bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of HLA‐DRB and ‐DQB gene RFLPs in DR7 homozygous cell lines: associations with Dw11, Dw17 and DB1
Authors: Carlsson B. , Wallin J.
Published: October 2008

Abstract: The DR7‐associated Dw specificities, Dw11, Dw17 and DB1 were investigated with regard to DRB‐ and DQB‐gene polymorphism, as revealed by RFLP analysis using the restriction enzyme Taql. In the 22 DR7 homozygous cell lines investigated, each of these Dw specificities was found to correlate to one specific RFLP defined DR‐DQ haplotype. In addition, a clear linkage disequilibrium to a specific HLA‐B locus allele for each Dw specificity was noted, indicating that the Dw subtypes of DR7 often are associated with a conserved HLA‐B‐DR‐DQ haplotype. Only one genetically homozygous cell line, PLH, deviated from these correlations. This cell line, notably derived from an individual with a deletion of the 21‐hydroxylase B‐gene (21‐OHB), carries the HLA haplotype Bw47, DR7, DQw2, DB1, but displayed a DRB RFLP otherwise found in association with Dwl7.
Transfected trophoblast‐derived human cells can express a single HLA class I allelic product
Authors: Boucraut José , Hakem Razqallah , Gauthier Anisia , Fauchet Reneé , Le Bouteiller Philippe
Published: October 2008

Abstract: The human trophoblast‐derived JAR cell line, that does not express polymorphic HLA class I antigens even after IFN induction, can be stably transfected by genomic clones encoding the entire HLA‐A2, ‐A3 and ‐B7 α‐chain genes. The transfected genes were expressed at the cell surface in association with endogenous β2‐microglobulin (shown by FCM analysis) as a single allelic product without reexpression of any endogenous class I gene (shown by 1D.IEF analysis). Furthermore, TNF‐α and IFN‐γ, alone and synergistically, increase cell surface expression of transfected MHC class I/endogenous β2m heterodimers without induction of endogenous class I α‐chain genes. These data show that the MHC class I‐negative JAR human cell line might be used for transfections with the aim of establishing human cells expressing just one defined MHC class I allele for functional and regulatory studies. These findings are discussed in relation to the methylated status solely of endogenous class I α‐chain genes in JAR cells and suggest that transfected class I genes are not regulated in the same fashion and, in particular, that constitutive and TNF/IFN inducible trans‐acting regulatory factors able to bind to cis‐promoter/enhancer sequences of class I DNA are likely to be present.
Myasthenia gravis patients with thymus hyperplasia and myasthenia gravis patients with thymoma display different HLA associations
Authors: Spurkland Anne , Gilhus Nils Erik , Rønningen Kjersti S. , Aarli John A. , Vartdal Froda
Published: October 2008

Abstract: Thirty myasthenia gravis (MG) patients (9 with thymoma, 12 with thymus hyperplasia and 9 with thymic atrophy) and 181 Norwegian healthy controls were serologically typed for HLA‐A, ‐B and ‐DR antigens and genomically typed for HLA‐DQA1 and HLA‐DQB1 alleles by probing in vitro amplified DNA with sequence‐specific oligonucleotides. In patients with thymus hyperplasia the frequency of the DQB 1*0201 allele was increased compared to controls (RR = 3.5, p<0.05), whereas among the patients with thymoma this allele was not observed (RR = 0.06, p<0.01). The frequencies of HLA‐B8, ‐DR3 and ‐DQA1*0501, which are in strong linkage disequilibrium with DQB 1*0201, were increased in patients with hyperplasia and reduced in patients with thymoma. The data suggest that different HLA genes predispose to two different forms of MG.
Detection of anti‐epithelial cell antibodies in association with pediatric renal transplant failure using a novel microcytotoxicity assay
Authors: Martin Susan , Brenchley Paul E. , Postlethwaite Robert J. , Johnson Robert W. G. , Dyer Philip A.
Published: October 2008

Abstract: We have developed a microcytotoxicity assay allowing sera to be screened for anti‐epithelial cell cytotoxic antibodies. Cells from the epithelial cell line A549 were cultured overnight in Terasaki trays prior to the addition of the sera to be screened. Using this assay, 63 pediatric recipients of 78 renal transplants have been studied retrospectively. Seventeen transplants carried out in 13 patients were found to be associated with the production of antibodies reactive only against epithelial cells (AEC). Eleven of these transplants failed as compared with 19 failures out of 52 transplants not associated with AEC production (Fisher's p = 0.04). We conclude that transplantation in the face of pre‐existing AEC should be approached with caution.
Correlation of RFLP typing and MLC reactivity in dogs
Authors: Lu Ping , Zucker Keith E. , Esquenazi Violet , Miller Joshua
Published: October 2008

Abstract: The human recombinant HLA‐DRB1 gene probe was used for histocompatibility typing of two families of beagles for the DLA‐D equivalent by using restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP). This method was able to determine the segregation of these genes from the parental animals to the individual Fl offspring. Mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) reactivity as well as serological typing for class I histocompatibility antigens were also performed for comparison. It was found that there was a high correlation between these three methods. We therefore conclude that RFLP typing is an effective procedure for predicting MLC reactivity in dogs and propose that it is a suitable genotyping method for assignment of class II antigen compatibility for donor‐recipient pairs in conjunction with organ transplant studies.
HLA‐DQB1 genotyping by a modified PCR‐RFLP method combined with group‐specific primers
Authors: Nomura Nobuhiro , Ota Masao , Tsuji Kimiyoshi , Inoko Hidetoshi
Published: October 2008

Abstract: We previously reported a simple technique for HLA‐DQB genotyping by digestion of polymerase chain reaction‐amplified genes with restriction endonucleases (PCR‐RFLP method). However, this method has some problems in that some heterozygotes cannot be discriminated from each other. Furthermore, concomitantly amplified product derived from the DQB2 gene by the primers used previously also obstructs precise DQB1 genotyping. To resolve these problems, we have developed two different pairs of specific primers for selective amplification of the DQB1 gene and also used restriction endonucleases which have either a single cleavage site or, alternatively, no cleavage site in the amplified DNA region, depending on the HLA‐DQB 1 alleles, making reading of RFLP band patterns much easier. The second exon of the DQB1 gene was selectively amplifed by DQwl group‐specific primers and/or DQw2,3,4 group‐specific primers using genomic DNAs from 70 HLA‐homozygous B‐cell lines and 50 healthy Japanese. Of the seven DQwl‐associated DQB1 alleles, six alleles could be defined by digestion of 6 restriction enzymes, although DQB 1*0602 and DQB 1*0603 could not be discriminated from each other because of unavailability of suitable enzymes. Similarly, all of the six DQw2,3,4‐associated DQB1 alleles could be defined by digestion of 5 restriction enzymes. Using this modified PCR‐RFLP method, complete DQB1 genotyping of all heterozygotes is possible except for discrimination between DQB 1*0602 and 0603. Thus this method is simpler and more practical for a routine DNA typing than the PCR‐SSO method or our previous PCR‐RFLP method.
HLA class II specificities and haplotypes in South Africa detected using polymerase chain reaction and sequence‐specific oligonucleotide typing
Authors: Martell R. W. , Arendse B. , Jacobs M. , Du Toit E. D.
Published: October 2008

Abstract: DNA sequencing of HLA class II alleles has revealed a degree of polymorphism much greater than was expected on the basis of the standard serological typing methods. Amplification of the polymorphic second exon of the class II genes using the polymerase chain reaction, followed by hybridization with sequence‐specific oligonucleotide probes, allows the unambiguous identification of alleles which could not be detected previously. Using the protocols of the Eleventh International Histocompatibility Workshop, we have applied this procedure for the typing of several individuals and their families with suspected alleles that had been observed using serology, cellular typing and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLPs). These included an allele related to DRw8 and DRwl4, which has only been observed in the mixed ancestral South African population. In addition, unusual combinations of class II genes forming unique haplotypic associations were seen.
Different epitopes of the CD31 antigen identified by monoclonal antibodies: cell type‐specific patterns of expression
Authors: Ashman Leonie K. , Aylett Gabriella W. , Cambareri Antony C. , Cole Stephen R.
Published: October 2008

Abstract: 3 mAb ‐ 5A2.G5, B2B1 and 2BD4 ‐ all of IgG1 isotype were identified as belonging to the CD31 cluster by their binding to transfected murine cell lines expressing the CD31 antigen and by sequential immuno‐precipitation experiments. Competitive binding experiments were carried out using the human myelomonolytic cell line RC‐2A. mAb B2B1 and 2BD4 did not cross block. mAb 5A2.G5 partly inhibited binding of 2BD4 but not B2B1. Thus the epitopes identified by 5A2.G5 and 2BD4 appear to overlap but to be quite separate from that recognized by B2B1. All 3 antibodies bound to a 130 kDa species on Western blots after non‐reducing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of platelet lysates. Culture of RC‐2A cells in the presence of tunicamycin (after removal of surface antigens by pronase) blocked re‐expression of the epitopes recognised by all 3 mAb suggesting that they involve N‐linked glycosylation. Furthermore, treatment of platelet lysates with Endoglycosidase F prior to electrophoresis and Western blotting abolished the binding of the mAb but not a rabbit polyclonal antiserum to CD31. Nevertheless, neuraminidase treatment of RC‐2A cells failed to affect mAb binding. The antibodies displayed typical properties of CD31 antibodies in that all 3 precipitated at 130 kDa cell surface protein and bound strongly to platelets, monocytes, neutrophils and vascular endothelium. All 3 antibodies were positive on hemopoietic progenitor cells which give rise to colonies in the CFU‐C assay. However, differences in binding to peripheral blood lymphocytes and to certain human leukemic cell lines were noted. In particular, mAb 5A2.G5 bound weakly to lymphocytes and to the lymphoid cell line HSB‐2 compared with the other 2 antibodies. The results indicate variable patterns of glycosylation of the CD31 antigen in different cell types, although the differences may be quantitative rather than qualitative.
HLA‐DR gene frequencies in the Japanese population obtained by oligonucleotide genotyping
Authors: Obata Fumiya , Ito Koichi , Kaneko Takehisa , Yang Yong‐guang , Onda Kelji , Ito Ichiro , Yabe Noriko , Watanabo Koji , Kashiwagi Noboru
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACT: We determined HLA‐DRB types of 375 randomly chosen healthy Japanese donors using a set of 29 different sequence‐specific oligonucleotide (SSO) probes directed against various DRB alleles. Except for a few cases, these SSOs enabled us to identify 33 different DRB types including those detectable only by SSO genotyping. Gene frequencies were calculated for each of the DRB types identified. The “blank” frequency calculated by our SSO typing was essentially zero, in contrast to the considerably high ’blank” frequencies reported at serological HLA‐DR or cellular HLA‐D workshops. This indicates that almost all of the DRB types in the Japanese population are positively detectable by our SSO typing. By comparing the gene frequencies for each of the DR types obtained by our SSO typing with those obtained by immunological typing at workshops, significant differences were observed for several of the DR types.
Quantitation and characterization of plasma HLA in neonates of dzferent gestational ages
Authors: Puri Suksham , Shiah D. C. , Canavan Allyson , Kao K. J.
Published: October 2008

Abstract: The functional significance of plasma HLA class I antigens is unclear. They are bought to have an immunomodulatory role and be tolerogenic in transplant settings including the materno‐fetal semi‐allo‐graft. There is, however, no available data on the concentrations of soluble HLA class I antigens in fetuses or newborns. We therefore determined plasma HLA class I antigen levels in 93 neonates born at different gestational ages and compared them to those in 66 healthy adults. The mean plasma HLA concentration in cord blood obtained from these neonates (0.30±0.15 μg/ml, mean±SD) was significantly lower (p<0.0001) than in the adults (0.77 ± 0.44 μg/ml). No correlation between the plasma HLA levels and the gestational ages of the neonates was detected. Characterizing the plasma HLA class I antigens by immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting, four different molecular weight forms, 44, 39, 36 and 34 kDa, were recognized. Their distribution in neonates was not different from that in adults. Since the circulating leukocytes are a probable source of plasma HLA class I antigens, we measured the surface HLA expression on leukocytes in 4 neonates and 4 adults by immunofluorescent flow cytometry. The fluorescence intensities on neonatal granylocytes and lymphocytes were 50% of those on corresponding adult cells. This finding suggests that the reduced HLA expression by neonatal leukocytes may be partially responsible for the lower concentration of HLA class I antigens in neonatal plasma.
Analysis of HLA‐DQA1 and ‐DQB1 genes in Mexican Americans with insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus
Authors: Sanjeevi C. B. , Zeidler A. , Shaw S. , Rotter J. , Nepom G. T. , Costin G. , Raffel L. , Eastman S. , Kockum I. , Wassmuth R. , Lemmark Å.
Published: October 2008

Abstract: Mexican American patients (n = 35) with insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and control subjects (n = 39) were HLA‐DQA and DQB typed by the polymerase chain reaction technique combined with allele‐specific oligonucleotide probes. Either DQB1*0302 or DQB1*0201 was present among 91% (32135) of the patients compared to 67% (26/39) of controls. Either DQA1*0501 or DQA1*0301 was present in all patients (100% or 35/35) compared to 29/39 (74%) (OR 12.06 Pc<0.05) of controls. All four of these genes, in cis or trans, were present in 15/35 (43%) of the patients compared to 3/39 (WI) of controls (OR 9.0; Pc < 0.01). The presence of one or more non‐susceptibility alleles showed a dose‐related decrease in relative risk. Presence of aspartic acid (Asp) at position 57 of the DQ β chain did not confer protection and non‐Asp homozygozity did not confer susceptibility to IDDM in this ethnic group. In conclusion, susceptibility to IDDM in Mexican Americans is associated with particular DQA and DQB combinations, illustrates dose‐dependent parameters and contradicts the critical residue hypothesis.
A monoclonal antibody with specflicity to the HLA‐DR1 and ‐DR51 antigens
Authors: Loh M. T. , Chan S. H. , Ren E. C.
Published: October 2008

Abstract: A monoclonal antibody 137BL7 raised against purified DR1 protein was shown to bind specifically to 5/5 DRl, 181 18 DR2 cells and 0/23 non‐DR1,2 cellsby cell‐EIA. Further analysis by FACS using HLA‐transfectants revealed that 137BL7 also bound specifically to the DRB5 transfectants in addition to the expected DRl transfectants. However, it did not bind to the DR2 (DR15) transfectants, showing that crossreactivity with DR2 cells lies with the DRB5 (DR51) rather than the DRBl gene product. A comparison of the HLA‐DR amino acid sequences of DRl and DR51 antigens revealed a common glutamic acid residue at position 96, which may form the putative binding epitope of this mAb.
Multiple sclerosis in the Faroe Islands VI. Studies of HLA markers
Authors: Jersild C. , Kurtzke J. F. , Riisom K. , Heltberg A. , Arbuckle J. , Hyllested K.
Published: October 2008

Abstract: Occurrence of clinical neurologic multiple sclerosis (CNMS) among resident Faroese began between 1943 and 1973 and comprised three epidemics. The occupation by British forces for 5 years during World War II was interpreted to have been of major importance for the occurrence of these epidemics and led us to believe that CNMS is the rare, late result of a single, widespread, systemic and specific infectious disease which we have labelled the primary MS affection (PMSA). In this study we describe the occurrence of genetic markers of the HLA system in 16 Faroese MS patients, 25 of their siblings, 30 unrelated healthy neighbors and spouses to MS patients, 18 healthy controls from areas where no MS cases have been detected, and 80 unrelated normal Faroese. These studies show no significant deviations of HLA class I antigens, whereas the class II antigens do deviate: 50% of the Faroese MS patients carry the HLA‐DR2 (DQI lDRB 15) antigen, compared to a frequency of 15–20% among the control groups. Also the group of siblings of MS patients showed an increased frequency of DR4 (72%) compared to normal frequency among MS patients and other normal controls (43–47%). However, if DR 15‐positive individuals were excluded, this difference was further reduced. If PMSA was widespread within this group, DR4 or some closely associated genetic marker may confer protection against PMSA developing into CNMS. The occurrence of CNMS in these epidemics seems therefore associated to HLA class II‐linked genetic factors similar to those found in studies of other Caucasians with MS. This observation seems important in understanding the pathogenesis of this disease.
Blue–Green Eggs in Pied Flycatchers: An Experimental Demonstration that a Supernormal Stimulus Elicits Improved Nestling Condition
Authors: Moreno Juan , Lobato Elisa , Merino Santiago , Martínez‐de la Puente Josué
Published: October 2008

It has been proposed that blue–green egg colouration in certain avian species has evolved as a signal of female and egg quality to males, affecting their investment in the brood according to the differential allocation scenario. A recent experiment has successfully manipulated male investment by placing dummy eggs simulating the extremes in the blue–green natural reflectance. Here we have substituted one egg in certain pied flycatcher clutches with a single deep‐blue (blue) or light‐blue (pale) dummy egg and used other clutches as controls. Blue dummy eggs reflected more in the blue–green part of the spectrum than natural and pale dummy eggs, which were similar in reflectance. Nestlings in nests with one blue dummy egg during laying and incubation attained a significantly higher mass and condition than those in nests with one pale dummy egg or in control broods, when controlling for phenology, brood size and blue–green chroma of the clutch. Only a shift in parental investment can have induced this highly significant effect. Preference for deeply coloured clutches associated with high‐quality females and their maternal effects may explain stimulation by a single supernormal stimulus emanating from multiple objects like clutches.
Postural Shifts During Egg‐Brooding and Their Impact on Egg Water Balance in Children’s Pythons (Antaresia childreni)
Authors: Stahlschmidt Zachary R. , Hoffman Ty C. M. , DeNardo Dale F.
Published: October 2008

Parental care typically consists of distinct behavioral components that are balanced to address the multiple needs of offspring. Female pythons exhibit post‐oviposition parental care in which they coil around their parchment‐shelled eggs throughout incubation (40–80 d). Subtle postural shifts during egg‐brooding facilitate embryonic gas exchange but may entail hydric costs to the clutch. This study used a simple behavioral model to (1) further quantify the costs and benefits of specific parental behaviors to developing offspring and (2) determine the influence that developmental stage and relative clutch mass have on parental behavior. Although previous research has demonstrated that egg‐brooding as a whole reduces clutch water loss, we hypothesized that egg‐brooding female pythons specifically adopt a tightly coiled posture to conserve embryonic water, but must make postural adjustments to enhance gas exchange between the clutch and nest environments at the cost of increased clutch water loss. We measured rates of water loss in brooding Children’s pythons (Antaresia childreni) and their respective clutches (i.e., brooding units) and monitored changes in brooding posture. We conducted serial trials to elucidate the effect of developmental stage on postural adjustments and water loss. Results demonstrated that the proportion of time females spent in a tightly coiled posture was inversely related to mean water loss from the brooding unit. Analyses indicated that slight adjustments in posture led to bursts in brooding unit water loss. Indeed, brooding unit water loss during postural adjustments was significantly higher than during tight coiling. These findings imply that python egg‐brooding provides an adjustable diffusive barrier that leads to discontinuous gas exchange, which minimizes clutch water loss. Because females with larger relative clutch masses spent more time tightly coiled, egg‐brooding female pythons may use a ‘water first’ strategy in which they intentionally conserve clutch water at the cost of reduced embryonic respiratory gas exchange.
Body Mass and not Wing Length Predicts Territorial Success in a Tropical Satyrine Butterfly
Authors: Peixoto Paulo Enrique Cardoso , Benson Woodruff W.
Published: October 2008

The males of numerous butterfly species fight with conspecific rivals to possess mating territories. Although there is little consensus on the nature of fight costs or on what traits favor victory, a recent analysis suggests that size may be of minor importance. However, data are inconsistent, and wing length, the metric that has been most widely used for expressing size in butterfly field studies, may not provide a reliable index of muscle mass or other traits that determine resource holding potential. Here we investigate the influence of wing length, body mass and wing wear on the territorial success of a neotropical satryine butterfly, Paryphthimoides phronius. In a removal experiment, original residents were heavier than replacement males that took over territories in the following minutes. Winners of naturally occurring contests were also heavier than losers after correcting for weight loss since weighing. Although wing length correlated significantly with body mass and body mass decreased with age, neither wing length nor wing wear (a surrogate for age and body condition) contributed to explaining territorial success. As body mass may be related to traits such as muscle mass, fat stores, and age, no conclusion is possible on how mass translates into success in disputes. However, because wing length is unrelated to residency status in P. phronius, whereas mass is both a reliable predictor and performs significantly better than wing length, our results may help explain the frequent failure of wing length to predict territorial success in butterfly field studies.
Why are Male Columbian Ground Squirrels Territorial?
Authors: Manno Theodore G. , Stephen Dobson F.
Published: October 2008

Male territorial defence is a component of many vertebrate mating systems and is often regarded as a tactic for acquiring mates. Traditionally considered within the context of overt site‐specific defence, territoriality actually may have several components which encompass a variety of behavioural tactics (e.g. post‐copulatory mate‐guarding, defence of resources that females need, defence of area around females) that underlie a mating system. The purpose of our study was to evaluate such influences on the territorial behaviour of male Columbian ground squirrels in southwestern Alberta, Canada. Males were dominant and territorial if they defended a minimum convex polygon activity range by chasing other males more within the activity range than they were chased. Subordinate males had no territory and were chased throughout their ranges, but they competed for mates by increasing chases in their activity range when nearby females were oestrous. Dominant males exhibited conditional breeding tactics, tending to chase other dominant males from their territory when nearby females were oestrous, but travelling outside their activity ranges to chase subordinate males when females were not oestrous. Although females mated first with a dominant male on whose territory they resided (and in order from oldest to youngest if several territories overlapped), mating pairs were not exclusive, as females usually mated with additional males. Males also guarded females after copulation and defended females directly just before oestrus, rather than defending territoryper seduring those times. Thus, males possess a repertoire of behaviours that complement site‐specific territoriality, and territory ownership serves to facilitate a first mating with females that live on the territory.
Olfactory Predator Discrimination in Yellow‐Bellied Marmots
Authors: Blumstein Daniel T. , Barrow Lisa , Luterra Markael
Published: October 2008

The mechanism underlying olfactory predator identification may be relatively experience‐independent, or it may rely on specific experience with predators. A mechanism by which prey might identify novel predators relies on the inevitable creation of sulfurous metabolites that are then excreted in the urine of carnivorous mammals. We tested whether free‐living, yellow‐bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) and mid‐sized herbivores that fall prey to a variety of carnivorous mammals could discriminate herbivore (elk—Cervus elephas) urine from predator (red fox—Vulpes vulpes, coyote—Canis latrans, mountain lion—Felis concolor, wolf—Canis lupus) urine, a novel herbivore (moose—Alces alces), and a distilled water control. We further asked how specific this assessment was by testing whether marmots responded differently to predators representing different levels of risk and to familiar vs. unfamiliar predators. We found that marmots responded more to urine from coyotes (a familiar predator on adults), mountain lions (a potentially unfamiliar predator that could kill adults) and wolves (a locally extinct predator that could kill adults) than to elk urine (a non‐predator). Red fox (a predator that poses a risk only to recently emerged marmot pups) urine elicited a less substantial (but not significantly so) response than coyote urine. Marmots can identify predators, even novel ones, using olfactory cues, suggesting that experience with a specific predator is not required to identify potential threats.
Body Size and the Maintenance of Reproductive Isolation in Stickleback, GenusGasterosteus
Authors: Baube Charles L.
Published: October 2008

The blackspotted sticklebackGasterosteus wheatlandiand the widely studied threespine sticklebackG. aculeatusare sympatric throughout the former’s range and share many aspects of life history and reproductive behaviour. These two species differ significantly in size, withG. wheatlandiof both sexes measured at approximately 60% of the standard length of theirG. aculeatuscounterparts. This study concentrated onG. wheatlandicourtship behaviour and investigated its role in the maintenance of reproductive isolation withG. aculeatus. Specifically, the roles that (1) female body size plays in influencing male courtship preferences and (2) male body size and behaviour play in female courtship preferences were investigated through dummy and live conspecific and heterospecific stimulus presentations. MaleG. wheatlandicourtship preferences are consistent with previously described patterns forG. aculeatus. Males of both species preferentially approach and court the larger of two simultaneously presented live or dummy females. Thus, the smallerG. wheatlandimales are indiscriminate with respect to assortative mate choice; not only preferring to approach and court more fecund conspecific females but, more significantly,G. aculeatus‐sized females. In contrast, females of both species demonstrate strong assortative courtship preferences. When presented with pairs of flask‐enclosed males, females of both species preferentially orient and court the conspecific male over the heterospecific. Similarly, when presented with a conspecific male and a heterospecific male presented singly, females prefer to enter the nest of the conspecific. Systematic analysis of the interactions between these pairs of fish (one male, one female) demonstrates that the breakdown of courtship in heterospecific courtship occurs late in the courtship sequence when the widely differing forms of male leading behaviour results in drastically differing female responses. I suggest that, as previously described inG. aculeatus, the supernormality effect plays a significant role in mediating adaptive mate choice behaviour inG. wheatlandi. However, the added element of a larger sympatric species introduces a possible cost in time and energy devoted to courting heterospecific, and sympatric, females that the largerG. aculeatusdo not likely incur. There is substantial evidence from many sympatricG. aculeatusspecies pairs that there is assortative mate choice based on size and/or courtship behaviour. Courtship trials suggest a more pervasive role for females in assortative mate choice. Whether it is male body sizeper se, or in combination with behaviour, morphology or other cues, is unresolved in the present study.
Dual Utility of a Melanin‐Based Ornament in Bearded Tits
Authors: Hoi Herbert , Griggio Matteo
Published: October 2008

A general mechanism to account for the maintenance of sexually selected traits is the armament–ornament model, which predicts that females exploit signals used in male–male aggressive contests. Melanin‐based ornaments are good candidates to be dual utility traits because they are usually involved in male–male competition and function as signals of male dominance or fighting ability. Despite this, very few studies have investigated the dual utility of melanin‐based plumage traits and results remain generally ambiguous. In this study, we investigated the dual function of a melanin‐based trait (the black beard) in the male bearded tit, Panurus biarmicus. In a controlled aviary experiment, beard length was the best predictor of dominance in male–male competition. In a choice experiment, females showed a proximity preference for males whose beard length was experimentally elongated. Our results indicate that beard length plays an important role in both male–male competition and female choice in bearded tits, as proposed by the dual utility model.
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection in Livestock Species: An Update
Authors: García‐Roselló E , García‐Mengual E , Coy P , Alfonso J , Silvestre MA
Published: October 2008

Contents

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a powerful technique in the field of assisted reproduction (ART) and provides exciting opportunities for studying the basic mechanisms of fertilization and early embryo development. Nevertheless, its application in agriculture and conservation biology has been greatly hampered by the low success rate reported for this method in respect of economically important species. Specifically, the rates of blastocyst formation and live newborn are greatly reduced when zygotes are generated by ICSI. Except for humans, ICSI remains a low efficiency technology in comparison with alternatives such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and its application is less widespread. In this paper, we discuss the present status, applications and factors affecting ICSI in pigs and other species.
Persistent Mullerian Duct Syndrome in a Miniature Schnauzer Dog with Signs of Feminization and a Sertoli Cell Tumour
Authors: Vegter AR , Kooistra HS , Van Sluijs FJ , Van Bruggen LWL , Ijzer J , Zijlstra C , Okkens AC
Published: October 2008

Contents

A 5‐year‐old male Miniature Schnauzer was presented with unilateral cryptorchidism and signs of feminization. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed an enlarged right testis and a large, fluid‐filled cavity that appeared to arise from the prostate. Computed tomography revealed the cavity to be consistent with an enlarged uterine body, arising from the prostate, and showed two structures resembling uterine horns that terminated close to the adjacent testes. The dog had a normal male karyotype, 78 XY. Gonadohysterectomy was performed and both the surgical and the histological findings confirmed the presence of a uterus in this male animal, resulting in a diagnosis of persistent Mullerian duct syndrome (PMDS). The enlarged intra‐abdominal testis contained a Sertoli cell tumour. Computed tomography proved to be an excellent diagnostic tool for PMDS.
Factors affecting the number and type of impairments of visual perception and praxis following stroke
Authors: Paolucci Amy , McKenna Kryss , Cooke Deirdre M.
Published: October 2008

Aim: This study aimed to examine the effect of clinical factors including side of stroke, region of affected cerebral circulation, type of stroke and time since stroke, as well as age on the number and type of impairments of visual perception and praxis in patients following stroke.

Methods: Two hundred and eight participants with stroke were conveniently sampled from 12 hospitals in Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Background information was collected and each participant was assessed for impairments of visual perception and praxis using the Occupational Therapy Adult Perceptual Screening Test.

Results: Participants with left‐hemisphere stroke were more likely to have impaired body scheme than participants with right‐hemisphere stroke. Additionally, participants with right‐hemisphere stroke were more likely to have unilateral neglect and impaired constructional skills than those with left‐hemisphere stroke. There was a significant relationship between region of affected cerebral circulation and the occurrence of agnosia, unilateral neglect and constructional skill impairment. Moreover, the number of visual perceptual impairments experienced by participants was associated with the region of affected cerebral circulation. Increasing age was significantly related to the occurrence of constructional skill impairment and acalculia.

Conclusions: Side of stroke, region of affected cerebral circulation and age affected the type of impairments of visual perception and praxis experienced by patients following stroke. Furthermore, region of affected cerebral circulation also influenced the number of impairments of visual perception and praxis in patients after stroke. The results have implications for more specific targeting of assessment and treatment practices following stroke.
Questioning: A critical skill in postmodern health‐care service delivery
Authors: Brown Cary A. , Bannigan Katrina , Gill Joanna R.
Published: October 2008

Occupational therapists can no longer rely exclusively on biomedical frameworks to guide their practice and facilitate clinical problem‐solving. A postmodernist perspective of health and well‐being underlines that the illness experience is not a linear, cause‐and‐effect equation. Rather, life experiences are constructed through a myriad of social, cultural, physical and economic contexts that are highly unique to each individual. In other words, the assumption that ‘one‐size‐fits‐all’ is as flawed in health care as it is in clothing design.

This paper contributes to the growing discussion of health care within the postmodern context of the twenty‐first century through first presenting a brief discussion of emerging postmodern thinking and application within the profession, followed by a rationale for the need to scrutinise prevalent modernist assumptions that guide decision‐making. Finally, the paper introduces the method of Socratic questioning as a critical tool in successfully carrying out this scrutiny in an empowering and respectful manner for all stakeholders.
Profile of cognitive problems in schizophrenia and implications for vocational functioning
Authors: Tan Bhing‐Leet
Published: October 2008

Aim:  This literature review attempts to profile specific areas of cognition that have shown unique and consistent evidence of dysfunction among people with schizophrenia. In addition, their impact on vocational functioning is illustrated, so as to highlight the importance of managing these cognitive difficulties in vocational rehabilitation.

Methods:  Literature search was carried out on seven key cognitive domains identified by the National Institute of Mental Health in the USA. Their impact on vocational function was also reviewed.

Results:  It is found that attention, declarative and working memory, reasoning, problem‐solving and social cognition are areas of impairment that have great impact on vocational functioning. Attention and memory problems affect learning of new work tasks. Executive function is particularly crucial in determining supported and open employment outcomes, as executive dysfunction cannot be easily compensated. Lastly, social cognition plays a major role in determining the success of workplace social exchanges.

Conclusion:  Occupational therapists need to have a good understanding of the profile of cognitive problems among people with schizophrenia, in order to tailor our intervention according to their cognitive strengths and difficulties. Several cognitive remediation strategies and programs have been designed specifically for people with mental illness. Equipping ourselves with skills in conducting such programs will augment our expertise in vocational rehabilitation.
Pretend play, social competence and involvement in children aged 5–7 years: The concurrent validity of the Child‐Initiated Pretend Play Assessment
Authors: Uren Nicole , Stagnitti Karen
Published: October 2008

Background and aims:  The aims of this study were to investigate the relationship between pretend play, social competence and involvement in school‐based activities in children aged 5–7 years and to determine whether children's social competence and level of involvement could be inferred from their scores on the Child‐Initiated Pretend Play Assessment.

Procedure:  The pretend play skills of 41 primary school‐aged children aged 5–7 years were assessed on a one‐on‐one basis. Classroom teachers of the children assessed the children's social competence using the Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale and their involvement in school based activities using the Leuven Involvement Scale for Young Children.

Main findings:  Significant positive relationships were found between elaborate pretend play and object substitution scores, involvement scores and peer play interaction scores (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). A significant negative relationship was found between elaborate pretend play scores, and social disconnection and social disruption scores (P < 0.05). Play deficit indicators were significantly negatively related to involvement scores (P < 0.01). This suggests that children with proficient pretend play skills are socially competent with peers and are able to engage in classroom activity. Children who scored poorly on the play assessment were more likely to have difficulty interacting with their peers and engaging in school activities.

Conclusion:  Social competence and involvement skills are related to a child's ability to engage in pretend play. A child's social skills and ability to engage in school activities as assessed by teachers can be inferred from their scores on the Child‐Initiated Pretend Play Assessment.
Structure of Sumatra and its implications for the tectonic assembly of Southeast Asia and the destruction of Paleotethys
Authors: Barber Anthony J. , Crow Michael J.
Published: October 2008

It is now generally accepted that Southeast Asia is composed of continental blocks which separated from Gondwana with the formation of oceanic crust during the Paleozoic, and were accreted to Asia in the Late Paleozoic or Early Mesozoic, with the subduction of the intervening oceanic crust. From east to west the Malay peninsula and Sumatra are composed of three continental blocks: East Malaya with a Cathaysian Permian flora and fauna; Sibumasu, including the western part of the Malay peninsula and East Sumatra, with Late Carboniferous–Early Permian ‘pebbly mudstones’ interpreted as glaciogenic diamictites; and West Sumatra, again with Cathaysian fauna and flora. A further unit, the Woyla nappe, is interpreted as an intraoceanic arc thrust over the West Sumatra block in the mid Cretaceous. There are varied opinions concerning the age of collision of Sibumasu with East Malaya and the destruction of Paleotethys. In Thailand, radiolarites have been used as evidence that Paleotethys survived until after the Middle Triassic. In the Malay peninsula, structural evidence and the ages of granitic intrusions are used to support a Middle Permian to Early Triassic age for the destruction of Paleotethys. It is suggested that the West Sumatra block was derived from Cathaysia and emplaced against the western margin of Sibumasu by dextral transcurrent faulting along a zone of high deformation, the Medial Sumatra Tectonic Zone. These structural units can be traced northwards in Southeast Asia. The East Malaya block is considered to be part of the Indochina block, Sibumasu can be traced through Thailand into southern China, the Medial Sumatra Tectonic Zone is correlated with the Mogok Belt of Myanmar, the West Burma block is the extension of the West Sumatra block, from which it was separated by the formation of the Andaman Sea in the Miocene, and the Woyla nappe is correlated with the Mawgyi nappe of Myanmar.
Radiolaria‐dated Lower Permian clastic‐rock sequence in the Fukuji area of the Hida‐gaien terrane, central Japan, and its inter‐terrane correlation across Southwest Japan
Authors: Kurihara Toshiyuki , Kametaka Masao
Published: October 2008

The stratigraphy and radiolarian age of the Mizuyagadani Formation in the Fukuji area of the Hida‐gaien terrane, central Japan, represent those of Lower Permian clastic‐rock sequences of the Paleozoic non‐accretionary‐wedge terranes of Southwest Japan that formed in island arc–forearc/back‐arc basin settings. The Mizuyagadani Formation consists of calcareous clastic rocks, felsic tuff, tuffaceous sandstone, tuffaceous mudstone, sandstone, mudstone, conglomerate, and lenticular limestone. Two distinctive radiolarian faunas that are newly reported from the Lower Member correspond to the zonal faunas of the Pseudoalbaillella u‐forma morphotype I assemblage zone to the Pseudoalbaillella lomentaria range zone (Asselian to Sakmarian) and the Albaillella sinuata range zone (Kungurian). In spite of a previous interpretation that the Mizuyagadani Formation is of late Middle Permian age, it consists of Asselian to Kungurian tuffaceous clastic strata in its lower part and is conformably overlain by the Middle Permian Sorayama Formation. An inter‐terrane correlation of the Mizuyagadani Formation with Lower Permian tuffaceous clastic strata in the Kurosegawa terrane and the Nagato tectonic zone of Southwest Japan indicates the presence of an extensive Early Permian magmatic arc(s) that involved almost all of the Paleozoic non‐accretionary‐wedge terranes in Japan. These new biostratigraphic data provide the key to understanding the original relationships among highly disrupted Paleozoic terranes in Japan and northeast Asia.
Petrology of the Yugu peridotites in the Gyeonggi Massif, South Korea: Implications for its origin and hydration process
Authors: Arai Shoji , Tamura Akihiro , Ishimaru Satoko , Kadoshima Kazuyuki , Lee Yong‐Il , Hisada Ken‐ichiro
Published: October 2008

Peridotites exposed in the Yugu area in the Gyeonggi Massif, South Korea, near the boundary with the Okcheon Belt, exhibit mylonitic to strongly porphyroclastic textures, and are mostly spinel lherzolites. Subordinate dunites, harzburgites, and websterites are associated with the lherzolites. Amphiboles, often zoned from hornblende in the core to tremolite in the rim, are found only as neoblasts. Porphyroclasts have recorded equilibrium temperatures of about 1000°C, whereas neoblasts denote lower temperatures, about 800°C. Olivines are Fo90–91in lherzolites and Fo91in a dunite and a harzburgite. The Cr# (= Cr/(Cr + Al) atomic ratio) of spinels varies together with the Fo of olivines, being from 0.1 to 0.3 in lherzolites and around 0.5 in the dunite and harzburgite. The Na2O content of clinopyroxene porphyroclasts is relatively low, around 0.3 to 0.5 wt% in the most fertile lherzolite. The Yugu peridotites are similar in porphyroclast mineral chemistry not to continental spinel peridotites but to sub‐arc or abyssal peridotites. Textural and mineralogical characteristics indicate the successive cooling with hydration from the upper mantle to crustal conditions for the Yugu peridotites. Almost all clinopyroxenes and amphiboles show the same U‐shaped rare earth element (REE) patterns although the level is up to ten times higher for the latter. The hydration was associated with enrichment in light REE, resulting from either a slab‐derived fluid or a fluid circulating in the crust. The mantle‐wedge or abyssal peridotites were emplaced into the continental crust as the Yugu peridotite body during collision of continents to form a high‐pressure metamorphic belt in the Gyeonggi Massif. The peridotites from the Gyeonggi Massif exhibit lower‐pressure equilibration than peridotites, with or without garnets, from the Dabie–Sulu Collision Belt, China, which is possibly a westward extension of the Gyeonggi Massif.
Crustal thickness and adakite occurrence in the Philippines: Is there a relationship?
Authors: Dimalanta Carla B. , Yumul, Jr Graciano P.
Published: October 2008

Adakites are increasingly being recognized worldwide in a variety of tectonic settings. Models on the formation of this geochemically distinct class of volcanic rocks have evolved from partial melting of subducted young, hot oceanic slabs to magmatism resulting from oblique subduction, low‐angle or flat subduction, or even slab‐tearing. Some workers have also pointed to the partial melting of thickened crust to explain the generation of adakitic melts. Rare earth element ratios from adakites and adakitic rocks in the Philippines were used in this study to obtain approximations of the levels where they were generated. These were tied to available geophysical data that defines the crustal thickness of the areas where the samples were collected. High Sm/Yb and La/Yb ratios denote the involvement of amphiboles, and in some cases garnet, in the generation of adakites and adakitic magmas. The presence of amphibole and garnet as residual phases suggests high pressures corresponding to thicker crust (∼30 to 45 km). Adakites and adakitic rocks formed through processes other than melting of subducted young oceanic crust would need ≥30 km to account for the heavy rare earth element signatures. If mantle fractionation is not the process involved, crustal thickness is critical to generate adakites and adakitic rocks.
Histological characteristics of 21 Papua New Guinean children with high‐grade B‐cell lymphoma, which is frequently associated with EBV infection
Authors: Nomura Yuko , Lavu Evelyn Koru , Muta Koichiro , Niino Daisuke , Takeshita Morishige , Hirose Shinichi , Nakamura Shigeo , Yoshino Tadashi , Kikuchi Masahiro , Ohshima Koichi
Published: October 2008

The aim of the present study was to confirm the histopathological features of aggressive B‐cell lymphoma in Papua New Guinea (PNG)—an EBV endemic region. The immunophenotypic features and expression of EBV‐encoded proteins and RNA in B‐cell lymphomas were analyzed in 21 PNG children, and compared to the corresponding features of 17 Japanese children with Burkitt lymphoma (BL). Histological diagnosis of the lymphomas from the PNG children was BL in nine patients; atypical Burkitt/Burkitt‐like variant of BL (BLL) in three; diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in four; and B‐lymphoblastic lymphoma (B‐LBL) in five. The lymphomas from the PNG children had a high positive rate on EBV‐RNA in situ hybridization (EBV‐ISH; 66.7%). With regard to the histological typing, 10 of 12 patients (83%) with BL/BLL, one of four (25%) with DLBCL, and three of five (60%) with B‐LBL were positive for EBV‐ISH. The findings of EBV‐positive B‐LBL were surprising because it is commonly considered that lymphoblastic lymphoma is not associated with EBV. EBV positivity was not detected in the 12 Japanese patients who were available for the EBV‐ISH evaluation. It is concluded that it is possible that a proportion of DLBCL and B‐LBL besides BL/BLL are associated with EBV in endemic region.