxiH. More specifically, we determine that the proinflammatory responses occur through TLR2 and -4. These data support the hypothesis that T3S needles have an unrecognized role in bacterial pathogenesis by modulating immune responses.