bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Subtype and regional regulation of prion biomarkers in sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease
Authors: Llorens Franc , Zafar Saima , Ansoleaga Belén , Shafiq Mohsin , Blanco Rosi , Carmona Marga , Grau‐Rivera Oriol , Nos Carlos , Gelpí Ellen , del Río José Antonio , Zerr Inga , Ferrer Isidre 
Published: August 2014

AimsCreutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) is a rapid progressive neurological disease leading to dementia and death. Prion biomarkers are altered in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of CJD patients, but the pathogenic mechanisms underlying these alterations are still unknown. The present study examined prion biomarker levels in the brain and CSF of sporadic CJD (sCJD) cases and their correlation with neuropathological lesion profiles.MethodsThe expression levels of 14‐3‐3, Tau, phospho‐Tau and α‐synuclein were measured in the CSF and brain of sCJD cases in a subtype‐ and region‐specific manner. In addition, the activity of prion biomarker kinases, the expression levels of CJD hallmarks and the most frequent neuropathological sCJD findings were analysed.ResultsPrion biomarkers levels were increased in the CSF of sCJD patients; however, correlations between mRNA, total protein and their phosphorylated forms in brain were different. The observed downregulation of the main Tau kinase, GSK3, in sCJD brain samples may help to explain the differential phospho‐Tau/Tau ratios between sCJD and other dementias in the CSF. Importantly, CSF biomarkers levels do not necessarily correlate with sCJD neuropathological findings.InterpretationPresent findings indicate that prion biomarkers levels in sCJD tissues and their release into the CSF are differentially regulated following specific modulated responses, and suggest a functional role for these proteins in sCJD pathogenesis.
Herbivore‐induced plant volatiles: targets, perception and unanswered questions
Authors: Heil Martin 
Published: August 2014

SummaryPlants respond to mechanical wounding, herbivore feeding or infection by pathogens with the release of volatiles. Small C6 molecules termed green‐leaf volatiles form a general element in most of these blends; however, the overall composition is usually sufficiently specific that other organisms are able to determine the nature of the attacker. Receivers of herbivore‐induced volatile organic compounds (HI‐VOCs) comprise distant parts of the same plant (‘within‐plant signalling’), neighbouring plants (‘plant–plant signalling’), herbivores, and multiple carnivores that respond to the ‘plant's cry for help’, such as parasitoids and hyperparasitoids, entomopathogenic nematodes, and predatory mites, beetles, bugs and birds. In spite of intensive research efforts, many central questions still remain. How do plants perceive volatiles? What is the relative impact of each of the interactions with different receivers of HI‐VOCs on the fitness of the emitting plant and that of the interacting organisms? How long can these compounds remain stable in the atmosphere? Why are VOC‐mediated effects on herbivores and beneficial organisms not used as a common tool in sustainable agriculture? Here, I briefly summarize the ecological effects of HI‐VOC perception and discuss the most pertinent questions raised by participants at the 32nd New Phytologist Symposium in Buenos Aires.
Controls on foliar nutrient and aluminium concentrations in a tropical tree flora: phylogeny, soil chemistry and interactions among elements
Authors: Metali Faizah , Abu Salim Kamariah , Tennakoon Kushan , Burslem David F. R. P. 
Published: August 2014

Summary

Foliar elemental concentrations are predictors of life‐history variation and contribute to spatial patterns in biogeochemical cycling. We examined the contributions of habitat association, local soil environment, and elemental interactions to variation in foliar elemental concentrations in tropical trees using methods that account for phylogeny.

We sampled top‐soils and leaves of 58 tropical trees in heath forest (HF) on nutrient‐poor sand and mixed dipterocarp forest (MDF) on nutrient‐rich clay soils. A phylogenetic generalized least squares method was used to determine how foliar nutrient and aluminium (Al) concentrations varied in response to habitat distribution, soil chemistry and other elemental concentrations.

Foliar nitrogen (N) and Al concentrations were greater for specialists of MDF than for specialists of HF, while foliar calcium (Ca) concentrations showed the opposite trend. Foliar magnesium (Mg) concentrations were lower for generalists than for MDF specialists. Foliar element concentrations were correlated with fine‐scale variation in soil chemistry in phylogenetically controlled analyses across species, but there was limited within‐species plasticity in foliar elemental concentrations. Among Al accumulators, foliar Al concentration was positively associated with foliar Ca and Mg concentrations, and negatively associated with foliar phosphorus (P) concentrations.

The Al‐accumulation trait and relationships between foliar elemental and Al concentrations may contribute to species habitat partitioning and ecosystem‐level differences in biogeochemical cycles.
Towards a cohesive, holistic view of top predation: a definition, synthesis and perspective
Authors: Sergio Fabrizio , Schmitz Oswald J. , Krebs Charles J. , Holt Robert D. , Heithaus Michael R. , Wirsing Aaron J. , Ripple William J. , Ritchie Euan , Ainley David , Oro Daniel , Jhala Yadvendradev , Hiraldo Fernando , Korpimäki Erkki 
Published: August 2014

Research on the ecology of top predators – upper trophic level consumers that are relatively free from predation once they reach adult size – has provided regular contributions to general ecology and is a rapidly expanding and increasingly experimental, multidisciplinary and technological endeavour. Yet, an exponentially expanding literature coupled with rapid disintegration into specialized, disconnected subfields for study (e.g. vertebrate predators versus invertebrate predators, community ecology versus biological control etc.) increasingly means that we are losing a coherent, integrated understating of the role and importance of these species in ecosystems. This process of canalization is likely to hinder sharing of scientific discovery and continued progress, especially as there is a growing need to understand the generality of the top–down forcing, as demonstrated for some members of this group. Here, we propose ways to facilitate synthesis by promoting changes in mentality and awareness among specialists through increased debate and collaboration, conceptual reviews and a series of exemplary case studies. The strategy will rely on the collective contribution by all scientists in the field and will strive to consolidate and formalise top‐order predation as a holistic, cohesive, cross‐taxonomical field of research studying the ecology, evolution and behaviour of apex predators and their capability to exert top–down forcing on lower trophic levels.SynthesisThe ongoing global loss of top predators and their recolonization of various regions are causing a rapid upsurge of studies on these species and a consequent fragmentation of this field into disconnected, specialized subcompartments: this will weaken efforts to produce synthetic generalisations of broader ecological interest. Here, we show that top predation provides regular contributions to general ecology, is well grounded in theoretical ecology and is a rapidly expanding and increasingly experimental, multidisciplinary and technological field of research. The novelty of this forum lies in providing a concise synthesis of this area of ecology, in attempting to formalise “top predation” as a specific, inter‐connected area of investigation, and in proposing a marked change of mentality by stressing the need for cross‐taxonomic approaches enabling broader views of the role of predators in ecosystems.
Quantification of critical factors affecting fitness of the sugary1 mutant in maize
Authors: Djemel Abderrahmane , Ordás Bernardo , Khelifi Lakhdar , Ordás Amando , Revilla Pedro 
Published: August 2014

AbstractFitness of sugary1 (su1) is affected by some critical traits that depend on the genotypes and environments, while their effects have not been quantified with convincing statistical methods. The objective of this work was to identify and quantify the critical factors of su1 fitness with different genotypes and environments. We used two pairs of field corn inbreds that differentially affected su1 viability to develop F1, F2, BC1 and BC2. After selfing, Su1 and su1 kernels were evaluated under controlled environmental conditions and in field trials. Multiple regressions showed that dry weight of juvenile plant was affected by early vigour (plant size, colour and health) and emergence in cold conditions; ear weight by plant appearance, number of plants and chlorophyll content; number of ears by plant appearance, number of plants, chlorophyll content and female flowering; and kernel weight by ear weight, number of plants, row number and ear length. The main critical factors for su1 fitness were early vigour and emergence under cold conditions at initial stages, while several adult traits were related with final fitness.
Prevalence and outcomes of renal transplantation in children with intellectual disability
Authors: Wightman Aaron , Young Bessie , Bradford Miranda , Dick André , Healey Patrick , McDonald Ruth , Smith Jodi 
Published: August 2014

AbstractTo describe the prevalence and outcomes of renal transplantation in children with ID we performed a retrospective cohort analysis of all children receiving a first kidney‐alone transplant in the UNOS dataset from 2008 to 2011. Recipients with definite, probable, and without ID were compared using chi‐square tests. Kaplan–Meier curves were constructed for patient and graft survival. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the association between ID and graft failure and patient survival. Over the study period, 332 children with definite (117) or probable (215) ID underwent first renal transplant, accounting for 16% of all first pediatric renal transplants (n = 2076). Children with definite ID were not significantly different from children without ID with respect to sex, ethnicity, or prevalence of acute rejection. ID was associated with increased likelihood of deceased donor source. ID was not significantly associated with decreased graft or patient survival. In this first large‐scale study, up to 16% of first pediatric renal transplants were performed in children with ID. Short‐term graft and patient survival after transplant were equivalent between children with and without ID. Further research is needed to examine long‐term outcomes of transplant in this population.
Heat shock proteins mediate trade‐offs between early‐life reproduction and late survival in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Okada Yasukazu , Teramura Kohei , Takahashi Kazuo H. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractAgeing and the resulting increased likelihood mortality are the inescapable fate of organisms because selection pressures on genes that exert their function late in life is weak, promoting the evolution of genes that enhance early‐life reproductive performance at the same time as sacrificing late survival. Heat shock proteins (HSP) are known to buffer various environmental stresses and are also involved in protein homeostasis and longevity. The characteristics of genes for HSPs (hsp) imply that they affect various life‐history traits, which in turn affect longevity; however, little is known about the effects of hsp genes on life‐history traits and their interaction with longevity. In the present study, the effects of hsp genes on multiple fitness traits, such as locomotor activity, total fecundity, early fecundity and survival time, are investigated in Drosophila melanogaster Meigen using RNA interference (RNAi). In egg‐laying females, RNAi knockdown of six hsp genes (hsp22, hsp23, hsp67Ba, hsp67Bb, hsp67Bc and hsp27‐like) does not shorten survival but rather increases it. Knockdown of five of those genes on an individual basis reduces early‐life reproduction, suggesting that several hsp genes mediate the trade‐off between early reproduction and late survival. The data indicate a positive effect of hsp genes on early reproduction and also negative effects on survival time, supporting the antagonistic pleiotropic effects predicted by the optimality theory of ageing.
10‐year Anniversary of the New Product Development, R&D, and Project Management Department in Production and Operations Management—Progress, Thoughts, and Perspectives
Authors: Kavadias Stylianos (Stelios) 
Published: August 2014

The issue you are about to browse offers an opportunity to share many thanks, some observations, and a few forward‐looking thoughts about the department I have had the honor to edit over the last 4 years. It also offers an opportunity to expand the discussion beyond the boundaries of the particular department of Production and Operations Management (POM), and to take stock of the evolution path of the academic community that has formed around the department and its research topics over the past 10 years.
Interpersonal motives and social‐evaluative threat: Effects of acceptance and status stressors on cardiovascular reactivity and salivary cortisol response
Authors: Smith Timothy W. , Jordan Kevin D. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractSocial‐evaluative threat evokes increases in salivary cortisol and heightened cardiovascular reactivity. However, the types or content of social threats underlying these physiological responses are not clearly delineated in direct comparisons. Based in interpersonal theory, the present study manipulated high and low levels of acceptance threat (i.e., evaluation of likability, potential for inclusion) and status threat (i.e., evaluation of competence, leadership potential) during a modified Trier Social Stress Test, using a sample of 137 undergraduates (73 women). Both acceptance threat and status threat heightened salivary cortisol, heart rate, and blood pressure responses to the task. Hence, concerns about social inclusion or connection with others and concerns about social standing or status can contribute independently to physiological stress responses.
Positive Effects of Melatonin Treatment on the Reproductive Performance of Young Border Leicester Rams Mated to Merino Ewes in Spring: Preliminary Observations
Authors: Kleemann DO , Kelly JM , Arney LJ , Farley IL , Tilbrook AJ , Walker SK 
Published: August 2014

ContentsPoor reproductive performance of Merino ewe flocks when mated to Border Leicester rams during spring may be due to seasonality of the Border Leicester breed. Two approaches were taken to test this assumption. Six young (12 months old) or six mixed‐age (12, 24 and ≥36 months old) Border Leicester rams were either treated or not treated with melatonin implants (2 × 2 design) 6 weeks before the four groups of rams were each put with approximately 300 Merino ewes for an 8‐week mating period. Implants were inserted in early September (experiment 1). The second approach was to yard or not yard ewes and mixed‐age rams on several occasions during the first 3 weeks of the mating period (experiment 2). Pregnancy rate and twinning percentage were assessed by ultrasonography. In experiment 1, melatonin treatment in young rams increased (p < 0.001) pregnancy rate from 5.0% to 92.6%, but mixed‐age rams did not respond (90.7% vs 89.5% for melatonin and non‐melatonin treatments, respectively). Twinning rate was similar (p > 0.05) for ewes mated to either melatonin or non‐melatonin‐treated young rams (36.8% vs 40.0%, respectively), whereas melatonin significantly improved (p < 0.05) twinning rate in those ewes mated to mixed‐age rams (49.1% vs 36.1%). After 6 weeks of melatonin treatment, scrotal circumference was greater (p < 0.05) in both young and mixed‐aged rams than in untreated counterparts. In experiment 2, yarding of ewes and rams overnight on several occasions early in the mating period reduced (p < 0.001) pregnancy rate compared with non‐yarded counterparts (89.5% vs 65.5%). Twinning rate was not affected (37.7% vs 36.1%, respectively). In summary, melatonin treatment of Border Leicester rams significantly improved flock reproductive performance in spring due to improved pregnancy rates with young rams and improved litter size with mixed‐age rams.
Molecular Characterization of Oxytocin Receptor Gene in Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)
Authors: Arunmozhi N , Singh SK , Sarath T , Agarwal SK , Doiphode A , Shankar U 
Published: August 2014

ContentsBuffaloes are known for their productivity as compared to average yielding cows due to higher fat percentage, better feed conversion ability and disease resistance. On the other hand, the reproductive performances of buffaloes are often considered as poor owing to late sexual maturity, weak/silent oestrus, repeat breeder and prolonged intercalving interval. The study of cascade of events during oestrus and oestrous cycle can be useful for the improvement of reproductive efficiency of buffaloes. More precisely, the hormonal changes initiated at the molecular level within the animal determine the reproductive nature of the species. Nucleotide/protein sequence analysis serves as a vital tool in analysing the binding of the hormones for their effect or functions. In this study, we have reported cloning and characterization of the complete coding (cDNA) sequence of oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) in buffaloes. Buffalo OXTR gene contains an uninterrupted ORF of 1176 nucleotides corresponding to an inferred polypeptide length of 391 amino acids (aa). The molecular weight of the deduced aa sequence was found to be 43 kDa with an isoelectric point of 9.253 and 16.328 charge at pH 7.0. The deduced protein sequence consists of 38 strongly basic (+) (K,R), 22 strongly acidic (−) (D,E), 186 hydrophobic (A, I, L, F, W, V) and 95 Polar (N, C, Q, S, T, Y) aa. Results indicated that aspartate (D) at aa position 85 and D, R and C at aa positions 136, 137 and 138, respectively, are conserved in buffaloes. The buffalo OXTR gene shared a per cent similarity ranging from 84.7 to 98.1 and 88.5 to 97.7 at nucleotide and deduced aa sequence levels, respectively, with that of other species. Phylogram constructed on the basis of either nucleotide or deduced aa sequences of buffalo OXTR gene showed that buffalo, cattle and sheep have diverged from human and swine and formed a separate clad. The buffalo sequence has shown maximum similarity and closeness with cattle followed by sheep both at nucleotide and at aa level.
Influence of distinct asthma phenotypes on lung function following weight loss in the obese
Authors: Chapman David G. , Irvin Charles G. , Kaminsky David A. , Forgione Patrick M. , Bates Jason H.T. , Dixon Anne E. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractBackground and objectiveThere appears to be two distinct clinical phenotypes of obese patients with asthma—those with early‐onset asthma and high serum IgE (TH2‐high), and those with late‐onset asthma and low serum IgE (TH2‐low). The aim of the present study was to determine in the two phenotypes of obese asthma the effect of weight loss on small airway function.MethodsTH2‐low (n = 8) and TH2‐high (n = 5) obese asthmatics underwent methacholine challenge before and 12 months following bariatric surgery. Dose–response slopes as measures of sensitivity to airway closure and narrowing were measured as maximum % fall forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s/FVC, respectively, divided by dose. Resting airway mechanics were measured by forced oscillation technique.ResultsWeight loss reduced sensitivity to airway closure in TH2‐low but not TH2‐high obese asthmatics (pre‐post mean change ± 95% confidence interval: 1.8 ± 0.8 doubling doses vs −0.3 ± 1.7 doubling doses, P = 0.04). However, there was no effect of weight loss on the sensitivity to airway narrowing in either group (P = 0.8, TH2‐low: 0.8 ± 1.0 doubling doses, TH2‐high: −1.1 ± 2.5 doubling doses). In contrast, respiratory resistance (20 Hz) improved in TH2‐high but not in TH2‐low obese asthmatics (pre‐post change median interquartile range: 1.5 (1.3–2.8) cmH2O/L/s vs 0.6 (−1.8–0.8) cmH2O/L/s, P = 0.03).ConclusionsTH2‐low obese asthmatics appear to be characterized by increased small airway responsiveness and abnormalities in resting airway function that may persist following weight loss. However, this was not the case for TH2‐high obese asthmatics, highlighting the complex interplay between IgE status and asthma pathophysiology in obesity.
Class Formation and Class Identity: Birth, Death, and Possibilities for Renewal
Authors: Eidlin Barry 
Published: August 2014

AbstractWhile social class served as a powerful organizing identity for much of the 19th and 20th centuries, many doubt its contemporary relevance. This article examines the formation and development of theories of class identity over the past century. From a debate largely among Marxists in the early 20th century about the conditions under which the working class will mobilize to defend its interests – moving from a “class in itself” to a “class for itself” – the question of the relationship between individuals' class position, social interests, and political mobilization attracted greater attention among social scientists following World War II. However, postwar socioeconomic transformations led some to argue for the “death of class” as a central organizing principle for modern social and political life. While others countered that class identities remained relevant, the sharp decline in class‐based organization in the late 20th century led scholars to develop more nuanced understandings of the relationship between individuals' class position and collective identities. Although current scholarship shows that there is no natural translation of class identities into collective action, the reality of growing socioeconomic inequality, along with the resurgence of social and political mobilizations to contest that growth, suggests that class identities retain the capacity to unite.
Asynchronous Geospatial Processing: An Event‐Driven Push‐Based Architecture for the OGC Web Processing Service
Authors: Westerholt Rene , Resch Bernd 
Published: August 2014

AbstractGeospatial processing tasks like solar potential analyses or floodplain investigations within flood scenarios are often complex and deal with large amounts of data. If such analysis operations are performed in distributed web‐based systems, technical capabilities are mostly not sufficient. Major shortcomings comprise the potentially long execution times and the vast amount of messaging overhead that arise from common poll‐based approaches. To overcome these issues, an approach for an event‐driven architecture for web‐based geospatial processing is proposed within this article. First, this article presents a thorough qualitative discussion of different available technologies for push‐based notifications. The aim of this discussion is to find the most suitable push‐based messaging technologies for application with OGC Web Processing Services (WPS). Based on this, an event‐driven architecture for asynchronous geospatial processing with the WPS is presented, building on the Web Socket Protocol as the transport protocol and the OGC Event Service as the message‐oriented middleware. The proposed architecture allows pushing notifications to clients once a task has completed. This paradigm enables the efficient execution of web‐based geospatial processing tasks as well as the integration of geographical analyses into event‐driven real‐time workflows.