bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
To what extent do time, species identity and selected plant response variables influence woody plant interactions?
Authors: Prévosto Bernard , Monnier Yogan , Ripert Christian , Fernandez Catherine 
Published: November 2012

Summary

Better knowledge of plant interactions is essential to understanding plant community dynamics and has broad applications in restoration and forest operations. Yet studies investigating positive and negative interactions, and indirect interactions, are scarce.
We quantified the nature and intensity of plant interactions between target species, neighbours and ground vegetation in an experimental plantation in southern France to detect competition, direct and indirect facilitation and shifts in interactions with time.
Mediterranean oak seedlings (Quercus pubescens and Quercus ilex) were planted as target species within the following neighbourhoods: pine trees Pinus halepensis at two densities, N‐fixing shrubs (Coronilla valentina), mixed pines and shrubs, and controls. The ground vegetation was either weeded or unweeded. We computed the relative interaction index (RII) for survival, growth and elongation of the target species in different treatments over 3 years. Light and soil water content were also monitored.
Results showed that the outcome of plant interactions depended on the variable selected to evaluate plant response. Decrease in Quercus pubescens survival and in diameter growth of both Quercus species indicated competition, whereas enhanced Quercus elongation and higher Quercus pubescens height growth in the first year indicated facilitation.
Indirect facilitative interactions also occurred, resulting in the alleviation of competition by neighbours in the unweeded treatment. This result was explained by the reduction of herb competition caused by shade from neighbours.
With time, competitive interactions became dominant, but were strongly modulated by the type of neighbours. Competition was more severe with shrub neighbours than with pine neighbours due to much greater light interception and also higher water uptake.
Synthesis and applications. We show that the outcome of plant interactions is species specific and varies with time and the indicator selected. Facilitation was detected with tree neighbour treatment, but over time interactions clearly shifted to competition. Hence, forest planting operations can benefit from the interactions induced by neighbouring woody vegetation provided that neighbour species are carefully selected and active post‐planting management is performed.
Local Regulation of L‐Type Ca2+ Channel Sparklets in Arterial Smooth Muscle
Authors: Navedo Manuel F. , Amberg Gregory C. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractThis review addresses the latest advances in our understanding of the regulation of a novel Ca2+ signal called L‐type Ca2+ channel sparklets in arterial smooth muscle. L‐type Ca2+ channel sparklets are elementary Ca2+ influx events produced by the opening of a single or a small cluster of L‐type Ca2+ channels. These Ca2+ signals were first visualized in the vasculature in arterial smooth muscle cells. In these cells, L‐type Ca2+ channel sparklets display two functionally distinct gating modalities that regulate local and global [Ca2+]i. The activity of L‐type Ca2+ channel sparklets varies regionally within a cell depending on the dynamic activity of a cohort of protein kinases and phosphatases recruited to L‐type Ca2+ channels in the arterial smooth muscle sarcolemma in a complex coordinated by the scaffolding molecule AKAP150. We also described a mechanism whereby clusters of L‐type Ca2+ channels gate cooperatively to amplify intracellular Ca2+ signals with likely pathological consequences.
Regulation of Cerebral Artery Smooth Muscle Membrane Potential by Ca2+‐Activated Cation Channels
Authors: Gonzales Albert L. , Earley Scott 
Published: November 2012

AbstractArterial tone is dependent on the depolarizing and hyperpolarizing currents regulating membrane potential and governing the influx of Ca2+ needed for smooth muscle contraction. Several ion channels have been proposed to contribute to membrane depolarization, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. In this review, we will discuss the historical and physiological significance of the Ca2+‐activated cation channel, TRPM4, in regulating membrane potential of cerebral artery smooth muscle cells. As a member of the recently described transient receptor potential super family of ion channels, TRPM4 possesses the biophysical properties and upstream cellular signaling and regulatory pathways that establish it as a major physiological player in smooth muscle membrane depolarization.
The diffusible factor synthase XanB2 is a bifunctional chorismatase that links the shikimate pathway to ubiquinone and xanthomonadins biosynthetic pathways
Authors: Zhou Lian , Wang Jia‐Yuan , Wang Jianhe , Poplawsky Alan , Lin Shuangjun , Zhu Bangshang , Chang Changqing , Zhou Tielin , Zhang Lian‐Hui , He Ya‐Wen 
Published: November 2012

SummaryThe diffusible factor synthase XanB2, originally identified in Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc), is highly conserved across a wide range of bacterial species, but its substrate and catalytic mechanism have not yet been investigated. Here, we show that XanB2 is a unique bifunctional chorismatase that hydrolyses chorismate, the end‐product of the shikimate pathway, to produce 3‐hydroxybenzoic acid (3‐HBA) and 4‐HBA. 3‐HBA and 4‐HBA are respectively associated with the yellow pigment xanthomonadin biosynthesis and antioxidant activity in Xcc. We further demonstrate that XanB2 is a structurally novel enzyme with three putative domains. It catalyses 3‐HBA and 4‐HBA biosynthesis via a unique mechanism with the C‐terminal YjgF‐like domain conferring activity for 3‐HBA biosynthesis and the N‐terminal FGFG motif‐containing domain responsible for 4‐HBA biosynthesis. Furthermore, we show that Xcc produces coenzyme Q8 (CoQ8) via a new biosynthetic pathway independent of the key chorismate‐pyruvate lyase UbiC. XanB2 is the alternative source of 4‐HBA for CoQ8 biosynthesis. The similar CoQ8 biosynthetic pathway, xanthomonadin biosynthetic gene cluster and XanB2 homologues are well conserved in the bacterial species within Xanthomonas, Xylella, Xylophilus, Pseudoxanthomonas, Rhodanobacter, Frateuria, Herminiimonas and Variovorax, suggesting that XanB2 may be a conserved metabolic link between the shikimate pathway, ubiquinone and xanthomonadin biosynthetic pathways in diverse bacteria.
Loss of gallbladder interstitial Cajal‐like cells in patients with cholelithiasis
Authors: Pasternak Artur , Gil Krzysztof , Matyja Andrzej , Gajda Mariusz , Sztefko Krystyna , Walocha Jerzy A. , Kulig Jan , Thor Piotr 
Published: November 2012

AbstractBackground  Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) play an important role in the regulation of gut motility. There is growing evidence that interstitial Cajal‐like cells (ICLCs) are present in the gallbladder wall. We hypothesize that changes in the density of ICLCs in the gallbladder wall may lead to the development of cholelithiasis due to the impairment of the gallbladder motility. The purpose of this study was to identify ICLCs in the gallbladders of patients with gallstones and to assess their densities.Methods  Data from 30 patients with gallstones and 25 individuals without gallstones were compared. Tissue samples were obtained during surgery, embedded in paraffin, and cut into sections. Following staining for CD117 and mast cell tryptase, the number of ICLCs and mast cells was determined using image analysis.Key Results  Cells positive for the c‐Kit receptor (CD117) were detected in the gallbladder wall in all cases examined. Interstitial Cajal‐like cells were most frequently observed in the muscularis propria. The density of ICLCs in the muscularis propria was significantly lower in the patients with gallstones than the density observed in the controls (26.24 ± 10.89 vs 56.29 ± 13.35 cells/mm2). In contrast, the number of mast cells in the gallbladder was increased in the patients with gallstones when compared with the controls (143 ± 24 vs 112 ± 19 cells/mm2).Conclusions & Inferences The histopathological differences observed in this study may help elucidate the pathophysiology of gallstones. Gallbladder motility may be affected by the decreased number of ICLCs in patients with cholelithiasis.
New allelic variants found in key rice salt‐tolerance genes: an association study
Authors: Negrão Sónia , Cecília Almadanim M. , Pires Inês S. , Abreu Isabel A. , Maroco João , Courtois Brigitte , Gregorio Glenn B. , McNally Kenneth L. , Margarida Oliveira M. 
Published: November 2012

SummarySalt stress is a complex physiological trait affecting plants by limiting growth and productivity. Rice, one of the most important food crops, is rated as salt‐sensitive. High‐throughput screening methods are required to exploit novel sources of genetic variation in rice and further improve salinity tolerance in breeding programmes. To search for genotypic differences related to salt stress, we genotyped 392 rice accessions by EcoTILLING. We targeted five key salt‐related genes involved in mechanisms such as Na+/K+ ratio equilibrium, signalling cascade and stress protection, and we found 40 new allelic variants in coding sequences. By performing association analyses using both general and mixed linear models, we identified 11 significant SNPs related to salinity. We further evaluated the putative consequences of these SNPs at the protein level using bioinformatic tools. Amongst the five nonsynonymous SNPs significantly associated with salt‐stress traits, we found a T67K mutation that may cause the destabilization of one transmembrane domain in OsHKT1;5, and a P140A alteration that significantly increases the probability of OsHKT1;5 phosphorylation. The K24E mutation can putatively affect SalT interaction with other proteins thus impacting its function. Our results have uncovered allelic variants affecting salinity tolerance that may be important in breeding.
Effects of the Gpc‐B1 locus on high grain protein content introgressed into Argentinean wheat germplasm
Authors: Tabbita Facundo , Lewis Silvina , Vouilloz Juan P. , Ortega María A. , Kade Mariana , Abbate Pablo E. , Barneix Atilio J. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractWheat grain protein content (GPC) is important for human nutrition and has a strong influence on the quality of pasta and bread. The objective of this study was to analyse the introduction of the Gpc‐B1 allele into two Argentinean bread wheat cultivars. Near‐isogenic lines were developed in ‘ProINTA Oasis’ and ‘ProINTA Granar’ using marker‐assisted selection. Gpc‐B1 lines showed a significant (P = 0.01) increase in GPC and a significant (P = 0.001) decrease in grain weight in comparison with control lines without Gpc‐B1. Differences in yield were not significant (P = 0.49) between lines. Gpc‐B1 lines significantly reduced (P = 0.02) straw nitrogen concentration at maturity and significantly increased (P = 0.02) the nitrogen harvest index. When data were analysed by genotype and environment, differences in some analysed parameters were found, indicating that Gpc‐B1 expression may be affected by different genetic backgrounds and environmental conditions. These results suggest that the introgression of the Gpc‐B1 allele into Argentinean wheat germplasm could be a valuable resource for improving GPC with no detrimental effect on grain yield.
Cross‐sectional epidemiological survey of asthma in Jinan, China
Authors: WANG DEXIANG , XIAO WEI , MA DEDONG , ZHANG YUKE , WANG QIN , Wang CHUAN , JI XIULI , HE BAOLONG , WU XIA , CHEN HONGLI , ZHANG YI , JIANG YUANYUAN , YIN JIA 
Published: November 2012

AbstractBackground and objectiveThe prevalence and control of asthma in all ages are seldom known in Jinan, China. This study aims to determine the prevalence, related factors and control of asthma in populations of all ages in Jinan, China.MethodsA cross‐sectional epidemiological questionnaire survey was performed with all members from approximately 4500 randomly selected families from 60 communities in the urban area and in 40 villages in the rural area. The completed questionnaires were focused on asthma, asthma‐like respiratory symptoms and asthma control.ResultsA total of 13 645 individuals were interviewed in the survey, and the number of effective questionnaires reached 13 419. The asthma prevalence of all ages in Jinan was 1.1%. Atopy, asthma family history, household size and age were independent factors related to asthma. The control of asthma in Jinan was suboptimal in a high proportion of patients and even worse in the rural area.ConclusionsThe asthma prevalence for all ages in Jinan was relatively low compared with that in western countries; however, local asthma control fell markedly short from the goals of the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) criteria for asthma management, which may be attributed to the poor adherence to GINA guidelines, especially the underuse of preventative medication of inhaled corticosteroids.
Faced with a dilemma: Danish midwives' experiences with and attitudes towards late termination of pregnancy
Authors: Vinggaard Christensen Anne , Christiansen Anne Hjøllund , Petersson Birgit 
Published: November 2012

BackgroundThe introduction of prenatal screening for all pregnant women in Denmark in 2004 has lead to an increase in the number of late terminations of pregnancy after the 12th week of pregnancy. Midwives' experiences with late termination of pregnancy (TOP) are still poorly described in the scientific literature.AimTo explore Danish midwives' experiences with and attitudes towards late TOP. Focus was on how midwives perceive their own role in late TOP, and how their professional identity is influenced by working with late TOP in a time where prenatal screening is rapidly developing.MethodA qualitative study consisting of ten individual interviews with Danish midwives, all of whom had taken part in late TOP.ResultsCurrent practice of late TOP resembles the practice of normal deliveries and is influenced by a growing personalisation of the aborted foetus. The midwives strongly supported women's legal right to choose TOP and considerations about the foetus' right to live were suppressed. Midwives experienced a dilemma when faced with aborted foetuses that looked like newborns and when aborted foetuses showed signs of life after a termination. Furthermore, they were critical of how physicians counsel women/couples after prenatal diagnosis.ConclusionsThe midwives' practice in relation to late TOP was characterised by an acknowledgement of the growing ethical status of the foetus and the emotional reactions of the women/couples going through late TOP. Other professions as well as structural factors at the hospital highly influenced the midwives' ability to organize their work with late terminations. There is a need for more thorough investigation of how to secure the best possible working conditions for midwives, and how to optimise the care for women/couples going through late TOP.
Comparison of anticipatory grief reaction between fathers and mothers of premature infants in neonatal intensive care unit
Authors: Valizadeh Leila , Zamanzadeh Vahid , Rahiminia Elaheh 
Published: November 2012

ObjectivesPremature birth of neonates leads to anticipatory grief (AG) reaction in parents and make them vulnerable to mental health disorders. The present study aimed to determine and compare the AG reaction in mothers and fathers of premature infants hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit.MethodsThis comparative descriptive design was conducted among 40 pairs of mothers and fathers selected by convenience sampling method. The study was performed in 2011 using the Anticipatory Grief Scale. Data were analysed with ‘Wilcoxon ranks test’ using SPSS.ResultsThe AG mean scores of fathers and mothers were 1.55 ± 0.55 and 1.68 ± 0.63, respectively. The Wilcoxon test did not show any statistically significant difference between mothers' and fathers' AG reaction (p = 0.12).ConclusionDespite expectations, the AG reaction in mothers and fathers showed no difference in this study. It seems necessary to pay more attention to the fathers in addition to mothers to be supported and consulted by the healthcare providers.
Shy but Getting By? An Examination of the Complex Links Among Shyness, Coping, and Socioemotional Functioning in Childhood
Authors: Kingsbury Mila , Coplan Robert J. , Rose‐Krasnor Linda 
Published: November 2012

AbstractThe purpose of the current study was to test a conceptual model of the mediated and moderated associations among shyness, coping strategies, and socioemotional functioning in middle childhood. Participants were 358 children (177 boys) aged 9–13 years (M = 10.16 years, SD =.95). Children completed self‐report assessments of shyness, coping style in response to a social stressor, internalizing problems, and peer difficulties. Among the results, shyness was positively associated with internalizing symptoms and negatively related to perceptions of peer difficulties. However, both of these associations were partially mediated by internalizing coping styles. Moreover, problem‐solving coping moderated these mediated pathways: among children who reported higher levels of problem‐solving coping, the associations between internalizing coping and outcomes were attenuated. Several gender differences also emerged, suggesting that problem‐solving coping may be particularly useful for shy boys. Results are discussed in terms of the complex but potentially critical role of coping in shy children's socioemotional functioning.
Paternal and Maternal Mind‐mindedness and Preschoolers' Theory of Mind: The Mediating Role of Interactional Attunement
Authors: Lundy Brenda L. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractThe present investigation explored (1) fathers' contributions to children's theory of mind (ToM) development, (2) the similarity between maternal and paternal mind‐mindedness (MM) in relation to children's ToM, and (3) the relative predictive strength of two concurrently administered measures of MM (an online and an interview assessment) in relation to children's ToM. Thirty‐nine fathers, mothers, and their four‐year‐olds participated. Paternal MM was positively correlated with children's ToM performance. In addition, the two groups of parents performed similarly on both measures of MM. The findings also suggest that mothers and fathers who scored higher on the MM interview were more attuned to their children's mental processes during the online interaction measure of MM. The online measure of MM was found to mediate the relationship between the interview measure of MM and children's ToM for the maternal–child data only.
Subsoil compaction from tractor traffic in an olive (Olea europea L.) grove in Almería, Spain
Authors: Tolón‐Becerra A. , Botta G. F. , Lastra‐Bravo X. , Tourn M. , Rivero D. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractThis study was in an olive (Olea europea L.) grove in the Vélez Blanco District of Almería, Spain, where the soil is a typical Aridisol. The aim was to evaluate subsoil compaction caused by three different tractors currently used in olive groves. Measurements were made of (i) the cone index (CI), (ii) hydraulic conductivity (HC) and (iii) rut depth after passage of a light tractor (LT = 22.50 kN), a heavy tractor (HT = 42.60 kN) and a medium tractor (MT = 33.30 kN). The CI differed for the topsoil (0–200 mm) for each type of tractor after up to five passes. In this depth soil level, the CI was greatest for LT because the ground pressure (by narrow tyres) was greater than under the MT and HT. For deeper layers, there was a strong positive relationship between number of tractor passes and CI values, and the CI was greater for passes by the HT than the LT or MT. The HT resulted in shallower ruts up to the fifth pass, and the CI values were smaller because there was less ground pressure from this tractor than the others. In all treatments, tractor traffic caused varying decreases in HC in the 0–600 mm depth range. The main conclusion is that subsoil compaction is related directly to tractor weight. For the three tractors, topsoil compaction is caused by ground pressure and not on total axle load.
On the center of the ring of differential operators on a smooth variety over ℤ/pnℤ
Authors: Stewart Allen , Vologodsky Vadim 
Published: November 2012

AbstractWe compute the center of the ring of PD differential operators on a smooth variety over ℤ/pnℤ, confirming a conjecture of Kaledin (private communication). More generally, given an associative algebraA0over ℤpand its flat deformationAnover ℤ/pn+1ℤ, we prove that under a certain non-degeneracy condition, the center ofAnis isomorphic to the ring of length-(n+1) Witt vectors over the center ofA0.
Quivers with potentials associated to triangulated surfaces, Part III: tagged triangulations and cluster monomials
Authors: Cerulli Irelli Giovanni , Labardini-Fragoso Daniel 
Published: November 2012

AbstractTo each tagged triangulation of a surface with marked points and non-empty boundary we associate a quiver with potential in such a way that whenever we apply a flip to a tagged triangulation the Jacobian algebra of the quiver with potential (QP) associated to the resulting tagged triangulation is isomorphic to the Jacobian algebra of the QP obtained by mutating the QP of the original one. Furthermore, we show that any two tagged triangulations are related by a sequence of flips compatible with QP-mutation. We also prove that, for each of the QPs constructed, the ideal of the non-completed path algebra generated by the cyclic derivatives is admissible and the corresponding quotient is isomorphic to the Jacobian algebra. These results, which generalize some of the second author’s previous work for ideal triangulations, are then applied to prove properties of cluster monomials, like linear independence, in the cluster algebra associated to the given surface by Fomin, Shapiro and Thurston (with an arbitrary system of coefficients).
Elliptic curves with a given number of points over finite fields
Authors: David Chantal , Smith Ethan 
Published: November 2012

AbstractGiven an elliptic curve E and a positive integer N, we consider the problem of counting the number of primes p for which the reduction of E modulo p possesses exactly N points over 𝔽p. On average (over a family of elliptic curves), we show bounds that are significantly better than what is trivially obtained by the Hasse bound. Under some additional hypotheses, including a conjecture concerning the short-interval distribution of primes in arithmetic progressions, we obtain an asymptotic formula for the average.
Identifying supersingular elliptic curves
Authors: Sutherland Andrew V. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractGiven an elliptic curve E over a field of positive characteristic p, we consider how to efficiently determine whether E is ordinary or supersingular. We analyze the complexity of several existing algorithms and then present a new approach that exploits structural differences between ordinary and supersingular isogeny graphs. This yields a simple algorithm that, given E and a suitable non-residue in 𝔽p2, determines the supersingularity of E in O(n3log 2n) time and O(n) space, where n=O(log p) . Both these complexity bounds are significant improvements over existing methods, as we demonstrate with some practical computations.