bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Up-Regulated Expression of WNT5a Increases Inflammation and Oxidative Stress via PI3K/AKT/NF-κB Signaling in the Granulosa Cells of PCOS Patients
Authors: Zhao Yue , Zhang Chunmei , Huang Ying , Yu Yang , Li Rong , Li Min , Liu Nana , Liu Ping , Qiao Jie 
Published: October 2014

Abstract

Context:
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous endocrine disorder accompanied by chronic low-grade inflammation, but the molecular mechanism remains unclear.

Objective:
We investigated the action of WNT5a in the development of chronic inflammation in PCOS and the related molecular signaling pathways.

Design and Setting:
This was a prospective study conducted at the Division of Reproduction Center, Peking University Third Hospital.

Patients:
A total of 35 PCOS patients and 87 control women who reported to the clinic for the in vitro procedure and the cause of marital infertility was male azoospermia were included.

Main Outcome Measures:
Mural granulosa cells (GCs) of 35 PCOS patients and 37 controls were collected during oocyte retrieval and gene expression was analyzed. The human KGN cells and mural GCs from 50 control subjects (six to eight samples were pooled together for each experiment) were cultured in vitro. The regulation of inflammation and oxidative stress was confirmed by quantitative PCR, flow-cytometric assay, and dual-luciferase reporter assay after inflammatory stimuli or WNT5a overexpression. Relevant signaling pathways were identified using specific inhibitors.

Results:
Our data demonstrate significantly elevated WNT5a expression in the mural GCs of PCOS patients compared with the controls. Lipopolysaccharide stimulation increased WNT5a expression in KGN cells and mural GCs, and BAY-117082 and pyrrolidinedithiocarbamic acid [nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) inhibitor] treatments suppressed WNT5a mRNA below the control level. WNT5a overexpression also enhanced the expression of inflammation-related genes and increased intracellular reactive oxygen species, whereas both BAY-117082 and LY-294002 (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor) significantly inhibited WNT5a-induced inflammation and oxidative stress.

Conclusions:
WNT5a acts as a proinflammatory factor in human ovarian GCs. The up-regulated expression of WNT5a in PCOS increases inflammation and oxidative stress predominantly via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway. The proinflammatory cytokines induced might further enhance WNT5a expression via NF-κB-dependent regulation, indicating a novel regulatory system for chronic inflammation in PCOS.
Transitional Justice and Postconflict Reconstruction in Somalia: The Role of the African Union and Pointers Provided by It
Authors: Jeng Abou 
Published: October 2014

Abstract
Postcolonial Somalia is riddled with contradictions. While some of the contradictions relate to the disjuncture between the state and traditional social dispositions, a significant part could be attributed to Somalia's encounters with externalities. The encounters have often produced defining consequences, some of which conjure violence and paradoxes, manifested in various forms with considerable impact on state and society. And so, since its formal state organs “collapsed” in 1991, Somalia has been subject to sequences of episodes with outcomes that have confined it to a state of conflict and conflicting paradigms. It follows, therefore, that an imagination of a future Somalia requires a transcendent approach sufficient to enforce an emancipatory postconflict order. This article argues that for such a vision to be realized, a reconstruction agenda built around an integrated transitional justice framework ought to be set out. But as the article further claims, such a framework must be constituted with caution, especially given that the effects of the Somali condition are so vast that an orthodox transitional justice approach would be inadequate. What ought to be pursued, it is argued, is a transformational framework capable of reaching out and tapping into the strength and heritage of Somali social institutions. In the African Union's evolving transitional justice framework, this article argues, there appears to emerge the formulation of an integrated nonhierarchical model that could offer a valuable template for Somalia.
The Prospects for Transitional Justice in Catalyzing Socioeconomic Justice in Postconflict States: A Critical Assessment in Light of Somalia's Transition
Authors: McAuliffe Padraig 
Published: October 2014

Abstract
There is an increasing belief in transitional justice literature that transitional justice can and should assist the transformation of oppressed societies into fair ones by exposing and remedying the discriminatory practices and violations of economic, social, and cultural rights that led to conflict. This would facilitate a deeper and more substantive justice than the field's traditional concentration on civil and political rights has hitherto allowed for. This demand is based on an assumption that transition to democracy automatically conduces to a dramatic revision of exploitative socioeconomic structures and a more distributive conception of justice, provided that transitional justice mechanisms are designed holistically to achieve these ends. However, this assumption is questionable in ostensibly transitional states where potential spoilers have the means and motivation to retain the gains of conflict, on the one hand, and where there is widespread antipathy to the type of strong state that could make distributive transitional justice a reality, on the other. Somalia offers the paradigmatic example of a precarious transition to a state where (a) the economic interests of various factions may operate to preclude national consensus on addressing the socioeconomic justice that motivated, exacerbated, and flowed from the conflict, and (b) there is significant opposition to the construction of a state strong enough to coordinate equitable development or redistribution.
“The Impure Outsider”: Ritual Exclusion and Integration of Women in Maale, Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Thubauville Sophia 
Published: October 2014

Abstract
Especially in patrilineal and virilocal societies, women have long been considered to be “in between” the paternal and affinal patrilineages. For this reason, women occupy a liminal status and are considered dangerous or impure outsiders in many societies. Moreover, their assumed impurity is the basis of taboos for women and requires certain rituals of incorporation to be carried out for them at certain times during their life cycle. The present article focuses on the supposed impurity of women among the Maale of southern Ethiopia. Trying to find explanations for the impurity attributed to women in this part of the world, it shows the complex connections between ideas of “foreignness,” mobility, and “impurity,” their manifestation in women's taboos, and their overcoming through rituals of integration.
This Could Be the Place: Queer Acceptance in Lars and the Real Girl
Authors: Sisco King Claire , West Isaac 
Published: October 2014

Abstract
In our engagement with Lars and the Real Girl (LRG), we encourage a reading of the film that emphasizes how it playfully and performatively reproduces and, in the process, undoes norms of temporality and collectivity. In particular, LRG queers normative understandings of public culture, identity, and community in three primary ways. First, the film queers typical understandings of time, challenging the presumed distinctions between past, present, and future. Second, LRG forwards a prosthetic understanding of identity, asserting that all identities are relationally contingent and therefore queering the subject-object binary. Finally, the film envisions queer kinship structures that not only critique hegemonic gender norms but also call attention to the performativity of gendered identities. Ultimately, we deploy LRG to respond to those who advocate antirelationality as the properly queer way of moving through space and time.
Neutrophil granulocyte functional status and expression of apoptosis markers in children with type 1 diabetes
Authors: Barycheva Lyudmila Yur'evna , Erdni-Goryaeva Natalya Eduardovna , Alexandrovich Galina Alekseevna 
Published: October 2014

In recent years, polymorphonuclear leukocytes have been proven to play an important role in the development of diabetes mellitus (DM). Neutrophil dysfunction contributes to pancreatic tissue damage as well as an increased susceptibility to infection in type 1 DM (T1DM) patients. Objective. The objective of this study was to investigate the functional activity of neutrophil granulocytes (NGs) in children with T1DM. Materials and Methods. This study involved 25 children aged 7?15 years. To evaluate programmed cell death, the number of NGs expressing apoptosis markers (CD95, CD95L and BCL2) was determined. The functional activity of NGs was determined in terms of phagocytosis and the levels of myeloperoxidase, lysosomal cationic proteins and active oxygen radicals. Results. A reduction in the bactericidal activity of NGs with deficiencies in phagocytosis, secretion of active oxygen radicals and functional reserve was found. An increase in the apoptotic potential of NGs was demonstrated, which was accompanied by an increase in CD95 expression and a decrease in BCL2 expression. An increase in the cytotoxic potential of neutrophils in the form of enhanced levels of myeloperoxidase and lysosomal cationic proteins was revealed. Conclusions. Therefore, an increase in the apoptotic potential of NGs associated with functional and metabolic changes may reflect the active involvement of NGs in the immunopathogenesis of T1DM.
Arterial stiffness, renal function and renal blood flow in patients with coronary artery disease, arterial hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Oskola Elena Vasilievna , Shubina Anna Timofeevna , Zairova Alsu Rafhatovna , Andreevskaya Marina Vladimirovna , Bogieva Roksana Mirabovna , Pogorelova Olga Alexandrovna , Bolotina Marina Grigorievna , Balahonova Tatiana Valentinovna , Rogoza Anatoliy Nikolaevich , Karpov Yury Alexandrovich 
Published: October 2014

Aim. To investigate the relationship between changes in indicators of arterial stiffness of various types of vessels, hemodynamic pulsatility, renal function and renal blood flow in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and arterial hypertension in the presence or absence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Materials and Methods. The study included 96 patients with CAD and arterial hypertension; among them, 54 subjects had T2DM and 42 did not. Сarbohydrate and lipid metabolism, renal function, stiffness of various types of arteries, parameters of hemodynamic pulsatility and renal blood flow were investigated. Results. Arterial stiffness of various types of vessels was increased in the T2DM group: carotid?femoral pulse wave velocity as a marker of aortic stiffness (a vessel of the elastic type) was increased by 16% (p
Weight loss reduces serum monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 concentrations in association with improvements in renal injury in obese men with metabolic syndrome
Authors: Fu Chia-Po , Sheu Wayne H.-H. , Lee I.-Te , Lee Wen-Jane , Wang Jun-Sing , Liang Kae-Woei , Lee Wen-Lieng , Lin Shih-Yi 
Published: October 2014

AbstractMonocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) is involved in obesity-related renal injury. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of weight loss on changes in MCP-1 and markers of renal injury, specifically serum cystatin C (S-CysC) and urinary N-acetyl glucosaminidase (UNAG), in obese people.In this prospective study, 40 obese men with metabolic syndrome (MetS) participated in a 3-month dietary and exercise intervention. Twenty-eight subjects completed the study with a ≥5% weight loss. Circulating MCP-1, S-CysC and UNAG to creatinine ratio (UNCR) were determined before and after the weight loss program.Obesity-associated components of MetS demonstrated significant improvements after the weight loss program. In addition, at baseline, circulating MCP-1 concentrations were positively correlated with UNCR and S-CysC levels. After weight loss, blood MCP-1 and UNCR levels were significantly decreased, but S-CysC was not affected. Using multiple linear regression analysis, there was a significant relationship between changes in UNCR and MCP-1 after adjusting for other potential confounding factors.Weight loss may improve renal tubular injury by ameliorating obesity-related inflammation in obese men with MetS.
Mixed-mode fracture toughness of bond lines of PRF and PUR adhesives in European beech wood
Authors: Ammann Samuel , Niemz Peter 
Published: October 2014

Abstract
The fracture behavior of bond lines in hardwood has been studied. The joints of a phenol resorcinol formaldehyde (PRF) resin and a one-component polyurethane (PUR) adhesive with European beech wood (Fagus sylvatica L.) adherends were examined for their fracture toughness (K
c). The initial crack tip was placed directly in the adhesive as a thin silicon film. Thereby, the examination of the bond line, and not the solid wood, can be assured. Five different load angles were applied, from fracture mode 1 (M1) to mode 2 (M2), with an Arcan test mount. Additionally, three sample series conditioned at the relative humidities (RH) of 50%, 65%, and 95% of the surrounding air were tested. The results clearly show an increasing K
c of both adhesives with increasing shear stresses. This observation is valid for all RHs, but the differences decrease with increasing RH. The moisture dependency is more pronounced in PUR than in PRF glue joints. PUR generally shows a lower K
c than PRF, with the only exceptions being K
I,c and K
II,c in dry climate. The subsequent crack propagation in the PRF samples mainly takes place in the wood adherend, whereas, in the PUR samples, the cracks remain within the bond line (adhesive failure). Nevertheless, the performance of PUR glue joints is not worse than that of the solid wood, which can be attributed to the ductile behavior of the adhesive.
A Typology of Mass Political Violence
Authors: van der Maat Eelco 
Published: October 2014

AbstractTraditional distinctions of mass political violence (i.e., interstate war, civil war, and genocide) seem to insufficiently capture underlying causal mechanisms. In order to better capture these mechanisms, this paper provides an innovative typology of mass political violence. By introducing mass violence as a product of between-group as opposed to within-group competition, this paper arrives at four observably distinct types of political violence. The paper demonstrates that episodes of mass political violence that at first glance seem to be similar are actually very different and should be treated as such.
Application of the VIM to thermal buckling of composite beams on an elastic foundation
Authors: Ekhlaspour Mahsa , Eslami Mohammad Reza 
Published: October 2014

AbstractIn this paper, thermal buckling analysis of composite laminated beams resting on a two-parameter elastic foundation is carried out by means of the variational iteration method (VIM). The solution procedure is based on the first-order shear deformation beam theory of Timoshenko combined with the von Karman type of geometrical non-linearity. Both edges of the beam are assumed to be axially restrained while may possess various out-of-plane boundary conditions. The elastic foundation is modelled via the two-parameter Pasternak medium which takes into account the vertical interaction of the elements. The governing equilibrium equations are obtained by means of the virtual displacement principle. Stability equations are then obtained by means of the adjacent equilibrium criterion. These equations are uncoupled to extract individual equations in terms of lateral displacement. The resulted differential equations are solved via the VIM. The study examines the VIM in obtaining the closed-form analytical solutions for thermal buckling of composite laminated beams. Furthermore, it is shown that for some special materials with negative thermal expansion coefficient, buckling may occur under cooling rather than heating or it may not occur at all.
Comparison of the Microstructure of Stimuli Responsive Zwitterionic PNIPAM-co-Sulfobetaine Microgels with PNIPAM Microgels and Classical Hard-Sphere Systems
Authors: Schmid Andreas Josef , Riest Jonas , Eckert Thomas , Lindner Peter , Naegele Gerhard , Richtering Walter 
Published: October 2014

Abstract
In this study, we compare the experimental static structure factors of
concentrated solutions of amphoteric poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)
(PNIPAM) microgels with those of the polydisperse hard-sphere
model. We use zwitterionic microgels as model systems for amphoteric
microgels with an equal amount of positive and negative charges
located in a defined distance. Using small angle neutron scattering
(SANS), we measure the static structure factors, S
M(q),
of a series of zwitterionic microgels with increasing amount of
zwitterion, including a reference sample of pure PNIPAM. The
experimental S
M(q) is compared with predictions based on
the Percus-Yevick approximation for hard spheres. We also compare with
the PNIPAM reference sample measured for zwitterionic microgels. We
find no significant influence of the zwitterionic comonomer on the
effective pair potential. The PNIPAM and the zwitterionic microgels
can be described by the hard-sphere model for smaller volume fractions
ϕ

T
≲ 0.4 only.
An RNAi-Based Suppressor Screen Identifies Interactors of the Myt1 Ortholog ofCaenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Allen Anna K , Nesmith Jessica E , Golden Andy 
Published: October 2014

AbstractOocyte maturation in all species is controlled by a protein complex termed the maturation promoting factor (MPF). MPF comprises a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) and its partner cyclin, and it is regulated by dueling regulatory phosphorylation events on the CDK. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the Wee1/Myt1 ortholog WEE-1.3 provides the inhibitory phosphorylations on CDK-1 that keep MPF inactive and halt meiosis. Prior work has shown that depletion of WEE-1.3 in C. elegans results in precocious oocyte maturation in vivo and a highly penetrant infertility phenotype. This study sought to further define the precocious maturation phenotype and to identify novel interactors with WEE-1.3. We found that WEE-1.3 is expressed throughout the germline and in developing embryos in a perinuclear pattern, and demonstrated that oocytes in WEE-1.3–depleted germlines have begun to transcribe embryonic genes and exhibit inappropriate expression of proteins normally restricted to fertilized eggs. In addition, we performed an RNAi suppressor screen of the infertile phenotype to identify novel factors that, when co-depleted with WEE-1.3, restore fertility to these animals. We screened ∼1900 essential genes by RNAi feeding and identified 44 (∼2% of the tested genes) that are suppressors of the WEE-1.3 depletion phenotype. The suppressors include many previously unidentified players in the meiotic cell cycle and represent a pool of potential WEE-1.3 interacting proteins that function during C. elegans oocyte maturation and zygotic development.
Fast and EfficientDrosophila melanogasterGene Knock-Ins Using MiMIC Transposons
Authors: Vilain Sven , Vanhauwaert Roeland , Maes Ine , Schoovaerts Nils , Zhou Lujia , Soukup Sandra , da Cunha Raquel , Lauwers Elsa , Fiers Mark , Verstreken Patrik 
Published: October 2014

AbstractModern molecular genetics studies necessitate the manipulation of genes in their endogenous locus, but most of the current methodologies require an inefficient donor-dependent homologous recombination step to locally modify the genome. Here we describe a methodology to efficiently generate Drosophila knock-in alleles by capitalizing on the availability of numerous genomic MiMIC transposon insertions carrying recombinogenic attP sites. Our methodology entails the efficient PhiC31-mediated integration of a recombination cassette flanked by unique I-SceI and/or I-CreI restriction enzyme sites into an attP-site. These restriction enzyme sites allow for double-strand break−mediated removal of unwanted flanking transposon sequences, while leaving the desired genomic modifications or recombination cassettes. As a proof-of-principle, we mutated LRRK, tau, and sky by using different MiMIC elements. We replaced 6 kb of genomic DNA encompassing the tau locus and 35 kb encompassing the sky locus with a recombination cassette that permits easy integration of DNA at these loci and we also generated a functional LRRKHA knock in allele. Given that ~92% of the Drosophila genes are located within the vicinity (&lt;35 kb) of a MiMIC element, our methodology enables the efficient manipulation of nearly every locus in the fruit fly genome without the need for inefficient donor-dependent homologous recombination events.
Long-Term (1-Year) Safety and Efficacy of a Single 6-mL Injection of Hylan G-F 20 in Indian Patients with Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis
Authors: Pal Sarvajeet , Thuppal Sreedhar , Reddy K.J , Avasthi Sachin , Aggarwal Anish , Bansal Himanshu , Mohanasundaram Senthilnathan , Bailleul Francois 
Published: October 2014

Introduction:The prevalence of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA) among Asians ≥65 years is estimated to double by 2040. This study was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a single, 6-mL intra-articular injection of hylan G-F 20 in Indian patients with knee OA at 26 weeks through to 52 weeks.Methods:This study was an open-label, multicentre, phase 4 clinical trial. Enrolled patients (N=394) were ≥30 years old with Kellgren-Lawrence grade 1–3 OA; all patients received hylan G-F 20. WOMAC, SF-12, PTGA, and COGA scores, and OA medication use were evaluated at weeks 1, 4, 12, 26, 39, and 52 (initial treatment phase). At 26, 39, or 52 weeks, eligible patients could participate in a repeat treatment phase. McNemar-Bowkers, paired t-tests and ANOVA analyses were performed (alpha=0.05).Results:At 26 weeks, statistically significant changes from baseline were observed in all efficacy parameters, including the primary efficacy endpoint of WOMAC A1 (p<0.0001). Improvements continued for 52 weeks. No significant changes occurred in concomitant medication use. Eleven patients (2.8%) were re-injected at week 26 or 52. After repeat injection, statistically significant decreases were observed in WOMAC A1, WOMAC C and PTGA scores (p≤0.028). Twenty-three (5.8%) patients reported 26 local target knee AEs.Conclusion:Among Indian patients within this study, a 6-mL hylan G-F 20 injection was well tolerated and effective in treating symptomatic knee OA with significant long-term (1 year) improvement of outcomes. When needed, repeat treatment was safe and efficacious for 4 weeks.Trial Registration:Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI/2010/091/000052) www.ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/login.php.