bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A liberal-local hybrid peace project in action? The increasing engagement between the local and liberal in Timor-Leste
Authors: WALLIS JOANNE 
Published: February 2012

AbstractThe liberal peace project has dominated state-building operations since the end of the Cold War, including in Timor-Leste. However, the attempt to institutionalise the liberal peace faced significant challenges in Timor-Leste's fragmented subsistence-based society. This resulted in the creation of shallowly rooted and poorly-understood liberal state institutions that were disconnected from the majority of Timorese, who continued to follow their local sociopolitical practices. In response, the state has increasingly engaged with these local practices in order to create state institutions that make sense to the people they seek to govern. This engagement has occurred through the formalisation of local sociopolitical institutions, the recognition of local justice systems and the utilisation of local ceremonies and practices. Therefore, this article argues that a liberal-local hybrid peace project has emerged to guide state-building in Timor-Leste, which may indicate how similar projects could develop in the future.
Methylation characteristics and developmental potential of Guangxi Bama minipig (Sus scrofa domestica) cloned embryos from donor cells treated with trichostatin A and 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine
Authors: Ning Shu-Fang , Li Qing-Yang , Liang Ming-Ming , Yang Xiao-Gan , Xu Hui-Yan , Lu Yang-Qing , Lu Sheng-Sheng , Lu Ke-Huan 
Published: February 2012

SummaryReprogramming of DNA methylation in somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos is incomplete, and aberrant DNA methylation patterns are related to the inefficiency of SCNT. To facilitate nuclear reprogramming, this study investigated the effect of treating Guangxi Bama minipig donor cells with trichostatin A (TSA), 5-aza-2′-deoxycytine (5-aza-dC), or combination of TSA and 5-aza-dC prior to nuclear transfer. Analyses showed that there were no major changes in cell-cycle status among all groups. We monitored the transcription of DNMT1, DNMT3a, HDAC1 and IGF2 genes in donor cells. Transcription levels of HDAC1 were decreased significantly after treatment with a combination of TSA and 5-aza-dC, along with a significantly increased level of IGF2 (P < 0.05). Although treatment of donor cells with either TSA or 5-aza-dC alone resulted in non-significant effects in blastocyst formation rate and DNA methylation levels, a combination of TSA and 5-aza-dC significantly improved the development rates of minipig SCNT embryos to blastocyst (25.6% vs. 16.0%, P < 0.05). This change was accompanied by decreased levels of DNA methylation in somatic cells and blastocyst (P < 0.05). Thus in combination with TSA, lower concentrations of 5-aza-dC may produce a potent demethylating activity, and lead to the significantly enhanced blastocyst development percentage of Bama minipig SCNT embryos.
Bottom dissipation of subinertial currents at the Atlantic zonal boundaries
Authors: Wright C. J. , Scott R. B. , Arbic B. K. , Furnival D. F. 
Published: February 2012

Estimates of the dissipation of subinertial currents due to bottom boundary layer drag at the eastern and western boundaries of the North Atlantic ocean, between 15 N and 60 N, are computed using data from the world's largest archive of ocean current meter time series. We show from these data that a significant proportion of such loss in this region is due to dissipation at the western boundary ocean floor via quadratic bottom boundary layer drag, with an estimated 40–60% (31–47 GW) of the wind input power across the whole basin dissipated by this method. We further show that the majority of this dissipation occurs at shallow depths, <500 m; this has significant implications for the power available for abyssal mixing.
Robustness of topological order and formation of quantum well states in topological insulators exposed to ambient environment
Authors: Chen Chaoyu , He Shaolong , Weng Hongming , Zhang Wentao , Zhao Lin , Liu Haiyun , Jia Xiaowen , Mou Daixiang , Liu Shanyu , He Junfeng , Peng Yingying , Feng Ya , Xie Zhuojin , Liu Guodong , Dong Xiaoli , Zhang Jun , Wang Xiaoyang , Peng Qinjun , Wang Zhimin , Zhang Shenjin , Yang Feng , Chen Chuangtian , Xu Zuyan , Dai Xi , Fang Zhong , Zhou X. J. 
Published: February 2012

The physical property investigation (like transport measurements) and ultimate application of the topological insulators usually involve surfaces that are exposed to ambient environment (1 atm and room temperature). One critical issue is how the topological surface state will behave under such ambient conditions. We report high resolution angle-resolved photoemission measurements to directly probe the surface state of the prototypical topological insulators, Bi
2
Se
3
and Bi
2
Te
3
, upon exposing to various environments. We find that the topological order is robust even when the surface is exposed to air at room temperature. However, the surface state is strongly modified after such an exposure. Particularly, we have observed the formation of two-dimensional quantum well states near the exposed surface of the topological insulators. These findings provide key information in understanding the surface properties of the topological insulators under ambient environment and in engineering the topological surface state for applications.
Causal reasoning on biological networks: interpreting transcriptional changes
Authors: Chindelevitch Leonid , Ziemek Daniel , Enayetallah Ahmed , Randhawa Ranjit , Sidders Ben , Brockel Christoph , Huang Enoch S. 
Published: February 2012

Abstract
Motivation: The interpretation of high-throughput datasets has remained one of the central challenges of computational biology over the past decade. Furthermore, as the amount of biological knowledge increases, it becomes more and more difficult to integrate this large body of knowledge in a meaningful manner. In this article, we propose a particular solution to both of these challenges.
Methods: We integrate available biological knowledge by constructing a network of molecular interactions of a specific kind: causal interactions. The resulting causal graph can be queried to suggest molecular hypotheses that explain the variations observed in a high-throughput gene expression experiment. We show that a simple scoring function can discriminate between a large number of competing molecular hypotheses about the upstream cause of the changes observed in a gene expression profile. We then develop an analytical method for computing the statistical significance of each score. This analytical method also helps assess the effects of random or adversarial noise on the predictive power of our model.
Results: Our results show that the causal graph we constructed from known biological literature is extremely robust to random noise and to missing or spurious information. We demonstrate the power of our causal reasoning model on two specific examples, one from a cancer dataset and the other from a cardiac hypertrophy experiment. We conclude that causal reasoning models provide a valuable addition to the biologist's toolkit for the interpretation of gene expression data.
Availability and implementation: R source code for the method is available upon request.
Contact: daniel.ziemek@pfizer.com
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Right ventricular dysfunction is associated with chronic kidney disease and predicts survival in patients with chronic systolic heart failure
Authors: Dini Frank L. , Demmer Ryan T. , Simioniuc Anca , Morrone Doralisa , Donati Francesca , Guarini Giacinta , Orsini Enrico , Caravelli Paolo , Marzilli Mario , Colombo Paolo C. 
Published: February 2012

AimsChronic kidney disease (CKD) and right ventricular (RV) dysfunction are important predictors of prognosis in heart failure (HF). We investigated the relationship between RV dysfunction and CKD in outpatients with chronic systolic HF, an association which remains poorly defined.Methods and resultsOutpatients (n = 373) with chronic HF and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤45% underwent clinical and echo‐Doppler evaluations and were followed up for 31 ± 24 months. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) assessed RV dysfunction. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was measured by the simplified Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) formula. Correlation analysis was used to characterize the association between TAPSE and estimated GFR. Odds ratios (ORs) for CKD and hazard ratios (HRs) for all‐cause mortality were assessed using multivariable logistic or proportional hazards regression models. TAPSE and estimated GFR were significantly correlated (r = 0.38, P < 0.0001). TAPSE ≤14 mm was associated with elevated estimated right atrial pressure and N‐terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide levels. TAPSE ≤14 mm increased the odds of estimated GFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2, OR [95% confidence interval (CI)] = 2.51(1.44–4.39), P < 0.0001 and predicted all‐cause mortality, HR (95% CI) = 1.80 (1.20–2.71) after multivariable adjustment.ConclusionsRight ventricular dysfunction is cross‐sectionally associated with CKD and prospectively predicts survival in outpatients with chronic systolic HF. These data suggest RV dysfunction to be one of the possible mechanistic links between HF and CKD.
Prunasin Hydrolases during Fruit Development in Sweet and Bitter Almonds
Authors: Sánchez-Pérez Raquel , Belmonte Fara Sáez , Borch Jonas , Dicenta Federico , Møller Birger Lindberg , Jørgensen Kirsten 
Published: February 2012

Abstract
Amygdalin is a cyanogenic diglucoside and constitutes the bitter component in bitter almond (Prunus dulcis). Amygdalin concentration increases in the course of fruit formation. The monoglucoside prunasin is the precursor of amygdalin. Prunasin may be degraded to hydrogen cyanide, glucose, and benzaldehyde by the action of the β-glucosidase prunasin hydrolase (PH) and mandelonitirile lyase or be glucosylated to form amygdalin. The tissue and cellular localization of PHs was determined during fruit development in two sweet and two bitter almond cultivars using a specific antibody toward PHs. Confocal studies on sections of tegument, nucellus, endosperm, and embryo showed that the localization of the PH proteins is dependent on the stage of fruit development, shifting between apoplast and symplast in opposite patterns in sweet and bitter cultivars. Two different PH genes, Ph691 and Ph692, have been identified in a sweet and a bitter almond cultivar. Both cDNAs are 86% identical on the nucleotide level, and their encoded proteins are 79% identical to each other. In addition, Ph691 and Ph692 display 92% and 86% nucleotide identity to Ph1 from black cherry (Prunus serotina). Both proteins were predicted to contain an amino-terminal signal peptide, with the size of 26 amino acid residues for PH691 and 22 residues for PH692. The PH activity and the localization of the respective proteins in vivo differ between cultivars. This implies that there might be different concentrations of prunasin available in the seed for amygdalin synthesis and that these differences may determine whether the mature almond develops into bitter or sweet.
Temperature stress affects the expression of immune response genes in the alfalfa leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata
Authors: Xu J. , James R. R. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractEnvironmental stresses are thought to be associated with increases in disease suceptibility, attributable to evolutionary trade‐offs between the energy demands required to deal with stress vs pathogens. We compared the effects of temperature stress and pathogen exposure on the immune response of a solitary bee, Megachile rotundata. Using an oligonucleotide microarray with 125 genes (375 probes), we determined that both high and low temperatures increased the expression of immune response genes in M. rotundata and reduced levels of a disease called chalkbrood. In the absence of the pathogen, trypsin‐like serine and pathogen recognition proteases were most highly expressed at the lowest rearing temperature (20°C), while immune response signalling pathways and melanization were highly expressed at the warmest temperature tested (35°C). In pathogen‐exposed bees, immune response genes tended to be most highly expressed at moderate temperatures, where we also saw the greatest infection levels. Temperature stress appears to have activated immunity before the pathogen elicited a response from the host, and this early activity prevented infection under stressful conditions. In this insect, the trade‐off in energetic costs associated with stress and infection may be partially avoided by the use of conserved responses that reduce the effects of both.
Analysis of volatile composition of toasted and non‐toasted commercial chips by GC‐MS after an accelerated solvent extraction method
Authors: Alañón María Elena , Díaz‐Maroto María Consuelo , Pérez‐Coello María Soledad 
Published: February 2012

SummaryThe analysis of the volatile profile of different oak chips carried out by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry after their isolation by accelerated solvent extraction permitted faster and thorough extractions, while the appearance of artefacts was avoided. Statistical analysis revealed that toasting treatment is the main factor for the volatile compounds with a great sensorial impact. Indeed, toasting process overrode the differences between species. Furthermore, it was evidenced that the toasting treatment is not a homogeneity process. Concentrations of furaneol, 2,3‐dihydro‐3,5‐dihydroxy‐6‐methyl‐4H‐pyran‐4‐one and 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural could be used to monitor the intensity of the toasting process. Differences in the volatile composition with respect to species were also found, being the most remarkable the high concentration of trans and cis‐β‐methyl‐γ‐octanolactone in oak chips from Quercus alba and Quercus petraea species. The differences found in the volatile composition of different commercial oak chips evidenced the necessity to know their chemical composition previously to predict their aromatic potential.
Genetic variation underlying the expression of a polyphenism
Authors: BUZATTO B. A. , SIMMONS L. W. , TOMKINS J. L. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractPolyphenic traits are widespread and represent a conditional strategy sensitive to environmental cues. The environmentally cued threshold (ET) model considers the switchpoint between alternative phenotypes as a polygenic quantitative trait with normally distributed variation. However, the genetic variation for switchpoints has rarely been explored empirically. Here, we used inbred lines to investigate the genetic variation for the switchpoint in the mite Rhizoglyphus echinopus, in which males are either fighters or scramblers. The conditionality of male dimorphism varied among inbred lines, indicating that there was genetic variation for switchpoints in the base population, as predicted by the ET model. Our results also suggest a mixture between canalized and conditional strategists in R. echinopus. We propose that major genes that canalize morph expression and affect the extent to which a trait can be conditionally expressed could be a feature of the genetic architecture of threshold traits in other taxa.
Calpain inhibitor MDL 28170 protects against the Ca2+ paradox in rat hearts
Authors: Bi Sheng‐Hui , Jin Zhen‐Xiao , Zhang Jian‐Ying , Chen Tao , Zhang Sheng‐Li , Yang Yang , Duan Wei‐Xun , Yi Ding‐Hua , Zhou Jing‐Jun , Ren Jun 
Published: February 2012

Summary

The calcium paradox represents an important model in which to study myocardial injuries due to intracellular Ca2+ overload. In a previous study, calpain was transiently activated in Ca2+‐paradoxic hearts. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of calpain in myocardial dysfunction in hearts subjected to the Ca2+ paradox and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.
Rat hearts were isolated, Langendorff perfused and subjected to the Ca2+ paradox, which was induced by 3 min Ca2+ depletion followed by 30 min Ca2+ repletion, in the presence or absence of the calpain inhibitor 10 umol/L MDL 28170. Cardiac function was evaluated. Furthermore, cell death and the degradation of troponin I (TnI) were assessed and calpain activity was determined by measurement of the α‐fodrin fragment and confocal image analysis.
Upon Ca2+ repletion, the hearts immediately deteriorated, exhibiting a marked depression in cardiac function and an enlarged myocardial injury area. This was accompanied by significant increases in lactate dehydrogenase, mitochondrial release of cytochrome c, the apoptotic index and degraded TnI. These changes were significantly inhibited by MDL 28170, with the exception of TnI degradation. Compared with the control group, Ca2+‐paradoxic hearts showed a marked increase in cleaved 150 kDa fragments resulting from specific calpain‐mediated proteolysis of α‐fodrin. This effect was attenuated by MDL 28170. Confocal image analysis revealed the translocation of both μ‐ and m‐calpain to the sarcolemmal membrane in Ca2+‐paradoxic hearts, indicating increased activity of both isoforms.
The results suggest that the Ca2+ paradox promotes calpain activity, leading to necrosis, apoptosis and myocardial dysfunction.
Morbidity and risk factors for surgical site infection following cesarean section in Guangdong Province, China
Authors: Gong Shi‐Peng , Guo Hong‐Xia , Zhou Hong‐Zhen , Chen Li , Yu Yan‐Hong 
Published: February 2012

AbstractAim:  To estimate the incidence of and identify the risk factors for a surgical site infection after a cesarean section.Method:  A survey of women who underwent a cesarean section was conducted in eight hospitals in Guangdong Province, China. The rate of surgical site infection was estimated and a nested case control study was then carried out to identify the risk factors.Results:  Among 13 798 women surveyed, 96 (0.7%) developed a surgical site infection after a cesarean section. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified six factors independently associated with an increased risk of surgical site infection, which included obesity, premature rupture of membranes, lower preoperative hemoglobin, prolonged surgery, lack of prophylactic antibiotics and excessive anal examinations performed during hospitalization.Conclusion:  Surgical site infection occurs in approximately 0.7% of cesarean section cases in the general obstetric population in China. Obesity, premature rupture of membranes, lower preoperative hemoglobin, prolonged surgery, lack of prophylactic antibiotics and excessive anal examinations during hospitalization are considered to be independent risk factors.
The concept of psoriasis as a systemic inflammation: implications for disease management
Authors: Reich K. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractPsoriasis is a systemic, immune‐mediated disorder, characterized by inflammatory skin and joint manifestations. A range of co‐morbidities is associated with psoriasis, including metabolic diseases, such as diabetes, and psychological disorders. Although the systemic nature of psoriasis often remains unrecognized, the inflammatory processes involved may be associated with the development of co‐morbidities, which, themselves, have a significant impact on the patient's health and quality of life. The relative risks of myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke are increased in patients with psoriasis compared with the general population. These are especially seen in younger patients with more severe disease, and are believed to contribute to the 3‐ to 4‐year reduction in life expectancy among patients with severe psoriasis. The recent results of large studies indicate that the increased cardiovascular (CV) risk is at least partially attributable to psoriasis and independent of the presence of metabolic co‐morbidities. The possible interplay between psoriasis and CV disease is complex. Metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes have overlapping genetic predispositions with psoriasis. Both conditions are likely to also interact at a functional level because obesity and the up‐regulation of pro‐inflammatory mediators in psoriasis appear to influence adipocyte homoeostasis, inducing non‐professional immune functions. This may perpetuate psoriatic inflammation, displaying similarities to the immunopathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Finally, the disturbed adipokine profile and inflammation associated with psoriasis enhances insulin resistance, causing subsequent endothelial dysfunction, atherosclerosis and eventual coronary events. The differential contribution of psoriasis and uncontrolled classical CV risk factors to the increased CV risk seen in psoriasis patients is not clear. Successful treatment with methotrexate appears to lower the rates of MI in patients with psoriasis. Tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) inhibitors are known to counteract insulin resistance and emerging studies demonstrate an even higher protective effect of TNF‐α antagonist therapy against the development of diabetes or CV co‐morbidities in patients. The recent data reviewed here indicate a role for earlier and more appropriate treatment of psoriasis with drugs such as TNF‐α antagonists. Such an approach has the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes through the treatment of psoriasis itself and possibly also in protection against co‐morbidities.
Mineralogy and fluid inclusion gas chemistry of production well mineral scale deposits at the Dixie Valley geothermal field, USA
Authors: McLIN K. S. , MOORE J. N. , BOWMAN J. R. , McCULLOCH J. E. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractAt the Dixie Valley geothermal field, Nevada, USA, fluid boiling triggered the precipitation of carbonate scale minerals in concentric bands around tubing inserted into production well 28–33. When the tubing was removed, this mineral scale was sampled at 44 depth intervals between the wellhead and 1227 m depth. These samples provide a unique opportunity to evaluate the effects of fluid boiling on the scale mineralogy and geochemistry of the vapor and liquid phase. In this study, the mineralogy of the scale deposits and the composition of the fluid inclusion gases trapped in the mineral scales were analyzed. The scale consists mainly of calcite from 670–1112 m depth and aragonite from 1125 to 1227 m depth, with traces of quartz and Mg‐smectite. Mineral textures, including hopper growth, twinning, and fibrous growth in the aragonite and banded deposits of fine grained calcite crystals, are the result of progressive boiling. The fluid inclusion noncondensable gas was dominated by CO2. However, significant variations in He relative to N2 and Ar provide evidence that the geothermal reservoir consists of mixed source deeply circulating reservoir water and shallow, air saturated meteoric water. Gas analyses for many inclusions also showed higher CH4 and H2 relative to CO2 than measured in gas sampled from this well, other production wells, and fumaroles. These inclusions are interpreted to have trapped CH4‐ and H2‐enriched gas resulting from early stages of boiling.