bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perforation predicts poor prognosis in patients with primary intestinal diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma
Authors: Chuang S‐S , Ye H , Yang S‐F , Huang W‐T , Chen H‐K , Hsieh P‐P , Hwang W‐S , Chang K‐Y , Lu C‐L , Du M‐Q
Published: September 2008

Aims:  To elucidate the clinicopathological features and prognostic factors of primary intestinal diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (PI‐DLBL).

Methods and results:  Archival tissues from 30 tumours were used for tissue microarray construction, immunohistochemistry and interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization for chromosomal translocation. The M:F ratio was 1.7:1, with a median age of 60 years. The ileum and ileocaecum were most frequently involved (40% each). Fourteen (47%) were at stage IE disease, 15 (50%) at stage IIE. Five (17%) tumours were perforated at presentation. The tumours expressed Bcl‐6 (73%), MUM1 (70%), Bcl‐2 (67%) and CD10 (23%). Nine (30%) were classified as germinal centre B‐cell (GCB) phenotype and 21 non‐GCB. Eight of 30 (27%), 7/30 (23%) and 2/29 (7%) cases were positive for rearrangements involving IGH, BCL6, and C‐MYC loci, respectively, whereas all cases were negative for BCL2 and CCND1 translocation. Perforation was a poor prognostic indicator, with a hazard ratio of tumour‐related death at 8.75 (P = 0.001). The differentiation antigens, GCB versus non‐GCB phenotype, or lymphoma‐associated translocations were of no prognostic significance.

Conclusions:  We found a higher rate of perforation and lower frequency of GCB phenotype in PI‐DLBL in Taiwan compared with other geographical areas; perforation is a poor prognostic indicator.
Influence of organizational characteristics and caring attributes of managers on nurses’ job enjoyment
Authors: Wade Gail H. , Osgood Bonnie , Avino Karen , Bucher Gale , Bucher Linda , Foraker Theresa , French Denise , Sirkowski Carol
Published: September 2008

Title.  Influence of organizational characteristics and caring attributes of managers on nurses' job enjoyment

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to investigate the effect of organizational characteristics and perceived caring attributes of managers on nurses’ job enjoyment.

Background.  Job satisfaction was the outcome of several studies about organizational or professional practice environments. Study variables predicted 30–60% of the variance in job satisfaction. Job enjoyment, the affective dimension of job satisfaction and manager caring were not variables in previous studies.

Methods.  We recruited a convenience sample of Registered Nurses (n = 731) employed by a large healthcare system in the mid‐Atlantic region of the United States of America. Participants were primarily staff nurses, female, white, full‐time employees and 41 years of age or older. Most had a baccalaureate degree in nursing and 4·5% had an advanced practice license. Participants were surveyed in 2005 using Lake’s Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index, Nyberg’s Caring Assessment Scale, the Job Enjoyment Subscale of the Atwood and Hinshaw Job Satisfaction Scale and a demographic data form. Descriptive statistics were used to explore the study variables. Data were analysed using multiple regression.

Results.  Nursing foundations for quality of care, nurse manager ability, leadership and support of nurses, staffing and resource adequacy and collegial nurse–physician relations explained 30·6% of the variance in job enjoyment. Age, area of practice and job type explained an additional 5·4%.

Conclusion.  Quantitative measures did not identify a majority of the variables associated with job enjoyment. Research using a qualitative and quantitative methodology with different practice samples may reveal other variables that influence job enjoyment.
Resource selection by sympatric wild equids in the Mongolian Gobi
Authors: Kaczensky P. , Ganbaatar O. , Von Wehrden H. , Walzer C.
Published: September 2008

Historically, the overlap zones of wild equids were small in Africa but extensive for Przewalski's horses Equus ferus przewalskii and Asiatic wild asses Equus hemionus in Asia. Currently, the Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area in south‐western Mongolia is the only place where sympatric, free‐ranging populations of these equids occur. This provides a unique opportunity to test the hypothesis that Przewalski's horses are primarily adapted to mesic steppes and Asiatic wild asses to arid desert steppes and semi‐deserts. Understanding the spatial needs and habitat requirements of these little‐studied species is a pre‐requisite for setting aside and managing protected areas and planning future re‐introductions.

From 2001 to 2005, we followed nine Przewalski's horses and seven Asiatic wild asses using satellite telemetry and direct observations to assess differences in their resource selection strategies and social organization.

Przewalski's horses had non‐exclusive home ranges of 152–826 km2, selected for the most productive plant communities and formed stable harems groups.

Asiatic wild asses had non‐exclusive home ranges of 4449–6835 km2, showed little preferences for any plant community and seemed to live in fission–fusion groups.

Synthesis and applications. Our results provide evidence for different resource selection strategies in two sympatric equid species. Our findings indicate that the Gobi areas provide an edge, rather than an optimal habitat for Przewalski's horses. Consequently, only small and isolated pockets of suitable habitat remain for future re‐introductions. Asiatic wild asses, on the other hand, need access to large tracts of land to cope with the unpredictable resource distribution of the Gobi. Managers should be aware that protecting habitat where Asiatic wild asses occur does not necessarily benefit Przewalski's horse restoration, whereas setting aside habitat for the conservation of Przewalski's horses will only locally benefit Asiatic wild asses.
Synergistic, antagonistic and additive effects of multiple stressors: predation threat, parasitism and pesticide exposure in Daphnia magna
Authors: Coors Anja , De Meester Luc
Published: September 2008

Predation and parasitism are important factors in the ecology and evolution of natural populations and may, along with other environmental factors, interact with the impact of anthropogenic pollutants.

Our study aimed at identifying potential interactions between three stressors (predation threat, parasitism and pesticide exposure) and at exploring the predictability of their joint effects by using the model of independent action. We assessed in a full‐factorial design the impacts of these stressors on key life‐history traits and population growth rate of the water flea Daphnia magna.

When applied as single stressors, predation threat and parasite challenge induced varying stressor‐specific adaptive responses. The pesticide carbaryl was applied at a generally sublethal concentration, which caused low mortality only in first‐brood offspring.

Pesticide exposure interacted synergistically with parasite challenge regarding survival, which suggests immunomodulatory activity of the pesticide. Predation threat by phantom midge larvae showed antagonistic interactions for amount of first‐brood offspring with both parasite challenge and carbaryl exposure. All stressors additively affected age and size at maturity, which added up to a considerable delay in the onset of reproduction in the three‐stressor combination. The intrinsic rate of natural increase, r, reflected the non‐additive and additive effects on single endpoints and showed significant synergistic interactions for all two‐stressor combinations. The combination of all stressors resulted in a dramatic reduction of r compared to the stressor‐free control.

The model of independent action proved useful in quantitatively predicting effects of additively acting stressors, and in visualizing the occurrence and magnitude of non‐additive effects in accordance with results of analysis of variances.

Synthesis and applications. Cumulative additive effects and non‐additive interactions of natural antagonists and pollutants are shown to result in considerable impacts on ecologically relevant parameters. As a starting point for an environmentally more realistic risk assessment of chemicals, it may be a valuable strategy to screen for non‐additive effects among many stress factors simultaneously in simplified experimental designs by using the model of independent action.
Assessing sleepiness in the rat: a multiple sleep latencies test compared to polysomnographic measures of sleepiness
Authors: MCKENNA JAMES T. , CORDEIRA JOSHUA W. , CHRISTIE MICHAEL A. , TARTAR JAIME L. , MCCOY JOHN G. , LEE EUNHO , MCCARLEY ROBERT W. , STRECKER ROBERT E.
Published: September 2008

Sleepiness following 6 h of sleep deprivation (SD) was evaluated with a rat multiple sleep latencies test (rMSLT), and the findings were compared to conventional polysomnographic measures of sleepiness. The 6 h of SD was produced by automated activity wheels, and was terminated at either the end of the light period or at the beginning of the dark period. The rMSLT consisted of 5 min wakefulness induced by sensory stimulation followed by 25 min of freedom to sleep. This procedure was repeated every 30 min for 3 h and was designed to minimize the amount of sleep lost due to the testing procedure. In separate rats, 6 h SD was followed by undisturbed recovery, allowing evaluation of conventional polysomnographic measures of sleepiness. Sleep onset latencies were reduced following SD, with recovery in the light (baseline = 8 min, 3 s versus post‐SD = 1 min, 17 s) and dark period (baseline = 14 min, 17 s versus 7 min, 7 s). Sleep onset latencies were not altered by varying the duration criterion for the first sleep bout (i.e., sleep bout length criteria of 10, 20, 30, or 60 s were compared). Polysomnographic variables (non‐rapid eye movement sleep episode duration, delta power, and number of awakenings) also provided reliable indirect measures of sleepiness, regardless of whether the recovery sleep occurred in the light or dark period. Evaluation of effect size indicated that the rMSLT was a strong measure of sleepiness, and was influenced by homeostatic, circadian, and illumination factors. The rMSLT provided a simple, objective, robust and direct measure of sleepiness that was as effective as conventional polysomnographic measures of sleepiness.
Mitochondrial DNA reveals a strong phylogeographic structure in the badger across Eurasia
Authors: MARMI J. , LÓPEZ‐GIRÁLDEZ F. , MACDONALD D. W. , CALAFELL F. , ZHOLNEROVSKAYA E. , DOMINGO‐ROURA X.
Published: September 2008

The badger,Meles meles, is a widely distributed mustelid in Eurasia and shows large geographic variability in morphological characters whose evolutionary significance is unclear and needs to be contrasted with molecular data. We sequenced 512 bp of the mitochondrial DNA control region in 115 Eurasian badgers from 21 countries in order to test for the existence of structuring in their phylogeography, to describe the genetic relationships among their populations across its widespread geographic range, and to infer demographic and biogeographic processes. We found that the Eurasian badger is divided into four groups regarding their mitochondrial DNA: Europe, Southwest Asia, North and East Asia, and Japan. This result suggests that the separation of badgers into phylogeographic groups was influenced by cold Pleistocene glacial stages and permafrost boundaries in Eurasia, and by geographic barriers, such as mountains and deserts. Genetic variation within phylogeographic groups based on distances assuming the Tamura–Nei model with rate heterogeneity and invariable sites (dT‐Nrange: 3.3–4.2) was much lower than among them (dT‐Nrange: 10.7–38.0), and 80% of the variation could be attributed to differences among regions. Spatial analysis of molecular variance (samova), median‐joining network, and Mantel test did not detect genetic structuring within any of the phylogeographic groups with the exception of Europe, where 50% of variation was explained by differences among groups of populations. Our data suggest that the European, Southwest Asian, and North and East Asian badgers evolved separately since the end of Pliocene, at the beginnings of glacial ages, whereas Japanese badgers separated from continental Asian badgers during the middle Pleistocene. Endangered badgers from Crete Island, classified asMeles meles arcalussubspecies, were closely related to badgers from Southwest Asia. We also detected sudden demographic growth in European and Southwest Asian badgers that occurred during the Middle Pleistocene.
Phylogeography and systematics of zebra mussels and related species
Authors: GELEMBIUK GREGORY W. , MAY GEMMA E. , LEE CAROL EUNMI
Published: September 2008

The genus Dreissena includes two widespread and aggressive aquatic invaders, the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, and the quagga mussel, Dreissena bugensis. This genus evolved in the Ponto‐Caspian Sea basin, characterized by dynamic instability over multiple timescales and a unique evolutionary environment that may predispose to invasiveness. The objectives of this study were to gain insights into the demographic history of Dreissena species in their endemic range, to reconstruct intraspecific phylogeographic relationships among populations, and to clarify systematics of the genus, using DNA sequences from the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene. We found four deeply diverged clades within this genus, with a basal split that approximately coincided with the Cretaceous–Tertiary boundary. Divergence events within the four base clades were much more recent, corresponding to geographically disjunct sets of populations, which might represent species complexes. Across all taxa, populations of Dreissena shared a common pattern of genetic signatures indicating historical population bottlenecks and expansions. Haplotype diversity was relatively low in Ponto‐Caspian drainages relative to more stable tectonic lakes in Greece, Macedonia, and Turkey. The phylogeographic and demographic patterns in the endemic range of Dreissena might have resulted from vicariance events, habitat instability, and the high fecundity and passive dispersal of these organisms.
A comparison of variability and population structure for major histocompatibility complex and microsatellite loci in California coastal steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykissWalbaum)
Authors: AGUILAR ANDRES , GARZA JOHN CARLOS
Published: September 2008

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) contains genes integral to immune response in vertebrates. MHC genes have been shown to be under selection in a number of vertebrate taxa, making them intriguing for population genetic studies. We have conducted a survey of genetic variation in an MHC class II gene for steelhead trout from 24 sites in coastal California and compared this variation to that observed at 16 presumably neutral microsatellite loci. A high amount of allelic variation was observed at the MHC when compared to previously published studies on other Pacific salmonids. Elevated nonsynonymous substitutions, relative to synonymous substitutions, were detected at the MHC gene, indicating the signature of historical balancing selection. The MHC data were tested for correlations to and deviations from the patterns found with the microsatellite data. Estimates of allelic richness for the MHC gene and for the microsatellites were positively correlated, as were estimates of population differentiation (FST). An analysis forFSToutliers indicates that the MHC locus has an elevatedFSTrelative to the neutral expectation, although a significant result was found for only one particular geographical subgroup. Relatively uniform allele frequency distributions were detected in four populations, although this finding may be partially due to recent population bottlenecks. These results indicate that, at the scale studied here, drift and migration play a major role in the observed geographical variability of MHC genes in steelhead, and that contemporary selection is relatively weak and difficult to detect.
Estimating population structure under nonequilibrium conditions in a conservation context: continent‐wide population genetics of the giant Amazon river turtle,Podocnemis expansa(Chelonia; Podocnemididae)
Authors: PEARSE DEVON E. , ARNDT ALLAN D. , VALENZUELA NICOLE , MILLER BECKY A. , CANTARELLI VITOR , SITES JACK W.
Published: September 2008

Giant Amazon river turtles,Podocnemis expansa,are indigenous to the Amazon, Orinoco, and Essequibo River basins, and are distributed across nearly the entire width of the South American continent. Although once common, their large size, high fecundity, and gregarious nesting, madeP. expansaespecially vulnerable to over‐harvesting for eggs and meat. Populations have been severely reduced or extirpated in many areas throughout its range, and the species is now regulated under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Here, we analyse data from mitochondrial DNA sequence and multiple nuclear microsatellite markers with an array of complementary analytical methods. Results show that concordance from multiple data sets and analyses can provide a strong signal of population genetic structure that can be used to guide management. The general lack of phylogeographic structure but large differences in allele and haplotype frequencies among river basins is consistent with fragmented populations and female natal‐river homing. Overall, the DNA data show thatP. expansapopulations lack a long history of genetic differentiation, but that each major tributary currently forms a semi‐isolated reproductive population and should be managed accordingly.
The genetic mosaic suggests a new role for hitchhiking in ecological speciation
Authors: VIA SARA , WEST JOAN
Published: September 2008

Early in ecological speciation, the genomically localized effects of divergent selection cause heterogeneity among loci in divergence between incipient species. We call this pattern of genomic variability in divergence the ‘genetic mosaic of speciation’. Previous studies have usedFSToutliers as a way to identify divergently selected genomic regions, but the nature of the relationship between outlier loci and quantitative trait loci (QTL) involved in reproductive isolation has not yet been quantified. Here, we show thatFSToutliers between a pair of incipient species are significantly clustered around QTL for traits that cause ecologically based reproductive isolation. Around these key QTL, extensive ‘divergence hitchhiking’ occurs because reduced inter‐race mating and negative selection decrease the opportunity for recombination between chromosomes bearing different locally adapted QTL alleles. Divergence hitchhiking is likely to greatly increase the opportunity for speciation in populations that are sympatric, regardless of whether initial divergence was sympatric or allopatric. Early in ecological speciation, analyses of population structure, gene flow or phylogeography based on different random or arbitrarily chosen neutral markers should be expected to conflict — only markers in divergently selected genomic regions will reveal the evolutionary history of adaptive divergence and ecologically based reproductive isolation. Species retain mosaic genomes for a very long time, and gene exchange in hybrid zones can vary dramatically among loci. However, in hybridizing species, the genomic regions that affect ecologically based reproductive isolation are difficult to distinguish from regions that have diverged for other reasons.
Sleep disturbances are linked to both upper and lower gastrointestinal symptoms in the general population
Authors: Cremonini F. , Camilleri M. , Zinsmeister A. R. , Herrick L. M. , Beebe T. , Talley N. J.
Published: September 2008

Abstract  In tertiary referral patients, there is association between altered sleep patterns, functional bowel disorders and altered gut motor function. Body mass index (BMI) is also associated with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms including diarrhoea, and with sleep disturbances. Our hypothesis is that sleep disturbances are associated with GI symptoms, and this is not explained by BMI. A 48‐item‐validated questionnaire was mailed to 6939 community participants in Olmsted County, MN. The survey included GI symptoms, sleep disturbance, daily lifestyle and quality of life (QOL). Independent contributions of sleep disturbance to individual symptoms were assessed using logistic regression adjusting for age, gender, lifestyle and mental health status. The association of an overall sleep score with an overall symptom score was examined and the ability of both scores to predict SF‐12 physical and mental functioning scores assessed in multiple linear regression models. Among 3228 respondents, 874 (27%) reported trouble staying asleep. There was a significant correlation of overall sleep scores with overall GI symptom scores (partial r = 0.28, P < 0.001). Waking up once nightly at least four times a month was significantly associated with pain, nausea, dysphagia, diarrhoea, loose stools, urgency and a feeling of anal blockage. Trouble falling asleep was significantly associated with rectal urgency. Associations were independent of gender, age, lifestyle factors and BMI. Overall, sleep scores and GI symptom scores were both significant independent predictors of impaired QOL. In the community, reporting poor sleep is associated with upper and lower GI symptoms, but this is independent of BMI.
Mesozoic transpression, transtension, subduction and metallogenesis in northern and central California
Authors: Ernst W. G. , Snow Cameron A. , Scherer Hannah H.
Published: September 2008

Middle Paleozoic to Middle Jurassic terrane assemblies in the Klamaths and Sierran Foothills consist of mafic–ultramafic complexes + fine‐grained terrigenous strata derived from previously accreted continental‐margin belts. Sutured oceanic terranes reflectc.230 Myr of margin‐parallel slip involving chiefly transtension and transpression. Quartzofeldspathic clastic rocks and blueschists ± eclogites are very rare. Little devolatilization occurred at magmagenic depths; hence, coeval hydrothermal ore deposits and granitoids are uncommon. In contrast, nearly head‐on Cretaceous subduction of the Farallon plate generated the massive Klamath–Sierra Nevada volcanic–plutonic arc, reflecting dewatering of the eastward descending oceanic lithosphere in the magmagenic zone. Immature Great Valley forearc and Franciscan trench deposits shed from the arc recordc.70 Myr. of rapid crustal growth. Au‐bearing solutions rising from magmagenic depths, exsolved from plutons, and expelled from heated wall rocks were mobilized attending arc construction. Precipitation of gold‐bearing quartz veins occurred where H2O + CO2‐bearing fluids encountered major geochemical discontinuities in the wall rocks.
Effective, homogeneous and transient interference with cytosine methylation in plant genomic DNA by zebularine
Authors: Baubec Tuncay , Pecinka Ales , Rozhon Wilfried , Mittelsten Scheid Ortrun
Published: September 2008

Covalent modification by methylation of cytosine residues represents an important epigenetic hallmark. While sequence analysis after bisulphite conversion allows correlative analyses with single‐base resolution, functional analysis by interference with DNA methylation is less precise, due to the complexity of methylation enzymes and their targets. A cytidine analogue, 5‐azacytidine, is frequently used as an inhibitor of DNA methyltransferases, but its rapid degradation in aqueous solution is problematic for culture periods of longer than a few hours. Application of zebularine, a more stable cytidine analogue with a similar mode of action that is successfully used as a methylation inhibitor in Neurospora and mammalian tumour cell lines, can significantly reduce DNA methylation in plants in a dose‐dependent and transient manner independent of sequence context. Demethylation is connected with transcriptional reactivation and partial decondensation of heterochromatin. Zebularine represents a promising new and versatile tool for investigating the role of DNA methylation in plants with regard to transcriptional control, maintenance and formation of (hetero‐) chromatin.
Sarcoids in two captive tapirs (Tapirus bairdii): clinical, pathological and molecular study
Authors: Kidney Beverly A. , Berrocal Alexis
Published: September 2008

This case report describes for the first time sarcoids in tapirs (Tapirus bairdii), namely, a 2‐year‐old male and a 3.6‐year‐old female born and housed at the same facility. The male presented with a 3‐cm nodular, red, pedunculated, hairless, ulcerated mass on the inner surface of the left pinna. No recurrence or additional growths were present during the 3 years following surgical excision of the mass. The female presented with a similar 2‐cm mass on the inner surface of the right pinna, which recurred 2 months following surgical excision, but was subsequently successfully treated locally with liquid nitrogen with no further recurrence during a 2‐year follow‐up period. Histologically, these two masses closely resembled equine sarcoids. Similarly, an association with bovine papillomavirus 1 was demonstrated using polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization.
Human Disturbance Influences Behaviour and Local Density of Juvenile Frogs
Authors: Garner Trenton W. J. , Nishimura Deise , Antwi Josephine , Oliver Nyakunga
Published: September 2008

Habitat can be rendered less suitable because of numerous factors, including the presence of humans. Human disturbance is implicated as a threat for hundreds of amphibian species, but there is a dearth of peer‐reviewed literature addressing this topic, and what little is available focuses on adults. Here we present the results of a study examining the effects human disturbance may have on the distribution and behaviour of juvenile Eastern African leaf litter frogs of the genus Arthroleptis. Our findings show that human activity affects the local density of juveniles and strongly influences escape behaviour. These results indicate that costs of human disturbance to juvenile frogs may be severe and that human disturbance may play a role in fragmenting local frog populations.
Male Mating Tactics in the Northern Mountain Swordtail Fish (Xiphophorus nezahualcoyotl): Coaxing and Coercing Females to Mate
Authors: Morris Molly R. , Rios‐Cardenas Oscar , Darrah Abby
Published: September 2008

Our understanding of the evolution of alternative male mating tactics would benefit greatly from more comparative studies; however, descriptions of the variation in mating behaviors are often lacking or reported in ways that consider only the role of male–male competition. Here we examine the mating behavior of the swordtail fish Xiphophorus nezahualcoyotl in relation to male size across different competitive contexts and in relation to coaxing vs. coercing females to mate. We also compare these results with reports for four other species of northern swordtails. The mating behaviors displayed by X. nezahualcoyotl males were correlated with male size, and were ranked in order from most coaxing to most coercive (a new behavior ‘headstand’, frontal displays, backing and fast chase) based on the probability that a behavior was followed by an attempted forced copulation. The largest males never used the most coercive behavior in the laboratory setting, even in the context of a larger competitor, and the smallest males never used the most coaxing behavior, even when alone with females. We argue, however, that changing the competitive context may not be the best way to expose the full range of behaviors a male may use if circumventing female mate choice is also driving the evolution of the alternative tactics. Finally, when we compared the mating behaviors of X. nezahualcoyotl males to those of the males of four other species of northern swordtails, they were not most similar to males of the closely related species X. continens. In X. continens, all males are small and have no morphological traits or behaviors that coax females to mate, where as even the smallest X. nezahualcoyotl males had both morphological and behavioral traits that could coax females to mate.
The Role of Circulating Metal Ions During Shell Fights in the Hermit Crab Pagurus bernhardus
Authors: Mowles Sophie L. , Briffa Mark , Cotton Peter A. , Spicer John I.
Published: September 2008

Fighting animals must make a series of decisions, and understanding the proximate causes behind these decisions can give insight into how they are made. For example, fights have been analysed with respect to energetic costs and endocrine changes associated with engaging. However, another mechanism for the control of demanding activity, such as fighting, is the modulation of aerobic capacity by divalent metal ions. Here we examine post‐fight haemolymph concentrations of magnesium (Mg2+) and calcium (Ca2+) ions in the common European hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus. Hermit crabs fight over the ownership of gastropod shells, where they adopt two very different roles during the encounter: attacker and defender. Despite the two roles performing different activities, we found that Mg2+ and Ca2+ affected them similarly, with concentrations of these ions being highest in successful individuals. Haemolymph concentrations of Mg2+ and Ca2+ were also found to increase as a result of fighting, and these elevated levels will, via allosteric interactions, increase the oxygen affinity of the respiratory pigment haemocyanin, enhancing respiratory capacity and therefore fighting ability. Furthermore, the present study revealed that seasonal changes in circulating levels, along with the ability of competitors to respond to them, may ultimately influence an individual’s success in aggressive interactions.
Planning and Assessment of Activity Budget Studies Employing Instantaneous Sampling
Authors: Wilson Ryan R. , Jansen Brian D. , Krausman Paul R.
Published: September 2008

To obtain accurate estimates of activity budget parameters, samples must be unbiased and precise. Many researchers have considered how biased data may affect their ability to draw conclusions and examined ways to decrease bias in sampling efforts, but few have addressed the implications of not considering estimate precision. We propose a method to assess whether the number of instantaneous samples collected is sufficient to obtain precise activity budget parameter estimates. We draw on sampling theory to determine the number of observations per animal required to reach a desired bound on the error of estimation based on a stratified random sample, with individual animals acting as strata. We also discuss the optimal balance between the number of individuals sampled and the number of observations sampled per individual for a variety of sampling conditions. We present an empirical dataset on pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) as an example of the utility of the method. The required numbers of observation to reach precise estimates for pronghorn varied between common and rare behaviors, but precise estimates were achieved with <255 observations per individual for common behaviors. The two most apparent factors affecting the required number of observations for precise estimates were the number of individuals sampled and the complexity of the activity budget. This technique takes into account variation associated with individual activity budgets and population variation in activity budget parameter estimates, and helps to ensure that estimates are precise. The method can also be used for planning future sampling efforts.
The Science of Animal Suffering
Authors: Dawkins Marian Stamp
Published: September 2008

Can suffering in non‐human animals be studied scientifically? Apart from verbal reports of subjective feelings, which are uniquely human, I argue that it is possible to study the negative emotions we refer to as suffering by the same methods we use in ourselves. In particular, by asking animals what they find positively and negatively reinforcing (what they want and do not want), we can define positive and negative emotional states. Such emotional states may or may not be accompanied by subjective feelings but fortunately it is not necessary to solve the problem of consciousness to construct a scientific study of suffering and welfare. Improvements in animal welfare can be based on the answers to two questions: Q1: Will it improve animal health? and Q2: Will it give the animals something they want? This apparently simple formulation has the advantage of capturing what most people mean by ‘improving welfare’ and so halting a potentially dangerous split between scientific and non‐scientific definitions of welfare. It can also be used to validate other controversial approaches to welfare such as naturalness, stereotypies, physiological and biochemical measures. Health and what animals want are thus not just two of many measures of welfare. They provide the definition of welfare against which others can be validated. They also tell us what research we have to do and how we can judge whether welfare of animals has been genuinely improved. What is important, however, is for this research to be done in situ so that it is directly applicable to the real world of farming, the sea or an animal’s wild habitat. It is here that ethology can make major contributions.
Botryosphaeriaceae associated with Eucalyptus canker diseases in Colombia
Authors: Rodas C. A. , Slippers B. , Gryzenhout M. , Wingfield M. J.
Published: September 2008

The identities of Botryosphaeriaceae causing cankers on Eucalyptus in Colombia were investigated using morphological and DNA sequence comparisons. The pathogenicity of the species was also assessed on 42 Eucalyptus grandis clones planted at four different sites. Two species of the Botryosphaeriaceae were found to occur on E. grandis in Colombia. Neofusicoccum ribis was the more common species, and also the most pathogenic. Botryosphaeria dothidea was found only in one zone of Colombia, and was also less pathogenic than N. ribis. These two species could be distinguished easily based on DNA sequences of the ITS1/ITS2 rDNA region and EF1‐α, in addition to conidial sizes. Significant differences in resistance of clones to these pathogens were also evident from the various trials.
Genetic diversity and structure of the West Balkan Pramenka sheep types as revealed by microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA analysis
Authors: Ćinkulov M. , Popovski Z. , Porcu K. , Tanaskovska B. , Hodžić A. , Bytyqi H. , Mehmeti H. , Margeta V. , Djedović R. , Hoda A. , Trailović R. , Brka M. , Marković B. , Važić B. , Vegara M. , Olsaker I. , Kantanen J.
Published: September 2008

Several different phenotypes of the native Pramenka sheep have been developed in the Balkan region for different environmental and socio‐cultural conditions. Animals from seven West Balkan Pramenka sheep types were analysed for 15 microsatellite markers and for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and the results were used to assess genetic variation within and among the types and to infer the genetic population structure of the Pramenka sheep. Mean expected heterozygosity and allelic richness over the microsatellite loci and sheep types were 0.78 and 7.9, respectively. A Bayesian statistical method for estimating hidden genetic structure suggested that a core of the largest panmictic population was formed by Serbian, Kosovan, Bosnian, Montenegrin and Albanian types, while Croatian and Macedonian types comprised two other main populations, respectively. Mitochondrial DNA analysis revealed two mtDNA haplogroups in the Pramenka sheep, B and A, with a frequency of 93.7% and 6.3%, respectively. A total of 60 mtDNA haplotypes were found in 64 animals sequenced, and the mean nucleotide and haplotypic diversities over the types were 0.013 and 0.945, respectively. Molecular analysis suggests that the West Balkan Pramenka sheep types have their origins in two distinct maternal lineages of domestic sheep and different Pramenka phenotypes tend to form few panmictic populations. The Pramenka sheep represents a valuable resource of genetic diversity in sheep.
Characterization of Colletotrichum Species Causing Strawberry Anthracnose in Bulgaria
Authors: Jelev Zvezdomir J. , Bobev Svetoslav G. , Minz Dror , Maymon Marcel , Freeman Stanley
Published: September 2008

Strawberry anthracnose was first reported in Bulgaria in 2002, subsequently reaching disease epidemic proportions in production fields from 2004. Isolates of Colletotrichum species from different strawberry cultivars (112), pepper (2), tomato (1), and the weed species Cirsium arvense (1), Abuthilon theophrasti (1) and Rumex obtusifolius (1) growing adjacent to cultivated strawberry fields, were characterized by morphological criteria and by various molecular methods. Morphological characterization defined all the isolates as Colletotrichum acutatum, which was ultimately confirmed by species‐specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. No PCR products were amplified using Colletotrichum gloeosporioides specific primers. Arbitrarily primed PCR determined that all the studied isolates, regardless of which plant species they originated from, were uniform indicating that they belong to an asexually reproducing population. Sequence analysis of the complete ITS (ITS 1 – 5.8S – ITS 2) region further identified the pathogen populations as C. acutatum and grouped them within the previously defined subgroup II, ‘Ca‐clonal’, which is uniform. Pathogenicity tests and alternate host infections imply that cross‐inoculation of C. acutatum between strawberry and other susceptible hosts is occurring under field conditions.
Acetic Acid, Ethanol and Steam Effects on the Growth of Botrytis cinerea in vitro and Combination of Steam and Modified Atmosphere Packaging to Control Decay in Kiwifruit
Authors: Lagopodi Anastasia L. , Cetiz Kamer , Koukounaras Athanasios , Sfakiotakis Evangelos M.
Published: September 2008

The effects of acetic acid fumigation, ethanol fumigation, and steam heat treatment on growth of Botrytis cinerea in vitro were investigated. The effect of steam heat treatments in combination with modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on Botrytis decay development on ‘Hayward’ kiwifruit was also studied. The fungus was grown in Petri dishes on potato dextrose agar. Ethanol fumigation with 100 μl/l for 3 or 6 min, or 200 μl/l for 6 min enhanced the growth of B. cinerea. The effect of acetic acid on growth of B. cinerea was time and dosage‐dependent. Fumigation with 1 μl/l for 6 min, 2 μl/l for 3 min, and 4 μl/l for 3 min promoted radial growth of the fungus when compared to the growth of the untreated control. Fumigation with 2 μl/l for 6 min delayed the growth of the fungus for the first 6 days, while fumigation with 6 μl/l for 3 min delayed the growth of the fungus after the sixth day. Fumigation with 4 or 6 μl/l acetic acid for 6 min, and 8 μl/l acetic acid for 3 or 6 min resulted in complete inhibition of fungal growth. Steam heat treatment at 45°C for 6 min, and at 48, 51, and 54°C for 3 or 6 min completely inhibited fungal growth in vitro. Furthermore, steam treatments at 47, 50, and 53°C for 3 or 6 min completely inhibited decay at the stem end of kiwifruit kept at 10°C in MAP for 12 days. However, none of the steam treatments inhibited decay in wounds on the surface of the fruit kept in MAP.
Comparison of therapeutic effects between radiofrequency ablation and percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy for small hepatocellular carcinomas
Authors: Ohmoto Kenji , Yoshioka Naoko , Tomiyama Yasuyuki , Shibata Norikuni , Kawase Tomoya , Yoshida Koji , Kuboki Makoto , Yamamoto Shinichiro
Published: September 2008

Background:  Although thermal ablation therapies have gained fairly wide acceptance as an effective treatment for small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), there have been only a few clinical studies comparing the response to radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy (PMCT). We evaluated the therapeutic efficacy and safety of these two procedures for the treatment of small HCC measuring ≤ 2 cm in diameter.

Methods:  Thirty‐four patients who had 37 nodules were treated by RFA and were compared with 49 patients (56 nodules) who underwent PMCT. Treatment was repeated until complete tumor necrosis was confirmed by contrast computed tomography (CT) scanning. The therapeutic efficacy and complications were retrospectively compared between the two procedures.

Results:  (i) There were significantly fewer treatment sessions (P < 0.001) in the RFA group than in the PMCT group, but the necrotic area was significantly larger (P < 0.001) in the former group. (ii) The local recurrence rate was significantly lower (P = 0.031) after RFA than after PMCT, although the ectopic recurrence rate showed no significant difference. (iii) The cumulative survival rate was significantly higher (P = 0.018) after RFA than after PMCT. (iv) The incidence of pain and fever after treatment was significantly higher in the PMCT group. Bile duct injury, pleural effusion, and ascites were also significantly more common in the PMCT group.

Conclusions:  RFA is more useful than PMCT for the treatment of small HCC because it is minimally invasive and achieves a low local recurrence rate, high survival rate, and extensive necrosis after only a few treatment sessions.
Dietary trans‐resveratrol bioavailability and effect on CCl4‐induced liver lipid peroxidation
Authors: Vitaglione Paola , Ottanelli Barbara , Milani Stefano , Morisco Filomena , Caporaso Nicola , Fogliano Vincenzo
Published: September 2008

Background and Aim:  Several in vitro studies have demonstrated the ability of pure trans‐resveratrol (t‐Res) to act as an anti‐oxidant, but the scientific literature is lacking in in vivo studies dealing with dietary t‐Res bioavailability in oxidative stress models. Our aim was to investigate the bioavailability of t‐Res from dietary sources and its effect on an animal model of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)‐induced liver lipid peroxidation.

Methods:  Ten rats were intragastrically administered for 14 days with a grape‐stalk extract determining a daily t‐Res dosage of 3 mg/kg. The control group (10 rats) was daily injected with the vehicle solvent without the t‐Res extract. After 1 week, the induction of liver lipid peroxidation by CCl4 injection was carried out. Serum and liver samples, at different time intervals, were collected to evaluate t‐Res content, by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography–mass spectometry–mass spectometry (LC‐MS‐MS). Liver malondialdehyde (MDA) as marker of oxidative stress was measured.

Results:  t‐Res accumulates in the liver reaching 49.8 ± 10.2 ng/g after 7 days and 191.8 ± 15.3 ng/g after 14 days. No t‐Res was detected in serum. The increase of MDA liver concentration due to CCl4 injection after 24 h and 1 week was reduced by 38% and a 63%, respectively, by the treatment with the t‐Res extract.

Conclusions:  A moderate consumption of t‐Res from a dietary source resulted in a time‐dose‐dependent liver accumulation. It was able to counteract in vivo CCl4‐induced liver lipid peroxidation thus demonstrating the hepatoprotective property of t‐Res.
Anti‐gastric cancer effects of celecoxib, a selective COX‐2 inhibitor, through inhibition of Akt signaling
Authors: Kim Nayoung , Kim Chung Hyun , Ahn Dong‐Won , Lee Kyoung Soo , Cho Soo‐Jeong , Park Ji Hyun , Lee Mi Kyoung , Kim Joo Sung , Jung Hyun Chae , Song In Sung
Published: September 2008

Background and Aim:  Previously, we showed that treatment with celecoxib significantly reduced the number of viable gastric cancer cells, in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner. However, the specific anti‐cancer effects of celecoxib on gastric cancer cells have not been clarified. The present in vitro study was carried out to investigate the mechanism involved in the anti‐gastric cancer effects of celecoxib.

Methods:  3‐(4,5‐Dimethyl‐2 thiazoyl)‐2,5‐diphenyl‐2H‐tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was carried out after treating AGS cells (human gastric cancer cell line, ATCC CRL 1739) with celecoxib or indomethacin, and the effect of prostaglandin E2 or LY294002 (PI3K inhibitor) was evaluated. Western blot analysis of tAkt (total Akt), pAkt (phosphorylated Akt), pGSK3β (phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase‐3β), pFKHR (phosphorylated forkhead transcriptional factor), and caspase‐9 was carried out at various concentrations (0, 5, 10, 25, or 50 µmol/L) of celecoxib or indomethacin‐treatment for 24 or 48 h in AGS cells.

Results:  Celecoxib‐ or LY294002‐induced cell death was found to occur in a dose‐dependent manner in AGS cells, and these decreases were slightly recovered by the addition of PGE2 (25 or 50 µmol/L). The expression of pAkt but not tAkt was lower in the celecoxib treated‐AGS cells and the response was dose dependent (P < 0.05). The expression of pGSK3β and pFKHR was also significantly decreased in the celecoxib treated‐AGS cells. Procaspase 9 (47 kDa) was frequently cleaved into 37, 35 and 17 kDa fragments in the celecoxib‐treatment group. However, these changes in cell signal transduction were not observed in the indomethacin treated‐AGS cells.

Conclusion:  The anti‐cancer effects of celecoxib on gastric cancer cells might be partly mediated by downregulation of Akt, GSK3β, FKHR, and upregulation of caspase‐9, in the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.
Views of supervisors of colonoscopy training on quality issues for the national bowel cancer screening program in Australia
Authors: Pentti Marita , Muller Jennifer , Janda Monika , Newman Beth
Published: September 2008

Background and Aim:  To describe the views of supervisors of colonoscopy training in regard to colonoscopy training capacity and quality in Australia.

Methods:  Anonymous postal surveys from March to May 2007 were posted to 127 colonoscopy training supervisors (30.2% estimated response rate). The surveys queried colonoscopy training capacity and quality, supervisors' views and opinions on innovative approaches to colonoscopy training, number of colonoscopies and time required by trainees to gain competence in colonoscopy.

Results:  Approximately 50% of trainers agreed and 27% disagreed that current numbers of training places were adequate to maintain a skilled colonoscopy workforce in preparation for the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP). A collaborative approach with the private sector was seen as beneficial by 65%. Non‐gastroenterologists (non‐GEs) were more likely than gastroenterologists (GEs) to be of the opinion that simulators are beneficial for colonoscopy training (χ2‐test = 5.55, P = 0.026). The majority of trainers did not support training either nurses (73%) or general practitioners (GPs) in colonoscopy (71%). Approximately 60% of trainers considered that the current requirements for recognition of training in colonoscopy could be insufficient for trainees to gain competence and 80% of those indicated that ≥ 200 colonoscopies were needed.

Conclusions:  Colonoscopy training in Australia has traditionally followed the apprenticeship model. Projected increases in demand for colonoscopy with the introduction of the NBCSP may require additional training places and new and innovative approaches to training in order to ensure the provision of high‐quality colonoscopy services under the NBCSP.