bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The effect of dietary vitamin E level on selenium status in rats
Authors: Fujihara T. , Orden E. A. 
Published: January 2014

SummaryThe effect of varying levels of dietary vitamin E on selenium status was determined using 40 Wistar rats with similar initial body weight. The rats were equally divided into four groups and fed the following dietary treatments (mg vitamin E/kg DM): 18 (control; C‐diet), 0 (0E‐diet), 9 (0.5E‐diet) and 36 (2E‐diet) for either 4‐week (Phase 1) or 8‐week (Phase 2) period. At the end of experiment, animals were slaughtered to measure vitamin E and selenium levels in the brain, liver, spleen, kidney, muscles and blood tissues. Dietary vitamin E levels did not affect feed and water intake and body weight. But whole‐blood selenium concentration in rats fed 0E‐diet was higher than in rats fed 2E‐diet after 4 weeks. Selenium level in muscle, spleen and brain was also higher (p < 0.05) in rats fed the 0E‐diet than in rats fed C‐diet after 4 weeks of feeding. On the other hand, selenium level in the muscle was lower (p < 0.05) in rats fed 0.5E‐diet than in those fed 0E‐diet after 4 weeks of feeding, but not after 8 weeks of feeding. Increasing dietary vitamin E level directly influenced selenium content of the spleen and brain after 8 weeks of feeding 2E‐diet. Moreover, the twofold increase in vitamin E intake resulted in a tendency to reduce whole‐blood selenium level and total selenium in the liver and kidney after 4 and 8 weeks. The results showed that the increasing dietary vitamin E level resulted in a tendency to reduce Se contents in some vital organs of the body such as the liver and kidney, suggesting their close compensatory interrelationship. Therefore, dietary vitamin E level directly influenced selenium metabolism in the animal body.
Circulating gamma‐glutamyltransferase fractions in cirrhosis
Authors: Elawdi Hassan A. , Franzini Maria , Paolicchi Aldo , Emdin Michele , Fornaciari Irene , Fierabracci Vanna , De Simone Paolo , Carrai Paola , Filipponi Franco 
Published: January 2014

AbstractBackground & AimsFour gamma‐gultamyltransferases (GGT) fractions (b‐, m‐, s‐, and f‐GGT) have been identified in human plasma and their concentrations and ratios vary in different pathological conditions. To assess the behaviour of fractional GGT in cirrhotic patients evaluated for liver transplantation.MethodsThis was a single‐centre, cross‐sectional study; GGT fractions were determined by gel‐filtration chromatography.Results264 cirrhotic patients (215 males; median age 54.5 years) were included and compared against a group of 200 healthy individuals (100 males; median age 41.5). Median (25th–75th percentile) total and fractional GGT were higher in cirrhotics, with s‐GGT showing the greatest increase [36.6 U/L (21.0–81.4) vs. 5.6 U/L (3.2–10.2), P < 0.0001], while the median b‐GGT/s‐GGT ratio was lower in cirrhotics than in healthy controls [0.06 (0.04–0.10)] vs. 0.28 (0.20–0.40), P < 0.0001]. The ratio showed higher diagnostic accuracy (ROC‐AUC, 95% CI: 0.951, 0.927–0.969) then either s‐GGT (0.924, 0.897–0.947; P < 0.05) or total GGT (0.900, 0.869–0.925; P < 0.001). The diagnostic accuracy of the ratio was maintained (0.940, 0.907–0.963) in cirrhotic patients (n = 113) with total GGT values within the reference range. The s‐GGT fraction consisted of two components, with one (s2‐GGT) showing a significant positive correlation with serum aspartate aminotransferases, alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenases (LDH), alkaline phosphatases and bilirubin, and negative with albumin. The b‐GGT fraction showed a positive correlation with albumin, fibrinogen, and platelet counts, and negative with international normalized ratio, bilirubin and LDH.ConclusionsThe ratio performs as a sensitive biomarker of the liver parenchymal rearrangement, irrespective of aetiology of cirrhosis and presence of hepatocellular carcinoma, even in patients with total GGT values within the reference range.
Environmental harshness, latitude and incipient speciation
Authors: Weir Jason T. 
Published: January 2014

Are rates of evolution and speciation fastest where diversity is greatest – the tropics? A commonly accepted theory links the latitudinal diversity gradient to a speciation pump model whereby the tropics produce species at a faster rate than extra‐tropical regions. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Botero et al. () test the speciation pump model using subspecies richness patterns for more than 9000 species of birds and mammals as a proxy for incipient speciation opportunity. Rather than using latitudinal centroids, the authors investigate the role of various environmental correlates of latitude as drivers of subspecies richness. Their key finding points to environmental harshness as a positive predictor of subspecies richness. The authors link high subspecies richness in environmental harsh areas to increased opportunities for geographic range fragmentation and/or faster rates of trait evolution as drivers of incipient speciation. Because environmental harshness generally increases with latitude, these results suggest that opportunity for incipient speciation is lowest where species richness is highest. The authors interpret this finding as incompatible with the view of the tropics as a cradle of diversity. Their results are consistent with a growing body of evidence that reproductive isolation and speciation occur fastest at high latitudes.
Thermal limits in young northern fur seals, Callorhinus ursinus
Authors: Rosen David A. S. , Trites Andrew W. 
Published: January 2014

AbstractThe thermoregulatory abilities of northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) during their first two years in the frigid waters of the North Pacific Ocean may limit their geographic distribution and alter the costs for exploiting different species of prey. We determined the thermoneutral zone of six young northern fur seals by measuring their metabolism in ambient air and controlled water temperatures (0°C–12°C) from ages 8 to 24 mo. We found that the ambient air temperatures within our study (overall 1.5°C–23.9°C) did not affect resting metabolic rates. Calculated lower critical temperatures in water varied between 3.9°C and 8.0°C, while an upper critical temperature in water was only discernible during a single set of trials. These thermal responses provide insight into the possible physiological constraints on foraging ecology in young northern fur seals, as well as the potential energetic consequences of ocean climate change and altered prey distributions.
Normal values for high‐resolution anorectal manometry/topography in a healthy Korean population and the effects of gender and body mass index
Authors: Lee H. J. , Jung K. W. , Han S. , Kim J. W. , Park S.‐K. , Yoon I. J. , Koo H. S. , Seo S. Y. , Yang D.‐H. , Kim K.‐J. , Ye B. D. , Byeon J.‐S. , Yang S.‐K. , Kim J.‐H. , Myung S.‐J. 
Published: January 2014

AbstractBackgroundHigh‐resolution manometry (HRM) based on spatiotemporal plots is increasingly being used. The aim this study was to evaluate, for the first time, the influence of gender, with adjustment for age, body mass index (BMI), and vaginal delivery, on anorectal functions in asymptomatic adults.MethodsFifty‐four asymptomatic healthy subjects (M : F = 27 : 27; age = 20–67 years) who were matched by age and gender were enrolled prospectively. We evaluated anorectal pressures, rectal sensation using a HRM probe, and balloon expulsion time. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to identify the independent effects of each factor.Key ResultsAnal resting pressure (median [IQR]; 32 [18] vs 46 [17] mmHg, p < 0.001), anal squeeze pressure (75 [28] vs 178 [72] mmHg, p < 0.001), rectal pressure (33 [16] vs 53 [46] mmHg, p = 0.009) and anal pressure (16 [17] vs 30 [36] mmHg, p = 0.019) during simulated evacuation with rectal distention, and the threshold for the desire to defecate (60 [20] vs 80 [60] mL, p = 0.020) were significantly lower in women than in men. BMI was positively correlated with anal resting pressure (95% CI: 0.598–2.947) and negatively correlated with the threshold for first sensation (95% CI: −0.099 to −0.015). Vaginal delivery did not affect any of the anorectal HRM parameters.Conclusions & InferencesHRM parameters may be associated with gender and BMI. Therefore, gender and BMI should be taken into consideration when interpreting HRM results.
Mutualistic ants as an indirect defence against leaf pathogens
Authors: González‐Teuber Marcia , Kaltenpoth Martin , Boland Wilhelm 
Published: January 2014

Summary

Mutualistic ants are commonly considered as an efficient indirect defence against herbivores. Nevertheless, their indirect protective role against plant pathogens has been scarcely investigated.

We compared the protective role against pathogens of two different ant partners, a mutualistic and a parasitic ant, on the host plant Acacia hindsii (Fabaceae). The epiphytic bacterial community on leaves was evaluated in the presence and absence of both ant partners by cultivation and by 454 pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene.

Pathogen‐inflicted leaf damage, epiphytic bacterial abundance (colony‐forming units) and number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were significantly higher in plants inhabited by parasitic ants than in plants inhabited by mutualistic ants. Unifrac unweighted and weighted principal component analyses showed that the bacterial community composition on leaves changed significantly when mutualistic ants were removed from plants or when plants were inhabited by parasitic ants. Direct mechanisms provided by ant‐associated bacteria would contribute to the protective role against pathogens.

The results suggest that the indirect defence of mutualistic ants also covers the protection from bacterial plant pathogens. Our findings highlight the importance of considering bacterial partners in ant–plant defensive mutualisms, which can contribute significantly to ant‐mediated protection from plant pathogens.
Transgenerational effects of caloric restriction on appetite: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Lagisz M. , Blair H. , Kenyon P. , Uller T. , Raubenheimer D. , Nakagawa S. 
Published: January 2014

SummaryMaternal undernutrition can result in significant alterations to the post‐natal offspring phenotype, including body size and behaviour. For example, maternal food restriction has been implicated in offspring hyperphagia, potentially causing increased weight gain and fat accumulation. This could result in obesity and other adverse long‐term health effects in offspring. We investigated the link between maternal caloric restriction during gestation and offspring appetite by conducting the first meta‐analysis on this topic using experimental data from mammalian laboratory models (i.e. rats and mice). We collected 89 effect sizes from 35 studies, together with relevant moderators. Our analysis revealed weak and statistically non‐significant overall effect on offspring's appetite. However, we found that lower protein content of restricted diets is associated with higher food intake in female offspring. Importantly, we show that a main source of variation among studies arises from whether, and how, food intake was adjusted for body mass. This probably explains many of the contradictory results in the field. Based on our results, we recommend using allometric scaling of food intake to body mass in future studies.
The first species of Sinopa (Hyaenodontida, Mammalia) from outside of North America: implications for the history of the genus in the Eocene of Asia and North America
Authors: Morlo Michael , Bastl Katharina , Wenhao Wu , Schaal Stephan F. K. 
Published: January 2014

AbstractThe first Sinopa species, S. jilinia sp. nov., from outside of North America is described. It comes from the Huadian Formation, locality Gonglangtou, Jilin Province, north‐east China. The new species represents the northernmost and one of the latest and most complete Asian Prototomus‐like hyaenodontidans known. It also represents one of the youngest specimens of Sinopa, because the age of the Huadian Formation is correlated to the later Uintan and only one doubtful citation of North American Sinopa younger than the early Uintan exists. S. jilinia sp. nov. is characterized by having m3 clearly smaller than m1, very strong and extended labial molar cingulids, backward leaning protoconids in all molars and its m3 cristid obliquum joining the postvallid very labially. With S. jilina, Sinopa is the first hyaenodontidan genus known to be present on two continents during the time interval between the earliest Eocene (c. 55.0 Ma) and latest middle Eocene (40 Ma). Its occurrence in the Huadian Formation supports the idea of a faunal exchange between North America and Asia in the early middle Eocene, a hypothesis formerly based mainly on the presence of the omomyid primate Asiomomys in the Huadian Formation, on a small radiation of East Asian trogosine tillodonts and on a couple of perissodactyl genera shared between the middle Eocene of North America and the Irdinmanhan of East Asia. As with the new Sinopa species, these Asian taxa had their closest relatives in North America.
Differential proteomics of dehydration and rehydration in bryophytes: evidence towards a common desiccation tolerance mechanism
Authors: CRUZ DE CARVALHO RICARDO , BERNARDES DA SILVA ANABELA , SOARES RENATA , ALMEIDA ANDRÉ M. , COELHO ANA VARELA , MARQUES DA SILVA JORGE , BRANQUINHO CRISTINA 
Published: January 2014

AbstractAll bryophytes evolved desiccation tolerance (DT) mechanisms during the invasion of terrestrial habitats by early land plants. Are these DT mechanisms still present in bryophytes that colonize aquatic habitats? The aquatic bryophyte Fontinalis antipyretica Hedw. was subjected to two drying regimes and alterations in protein profiles and sucrose accumulation during dehydration and rehydration were investigated. Results show that during fast dehydration, there is very little variation in protein profiles, and upon rehydration proteins are leaked. On the other hand, slow dehydration induces changes in both dehydration and rehydration protein profiles, being similar to the protein profiles displayed by the terrestrial bryophytes Physcomitrella patens (Hedw.) Bruch and Schimp. and, to what is comparable with Syntrichia ruralis (Hedw.) F. Weber and D. Mohr. During dehydration there was a reduction in proteins associated with photosynthesis and the cytoskeleton, and an associated accumulation of proteins involved in sugar metabolism and plant defence mechanisms. Upon rehydration, protein accumulation patterns return to control values for both photosynthesis and cytoskeleton whereas proteins associated with sugar metabolism and defence proteins remain high. The current results suggest that bryophytes from different ecological adaptations may share common DT mechanisms.
Ascorbate deficiency influences the leaf cell wall glycoproteome in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: SULTANA NIGHAT , FLORANCE HANNAH V. , JOHNS ALEX , SMIRNOFF NICHOLAS 
Published: January 2014

AbstractThe cell wall forms the first line of interaction between the plant and the external environment. Based on the observation that ascorbate‐deficient vtc mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana have increased cell wall peroxidase activity, the cell wall glycoproteome of vtc2‐2 was investigated. Glycoproteins were purified from fully expanded leaves by Concanavalin A affinity chromatography and analysed by liquid chromatography quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. This procedure identified 63 proteins with predicted glycosylation sites and cell wall localization. Of these, 11 proteins were differentially expressed between vtc2‐2 and wild type. In particular, PRX33/34 were identified as contributing to increased peroxidase activity in response to ascorbate deficiency. This is the same peroxidase previously shown to contribute to hydrogen peroxide generation and pathogen resistance. Three fasciclin‐like arabinogalactan proteins (FLA1, 2 and 8) had lower abundance in vtc2‐2. Inspection of published microarray data shows that these also have lower gene expression in vtc1 and vtc2‐1 and are decreased in expression by pathogen challenge and oxidative stresses. Ascorbate deficiency therefore impacts expression of cell wall proteins involved in pathogen responses and these presumably contribute to the increased resistance of vtc mutants to biotrophic pathogens.
Experimental Pragmatics: An Introduction for Philosophers
Authors: Phelan Mark 
Published: January 2014

AbstractIn the past several decades, psychologists and linguists have begun experimentally investigating linguistic pragmatic phenomena. They share the assumption that the best way to study the use of language in context incorporates an experimental methodology, here understood to comprise controlled studies and careful field observations. This article surveys some key projects in experimental pragmatics and relates these projects to ongoing philosophical discussions.
Some Early‐Modern Discussions of Vagueness: Locke, Leibniz, Kant
Authors: Tester Steven 
Published: January 2014

AbstractThere has recently been a growing interest in the topic of vagueness and indeterminacy in contemporary metaphysics, with two views taking center stage. The semantic view holds that indeterminacy is due to vagueness in the extension of concepts, while the ontological view holds that indeterminacy is due to the vagueness of certain objects. There has, however, been little research on discussions of vagueness and indeterminacy in early‐modern philosophy despite the relevance of vagueness and indeterminacy for issues such as real and nominal definitions, clear and distinct ideas, and the principle of complete determination. In this paper, I survey discussions of vagueness in Locke, Leibniz, and Kant and point to ways in which the problem of vagueness and indeterminacy touches on broader issues in their respective philosophies. Although Locke, Leibniz, and Kant all suggest that vagueness is a semantic phenomenon, Kant also appears to countenance an ontological view according to which objects as appearances may sometimes be indeterminate.
Philosophy of Sex
Authors: Marino Patricia 
Published: January 2014

AbstractSex raises fundamental philosophical questions about topics such as personal identity and well‐being, the relationship between emotion and reason, the nature of autonomy and consent, and the dual nature of persons as individuals but also social beings. This article serves as an overview of the philosophy of sex in the English‐speaking philosophical tradition and explicates philosophical debate in several specific areas: sexual objectification, rape and consent, sex work, sexual identities and queer theory, the medicalization of sexuality, and polyamory. It situates these topics in a framework of shifting cultural attitudes and argues for the importance of the philosophy of sex. It ends with some suggestions about future research, particularly with regard to the changing nature of pornography and sexual justice in legal theory.
Student Nurses' Risk Perceptions of Home Environmental Hazards
Authors: Polivka Barbara J. , Wills Celia 
Published: January 2014

AbstractObjectiveThis study described nursing students' perceptions of home health risks.Design and SampleNursing students (N = 254) at two large urban universities completed a cross‐sectional survey during the 2011–2013 academic years.MeasuresFrom a list of 22 common home health hazards, students identified what they perceived as the three: (a) most dangerous hazards, (b) most common hazards in their state, (c) hazards most likely to be present in their current home, and (d) hazards they would most afraid to find in their home. Students also rated perceived dangerousness of the hazards, how healthy they perceived their home to be, and the perceived effect of their home on their own health.ResultsTobacco smoke, asbestos, and cleaning products were the most commonly identified home hazards. Individual characteristics, hazard experiences in personal homes, and university geographic location (state) were associated with perceptions of home hazards. Students who identified hazards in their own homes were more likely to identify them as hazards in general and for their own state.ConclusionsThese results fill a foundational knowledge gap by describing the risk perceptions of near‐future health care providers about home environmental hazards.
Maternal Stress and Psychological Status and Sleep in Minority Preschool Children
Authors: Caldwell Barbara A. , Redeker Nancy S. 
Published: January 2014

AbstractObjectivesMinority women living in inner city environments may be at more risk for psychological distress. Maternal stress, anxiety, depression, and psychological trauma can influence the preschool child's behavior and may have a negative impact on the preschool child's sleep patterns. The purpose of the study was to: (a) examine objective and subjective preschool children sleep patterns and (b) explore the relationship between objective and subjective sleep patterns in preschool children and maternal psychological status.Design and SampleA cross‐sectional observational design was used. Descriptive analyses and correlations were conducted to examine the data. Twenty‐one minority women were recruited from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children Program.MeasuresPreschool children wore wrist actigraphs, and their sleep efficiency, time in bed, and sleep periods were analyzed. Mothers completed measures on depression, anxiety, stress, and psychological trauma.ResultsMothers' self‐report of their children's sleep habits indicated at risk scores for sleep problems. Life stress in the mothers was statistically significant and negatively related to preschool child's sleep duration. Mild to severe symptoms of depression and mild anxiety were reported and criteria for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder were found in 12 of the 21 mothers. The results of the study indicate that parent education on sleep and the minority preschool child should be part of community interventions and screening preschool parents for psychological distress should be considered with referrals for support services.
Domestic drivers of transgovernmental regulatory cooperation
Authors: Bach David , Newman Abraham 
Published: January 2014

AbstractTransgovernmental cooperation among domestic regulators has generated considerable interest among scholars and policymakers. While previous research has focused on describing such regulatory networks, we know very little about what drives individual jurisdictions to join them. The question of membership is important because it determines the reach of rules and standards promulgated by a given network, and because it is logically prior to understanding the rulemaking dynamic within a network. We develop a set of hypotheses that highlight the role of domestic political factors in shaping network membership. Our empirical analysis, using an original data set for transgovernmental cooperation in securities and insurance regulation, finds that the institutional form of domestic market regulation, as well as the relative domestic weight of the industry, are closely correlated with membership. All else equal, jurisdictions with independent regulatory agencies and those where the industry in question represents a large share of gross domestic product are much more likely to join the respective network than jurisdictions without these characteristics. The paper underscores the important interactions between domestic and international factors for informal cooperation, an issue that has become increasingly central to global governance.