bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Decreased TNF-α synthesis by macrophages restricts cutaneous immunosurveillance by memory CD4+ T cells during aging
Authors: Agius Elaine , Lacy Katie E. , Vukmanovic-Stejic Milica , Jagger Ann L. , Papageorgiou Anna-Pia , Hall Sue , Reed John R. , Curnow S. John , Fuentes-Duculan Judilyn , Buckley Christopher D. , Salmon Mike , Taams Leonie S. , Krueger James , Greenwood John , Klein Nigel , Rustin Malcolm H.A. , Akbar Arne N.
Published: August 2009

Immunity declines during aging, however the mechanisms involved in this decline are not known. In this study, we show that cutaneous delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses to recall antigens are significantly decreased in older individuals. However, this is not related to CC chemokine receptor 4, cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen, or CD11a expression by CD4+ T cells or their physical capacity for migration. Instead, there is defective activation of dermal blood vessels in older subject that results from decreased TNF-α secretion by macrophages. This prevents memory T cell entry into the skin after antigen challenge. However, isolated cutaneous macrophages from these subjects can be induced to secrete TNF-α after stimulation with Toll-like receptor (TLR) 1/2 or TLR 4 ligands in vitro, indicating that the defect is reversible. The decreased conditioning of tissue microenvironments by macrophage-derived cytokines may therefore lead to defective immunosurveillance by memory T cells. This may be a predisposing factor for the development of malignancy and infection in the skin during aging.
TPL-2 negatively regulates interferon-β production in macrophages and myeloid dendritic cells
Authors: Kaiser Frank , Cook Dorthe , Papoutsopoulou Stamatia , Rajsbaum Ricardo , Wu Xuemei , Yang Huei-Ting , Grant Susan , Ricciardi-Castagnoli Paola , Tsichlis Philip N. , Ley Steven C. , O'Garra Anne
Published: August 2009

Stimulation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) on macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs) by pathogen-derived products induces the production of cytokines, which play an important role in immune responses. Here, we investigated the role of the TPL-2 signaling pathway in TLR induction of interferon-β (IFN-β) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in these cell types. It has previously been suggested that IFN-β and IL-10 are coordinately regulated after TLR stimulation. However, in the absence of TPL-2 signaling, lipopolysaccharide (TLR4) and CpG (TLR9) stimulation resulted in increased production of IFN-β while decreasing IL-10 production by both macrophages and myeloid DCs. In contrast, CpG induction of both IFN-α and IFN-β by plasmacytoid DCs was decreased in the absence of TPL-2, although extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation was blocked. Extracellular signal-related kinase–dependent negative regulation of IFN-β in macrophages was IL-10–independent, required protein synthesis, and was recapitulated in TPL-2–deficient myeloid DCs by retroviral transduction of the ERK-dependent transcription factor c-fos.
Real-Time PCR Assays for the Quantification of Phialophora gregata f. sp. sojae IGS Genotypes A and B
Authors: Hughes T. J. , Atallah Z. K. , Grau C. R.
Published: August 2009

Populations of Phialophora gregata f. sp. sojae, the causal agent of brown stem rot (BSR) of soybean, consist of two genotypes, designated A and B. These genotypes are differentiated by an insertion or deletion in the intergenic spacer region (IGS) of ribosomal DNA. The two genotypes differ in the type and severity of symptoms they cause and have displayed preferential host colonization. Methods to quantify populations of P. gregata f. sp. sojae and to distinguish between the two genotypes are essential to understanding this host–pathogen interaction and to improving control of BSR. A real-time, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay was developed for the specific detection and quantification of P. gregata f. sp. sojae genotype A. This assay is specific to P. gregata f. sp. sojae genotype A, sensitive to 50 fg of DNA, and unaffected by the presence of soybean or soil DNA. When the P. gregata f. sp. sojae genotype A-specific primer/probe set is used in a multiplex qPCR assay with a previously developed primer/probe set which indiscriminately amplifies both genotypes, the quantity of P. gregata f. sp. sojae genotype B can be indirectly determined. This multiplex assay provides a rapid and robust method for studying both the population size and genetic structure of P. gregata f. sp. sojae in its soybean host and in the soil.
Effect of Chitosan Dissolved in Different Acids on Its Ability to Control Postharvest Gray Mold of Table Grape
Authors: Romanazzi Gianfranco , Gabler Franka Mlikota , Margosan Dennis , Mackey Bruce E. , Smilanick Joseph L.
Published: August 2009

Chitosan is a natural biopolymer that must be dissolved in an acid solution to activate its antimicrobial and eliciting properties. Among 15 acids tested, chitosan dissolved in 1% solutions of acetic, L-ascorbic, formic, L-glutamic, hydrochloric, lactic, maleic, malic, phosphorous, and succinic acid. To control gray mold, table grape berries were immersed for 10 s in these chitosan solutions that had been adjusted to pH 5.6. The reduction in decay among single berries of several cultivars (Thompson Seedless, Autumn Seedless, and grape selection B36-55) inoculated with Botrytis cinerea at 1 × 105conidia/ml before or after immersion in chitosan acetate or formate, followed by storage at 15°C for 10 days, was ≈70%. The acids alone at pH 5.6 did not control gray mold. Decay among clusters of two cultivars (Thompson Seedless and Crimson Seedless) inoculated before treatment was reduced ≈60% after immersion in chitosan lactate or chitosan acetate followed by storage for 60 days at 0.5°C. The viscosity of solutions was 1.9 centipoises (cp) (ascorbate) to 306.4 cp (maleicate) and the thickness of chitosan coating on berries was 4.4 μm (acetate) to 15.4 μm (ascorbate), neither of which was correlated with solution effectiveness. Chitosan acetate was the most effective treatment which effectively reduced gray mold at cold and ambient storage temperatures, decreased CO2and O2exchange, and did not injure the grape berries.
Effect of Temperature and Moisture Period on Infection of Rhododendron ‘Cunningham's White’ by Phytophthora ramorum
Authors: Tooley Paul W. , Browning Marsha , Kyde Kerrie L. , Berner Dana
Published: August 2009

We investigated the temperature and moisture conditions that allow Phytophthora ramorum to infect Rhododendron ‘Cunningham's White’. Most experiments were performed with a single P. ramorum isolate from the NA1 clonal lineage. For whole plants incubated in dew chambers at 10 to 31°C, the greatest proportion of diseased leaves, 77.5%, occurred at the optimum temperature of 20.5°C. Disease occurred over the entire range of temperatures tested, although amounts of disease were minor at the temperature extremes. For whole plants exposed to varying dew periods at 20°C and then incubated at 20°C for 7 days, a dew period as short as 1 h resulted in a small amount of disease; however, at least 4 h of dew were required for >10% of the leaves to become diseased. Moisture periods of 24 and 48 h resulted in the greatest number of diseased leaves. In detached-leaf, temperature-gradient-plate experiments, incubation at 22°C resulted in the greatest disease severity, followed by 18°C and then 14°C. In detached-leaf, moisture-tent experiments, a 1-h moisture period was sufficient to cause disease on 67 to 73% of leaves incubated for 7 days at 20°C. A statistical model for disease development that combined the effects of temperature and moisture period was generated using nonlinear regression. Our results define temperature and moisture conditions which allow infection by P. ramorum on Cunningham's White rhododendron, and show that P. ramorum is able to infect this host over a wide range of temperatures and moisture levels. The results indicate that P. ramorum has the potential to become established in parts of the United States that are outside its current range.
Genetic Structure of Populations of the Rice-Infecting Pathogen Rhizoctonia solani AG-1 IA from China
Authors: Bernardes-de-Assis Joana , Storari Michelangelo , Zala Marcello , Wang Wenxiang , Jiang Daohong , ShiDong Li , Jin Meisong , McDonald Bruce A. , Ceresini Paulo C.
Published: August 2009

Sheath blight disease (SBD) on rice, caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG-1 IA, is one of the most devastating rice diseases on a global basis, including China (in Eastern Asia), the world's largest rice-growing country. We analyzed the population genetics of nine rice-infecting populations from China using nine microsatellite loci. One allopatric population from India (Southern Asia) was included in the analyses. In total, 300 different multilocus genotypes were found among 572 fungal isolates. Clonal fractions within rice fields were 16 to 95%, suggesting that sclerotia were a major source of primary inoculum in some fields. Global ΦST statistics (ΦST = 42.49; P ≤ 0.001) were consistent with a relatively high level of differentiation among populations overall; however, pairwise comparisons gave nonsignificant RST values, consistent with contemporary gene flow among five of the populations. Four of these populations were located along the Yangtze River tributary network. Gene flow followed an isolation-by-distance model consistent with restricted long-distance migration. Historical migration rates were reconstructed and yielded values that explained the current levels of population subdivision. Except for one population which appeared to be strictly clonal, all populations showed evidence of a mixed reproductive mode, including both asexual and sexual reproduction. One population had a strictly recombining structure (all loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium) but the remaining populations from China and the one from India exhibited varying degrees of sexual reproduction. Six populations showed significant FIS values consistent with inbreeding.
BIS–BAS sensitivity and cardiac autonomic stress profiles
Authors: Heponiemi Tarja , Keltikangas‐Järvinen Liisa , Kettunen Joni , Puttonen Sampsa , Ravaja Niklas
Published: August 2009

This study examined the relationship of sensitivities of Gray's behavioral inhibition system (BIS) and behavioral approach system (BAS) to cardiac autonomic stress responses during laboratory tasks among 65 healthy men (n=34) and women (n=31) aged 22–37 years. Carver and White's BIS–BAS scales were used to measure BIS and BAS sensitivities. We measured heart rate (HR), respiratory sinus arrhythmia, and preejection period during mental arithmetic, a reaction time task, and a speech task. Results revealed that BAS sensitivity was related to HR reactivity and parasympathetic withdrawal during the tasks, but was unrelated to baseline levels. BIS sensitivity was unrelated to both reactivity and baseline levels of all measures. Overall, our results suggest that the relationship of the BAS with cardiac reactivity seems to be mediated by the parasympathetic nervous system.
A novel association between a SNP in CYBRD1 and serum ferritin levels in a cohort study of HFE hereditary haemochromatosis
Authors: Constantine Clare C. , Anderson Greg J. , Vulpe Chris D. , McLaren Christine E. , Bahlo Melanie , Yeap Heng Lin , Gertig Dorota M. , Osborne Nicholas J. , Bertalli Nadine A. , Beckman Kenneth B. , Chen Victoria , Matak Pavel , McKie Andrew T. , Delatycki Martin B. , Olynyk John K. , English Dallas R. , Southey Melissa C. , Giles Graham G. , Hopper John L. , Allen Katrina J. , Gurrin Lyle C.
Published: August 2009

There is emerging evidence that there are genetic modifiers of iron indices for HFE gene mutation carriers at risk of hereditary hemochromatosis. A random sample, stratified by HFE genotype, of 863 from a cohort of 31 192 people of northern European descent provided blood samples for genotyping of 476 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 44 genes involved in iron metabolism. Single SNP association testing, using linear regression models adjusted for sex, menopause and HFE genotype, was conducted for four continuously distributed outcomes: serum ferritin (log transformed), transferrin saturation, serum transferrin, and serum iron. The SNP rs884409 in CYBRD1 is a novel modifier specific to HFE C282Y homozygotes. Median unadjusted serum ferritin concentration decreased from 1194 μg/l (N = 27) to 387 μg/l (N = 16) for male C282Y homozygotes and from 357 μg/l (N = 42) to 69 μg/l (N = 12) for females, comparing those with no copies to those with one copy of rs884409. Functional testing of this CYBRD1 promoter polymorphism using a heterologous expression assay resulted in a 30% decrease in basal promoter activity relative to the common genotype (P = 0·004). This putative genetic modifier of iron overload expression accounts for 11% (95% CI 0·4%, 22·6%) of the variance in serum ferritin levels of C282Y homozygotes.
Ecology‐based screen identifies new metabolites from a Cordyceps‐colonizing fungus as cancer cell proliferation inhibitors and apoptosis inducers
Authors: Chen Y. , Guo H. , Du Z. , Liu X.‐Z. , Che Y. , Ye X.
Published: August 2009

Objectives:  This study aims to identify new anti‐cancer agents from Cordyceps‐colonizing fungi, using an ecology‐based approach. It also aims to explore their anti‐cell proliferative mechanisms, and to evaluate their anti‐tumour effects in vivo.

Materials and methods:  Extracts from Cordyceps‐colonizing fungi were tested on HeLa cells, and active extracts were separated to obtain anti‐tumour metabolites; their structures were elucidated by mass and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Cell cycle analysis was evaluated using flow cytometry. Tumour formation assays were performed using C57BL/6J mice.

Results:  Based on ecological considerations, the selected extracts were subjected to initial anti‐tumour screening. Bioassay‐guided fractionation of the active extract afforded two new epipolythiodioxopiperazines, named gliocladicillins A (1) and B (2). (A) 1 and B (2) inhibited growth of HeLa, HepG2 and MCF‐7 tumour cells. Further study demonstrated that both preparations arrested the cell cycle at G2/M phase in a dose‐dependent manner, and induced apoptosis through up‐regulation of expression of p53, p21, and cyclin B, and activation of caspases‐8, ‐9 and ‐3. These data imply that gliocladicillins A (1) and B (2) induce tumour cell apoptosis through both extrinsic and intrinsic pathways. In addition, in vivo studies showed that they displayed significant inhibitory effects on cell population growth of melanoma B16 cells imlanted into immunodeficient mice.

Conclusions:  Gliocladicillins A (1) and B (2) are effective anti‐tumour agents in vitro and in vivo and should be further evaluated for their potential in clinical use.
Erosion of telomeric single‐stranded overhang in patients with aplastic anaemia carrying telomerase complex mutations
Authors: Calado R. T. , Regal J. A. , Kajigaya S. , Young N. S.
Published: August 2009

Background  Loss‐of‐function mutations in telomerase complex genes reduce telomerase activity and shorten overall telomere length in leucocytes, and they can clinically manifest as bone marrow failure (aplastic anaemia and dyskeratosis congenita) and familial pulmonary fibrosis. Telomeres are constituted of double‐stranded tandem TTAGGG repeats followed by a 3′ G‐rich single‐stranded overhang, a crucial telomeric structural component responsible for the t‐loop formation.

Materials and methods  We investigated the length of telomeric overhangs in 25 healthy individuals from 0 to 76 years of age, 16 patients with aplastic anaemia, and 13 immediate relatives using a non‐denaturing in‐gel method and the telomere‐oligonucleotide ligation assay.

Results  Telomeric overhang lengths were constant from birth to eighth decade of life in healthy subjects, in contrast to overall telomere length, which shortened with ageing. Most patients with marrow failure and a telomerase gene mutation showed marked erosion of telomeric overhang associated with critically short telomeres; in other aplastic patients with normal genotypes, normal overall telomere lengths and who responded to immunosuppressive therapy, telomeric overhangs were maintained.

Conclusions  Telomeric overhang erosion does not participate in physiological ageing but support a role for eroded telomeric overhangs and abnormal telomere structure in pathological shortening of telomeres, especially caused by loss‐of‐function telomerase mutations. Disrupted telomere structure caused by short telomeric overhangs may contribute to the mechanisms of abnormal haematopoietic compartment senescence and chromosomal instability in human bone marrow failure.
The influence of planktivorous fish on zooplankton communities in riverine slackwaters
Authors: NING NATHAN S. P. , NIELSEN DARYL L. , HILLMAN TERRY J. , SUTER PHILLIP J.
Published: August 2009

1. Contrary to that for lakes and ponds, our knowledge of the influence of planktivorous fish on zooplankton communities in rivers is slight, largely because of the general assumption that such communities are overwhelmingly regulated by physical conditions.

2. In two separate but concurrent in situ enclosure experiments, we investigated the effects of carp gudgeon (Hypseleotris spp.) and Eastern Gambusia (Gambusia holbrooki) on zooplankton communities in slackwaters of a temperate Australian floodplain river.

3. A high biomass of Hypseleotris suppressed the density of daphniid microcrustaceans, but enhanced the total density of rotifers. A high biomass of Gambusia, on the other hand, suppressed the total density of both microcrustaceans and rotifers.

4. A high biomass of planktivorous fish also reduced the density of many of the ovigerous (egg‐carrying) zooplanktonic taxa. Indeed, ovigerous cyclopoid copepods were suppressed in the presence of a high biomass of Hypseleotris, even though there was no significant effect on overall (ovigerous plus non‐ovigerous) density.

5. Our results imply that a high biomass of planktivorous fish can potentially influence zooplankton communities in riverine slackwaters, as in many lakes and ponds.
Integrating plant–soil interactions into global carbon cycle models
Authors: Ostle Nicholas J. , Smith Pete , Fisher Rosie , Ian Woodward F. , Fisher Joshua B. , Smith Jo U. , Galbraith David , Levy Peter , Meir Patrick , McNamara Niall P. , Bardgett Richard D.
Published: August 2009

1. Plant–soil interactions play a central role in the biogeochemical carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and hydrological cycles. In the context of global environmental change, they are important both in modulating the impact of climate change and in regulating the feedback of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2, CH4 and N2O) to the climate system.

2. Dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) represent the most advanced tools available to predict the impacts of global change on terrestrial ecosystem functions and to examine their feedbacks to climate change. The accurate representation of plant–soil interactions in these models is crucial to improving predictions of the effects of climate change on a global scale.

3. In this paper, we describe the general structure of DGVMs that use plant functional types (PFTs) classifications as a means to integrate plant–soil interactions and illustrate how models have been developed to improve the simulation of: (a) soil carbon dynamics, (b) nitrogen cycling, (c) drought impacts and (d) vegetation dynamics. For each of these, we discuss some recent advances and identify knowledge gaps.

4. We identify three ongoing challenges, requiring collaboration between the global modelling community and process ecologists. First, the need for a critical evaluation of the representation of plant–soil processes in global models; second, the need to supply and integrate knowledge into global models; third, the testing of global model simulations against large‐scale multifactor experiments and data from observatory gradients.

5. Synthesis. This paper reviews how plant–soil interactions are represented in DGVMs that use PFTs and illustrates some model developments. We also identify areas of ecological understanding and experimentation needed to reduce uncertainty in future carbon coupled climate change predictions.
Estimation of variance components of local stereological volume estimators: a pilot study
Authors: PAWLAS Z. , NYENGAARD J.R.
Published: August 2009

Local stereological techniques can be used for particle volume estimation based on information collected on a section plane through a reference point of the particle. We present methods for variability estimation of the local stereological volume estimators. This variability arises during the stereological estimation procedure and in the particle population. Both of these components can be estimated separately from planar sections. Our aim is to give a preliminary analysis of the possibility to include the particle structure interaction into the estimation procedure. For this reason, not only the section profiles, but also their locations, have to be recorded. The methods are applied for the sectional data obtained from neurons in the hippocampal brain region subiculum of four 3‐month‐old male Wistar rats. The proposed procedure enables one to obtain information about particle volume distribution.
The impact of sleep duration and subject intelligence on declarative and motor memory performance: how much is enough?
Authors: TUCKER MATTHEW A. , FISHBEIN WILLIAM
Published: August 2009

Recent findings clearly demonstrate that daytime naps impart substantial memory benefits compared with equivalent periods of wakefulness. Using a declarative paired associates task and a procedural motor sequence task, this study examined the effect of two lengthier durations of nocturnal sleep [either a half night (3.5 h) or a full night (7.5 h) of sleep] on over‐sleep changes in memory performance. We also assessed whether subject intelligence is associated with heightened task acquisition and, more importantly, whether greater intelligence translates to greater over‐sleep declarative and procedural memory enhancement. Across both tasks, we demonstrate that postsleep performance gains are nearly equivalent, regardless of whether subjects obtain a half night or a full night of sleep. Remarkably, the over‐sleep memory changes observed on both tasks are very similar to findings from studies examining performance following a daytime nap. Consistent with previous research, we also observed a strong positive correlation between amount of Stage 2 sleep and motor skill performance in the full‐night sleep group. This finding contrasts with a highly significant correlation between spectral power in the spindle frequency band (12–15 Hz) and motor skill enhancement only in the half‐night group, suggesting that sigma power and amount of Stage 2 sleep are both important for optimal motor memory processing. While subject intelligence correlated positively with acquisition and retest performance on both tasks, it did not correlate with over‐sleep changes in performance on either task, suggesting that intelligence may not be a powerful modulator of sleep’s effect on memory performance.
Attachment of Streptomyces coelicolor is mediated by amyloidal fimbriae that are anchored to the cell surface via cellulose
Authors: De Jong Wouter , Wösten Han A. B. , Dijkhuizen Lubbert , Claessen Dennis
Published: August 2009

The chaplin proteins ChpA‐H enable the filamentous bacterium Streptomyces coelicolor to form reproductive aerial structures by assembling into surface‐active amyloid‐like fibrils. We here demonstrate that chaplins also mediate attachment of S. coelicolor to surfaces. Attachment coincides with the formation of fimbriae, which are connected to the cell surface via spike‐shaped protrusions. Mass spectrometry, electron microscopy and Congo red treatment showed that these fimbriae are composed of bundled amyloid fibrils of chaplins. Attachment and fimbriae formation were abolished in a strain in which the chaplin genes chpA–H were inactivated. Instead, very thin fibrils emerged from the spike‐shaped protrusions in this mutant. These fibrils were susceptible to cellulase treatment. This enzymatic treatment also released wild‐type fimbriae from the cell surface, thereby abolishing attachment. The reduced attachment of a strain in which the gene of a predicted cellulose synthase was inactivated also indicates a role of cellulose in surface attachment. We propose that the mechanism of attachment via cellulose‐anchored amyloidal fimbriae is widespread in bacteria and may function in initiation of infection and in formation of biofilms.
The burden of COPD in Africa: a literature review and prospective survey of the availability of spirometry for COPD diagnosis in Africa
Authors: Mehrotra Anushka , Oluwole Akanbi Maxwell , Gordon Stephen B.
Published: August 2009

Objectives  To ascertain the known burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Africa and of spirometry use to indicate the possibility of further unpublished data becoming shortly available.

Method  Literature review.

Results  Screening of 132 articles yielded 22 relevant articles, of which only six used spirometry based data. A total of 106 physicians in 34 countries were contacted and only 23 reported satisfactory use and availability of spirometry.

Conclusions  Current estimates of COPD burden in Africa are based on an unreliably small dataset. Acquisition of further data will require substantial investment in lung function equipment and training.
ParentalSCN1Amutation mosaicism in familial Dravet syndrome
Authors: Selmer KK , Eriksson A‐S , Brandal K , Egeland T , Tallaksen C , Undlien DE
Published: August 2009

DifferentSCN1Amutations are known to cause a variety of phenotypes, such as generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+), Dravet syndrome and familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM). In Dravet syndrome, most mutations arede novoand familial cases are rare. In this study, Dravet syndrome is observed in two maternal half sisters. They have healthy fathers and their common mother has never experienced seizures, but has a lifelong history of migraine. Direct sequencing of DNA extracted from blood revealed a heterozygousSCN1Anonsense mutation c.3985C>T in the sisters, but not in the mother. The mutation induces a premature stop codon and probably leads to a non‐functional protein. Further examination of the mother's DNA showed that she has a mosaicism of the mutation. This report of parentalSCN1Anonsense mutation mosaicism in familial Dravet syndrome suggests that mosaicism might be more common than previously suspected and emphasizes the importance of taking mosaicism into account in genetic counselling of Dravet syndrome andSCN1Amutations. Furthermore, whether the migraine of the mother could be influenced by herSCN1Amutation mosaicism is not known, but increased awareness of migraine in future studies ofSCN1Arelated epilepsies could clarify this intriguing link between migraine and epilepsy.
Quality of life in simultaneous pancreas–kidney transplant recipients
Authors: Pera Pilar Isla , Vasallo Joaquin Moncho , Rabasa Alberto Torras , Salinas Federico Oppenheimer , Pérez Laureano Fernández Cruz , Brulles María José Ricart
Published: August 2009

Abstract: Background: Simultaneous pancreas‐kidney transplantation (SPK Tx) allows dialysis and insulin therapy to be discontinued and improves the complications of diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM1). This study measure quality of life (QoL) in SPK transplant recipients and determine if there are differences in QoL between these patients and those with DM1 in renal replacement therapy (RRT).

Methods: Short Form Health Survey 36‐Item (SF‐36) was administered to 69 SPK transplant recipients and 34 patients with DM1 under RRT. A descriptive analysis, multiple linear regression, ANOVA, and ordinal regression (PLUM) models were constructed.

Results: QoL was higher in SPK transplant recipients than in patients receiving RRT. The best results were in the recently transplanted patients. Respect to Spanish population the men with SPK transplants scored higher on vitality and lower on general health, role limitations‐physical and role limitations‐emotional. Women with SPK transplants scored lower on general health. Among patients under RRT, men scored lower on the general health, physical functioning, vitality, and bodily pain while women scored lower on all dimensions. In both groups, greater age was associated with better mental health.

Conclusion: Positive predictive factors of QoL are SPK Tx and age while negative predictive factors are female sex and RRT.
HLA‐B8, DR3: a new risk factor for graft failure after renal transplantation in patients with underlying immunoglobulin A nephropathy
Authors: Andresdottir Margret B. , Haasnoot Geert W. , Persijn Guido G. , Claas Frans H.J.
Published: August 2009

Abstract: Background: The HLA‐B8, DR3 haplotype has been associated with high immune reactivity. In this study, we have tested whether this haplotype has differential effect on graft survival in patients with IgAN compared with control patients.

Methods: From the Eurotransplant Registry we analyzed graft survival of 1207 recipients with IgAN and 7935 control patients with non‐glomerular diseases. Death‐censored graft loss according to the HLA‐B8, DR3 haplotype was calculated with Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox‐regression model was used to correct for various risk factors.

Results: The frequency of the HLA‐B8, DR3 haplotype was significantly lower in IgAN patients compared with controls (10.3% vs. 15.4%, p < 0.001). Ten‐year graft survival was identical in the control group with and without the HLA‐B8, DR3 haplotype (71.1% and 70.2%, respectively), but significantly worse in IgAN patients carrying the HLA‐B8, DR3 haplotype compared with patients without it (52.5% vs. 69.1%, respectively, p = 0.009). The risk of graft loss was increased by 66% (HR 1.6, 95% CI 1.14, 2.29) in IgAN with the HLA‐B8, DR3 haplotype and independent of well‐known risk factors.

Conclusions: We have identified a new risk factor for graft loss unique to patients with IgAN. This finding emphasizes the exclusive immune characteristics of IgAN patients after transplantation.
Neighbor–Stranger Discrimination in Concave‐Eared Torrent Frogs, Odorrana tormota
Authors: Feng Albert S. , Arch Victoria S. , Yu Zulin , Yu Xin‐Jian , Xu Zhi‐Min , Shen Jun‐Xian
Published: August 2009

The dear enemy phenomenon in which animals discriminate familiar neighbors from unknown strangers, and respond more aggressively to strangers is well established in various social animals, especially in songbirds and mammals. So far, very few studies of neighbor–stranger discrimination have been carried out in amphibians and the results have been mixed. Thus, it is unclear whether this phenomenon exists commonly in frogs and toads, and whether it is exhibited by species with large vocal repertoires. We conducted acoustic playback experiments with male concave‐eared torrent frogs (Odorrana tormota, a species with an unusually large vocal repertoire) kept in a tank in a quiet room to investigate whether or not they can discriminate strangers from neighbors acoustically. Nine of the 14 males tested showed evoked vocal responses to the calls from strangers, but none to calls from neighbors; vocal response to the calls from strangers was accompanied by aggressive motor activity. These results demonstrate that male O. tormota possess the ability to discriminate neighbors from strangers acoustically. Odorrana tormota therefore joins three ranid species (Rana catesbiana, Rana clamitans, Rana dalmatina, all known to have a comparatively small and stereotyped vocal repertoires) as the only anurans demonstrated to have this ability. Given the difference in signaling complexity between these frog species, the salient acoustic features used for discriminating neighbors and strangers are likely to be quite distinct.
Observational Learning in the White‐Eared Hummingbird (Hylocharis leucotis): Experimental Evidence
Authors: Lara Carlos , González Juan M. , Hudson Robyn
Published: August 2009

The adoption of new food resources can be facilitated by the ability to learn through observation of other individuals who use them. This behavior, termed observational learning, applies to any problem solving in which a naive individual who has observed an experienced individual learns a behavior faster than another who has not. Hummingbirds consume nectar from flowers of a large number of plant species, which are very diverse in morphology and color. During their local or migratory movements, they can observe the use of floral resources by conspecifics and heterospecifics which may change their foraging preferences. Although there is evidence that hummingbirds can use observational learning to exploit new floral resources, it is necessary to generate additional information by studying different hummingbird species. In this work, the learning performance of White‐eared hummingbirds (Hylocharis leucotis) was studied in the presence or absence of a knowledgeable tutor. In a first experiment, naïve hummingbirds learned to feed on arrays of artificial flower of two colors: red (previously known resource) and yellow (novel resource), where only one color had nectar. Naive hummingbirds visited red flowers faster and more often than rewarded yellow flowers. Individuals with the best performance on each color were further trained to ensure that they only visited flowers of a specific color, and were then used as tutors in the next experiment, in which new naive hummingbirds, caged individually, were allowed to observe them foraging on the artificial arrays. These naïve individual were then exposed alone to the same array used by their tutor. Tutored hummingbirds learned to feed faster and more frequently from nectar‐containing flowers of the array than naive individuals. Likewise, all tutored individuals only visited flowers of the color that had been previously visited by their tutors. This study provides experimental evidence that hummingbirds taken directly from the field can use observational learning as an efficient strategy to access new floral resources.
Response Specificity to Advertisement Vocalization in the Chinese Alligator (Alligator sinensis)
Authors: Wang Xianyan , Wang Ding , Wu Xiaobing , Wang Chaolin , Wang Renping , Xia Tongsheng
Published: August 2009

Stringency in the identification of conspecific call properties is essential among sympatric species to ensure conspecific mating, as the risk of improper recognition and heterospecific mating is high. In this study we investigated the basic signal structure required for intraspecies communication in the Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis), a species that has no relatives living in sympatry, by playback of signals modified in the temporal (truncating original bellows with first 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 or last 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 portion) or frequency domain (with low‐ or high‐pass filters at frequencies 100, 250, 500 and 1000 Hz), or by reversal of natural bellows. The playback experiments revealed that relatively large modifications in bellow temporal or frequency structure failed to impair Chinese alligators’ bellowing behavior; even reversed bellows effectively evoked a positive response. In general, the first half of the bellow in temporal domain and frequencies below 500 Hz were critical for behavioral induction, while the last half of the bellow in temporal domain and frequencies above 500 Hz failed to produce a single positive response, implying a potential functional signal redundancy. The observed high tolerance to bellow variations in Chinese alligators may be an evolutionary adaptation to (1) the acoustic constraints of propagation imposed by dense vegetative habitats; or (2) a lack of selection pressure due to the low risk of incorrect conspecific recognition and heterospecific mating.
Song Perch Height in Rufous‐and‐White Wrens: Does Behaviour Enhance Effective Communication in a Tropical Forest?
Authors: Barker Nicole K. S. , Mennill Daniel J.
Published: August 2009

Animal signals are distorted as they transmit through the environment, but many species have evolved strategies to minimize distortion of vocal signals. Song structure can change over evolutionary time, or signallers can modify their behaviour, to reduce attenuation and degradation in a specific habitat. We investigated signalling behaviour in rufous‐and‐white wrens, Thyothorus rufalbus, a Neotropical songbird in which both sexes sing, with a specific focus on perch height. Based on previous findings, including a detailed sound transmission study, we predicted that rufous‐and‐white wrens would choose elevated song perches in order to maximize the distance their songs travel, and that males and females would show different perch height choices. We observed 30 birds in 18 territories in a tropical forest in Costa Rica to determine the perch heights of birds when singing, producing non‐song vocalizations, collecting nesting material, foraging, and engaging in other behaviours. We found that both activity and sex influenced perch height. Birds sang from a variety of heights, but the highest perches were used as song posts by males. Males minimized singing from within 1 m of the ground, and they generally perched higher than females, which may reflect sex differences in communication strategies. Both sexes foraged on or near the ground. The finding that rufous‐and‐white wrens vary their perch height with specific activities suggests that they modify their singing behaviour to enhance long‐distance communication.
Experience Plays a Role in Female Preference for Symmetry in the Swordtail Fish Xiphophorus malinche
Authors: Tudor M. Scarlett , Morris Molly R.
Published: August 2009

Variation in female mating preferences was previously detected in wild‐caught Xiphophorus cortezi and Xiphophorus malinche females: smaller (presumed younger) females preferred symmetrical males, while larger (presumed older) females preferred asymmetrical males. We examined the influence of experience on this variation in female preference by determining if X. malinche females would express a preference for symmetry as virgins, shift their preferences for bar symmetry as they got larger (older) and if experience with males of different bar number symmetry could explain the variation in female preference previously detected. Virgin females exhibited no preference for vertical bar number symmetry when tested in the young‐ or old‐age classes. However, young virgins spent more time with the opposite treatment in the second when compared with first test, indicating an ability to detect the difference between symmetry and asymmetry, and potentially a preference to mate with multiple males. When females were reared in one of three treatments, housed with symmetrical, barless or both symmetrical and asymmetrical males, we detected both a treatment and tank effect on strength of preference for symmetry, suggesting that barring pattern and some other aspect of the social environment influenced the development of this mating preference. Finally, we detected no effect of age class on mean strength of preference for symmetry; however, there was a statistically different relationship between female size and strength of preference for symmetry across the two age classes, suggesting that the preference function for symmetry may not be linear in relation to female size.
Naked Mole‐Rat is Sensitive to Social Hierarchy Encoded in Antiphonal Vocalization
Authors: Yosida Shigeto , Okanoya Kazuo
Published: August 2009

The maintenance of social relationships is critical for group‐dwelling species. Social animals often exhibit behaviors such as antiphonal vocalizations that reduce conflict and maintain affiliations. Naked mole‐rats (Heterocephalus glaber) have a complex hierarchical society comparable to that of bees and ants. They are also known for their extensive vocal repertoire, which may have evolved in the absence of visual cues. The most frequent vocalization used by naked mole‐rats is the soft chirp (SC). It has an antiphonal nature and may function in rank identification and in maintaining affiliations. Relative body weight differences, which are directly related to social rank, are positively correlated with SC emission rates. SCs are elicited from either physical touch or the SC of another conspecific, and other cues might contribute to SC utterance. In the current study, we examined whether an SC alone was able to elicit SC responses. Specifically, we presented artificial SC‐like sounds and determined whether the response rate was modulated by the acoustic properties of the stimulus. An analysis of response latency revealed that animals responded to the audio stimuli, and a single audio stimulus could elicit responses from two animals. Thus, antiphony in naked mole‐rats may occur among three or more animals. We also found that animals were able to discriminate the acoustic properties of the stimulus and responded more frequently to audio stimuli resembling SCs from large animals than to those resembling SCs from small animals. Therefore, naked mole‐rats may be able to judge social relationships (dominant or subordinate) based solely on SCs. The constraints of subterranean habitats and increased social complexity may have led to the evolution of this communication system.
Proteomic analysis of the rice seed for quality improvement
Authors: Kim Y. J. , Choi S. H. , Park B. S. , Song J. T. , Kim M. C. , Koh H. J. , Seo H. S.
Published: August 2009

The amount, composition and distribution of seed storage proteins in rice are important factors for flavour and quality. We have analysed the seed proteomes of a relatively high‐quality cultivar, ‘Gopum’ and a relatively low‐quality cultivar, ‘Dobong’. By two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis and subsequent MALDI‐TOF/MS, we identified ‘Gopum’‐ and ‘Dobong’‐specific seed proteins at 15 or 50 days after flowering. Of 53 identified proteins, we chose 15 that may have important roles in quality determination or maintenance through regulation of protein stability or disease resistance during grain filling and storage. By real‐time (RT)‐PCR, the expression of a few proteins tightly correlated with transcript levels at specific stages, while that of others did not. Our results suggest that levels of the identified proteins are determined post‐transcriptionally or post‐translationally, and that proteins which were expressed in the seeds of either ‘Gopum’ or ‘Dobong’ may affect rice flavour and quality.
Practice‐based depression screening for psychiatry outpatients: Feasibility comparison of two‐types of Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scales
Authors: Nishiyama Takeshi , Ozaki Norio , Iwata Nakao
Published: August 2009

Aims:  The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES‐D) has been validated to avoid misdiagnoses of major depression in routine psychiatric outpatient settings, but it was reported to be only marginally feasible in these specific settings. A briefer and simpler version, known as the 10‐item CES‐D, meant to attain adequate feasibility, has been validated in geriatric outpatient settings, but it has not yet been examined in psychiatry outpatient settings. The purpose of the present study was therefore to compare the feasibility, reliability, and validity of the two types of CES‐D.

Methods:  A cross‐sectional analysis was conducted of 86 consecutive outpatients in a psychiatric department in a general hospital.

Results:  The 10‐item CES‐D has a higher feasibility than the 20‐item CES‐D, and its internal consistency, reliability, and validity are almost identical to those of the 20‐item CES‐D.

Conclusions:  The 10‐item CES‐D is the better instrument to use because of the higher feasibility than the 20‐item CES‐D in psychiatric outpatient settings. The different answer format used in each questionnaire (a yes or no format in the former vs a multiple‐choice format in the latter) may influence the feasibility, rather than the number of items.
Total antioxidant capacity and total oxidant status in patients with major depression: Impact of antidepressant treatment
Authors: Cumurcu Birgul Elbozan , Ozyurt Huseyin , Etikan Ilker , Demir Suleyman , Karlidag Rifat
Published: August 2009

Aim: The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidant status (TOS) are associated with major depressive disorder (MDD) and to evaluate the impact of antidepressant treatment on TAC and TOS in MDD.

Methods: Fifty‐seven MDD patients and 40 healthy controls participated in the study. Serum TAC and TOS were measured both in patients and controls using Erel's methods. Patients were treated with antidepressant drugs for 12 weeks. The treatment course was evaluated using the Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) in all patients.

Results: TOS and oxidative stress index (OSI) were higher (P = 0.0001 for both) and TAC was lower (P = 0.0001) in the MDD group compared with those of the controls. After 3 months of antidepressant treatment, TOS and OSI were decreased and TAC was increased compared with the pretreatment values (P = 0.0001, for all). Furthermore, there were significant positive correlations between the severity of the disease and serum TOS and OSI (r = 0.584,P = 0.0001; r = 0.636,P = 0.0001, respectively). A negative correlation was found between the severity of the disease and serum TAC (r = −0.553,P = 0.0001) at the pre‐treatment stage.

Conclusion: Treatment administered for 3 months to MDD patients increases TAC while decreasing TOS and OSI.
Distribution, stand characteristics and habitat of a critically endangered plant Euryodendron excelsum H. T. Chang (Theaceae): implications for conservation
Authors: SHEN SHI‐KANG , WANG YUE‐HUA , WANG BO‐YI , MA HAI‐YING , SHEN GUO‐ZHU , HAN ZHEN‐WEI
Published: August 2009

In the present study, the distribution, population size and structure, habitat and stand disturbance of a critically endangered plant Euryodendron excelsum H. T. Chang were examined using field investigations. A total of 179 individual plants, including 23 adult trees, were found. The population was distributed in 10 highly isolated and fragmented patches. Half of the 10 patches had less than 10 individual plants and two patches had only one remnant adult; there were no adult plants in two of the patches. Although the overall population structure trends to a reversed ‘J’ shape, two fragile stages of E. excelsum limit its natural recruitment and regeneration: seed germination and seedling growth toward adulthood. The major threats for the survival of this species are its specific small population size and the high frequency of anthropogenic destruction. Based on the results, some strategies were put forward for the conservation of E. excelsum populations.
Prognostic factors for cases with metastatic renal cell carcinoma in the era of targeted medicine
Authors: Neuzillet Yann , Culine Stéphane , Patard Jean‐Jacques
Published: August 2009

Prognostic factors in the setting of treated metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) can theoretically predict drug response, progression‐free survival or overall survival. These factors are potentially useful for informing patients and for tailoring medical treatment according to risk assessment. Prognostic factors were well defined in the era of immunotherapy. Since 2006, tyrosine kinase inhibitors and anti‐angiogenic drugs have revolutionized the treatment of mRCC by improving progression‐free survival and overall survival. Physicians now need new predictive tools adapted to targeted therapies. The aim of our study was to review the current knowledge about prognostic factors in mRCC by focusing on anatomical, clinical, biological, histological, radiological and molecular parameters. The most recent integrated prognostic models will be reviewed as well.