bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinicopathologic significance of BubR1 and Mad2 overexpression in oral cancer
Authors: Teixeira JH , Silva PMA , Faria J , Ferreira I , Duarte P , Delgado ML , Queirós O , Moreira R , Barbosa J , Lopes CA , do Amaral JB , Monteiro LS , Bousbaa H 
Published: March 2015

ObjectivesBubR1 and Mad2 are central components of the mitotic checkpoint complex that inhibits anaphase onset until all chromosomes are correctly aligned at the metaphase plate. We propose to analyse the combined expression of BubR1 and Mad2 and assess its significance to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) diagnosis and prognosis.Materials and methodsBubR1 and Mad2 expression was assessed by real‐time PCR in OSCC cell lines and in normal human oral keratinocytes, and by immunohistochemistry in 65 patients with OSCC. The results were compared regarding clinicopathological parameters, proliferative activity and survival.ResultsBubR1 and Mad2 transcripts were overexpressed in OSCC cell lines which also exhibited attenuated spindle assembly checkpoint activity. BubR1 and Mad2 were also overexpressed in patients with OSCC. BubR1 expression was associated with advanced stages and larger tumour size in univariate analysis, and with shorter overall survival both in univariate and multivariate analysis. Mad2 overexpression was associated with that of BubR1 and, importantly, high expression of Mad2 and BubR1 was associated with increased cellular proliferation.ConclusionOur data propose a role for BubR1 and Mad2 in OSCC cellular proliferation, progression and prognosis.
Force–displacement measurements of earlywood bordered pits using a mesomechanical tester
Authors: Zelinka Samuel L. , Bourne Keith J. , Hermanson John C. , Glass Samuel V. , Costa Adriana , Wiedenhoeft Alex C. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThe elastic properties of pit membranes are reported to have important implications in understanding air‐seeding phenomena in gymnosperms, and pit aspiration plays a large role in wood technological applications such as wood drying and preservative treatment. Here we present force–displacement measurements for pit membranes of circular bordered pits, collected on a mesomechanical testing system. The system consists of a quartz microprobe attached to a microforce sensor that is positioned and advanced with a micromanipulator mounted on an inverted microscope. Membrane displacement is measured from digital image analysis. Unaspirated pits from earlywood of never‐dried wood of Larix and Pinus and aspirated pits from earlywood of dried wood of Larix were tested to generate force–displacement curves up to the point of membrane failure. Two failure modes were observed: rupture or tearing of the pit membrane by the microprobe tip, and the stretching of the pit membrane until the torus was forced out of the pit chamber through the pit aperture without rupture, a condition we refer to as torus prolapse.
Scientific Challenges to Free Will and Moral Responsibility
Authors: Shepherd Joshua 
Published: March 2015

AbstractHere, I review work from three lines of research in cognitive science often taken to threaten free will and moral responsibility. This work concerns conscious deciding, the experience of acting, and the role of largely unnoticed situational influences on behavior. Whether this work in fact threatens free will and moral responsibility depends on how we ought to interpret it, and depends as well on the nature of free and responsible behavior. I discuss different ways this work has been interpreted and argue that though work on conscious deciding and the experience of acting presents no real threat, work on situational influences is more difficult to dismiss. This work may present a real threat, and it may require us to revise our commonsense understanding of free and responsible behavior. But this work may also present ways to augment free and responsible behavior. Determining whether and how advancing science threatens, enhances, or simply describes free will is an ongoing task for scientists and philosophers alike.
Well‐being and Philosophy of Science
Authors: Alexandrova Anna 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThis article is a mutual introduction of the science of well‐being to philosophy of science and an explanation of how the two disciplines can benefit each other. In the process, I argue that the science of well‐being is not helpfully viewed as a social or a natural, but rather as a mixed, science. Hence, its methodology will have to attend to its specific features. I discuss two of its methodological problems: justifying the role of values, and validating measures. I suggest that tackling them calls for developing mid‐level rather than high theories of well‐being.
How to Value Equality
Authors: Moss Jeremy 
Published: March 2015

AbstractEquality is the central value for egalitarians. It is the value that distinguishes egalitarianism from other political theories. However, if equality is the central value for egalitarians, then why it is of value should be an obvious starting point for any discussion of egalitarianism. This article seeks to clarify the ways in which equality has been valued in philosophical discussion. I discuss the standard ways of valuing equality and argue that an understanding of equality as valuable because it is part of other values offers an important new insight into how we value equality especially in relation to the traditional understanding of equality as either intrinsically or instrumentally valuable.
Public Debt and Economic Growth in Emerging Market Economies
Authors: Fincke Bettina , Greiner Alfred 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThis paper empirically studies the relationship between public debt and economic growth for selected emerging market economies by performing panel data estimations. The results reveal a statistically significant positive correlation between public debt and the subsequent growth rate of per capita gross domestic product (GDP). Population and investment are also positively correlated with per capita growth, whereas the initial level of real GDP per capita exerts a negative influence on growth, implying conditional convergence. Other variables such as the inflation rate, the trade balance or the exchange rate do not yield a statistically significant effect with respect to economic growth.
The Role of Gamma Delta T Cells in Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
Authors: Minculescu L. , Sengeløv H. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractAlthough haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a potential curative treatment for haematological malignancies, it is still a procedure associated with substantial morbidity and mortality due to toxicity, graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD) and relapse. Recent attempts of developing safer transplantation modalities increasingly focuses on selective cell depletion and graft engineering with the aim of retaining beneficial immune donor cells for the graft‐versus‐leukaemia (GVL) effect. In this context, the adoptive and especially innate effector functions of γδ T cells together with clinical studies investigating the effect of γδ T cells in relation to HSCT are reviewed. In addition to phospho‐antigen recognition by the γδ T cell receptor (TCR), γδ T cells express receptors of the natural killer (NK) and natural cytotoxicity (NCR) families enabling them to recognize and kill leukaemia cells. Antigen recognition independent from the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) allows for the theoretical possibility of mediating GVL without an allogeneic response in terms of GVHD. Early studies on the impact of γδ T cells in HSCT have reported conflicting results. Recent studies, however, do suggest an overall favourable effect of high γδ T cell immune reconstitution after HSCT; patients with elevated numbers of γδ T cells had a significantly higher overall survival rate and a decreased rate of acute GVHD compared to patients with low or normal γδ T cell counts. Further research in terms of effector mechanisms, subtypes and tissue distribution during the course of HSCT is needed to assess the potentially beneficial effects of γδ T cells in this setting.
Medical and Scientific Conferences as Sites of Sociological Interest: A Review of the Field
Authors: González‐Santos Sandra , Dimond Rebecca 
Published: March 2015

AbstractConferences play a pivotal role in the production and circulation of knowledge and in shaping and establishing academic and professional disciplines. As collective events, they facilitate intense moments of interaction where scientific and medical knowledge can be observed in the making. This paper calls attention to conferences as fascinating sites for sociologists of science, technology and medicine. By bringing together authors who look at conferences from different areas within the social sciences and using a variety of data gathering methods, this paper provides a comprehensive introduction to the field of conference studies and hopes to inspire greater reflection about the nature of conferences and their potential within research.
Leadership In Times Of Uncertainty: Recent Findings, Debates, And Potential Future Research Directions
Authors: Rast David E. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThis paper reviews current debates and findings surrounding leadership in times of uncertainty as framed by the social identity theory of leadership. The past decade has witnessed reinvigorated social psychological research on leadership by focusing on the identity function of leadership, as well as group‐based and prototype‐based influences. This line of research overwhelmingly confirms that group prototypical leaders are preferred over less prototypical leaders. Integrating uncertainty‐identity theory, recent evidence illustrates self‐conceptual uncertainty can strengthen or weaken/negate the prototypical leader advantage. This novel line of research also demonstrates how and when uncertainty can alter perceptions of and preferences for different, and sometimes ‘nasty’ leaders—contradicting contemporary organizational behavior and leadership theories, which argue that people (almost always) prefer transformational, charismatic, or authentic leaders.
‘Best of Both Worlds’? A Comparison of Third Sector Providers in Health Care and Welfare‐to‐Work Markets in Britain
Authors: Heins Elke , Bennett Hayley 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThis article compares the welfare markets in primary health care and ‘welfare‐to‐work’ in the UK since the late 1990s. A longitudinal comparison of two different policy areas enables us to study the context in which marketization and the resulting shift of welfare provision takes place. We outline the general background of the market‐based reforms and highlight in what way policymakers have ascribed third sector organizations (TSOs) a number of positive characteristics, particularly the ability to address concerns about well‐known market failures. While consecutive governments promoted these organizations as welfare providers, case studies of two illustrative provider organizations in each policy area reveal a number of problems regarding their distinctiveness in increasingly competitive welfare markets.We conclude that the crisp distinction made by policymakers between the third and other sectors as well as the alleged advantages of the former present a rather naïve picture of a complex reality and argue for a more critical view of third sector characteristics and performance. The third sector is not only characterized by a high degree of fuzziness at the boundaries to other sectors, but even within single organizations, which often undergo significant transformations over time. As a result, policy intentions and practical outcomes are contradictory with TSOs losing their alleged distinctiveness as players in increasingly competitive markets. Furthermore, we contend that detailed longitudinal studies of organizations are essential in the advancement of the discussion of the third sector concept as they provide conceptual insights into organizational change and behaviour.
Dissenting (in part) with the Dissent: A Response to James Johnson
Authors: Hug Simon 
Published: March 2015

AbstractAs James Johnson largely restates many of my points raised in my overview of rational choice contributions to political science, I focus in my response on one point of disagreement. While Johnson implies that rational choice models have no empirical content, I argue that this is based on a very partial reading of several contributions. As Johnson refrains from offering any indications on what social science theory, according to his standards, actually has empirical content, his critique is unsatisfying.
Why short‐term biochar application has no yield benefits: evidence from three field‐grown crops
Authors: Jay C. N. , Fitzgerald J. D. , Hipps N. A. , Atkinson C. J. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThis study determines the impact of biochar, as a supplement, on soil nutrient availability and yields for three crops within commercial management systems in a temperate environment. Central to the suggestion of biochar benefits is an increase in soil nutrient availability, and here, we test this idea by examining crop nutrient uptake, growth and yields of field‐grown spring barley, strawberry and potato. Biochar produced from Castanea sativa wood was incorporated into a sandy loam soil at 0, 20 and 50 t/ha as a supplement to standard crop management practice. Fertilizer was applied normally for each of the three crops. The biochar contained substantial concentrations of Ca, Mg, K, P, but only K occurred at high concentration in water‐soluble analysis. The large concentration of extractable K resulted in a significant increase of extractable K in soil. The increased availability of K in biochar‐treated soil, with the exception of spring barley grain and the leaves of strawberry during the second year, did not induce greater tissue concentrations. In general, biochar application rate had little influence on the tissue concentration of any nutrient, irrespective of crop or sampling date. There was, however, evidence of a biochar‐induced increase in tissue Mo and a decrease in Mn, in strawberry, which could be linked to soil alkalinization as could the reduction in extractable soil P. These experiments show a single rotational application of biochar to soil had no effect on the growth or harvest yield of any of these field‐grown crops. Heavy metal analysis revealed small concentrations in the biochar (i.e. <10 μg/g biochar), with the largest levels for Ni, V and Cu.
Tesco in Korea: Regulation and Retail Change
Authors: Kim Woohyoung , Hallsworth Alan George 
Published: March 2015

AbstractIn South Korea, rising resistance has slowed the advance of global retailer Tesco to the advantage of traditional shopping locations. In 2013, Tesco claimed that retrospectively‐applied Korean Sunday trading regulations reduced its trading there by 8 per cent. We utilised secondary sources and also conducted an empirical survey of 1,092 consumers in 22 Korean cities to assess reactions to this regulatory change and found evidence of spatial switching back to traditional locations. Our Korean respondents supported the new Sunday trading restraint. Such an outcome would not be expected in those Western countries where further liberalisation is still promoted. Also, the poor trading figures announced by Tesco‐Homeplus in 2013 imply that Homeplus never fully adjusted to the Korean market. Issues of society and culture continue to challenge commercial innovations: with spatial implications.
A monoclonal antibody with anti‐D–like activity in murine immune thrombocytopenia requires Fc domain function for immune thrombocytopenia ameliorative effects
Authors: Yu Xiaojie , Menard Melissa , Seabright Gemma , Crispin Max , Lazarus Alan H. 
Published: March 2015

BACKGROUNDThe mechanism of action of anti‐D in ameliorating immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) remains unclear. The monoclonal antibody (MoAb) Ter119, which targets murine red blood cells (RBCs), has been shown to mimic the effect of anti‐D in improving antibody‐mediated murine ITP. The mechanism of Ter119‐mediated ITP amelioration, especially the role of the antigen‐binding and Fc domains, remains untested. A functional Fc domain is crucial for many therapeutic MoAb activity; therefore, the requirement of Ter119 Fc domain in ITP amelioration is investigated using outbred CD‐1 mice.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSTer119 variants, including Ter119 F(ab′)2 fragments, deglycosylated Ter119, and afucosylated Ter119, were generated to test their effect in ameliorating antibody‐induced murine ITP. In vivo inhibition of FcγRIII and FcγRIIB was achieved using the Fab fragment of the FcγRIII/FcγRIIB‐specific MoAb 2.4G2.RESULTSTer119 F(ab′)2 fragments and deglycosylated Ter119 were unable to ameliorate murine ITP or mediate phagocytosis of RBCs by RAW264.7 macrophages in vitro. Inhibition of FcγRIII and FcγRIIB, as well as Ter119 defucosylation, do not affect Ter119‐mediated ITP amelioration.CONCLUSIONThe Fc domain of Ter119, as well as its Fc glycosylation, is required for Ter119‐mediated ITP amelioration. Moreover, both Fc and Fc glycosylation are required for Ter119‐mediated phagocytosis in vitro. These findings demonstrate the importance of the Fc domain in a therapeutic MoAb with anti‐D–like activity.
Washing stored red blood cells in an albumin solution improves their morphologic and hemorheologic properties
Authors: Reinhart Walter H. , Piety Nathaniel Z. , Deuel Jeremy W. , Makhro Asya , Schulzki Thomas , Bogdanov Nikolay , Goede Jeroen S. , Bogdanova Anna , Abidi Rajaa , Shevkoplyas Sergey S. 
Published: March 2015

BACKGROUNDProlonged storage of red blood cells (RBCs) leads to storage lesions, which may impair clinical outcomes after transfusion. A hallmark of storage lesions is progressive echinocytic shape transformation, which can be partially reversed by washing in albumin solutions. Here we have investigated the impact of this shape recovery on biorheologic variables.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSRBCs stored hypothermically for 6 to 7 weeks were washed in a 1% human serum albumin (HSA) solution. RBC deformability was measured with osmotic gradient ektacytometry. The viscosity of RBC suspensions was measured with a Couette‐type viscometer. The flow behavior of RBCs suspended at 40% hematocrit was tested with an artificial microvascular network (AMVN).RESULTSWashing in 1% albumin reduced higher degrees of echinocytes and increased the frequency of discocytes, thereby shifting the morphologic index toward discocytosis. Washing also reduced RBC swelling. This shape recovery was not seen after washing in saline, buffer, or plasma. RBC shape normalization did not improve cell deformability measured by ektacytometry, but it tended to decrease suspension viscosities at low shear rates and improved the perfusion of an AMVN.CONCLUSIONSWashing of stored RBCs in a 1% HSA solution specifically reduces echinocytosis, and this shape recovery has a beneficial effect on microvascular perfusion in vitro. Washing in 1% albumin may represent a new approach to improving the quality of stored RBCs and thus potentially reducing the likelihood of adverse clinical outcomes associated with transfusion of blood stored for longer periods of time.
Dissecting alternative splicing in the formation of Miltenberger glycophorin subtype III (GYP.Mur)
Authors: Hsu K. , Yao C.‐C. , Lin Y.‐C. , Chang C.‐L. , Lee T.‐Y. 
Published: March 2015

Background and ObjectivesMiltenberger subtype III (Mi.III, GP.Mur) is one of the most important red cell phenotypes in the fields of transfusion in South‐East Asia. GP.Mur is believed to evolve from homologous gene recombination events between glycophorin A (GYPA) and glycophorin B (GYPB). GYP.Mur differs from GYPB in only seven nucleotides dispersed near the region of 3′ exon 3 of GYP.Mur. The goal of this study was to dissect how these nucleotide variants affected splicing of exon 3.Materials and MethodsWe first designed two minigene constructs: one containing GYP.Mur from exon 2 to exon 4 and the other containing GYPB in the same region. To test how these nucleotide variations between GYP.Mur and GYPB affected the splicing, a repertoire of the GYP.Mur‐like minigene constructs with different point mutations were created. These minigene variants were evaluated for their abilities to induce splicing of exon 3 using a heterologous expression system.Results(1) GYP.Mur minigene expressed exons 2, 3 and 4, whereas GYPB minigene expressed only exon 2 and exon 4. (2) The single nucleotide alteration at the position of the 5′ splice site of glycophorin intron 3 reversed the splicing decision. (3) The nucleotide variations between GYP.Mur and GYPB other than that at the 5′ splice site showed very little or no effect on splicing of exon 3.ConclusionSplicing of the glycophorin B‐A‐B hybrids (GYP.Mur and GYP.BUN) and unsplicing of GYPB follow the GU‐AG rule strictly.
Prevalence of IgG Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in Veterinary and Undergraduate Students at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
Authors: Rosypal A. C. , Houk A. E. , Zajac A. M. , Lindsay D. S. 
Published: March 2015

SummaryToxoplasma gondii is a globally distributed parasitic protozoan that infects humans and other warm‐blooded vertebrates. Felids are the only definitive host for T. gondii, and they excrete oocysts in their faeces. The national prevalence in humans is declining in the United States. This zoonotic organism is of particular interest due to its importance in pregnant women, in individuals with altered immune systems, and in reactivated ocular infections. Exposure to the parasite in humans is usually associated with consumption of raw or undercooked meat or by accidental ingestion of oocysts. It was hypothesized that veterinary students would have a greater chance at exposure to the parasite than an average population of undergraduate students due to increased contact with cats who are infected. A commercially available ELISA was used to examine serum samples from 336 students (252 veterinary students and 84 undergraduate students) at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the Virginia‐Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine for serum IgG antibodies to T. gondii antigen. The prevalence of T. gondii in these subjects was 5.6% in veterinary school students (n = 252) and 2.4% in undergraduates (n = 84). There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the prevalence of T. gondii antibodies in veterinary versus undergraduate students. The overall prevalence of 4.8% in all students in this study reflects the continuing decline of antibodies to T. gondii in humans in the United States.
Draft Genome Sequence of a New Delhi Metallo-β-Lactamase-5 (NDM-5)-Producing Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli Isolate
Authors: de Man Tom J. B. , Perry K. Allison , Avillan Johannetsy J. , Rasheed J. Kamile , Limbago Brandi M. 
Published: March 2015

ABSTRACT

A multidrug-resistant
Escherichia coli
isolate from an abdominal lesion displayed resistance to all β-lactams tested, including carbapenems, in addition to macrolides, fluoroquinolones, and tetracycline. Sequence analyses demonstrated the presence of
bla
NDM-5
in addition to at least 13 genes and 6 efflux pumps associated with antibiotic resistance.
Genome Sequences of the Lignin-Degrading Pseudomonas sp. Strain YS-1p and Rhizobium sp. Strain YS-1r Isolated from Decaying Wood
Authors: Prabhakaran Madhu , Couger Matthew B. , Jackson Colin A. , Weirick Tyler , Fathepure Babu Z. 
Published: March 2015

ABSTRACT
Pseudomonas sp. strain YS-1p and Rhizobium sp. strain YS-1r were isolated from a lignin-degrading enrichment culture. The isolates degraded lignin-derived monomers, dimers, alkali lignin, and, to a smaller extent (3% to 5%), lignin in switch grass and alfalfa. Genome analysis revealed the presence of a variety of lignin-degrading genes.