bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ligation in Castration of the Male Horse Using a TA‐30 Stapler
Authors: Riemersma D.J.
Published: September 2014

Reasons for performing the study

Most complications in equine castrations result from insufficient ligation and contamination.

Objectives

Stapling instruments reduce tissue handling, decrease surgical time, minimise contamination and provide secure visceral and vascular closure when used correctly. Using a stapler device might therefore increase ligation security and decrease contamination, and by this, reduce the complication rate seen in routine castration.

Study design

The applicability and safety of a TA‐30 premium stapler as a ligation method in castration of the horse was tested in 15 horses under general anaesthesia in dorsal recumbency. Three horses were cryptorchids, one horse suffered a scirrous chord, and one horse suffered an infectious orchitis.

Methods

The vaginal process was approached inguinally. A noncutting emasculator was applied to compress the closed vaginal process. Consecutively a TA‐30 Premium stapler was applied to the compressed site. The distal part of the vaginal process was then removed, the stapler device was released and the incision was closed. The TA‐30 stapler accommodates 3 different staple cartridges of 30 mm width, accommodating 1.0 to 2.5 mm tissue thickness. The thickness of the vaginal process after compression was measured to be 1.0 mm (0.9–1.1 mm) in 10 fresh specimens. The 30‐V3 cartridges (triple row, 1 mm closed diameter) were chosen in 9 horses with smaller vaginal processes and the 30‐3.5 cartridges (double row 1.5 mm closed diameter) in 6 other horses with larger vaginal processes.

Results

All horses recovered without intra‐ or post operative complications.

Conclusions

A TA‐30 stapler is a safe ligation instrument in equine castrations. The use of titanium staples may reduce infection rate in routine castrations, even more in ligation of precontaminated vaginal processes in cases of post operative haemorrhage control after practice castrations or in closing the vaginal process after the removal of an infected testis or scirrous chord.

Ethical animal research: Ethical committee oversight not currently required by this congress: procedures were performed as part of clinical investigations. Explicit owner informed consent for participation in this study was not stated. Sources of funding: None. Competing interests: None.
Fifty Ways to Do Your Lameness: The Relationship Between Various Pelvis‐Based Visual Lameness Pointers During Hindlimb Lameness
Authors: Starke S.D. , May S.A. , Pfau T.
Published: September 2014

Reasons for performing study

The relationship between pelvic hindlimb lameness pointers remains unclear.

Objectives

To examine sacrum and tubera coxae (TC) based movement asymmetry across different lameness degrees, patterns and changes in pelvic rotation.

Study design

Parameter regression and rigid body model.

Methods

Vertical displacement of left and right tubera coxae (LTC, RTC) and sacrum was quantified experimentally in 107 horses with varying lameness degrees using inertial sensors. To investigate the theoretical relationship between pointers, a geometrical model of pelvis movement was created in Matlab. The model predicts TC movement based on experimentally derived pelvic rotation and computer‐generated asymmetrical sacrum movement. Further, the effect of changes in pelvic rotation on TC‐based lameness pointers was quantified. For both, experimental and model data, asymmetry measures corresponding to visual assessment strategies of veterinarians were calculated and contrasted.

Results

Experimental data showed that upward movement amplitudes for sacrum and TC were strongly correlated (r ≥ 0.96). Regression showed that differences were greater between amplitudes of LTC/RTC than sacrum (slope 1.18; r2 = 0.94; P<0.001); however, for ratios the reverse held true (slope 0.86; r2 = 0.92; P<0.001). The model predicted experimentally determined tubera coxae asymmetry well. While the model data matched the experimental scaling relationship between amplitude ratios, it predicted a slightly shallower slope for amplitude differences. Perturbing the model with a different rotational range of movement, an offset in pelvic rotation and asymmetrical pelvic rotation affected observable TC‐based asymmetry depending on the chosen assessment strategy.

Conclusions

Detecting lameness based on sacrum or comparative TC movement can give similar results. Using comparative TC movement for lameness detection would be susceptible to changes in pelvic rotation which a lame horse may adopt. Hence, assessment of multiple pelvis‐based lameness pointers can help establishing nonobvious hindlimb lameness.

Ethical animal research: The experimental component of this study was approved by the RVC Ethics Committee. Some horses were included with owner informed consent and data from clinical cases were recorded as part of lameness investigations. Sources of funding: S.D. Starke's PhD was funded by the Mellon Trust via the Royal Veterinary College. Competing interests: None.
Fishing down or fishing up in Chinese freshwater lakes
Authors: Wang Y. , Xu J. , Yu X. , Lei G.
Published: September 2014

Changes in mean trophic level (MTL) of catches have been widely used to reflect the impact of industrial fisheries on aquatic ecosystems because this measure represents the relative abundance of fished species across the trophic level spectrum. In this study, fisheries data from six important freshwater lakes at the middle‐lower Yangtze River and Huaihe River reach of Southern China from 1949 to 2009 were used to evaluate changes in catch MTL. After fishery markets opened at 1985, fish catches increased significantly in all the lakes. Lakes Poyang and Dongting, which were dominated by omnivores and connected to the Yangtze River, showed no significant change in catch MTL before and after 1985. Catch MTL in lakes Taihu and Hongze increased significantly due to an increase in the proportion of pelagic zooplanktivorous. Catches in Lake Chaohu were dominated by zooplankton‐feeding lake anchovy, Coilia ectenes Temminck & Schlegel and icefish, Neosalanx taihuensis Chen, while Lake Donghu was dominated by phytoplanktivorous carps. Due to low biodiversity, catch MTL of these two lakes showed no significant change before and after 1985. Both fisheries‐based and human activities‐based drivers influenced the structure and catch MTL of fisheries in Chinese freshwater lakes.
Strengthening confidence in climate change impact science
Authors: O'Connor Mary I. , Holding Johnna M. , Kappel Carrie V. , Duarte Carlos M. , Brander Keith , Brown Christopher J. , Bruno John F. , Buckley Lauren , Burrows Michael T. , Halpern Benjamin S. , Kiessling Wolfgang , Moore Pippa , Pandolfi John M. , Parmesan Camille , Poloczanska Elvira S. , Schoeman David S. , Sydeman William J. , Richardson Anthony J.
Published: September 2014

Aim

To assess confidence in conclusions about climate‐driven biological change through time, and identify approaches for strengthening confidence scientific conclusions about ecological impacts of climate change.

Location

Global.

Methods

We outlined a framework for strengthening confidence in inferences drawn from biological climate impact studies through the systematic integration of prior expectations, long‐term data and quantitative statistical procedures. We then developed a numerical confidence index (Cindex) and used it to evaluate current practices in 208 studies of marine climate impacts comprising 1735 biological time series.

Results

Confidence scores for inferred climate impacts varied widely from 1 to 16 (very low to high confidence). Approximately 35% of analyses were not associated with clearly stated prior expectations and 65% of analyses did not test putative non‐climate drivers of biological change. Among the highest‐scoring studies, 91% tested prior expectations, 86% formulated expectations for alternative drivers but only 63% statistically tested them. Higher confidence scores observed in studies that did not detect a change or tracked multiple species suggest publication bias favouring impact studies that are consistent with climate change. The number of time series showing climate impacts was a poor predictor of average confidence scores for a given group, reinforcing that vote‐counting methodology is not appropriate for determining overall confidence in inferences.

Main conclusions

Climate impacts research is expected to attribute biological change to climate change with measurable confidence. Studies with long‐term, high‐resolution data, appropriate statistics and tests of alternative drivers earn higher Cindex scores, suggesting these should be given greater weight in impact assessments. Together with our proposed framework, the results of our Cindex analysis indicate how the science of detecting and attributing biological impacts to climate change can be strengthened through the use of evidence‐based prior expectations and thorough statistical analyses, even when data are limited, maximizing the impact of the diverse and growing climate change ecology literature.
The relationship between architectural characteristics and regrowth in Trifolium pratense (red clover)
Authors: Van Minnebruggen A. , Roldán‐Ruiz I. , Van Bockstaele E. , Haesaert G. , Cnops G.
Published: September 2014

The relevance of particular architectural characteristics for a good regrowth has not been elucidated yet in red clover. Here, we present the shoot architecture and regrowth of six red clover genotypes analysed under controlled and field conditions, with and without competition from perennial ryegrass. Among the genotypes investigated, Lemmon and Crossway displayed the highest number of nodes and branches, the highest increase in the number of nodes in the basal 7 cm and the highest outgrowth capacity of the nodes in this zone resulting in the highest dry‐matter yields. Our results indicate that selecting genotypes with a high number of first‐order branches, short internodes and the ability to resume growth from the nodes that remain in the uncut zone will allow the development of cultivars with good regrowth.
Morpho‐physiological variation of Poa alpina L. genetic resources from the Rhaetian Alps, Italy, grown in two altitude‐contrasting sites
Authors: Pecetti L. , Romani M. , Spoleto P. , Tosca A. , Della Marianna G. , Gusmeroli F.
Published: September 2014

Alpine bluegrass (Poa alpina L.) is common in mountain areas, where it represents a valuable forage resource and is widely used for ecological restoration of disturbed landscapes. This study assessed the variation of germplasm from the Rhaetian Alps, Italy. Both seed production and morphology were examined for potential use in restoration projects and for conservation and selection purposes of local genetic resources. The effects of the ex situ growing site were also assessed in two altitude‐contrasting sites. Individual populations harboured great phenotypic diversity for all traits, including seed yield, while variation among valleys of origin was less manifest. Noticeable site‐specific population yield responses were observed, suggesting that the environment adopted for seed production may steer the choice of materials to be multiplied. The longer vegetative period in the lowland site, combined with environment‐tailored agronomic practices, contributed to better plant growth, seed yield and survival compared to the mountain site, suggesting that seed production of this Alpine species could be feasible in a lowland environment when adequate inputs were provided. One valley (Valchiavenna) displayed high average levels of seed yield and plant vigour across growing sites, indicating its possible value as a source of germplasm suitable for resowing at high altitude.
Deacetylation of phosphoglycerate mutase in its distinct central region by SIRT2 down‐regulates its enzymatic activity
Authors: Tsusaka Takeshi , Guo Tingting , Yagura Teiti , Inoue Toshiaki , Yokode Masayuki , Inagaki Nobuya , Kondoh Hiroshi
Published: September 2014

Substantially high rate of glycolysis, known as the Warburg effect, is a well‐known feature of cancers, and emerging evidence suggests that it supports cancerous proliferation/tumor growth. Phosphoglycerate mutase (PGAM), a glycolytic enzyme, is commonly up‐regulated in several cancers, and recent reports show its involvement in the Warburg effect. Here, a comprehensive analysis shows that PGAM is acetylated at lysines 100/106/113/138 in its central region, and a member of the Sirtuin family (class III deacetylase), SIRT2, is responsible for its deacetylation. Over‐expression of SIRT2 or mutations at the acetylatable lysines of PGAM attenuates cancer cell proliferation with a concomitant decrease in PGAM activity. We also report that the acetyltransferase PCAF (p300/CBP‐associated factor) interacts with PGAM and acetylates its C‐terminus, but not the central region. As prior evidence suggests that SIRT2 functions as a tumor suppressor, our results would provide support for the mechanistic basis of this activity.
The Difference Sameness Makes: Objectification, Sex Work, and Queerness
Authors: Cahill Ann J.
Published: September 2014

With its implicit vilification of materiality, the notion of objectification has failed to produce a coherent and effective ethical analysis of heterosexual sex work. The concept of derivatization, grounded in an Irigarayan model of embodied intersubjectivity, is more effective. However, queer sex work poses new and different ethical challenges. This paper argues that although queer sex work can entail both objectification and derivatization, the former is not ethically objectionable, and the latter, although the cause for some justified ethical concern, must be analyzed within the context of structural sexual injustice.
Needing to Acquire a Physical Impairment/Disability: (Re)Thinking the Connections between Trans and Disability Studies through Transability
Authors: Baril Alexandre , Leblanc Catriona
Published: September 2014

This article discusses the acquisition of a physical impairment/disability through voluntary body modification, or transability. From the perspectives of critical genealogy and feminist intersectional analysis, the article considers the ability and cis*/trans* axes in order to question the boundaries between trans and transabled experience and examines two assumptions impeding the conceptualization of their placement on the same continuum: 1) trans studies assumes an able‐bodied trans identity and able‐bodied trans subject of analysis; and 2) disability studies assumes a cis* disabled identity. The perception of transsexuality and transability as mutually exclusive phenomena results from a nonintersectional analysis of transsexuality as an issue of sex/gender, but not of ability, and of transability as an issue of ability, but not of sex/gender. Difficulty recognizing continuities between these phenomena thus stems from an ableist interpretation of sex/gender and a cis(gender)normative* interpretation of ability. This article aims to: 1) enrich intersectional analysis in trans and disability studies and transability scholarship; 2) complicate disability studies, in which disabilities are often presumed to be “involuntary,” and encourage the decentering of a cis* subject; 3) encourage trans studies to decenter an able‐bodied subject; and 4) advocate for increased dialogue and the creation of alliances between trans and disability studies and movements.
“Why Should Our Bodies End at the Skin?”: Embodiment, Boundaries, and Somatechnics
Authors: Shildrick Margrit
Published: September 2014

Donna Haraway's enduring question—“Why should our bodies end at the skin?” (Haraway 1990, 220)—is ever more relevant in the postmodern era, where issues of bodies, boundaries, and technologies increasingly challenge not only the normative performance of the human subject, but also the very understanding of what counts as human. Critical Disability Studies has taken up the problematic of technology, particularly in relation to the deployment of prostheses by people with disabilities. Yet rehabilitation to normative practice or appearance is no longer the point; instead, the lived experience of disability generates its own specific possibilities that both limit and extend the performativity of the embodied self. I look at what is at stake in the challenge to the Western logos that comes specifically from the capacities of the disabled body, understood not as a less than perfect form of the normative, but as figuring difference in a nonbinary sense. Feminist theory has long contested the isomorphism of the logos, but I go beyond simply setting out the grounds for revaluing multiple variant forms. The feminist turn to Jacques Derrida and Gilles Deleuze opens up the problematic to a celebratory positioning of difference and transcorporeality as the very conditions of life.
Mary Wollstonecraft's Feminist Critique of Property: On Becoming a Thief from Principle
Authors: Halldenius Lena
Published: September 2014

The scholarship on Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797) is divided concerning her views on women's role in public life, property rights, and distribution of wealth. Her critique of inequality of wealth is undisputed, but is it a complaint only of inequality or does it strike more forcefully at the institution of property? The argument in this article is that Wollstonecraft's feminism is partly defined by a radical critique of property, intertwined with her conception of rights. Dissociating herself from the conceptualization of rights in terms of self‐ownership, she casts economic independence—a necessary political criterion for personal freedom—in terms of fair reward for work, not ownership. Her critique of property moves beyond issues of redistribution to a feminist appraisal of a property structure that turns people into either owners or owned, rights‐holders or things acquired. The main characters in Wollstonecraft's last novel—Maria, who is rich but has nothing, and Jemima, who steals as a matter of principle—illustrate the commodification of women in a society where even rights are regarded as possessions.
Mechanical and Dielectric Properties of SiCf/AlPO4 Composites with Multi‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Wan Feng , Luo Fa , Shi Yimin , Zhou Wancheng , Zhu Dongmei
Published: September 2014

SiCf/AlPO4 composites were prepared by laminating method. The slurry comprising Al(H2PO4)3 solution, multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and Al2O3 powder was used as matrix precursor. The complex permittivities of the composites were measured in the X‐band (8.2–12.4 GHz). The reflection loss was calculated using the transmission line theory. It was found that the addition of 2.5 wt% MWCNTs noticeably improved the absorption property of 3 mm thick composites with the assistance of 15 wt% Al2O3, which also exhibited an obvious toughened fracture behavior with 190 MPa fracture strength.
Modeling the Embossing Stage of the Ultrasonic‐Vibration‐Assisted Hot Glass Embossing Process
Authors: Nguyen Lan Phuong , Hao Kei‐Chon , Su Yi‐Hsiang , Hung Chinghua
Published: September 2014

Ultrasonic vibration technology has recently been applied in high‐temperature forming processes, such as hot upsetting and hot glass embossing. Experimental research has delineated the effects of ultrasonic vibration on reducing required forces and improving the formability of materials. The purpose of this study was to construct a finite element model of the embossing stage of the ultrasonic vibration‐assisted hot glass embossing process. Traditional hot embossing experiments in which the embossing speed and temperature were varied were performed to calculate the viscoelastic dissipation caused by ultrasonic vibration, and this value was then inputted into the simulation. The consistency of the force responses in the experiments and simulation indicated that the proposed model is valid. The findings indicate that the influences of parameters such as the vibration frequency, vibration amplitude, and embossing speed on the ultrasonic vibration‐assisted hot glass embossing process must be investigated further.
Elevated Platelet-Derived Growth Factor AB/BB is Associated with a Lower Risk of Recurrent Vascular Events in Stroke Patients
Authors: Narasimhalu Kaavya , Ma Lu , De Silva Deidre Anne , Wong Meng-Cheong , Chang Hui-Meng , Chen Christopher
Published: September 2014

Background

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AB and BB have been shown to possess angiogenic properties in vivo, and decreased levels have been linked to plaque instability in atherosclerosis. Little work has been done to determine if PDGF is associated with outcomes after stroke, in particular cognitive outcomes. Therefore, in this sudy, we investigated the association between PDGFand both vascular and cognitive outcomes in a cohort of patients with recent nondisabling ischemic stroke.

Methods

Three hundred nine patients recruited within six-months of a transient ischemic attack or nondisabling ischemic stroke [modified Rankin Scale (mRS) ⩽ 3] were followed for up to five-years. Cox proportional-hazard regression analyses were performed to investigate the association of PDGF levels with the risk of death, recurrent vascular events, dependency, and incident dementia, while logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the association of PDGF levels with the risk of significant cognitive decline. Significant cognitive decline was defined as: (a) a decline of cognitive status from no cognitive impairment or mild cognitive impairment with no dementia to moderate cognitive impairment with no dementia or (b) conversion to dementia.

Results

Patients (mean age 60 years) were mostly male (64%) and of Chinese ethnicity (85%) and had posterior circulation or lacunar infarcts (73%). In univariate analysis, PDGF was significantly associated with a lower risk of recurrent vascular events [hazard ratio (HR) 0·61; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·44–0·84]. In multivariate analysis adjusting for treatment, PDGF was independently associated with a lower risk of recurrent vascular events (HR 0·62; 95% CI 0·46–0·85). PDGF levels were not associated with the risk of the other outcomes of interest.

Conclusions

Higher levels of PDGF-AB/BB were independently associated with a lower risk of recurrent vascular events in a cohort of convalescent nondisabled stroke patients. Our findings suggest that PDGF-AB/BB may potentially serve as a prognostic marker for outcomes pos- stroke and, if this result is validated in larger samples, a potential therapeutic target.
A predictive analytics approach for demand forecasting in the process industry
Authors: Blackburn Robert , Lurz Kristina , Priese Benjamin , Göb Rainer , Darkow Inga‐Lena
Published: September 2014

Anticipating demand changes is critical in the process industry with high capacity utilization. The developed solution for demand forecasting is based on a new predictive analytics approach and sophisticated information technology, which allows combining company data and economic information specifically matched to the market environment of product segments. The approach systematically selects the best information for a business outlook. Using the data from the global chemical company BASF, the first empirical results show that this approach significantly outperforms statistical methods based on historical demand data only.
Lactic acid bacterial symbionts in honeybees – an unknown key to honey's antimicrobial and therapeutic activities
Authors: Olofsson Tobias C , Butler Èile , Markowicz Pawel , Lindholm Christina , Larsson Lennart , Vásquez Alejandra
Published: September 2014

Could honeybees' most valuable contribution to mankind besides pollination services be alternative tools against infections? Today, due to the emerging antibiotic‐resistant pathogens, we are facing a new era of searching for alternative tools against infections. Natural products such as honey have been applied against human's infections for millennia without sufficient scientific evidence. A unique lactic acid bacterial (LAB) microbiota was discovered by us, which is in symbiosis with honeybees and present in large amounts in fresh honey across the world. This work investigates if the LAB symbionts are the source to the unknown factors contributing to honey's properties. Hence, we tested the LAB against severe wound pathogens such as methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Pseudomonas aeruginosa and vancomycin‐resistant Enterococcus (VRE) among others. We demonstrate a strong antimicrobial activity from each symbiont and a synergistic effect, which counteracted all the tested pathogens. The mechanisms of action are partly shown by elucidating the production of active compounds such as proteins, fatty acids, anaesthetics, organic acids, volatiles and hydrogen peroxide. We show that the symbionts produce a myriad of active compounds that remain in variable amounts in mature honey. Further studies are now required to investigate if these symbionts have a potential in clinical applications as alternative tools against topical human and animal infections.
Neuropathic ulcers in leprosy treated with intralesional platelet‐rich plasma
Authors: Conde‐Montero Elena , Horcajada‐Reales Celia , Clavo Petunia , Delgado‐Sillero Irene , Suárez‐Fernández Ricardo
Published: September 2014

Neuropathic ulcers in leprosy represent a therapeutic challenge for clinicians. Chronic ulcers affect patient health, emotional state and quality of life, causing considerable morbidity and mortality in addition to contributing to significant health care costs. The pathogenesis is mainly related to the abnormally increased pressure in areas such as the sole of the foot, secondary to lack of sensation and deformities induced by peripheral sensory‐motor neuropathy. Conventional treatment of these wounds can be slow due to their chronic inflammatory state and the senescence of local reparative cells. Platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) may restore the healing process, leading to a reparative phase. We present two patients with four neuropathic leprosy ulcers that have responded satisfactory to PRP treatment. PRP therapy has been growing as a viable treatment alternative for chronic ulcers. However, stronger scientific evidence is required to support its potential benefit for use in chronic wounds.
Availability of optimal‐sized prey affects global distribution patterns of the golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos
Authors: Schweiger Andreas , Fünfstück Hans‐Joachim , Beierkuhnlein Carl
Published: September 2014

Climate and landscape change are expected to significantly affect trophic interactions, which will especially harm top predators such as the golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos. Availability of optimal prey is recognized to influence reproductive success of raptors on a regional scale. For the golden eagle, medium‐sized prey species between 0.5 and 5 kg are widely considered to be optimal prey during the breeding season, whereas smaller and larger species are deemed as energetically sub‐optimal. However, knowledge about the effects of optimal prey availability is still scarce on larger scales. To decrease this apparent knowledge gap, we combined biogeographical information on range margins with information about the foraging behaviour and reproductive success of golden eagles from 67 studies spanning the Northern Hemisphere. We hypothesized that availability of optimal prey will affect foraging behaviour and breeding success and, thus, distribution patterns of the golden eagle not only on a local but also on a continental scale. We correlated the diet breadth quantifying foraging generalism, breeding success and proportions of small (< 0.5 kg), medium (0.5–5 kg) and large‐sized (> 5 kg) prey species within the diet with the minimum distance of the examined eagles to the actual species distribution boundary. Closer to the range edge, we observed decreased proportions of medium‐sized prey species and decreasing breeding success of golden eagles. Diet breadth as well as proportions of small and large‐sized prey species increased, however, towards the range edge. Thus, availability of optimal‐sized prey species seems to be a crucial driver of foraging behaviour, breeding success and distribution of golden eagles on a continental scale. However, underlying effects of landscape characteristics and human influence on optimal prey availability has to be investigated in further large‐scale studies to fully understand the major threats facing the golden eagle and possibly other large terrestrial birds of prey.
Impacts of climate and land‐use change on wintering bird populations in Finland
Authors: Fraixedas Sara , Lehikoinen Aleksi , Lindén Andreas
Published: September 2014

Few studies have covered both the effects of climate and land‐use change on animal populations under a single framework. Besides, the scarce multi‐species studies conducted have focused on breeding data, and there is little information published on changes in wintering populations. Here, we relate the pattern of long‐term temporal trends of wintering bird populations in Finland, north Europe, to covariates associated with climate and land‐use change. Finnish wintering populations have been monitored using ca 10 km winter bird census routes (> 420 routes counted annually) during 1959–2012. Population trends of 63 species were related to migratory strategy, urbanity, and thermal niche measured as species‐specific centre of gravity of the wintering distribution. Waterbird trends have shown a marked increase compared to landbirds. Among landbirds, forest species have suffered severe declines, whereas urban species have considerably increased in their wintering numbers. To follow up these results, we produced three multi‐species indices (for waterbirds, forest and urban species, respectively), which can improve our ability to detect and monitor the specific consequences of climate change and changes in land‐use, but at the same time act as a feedback to track the conservation status of the species. Our results suggest that waterbirds are responding to climate change, given their dependence on open water and the correlation with early‐winter temperature over the last decades. On the other hand, we believe trends of landbirds have been mainly driven by human‐induced land‐use changes. While urban species have likely benefited from the increase of supplementary feeding, forest species have probably suffered from the loss of native habitats.
Hatching date vs laying date: what should we look at to study avian optimal timing of reproduction?
Authors: Tomás Gustavo
Published: September 2014

Most research conducted on optimal timing of reproduction in birds has traditionally considered laying date of the first egg as the event that needs to be related to the time of maximum food availability. However, what (most) birds need to time with the seasonal peak of food availability is the moment of maximum food demand of their nestlings, which is more tightly related with hatching date than with laying date. After initiating egg laying, birds still have some opportunities to adjust the time of highest food demand, as during the several days elapsed between laying of the first egg until hatching, more precise cues will become available to birds in order to make a more accurate match with food availability. I provide an overview of the suite of mechanisms available to birds for shortening or enlarging the interval between laying and hatching date, which include laying gaps, adjustment of clutch size, variation in onset and intensity of incubation, and differential investment on eggs. Then I illustrate with an example the extent to which birds can adjust hatching dates after egg laying. I argue that birds should more accurately time hatching date rather than laying date to maximum food availability on the basis of available cues. Therefore, I suggest that researchers should target on hatching date rather than laying date to better study optimal timing of reproduction in birds. Exploration of responses other than adjusting laying date to changing environmental conditions will surely uncover key aspects of avian reproductive biology and behaviour that have been ignored until now. This is a necessary step towards a better understanding of capacities of organisms to adapt to a changing world in particular, and of fitness consequences of timing of reproduction in general.
Probucol Prevents Atrial Remodeling by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and TNF‐α/NF‐κB/TGF‐β Signal Transduction Pathway in Alloxan‐Induced Diabetic Rabbits
Authors: FU HUAYING , LI GUANGPING , LIU CHANGLE , LI JIAN , WANG XINGHUA , CHENG LIJUN , LIU TONG
Published: September 2014

Probucol Prevents Atrial Remodeling

Introduction

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an independent risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the underlying mechanisms for the increased propensity for AF in the setting of DM and the potential effects of probucol on atrial remodeling remain unclear.

Methods and Results

Eighty Japanese rabbits were randomly assigned to normal/control group (Control, n = 20), alloxan‐induced diabetic group (DM, n = 20), probucol‐treated group (Control‐P, n = 20), and probucol‐treated diabetic group (DM‐P, n = 20). Rabbits in the DPR and CPR groups were orally administered probucol (1,000 mg/day) for 8 weeks. Serum and left atrial tissue malonaldehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), myeloperoxidase (MPO), and catalase (CAT) levels were assessed. Isolated Langendorff perfused rabbit hearts were prepared to evaluate atrial refractory effective period (AERP) and its dispersion (AERPD), interatrial conduction time (IACT), and vulnerability to AF. Atrial interstitial fibrosis was also evaluated. The mRNA expression levels of TNF‐α and TLR4 were analyzed. The protein expressions of NF‐κB, HSP70, TGF‐β, and ERK in left atrial tissue were analyzed by Western blot. Probucol administration decreased the inducibility of AF in diabetic rabbits and attenuated atrial interstitial fibrosis. The DM‐P rabbits exhibited significant alleviation of oxidative stress, evidenced by reduced serum and tissue MDA, compared with diabetic rabbits. Moreover, NF‐κB, TGF‐β, and HSP70 protein expression and TNF‐α mRNA expression were significantly downregulated by probucol treatment in alloxan‐induced diabetic rabbits.

Conclusions

Probucol prevents atrial remodeling and suppresses AF development in alloxan‐induced diabetic rabbits. Its inhibitory effects on oxidative stress, NF‐κB, TGF‐β, and TNF‐α overexpression may contribute to its antiremodeling effects.
Levels of HIV‐1 in subgingival biofilm of HIV‐infected patients
Authors: Pavan Priscila , Pereira Viviane Tiago , Souza Rodrigo Carvalho , Souza Celso Oliveira , Torres Sandra Regina , Colombo Ana Paula Vieira , da Costa Luciana Jesus , Sansone Carmelo , de Uzeda Milton , Gonçalves Lucio Souza
Published: September 2014

Aim

The aims of the current study were to compare the levels of HIV‐1 in the subgingival biofilm (SHVL) between detectable and undetectable plasmatic HIV‐1 viral load (PHVL) in HIV‐infected patients as well as to determine the association of SHVL with PHVL and clinical periodontal parameters.

Material and Methods

Forty‐one HIV‐infected individuals were divided into two groups: detectable (21) and undetectable (20) PHVL. Subgingival biofilm samples were obtained for detection and quantification of HIV‐1 by real‐time RT‐PCR. To estimate the effect of co‐variables on the outcome undetectable SHVL, the Generalized Estimation Equation (GEE) was employed.

Results

Detectable SHVL was observed only in the detectable PHVL group and the detection of the HIV‐1 was observed in 40% of these individuals. In the bivariate analysis between co‐variables from the individual level and the outcome SHVL, significant difference was observed only for the CD4+ T lymphocytes levels (p = 0.017). The multiple logistic model demonstrated that only CD4+ T lymphocytes levels had a significant effect on the outcome undetectable SHVL [OR 8.85 (CI 3.6–9.2), p = 0.002].

Conclusion

HIV‐1 can be detected and quantified in the subgingival biofilm of HIV‐infected individuals, but these findings are not associated with PHVL and periodontal clinical parameters.
Aetiological overlap between anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity symptom dimensions in adolescence
Authors: Michelini Giorgia , Eley Thalia C. , Gregory Alice M. , McAdams Tom A.
Published: September 2014

Background

Anxiety and attention‐deficit/hyperactivity (ADH) problems are common in adolescence, often co‐occur, and are characterised by high heterogeneity in their phenotypic expressions. Although it is known that anxiety and ADH problems correlate, the relationships between subtypes of anxiety and ADH problems have been scarcely investigated.

Methods

Using a large population sample of adolescent twins and siblings we explored the phenotypic and aetiological association between anxiety subtypes (panic/agoraphobia, separation anxiety, social anxiety, physical injury fears, obsessive‐compulsive symptoms and generalised anxiety) and the two ADH dimensions (attention problems and hyperactivity/impulsivity). Both phenotypes were assessed using self‐report questionnaires.

Results

The association between ADH problems and anxiety could be entirely attributed to attention problems, not hyperactivity/impulsivity. Most of the correlations between anxiety subtypes and attention problems showed an approximately equal role of genetic and nonshared environmental factors.

Conclusions

The high heterogeneity within anxiety and ADH problems should be taken into account in order to better understand comorbidity between them.
Editorial: Translational genetics of child psychopathology: a distant dream?
Authors: Maughan Barbara , Sonuga‐Barke Edmund J.S.
Published: September 2014

For decades now twin, family and adoption studies have pointed to a substantial role for genetic factors in risk for psychiatric disorder. Behaviour genetic studies are not, of course, designed to tell us about the ‘genetic architecture’ of disorders – the number of risk variants involved, their frequency, or their effects sizes – but their findings clearly suggest that given the high levels of heritability detected, identifying the gene variants involved could provide important pointers to aetiology, and might well have implications for treatment. In and of themselves heritability findings have little practical value as a basis for a translational genetics of psychiatric disorders. They cannot help us identify pathophysiological pathways that need to be targeted through therapeutic innovation or inform the sort of tailoring of treatments to individual biological ‘types’ to promote personalized medicine. To do these things we need to move from estimating heritability to identifying specific genetic markers implicating specific neuro‐biological systems.
Reactive Arthritis
Authors: Stavropoulos P.G. , Soura E. , Kanelleas A. , Katsambas A. , Antoniou C.
Published: September 2014

Reactive arthritis (ReA) is an immune‐mediated seronegative arthritis that belongs to the group of spondyloarthropathies and develops after a gastrointestinal or genitourinary system infection. The condition is considered to be characterized by a triad of symptoms (conjunctivitis, arthritis and urethritis) although a constellation of other manifestations may also be present. ReA is characterized by psoriasiform dermatological manifestations that may resemble those of pustular psoriasis and, similar to guttate psoriasis, is a post‐infectious entity. Also, the articular manifestations of the disorder are similar to those of psoriatic arthritis and both conditions show a correlation with HLA‐B27. These facts have led several authors to suggest that there is a connection between ReA and psoriasis, listing ReA among the disorders related to psoriasis. However, the pathogenetic mechanism behind the condition is complex and poorly understood. Bacterial antigenicity, the type of host response (i.e. Th1/Th2 imbalance) and various genetic factors (i.e. HLA‐B27 etc.) play an important role in the development of the disorder. It is unknown whether all the aforementioned factors are part of a mechanism that could be similar to, or share basic aspects with known psoriasis pathogenesis mechanisms.
Reverse influence of riparian buffer width on herbivorous and predatory Hemiptera
Authors: Gilbert S. , Norrdahl K. , Tuomisto H. , Söderman G. , Rinne V. , Huusela‐Veistola E.
Published: September 2014

Insects are major contributors to farmland biodiversity, and their economic roles are also diverse. Many herbivorous species are crop pests, while predatory insects have the potential to act as biological controls against pests. Overall insect diversity has declined as a result of intensified agricultural practices. Riparian buffers may support insect populations in intensively cultivated areas, but their actual impact on the balance between harmful pests and beneficial predators is not known. It can be postulated that this impact may vary depending on the characteristics and location of the riparian buffer itself. We investigated the possibility that the biotic and abiotic attributes of agricultural riparian buffers adjoining crop fields and watercourses can explain the species composition of hemipteran assemblages. In particular, we were interested in the abundances of species belonging to the genus Nabis (generalist predators) and recognized and potential pests of cereal crops. Riparian buffer width and the presence or absence of woody plants were not associated with hemipteran species turnover among riparian buffers. In contrast, differences in the degree of dominance by grasses, in plant species turnover, and in which crop plant was cultivated in the adjacent field, explained a significant proportion of the variance in hemipteran species turnover. The abundance of predatory Nabis species increased with increasing riparian buffer width, whereas the abundance of recognized and potential crop pests decreased. The reverse patterns in the predatory and herbivorous Heteroptera suggest that increasing riparian buffer width might enhance biological control by Nabis predators.
Molecular Analysis of the Koala Reproductive Hormones and Their Receptors: Gonadotrophin‐Releasing Hormone (GnRH), Follicle‐Stimulating Hormone β and Luteinising Hormone β with Localisation of GnRH
Authors: Busby E. R. , Soeta S. , Sherwood N. M. , Johnston S. D.
Published: September 2014

During evolution, reproductive hormones and their receptors in the brain‐pituitary‐gonadal axis have been altered by genetic mechanisms. To understand how the neuroendocrine control of reproduction evolved in mammals, it is important to examine marsupials, the closest group to placental mammals. We hypothesised that at least some of the hormones and receptors found in placental mammals would be present in koala, a marsupial. We examined the expression of koala mRNA for the reproductive molecules. Koala cDNAs were cloned from brain for gonadotrophin‐releasing hormones (GnRH1 and GnRH2) or from pituitary for GnRH receptors, types I and II, follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH)β and luteinising hormone (LH)β, and from gonads for FSH and LH receptors. Deduced proteins were compared by sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis with those of other vertebrates. In conclusion, the koala expressed mRNA for these eight putative reproductive molecules, whereas at least one of these molecules is missing in some species in the amniote lineage, including humans. In addition, GnRH1 and 2 are shown by immunohistochemistry to be expressed as proteins in the brain.
Endodermal/ectodermal interfaces during pharyngeal segmentation in vertebrates
Authors: Shone Victoria , Graham Anthony
Published: September 2014

A key event in the formation of the pharyngeal arches is the outpocketing of the endodermal pharyngeal pouches and the establishment of contact with the overlying ectoderm. However, relatively little is known about how the endoderm and ectoderm relate to each other at these points of contact and the extent to which this differs between the pouches. We have therefore detailed the interactions between the pharyngeal pouches and ectoderm in the chick embryo. Unlike the other pouches, the first pouch does not sustain direct contact with the ectoderm but separates after initial contact. Contrastingly, a perforation is formed between the second pouch and cleft that creates an external opening into the pharynx. Finally, the third and fourth pouch endoderm can be seen to bulge outwards through the ectoderm, although external openings to the pharyngeal lumen are not established. To understand whether these behaviours represent derived or ancestral features, we characterised the pharyngeal ectodermal–endodermal interfaces in the shark embryo. We found that the pouches of the posterior gill‐bearing arches in this species also displayed the outward bulging of the endoderm into the ectoderm, although openings were established. We further used genetic tools to detail unambiguously the relationship between the endoderm and ectoderm in zebrafish and mouse embryos and again found that the posterior pouches break through the ectoderm. Thus different pharyngeal pouches establish different topological relationships with the overlying ectoderm and the posterior pouches initiate the developmental programme for the formation of gills, be they amniotes or anamniotes.
Phytophthora Species Infecting Hardy Ornamentals in Nurseries and the Managed Environment in Scotland
Authors: Schlenzig Alexandra , Campbell Rachael , Chard Jane
Published: September 2014

Between 2002 and the end of 2009, more than 4000 samples from hardy ornamental plants, collected in surveys for Phytophthora ramorum, were examined to establish the occurrence and diversity of Phytophthora species in Scotland. The samples were gathered from more than 77 plant genera in nurseries, gardens and amenity landscapes. Fifteen different Phytophthora spp. were isolated and identified either by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or by sequencing of the ITS1, 5.8S subunit and ITS2 region of the ribosomal RNA gene. The most widespread Phytophthora spp. were P. ramorum and P. syringae, followed by P. cactorum, P. kernoviae, P. plurivora, P. cambivora, P. citrophthora, P. taxon ‘Pgchlamydo’, P. pseudosyringae and some single isolates of P. cinnamomi, P. cryptogea, P. gonapodyides, P. nicotianae and P. hibernalis. One isolate did not match any known species. In relation to the number of samples, Phytophthora was found more frequently in trade premises than in gardens or amenity landscapes and the species diversity was higher, highlighting the risks involved in plant trade.
“Manured with the Starres”: Recovering an Early Modern Discourse of Sustainability
Authors: Mukherjee Ayesha
Published: September 2014

The assumption that sustainability is a modern invention appears frequently, in nuanced forms, across historical and literary investigations of ecological change, resource management, and waste in the early modern period. What remains under‐investigated is the period's ethical and theoretical understandings of these issues as debates, which deployed complex oppositional rhetorical strategies and literary forms that underpinned the organization of knowledge and pragmatic measures. Sir Hugh Platt's experimental program of resource management carried out in a context of dearth in the 1580s and 1590s provides an important means for recovering an early modern discourse of sustainability in its own terms. The article uses this case study to demonstrate how the specificities of sustainable practices and their conceptual articulation can be recovered, and how such a focused and historicized approach raises key questions about the debating of ecological ethics in societies across time.