bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Constraints on the evolution of function‐valued traits: a study of growth in Tribolium castaneum
Authors: Irwin K. K. , Carter P. A. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractGrowth trajectories often impact individual fitness. They are continuous by nature and so are amenable to analysis using a function‐valued (FV) trait framework to reveal their underlying genetic architecture. Previous studies have found high levels of standing additive genetic (co)variance for growth trajectories despite the expectation that growth should be responding to frequent strong directional selection. In this study, the FV framework is used to estimate the additive genetic covariance function for growth trajectories in larval Tribolium castaneum to address questions about standing additive genetic (co)variance and possible evolutionary constraints on growth and to predict responses to four plausible selection regimes. Results show that additive genetic (co)variance is high at the early ages, but decreases towards later ages in the larval period. A selection gradient function of the same size and in the same direction of the first eigenfunction of the G‐function should give the maximal response. However, evolutionary constraints may be acting to keep this maximal response from being realized, through either conflicting effects on survivability and fecundity of larger body size, few evolutionary directions having sufficient additive variance for a response, genetic trade‐offs with other traits or physiological regulatory mechanisms. More light may be shed on these constraints through the development of more sophisticated statistical approaches and implementation of additional empirical studies to explicitly test for specific types of constraints.
Suppression of aphids by augmentative release of larvae of flightless Harmonia axyridis
Authors: Seko T. , Sumi A. , Nakano A. , Kameshiro M. , Kaneda T. , Miura K. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThe release of the larvae of flightless ladybird beetles could extend the duration of effective control because of the longer presence of adult stages, and the per individual production cost for juvenile stages is lower than that for adult stages. A preliminary release experiment was conducted to assess the effectiveness in controlling two aphid species, Aphis gossypii and Aulacorthum solani, using second instars of a flightless strain of Harmonia axyridis. The number of A. gossypii was suppressed in greenhouses that contained the flightless strain compared with greenhouses that contained the wild‐type strain. In one of two replicates, more flightless adults were observed on the plants for longer than wild‐type adults. However, it was not clear whether the extension of the residence period contributed to the effectiveness in controlling aphids directly, because the population of ladybirds in the greenhouses consisted of both larvae and adults during parts of the experimental period. In flightless H. axyridis, the release of larvae was more effective in suppressing A. solani than the release of adults. These results suggest that it may be more effective to release larvae of flightless H. axyridis than wild‐type larvae or flightless adults.
Marteiliosis in mussels: a rare disease?
Authors: Gombač M , Kušar D , Ocepek M , Pogačnik M , Arzul I , Couraleau Y , Jenčič V 
Published: October 2013

AbstractAmong 1280 cultured and wild adult Mediterranean mussels, Mytilus galloprovincialis, collected over a 1‐year surveillance period from the Slovene Adriatic Sea, 0.3% were histologically positive for the presence of Marteilia spp. The infection was concentrated in winter. Employing the molecular methods of PCR, cloning, DNA restriction and sequencing, only Marteilia refringens type M was detected in all the infected mussels. Although all life‐cycle stages of M. refringens severely infected digestive glands, only sporadic disruption of epithelial cells of digestive tubules and focal destruction of digestive tubules were observed in the infected mussels. This was the first detection of M. refringens in M. galloprovincialis from the Slovene Adriatic Sea with the lowest prevalence reported to date. In addition, our results highlight the need for sequencing to complement the established PCR‐RFLP analysis for correct parasite typing.
Food deprivation causes rapid changes in the abundance and glucidic composition of the cutaneous mucous cells of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L.
Authors: Landeira‐Dabarca A , Álvarez M , Molist P 
Published: October 2013

AbstractCutaneous mucus is the first physical and chemical barrier of fish. This slime layer is secreted by mucous cells located in the epidermis and is mainly composed of glycoproteins that have their origin in the diet. Therefore, food deprivation can potentially change the abundance and glucidic nature of skin mucous cells, thus changing the mucus properties. To test this hypothesis, we conducted an experiment with Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. Changes in the number and glucidic nature of epidermal mucus cells were analysed using standard techniques. The outcome of this study shows that food deprivation caused a rapid decrease in the density of epidermal mucous cells in Atlantic salmon. Lectin histochemistry revealed a change in the presence and stainability of some sugar residues in the mucous cells of unfed fish compared with fed fish. Given that the primary reason for mucus secretion in fish is for protection against infections, we speculate that the changes in the mucus properties caused by nutritional stress may affect their disease resistance. This fact is particularly important for fish that spend a period of time deprived of food, either as a part of their natural life cycle, or as part of farming practices.
Hexamitiasis leads to lower metabolic rates in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum) juveniles
Authors: Ogut H , Parlak R 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThis study assessed the effects of Hexamita salmonis (Moore) on metabolism of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum) and its effect on the host's susceptibility to infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) after antiparasitic treatment. Rainbow trout naturally infected with H. salmonis were treated with 10 mg metronidazole kg fish−1 per day, and their physiological recovery was assessed through measuring resting metabolism on the 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th day after treatment. In addition, we exposed the naïve fish to H. salmonis and measured the resting metabolism (oxygen consumption as mg O2 kg−1 per hour) on the 10th, 20th and 30th day after the exposure to assess the variation in metabolic rates after infection. Significantly lower rates of metabolic activity (P < 0.05) were anticipated 20 days after infection with H. salmonis compared with the fish infected with H. salmonis for 10 days or with the parasite‐free fish. Similarly, the treated fish needed about 20 days to fully recover from hexamitiasis. The susceptibility of rainbow trout to IPNV remained unchanged in the presence of H. salmonis. Weight loss was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in infected than that in the parasite‐free fish. Fish should be examined regularly for H. salmonis and treated immediately whether found to prevent economic losses and excessive size variation.
Meta‐analysis: Is sequential therapy superior to standard triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection in Asian adults?
Authors: Yoon Hyuk , Lee Dong Ho , Kim Nayoung , Park Young Soo , Shin Cheol Min , Kang Kyu Keun , Oh Dong Hyun , Jang Dong Kee , Chung Jun‐Won 
Published: October 2013

AbstractBackground and AimAlthough several meta‐analyses suggested that sequential therapy (SQT) is superior to standard triple therapy (STT) for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori, these results were mainly based on the studies from Italy. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of 10‐day SQT for H. pylori infection compared with STT in Asian adults.MethodsWe performed an electronic search of the Cochrane Library, Medline, and Embase up to April 21, 2013, with no language restrictions. Randomized controlled trials comparing 10‐day SQT with STT for H. pylori eradication in Asian adults were included in this analysis. The primary outcome measures were the risk ratios (RRs) for successful eradication of H. pylori based on intention to treat comparing SQT with STT. The secondary outcome measures were the RRs for side effects.ResultsSeventeen randomized controlled trials with a total of 3419 participants (1591 for SQT and 1828 for STT) met the inclusion criteria. The eradication rate was 81.8% (95% CI: 78.9−84.6) for SQT and 74.3% (95% CI: 69.6−78.8) for SST, respectively. The pooled RR was 1.10 (95% CI: 1.04−1.16, P = 0.0005), which demonstrated significant superiority of SQT over STT, and the number needed to treat was 14 (95% CI: 9–29). There were no significant differences between SQT and STT in the risk of side effects (the pooled RR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.87−1.10, P = 0.73).ConclusionTen‐day SQT appears to be superior to STT for H. pylori eradication in Asian adults. However, the pooled efficacy is lower than results from earlier European studies.
Tea Consumption and Mortality in the Oldest‐Old Chinese
Authors: Ruan Rongping , Feng Lei , Li Jialiang , Ng Tze‐Pin , Zeng Yi 
Published: October 2013

ObjectivesTo investigate the association between tea consumption and mortality in the oldest‐old Chinese.DesignPopulation‐based longitudinal data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) were analyzed using a Cox semiparametric proportional hazard model.SettingSix hundred thirty‐one randomly selected counties and cities of China's 22 provinces.ParticipantsIndividuals aged 80 and older (N = 9,093) who provided complete data in the baseline survey (1998).MeasurementsSelf‐reported current frequency of tea drinking and past frequency at approximately age 60 were ascertained at baseline survey; a follow‐up survey was conducted 2000, 2002, and 2005.ResultsIn the oldest‐old Chinese, tea consumption was associated with lower risk of mortality after adjusting for demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, health practices, and health status. Compared with non‐tea drinkers, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) was 0.90 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.84–0.96) for daily tea drinkers (at the baseline survey, 1998) and 1.00 (95% CI = 1.01–1.07) for occasional tea drinkers (P for linear trend .003). Similar results were found when tea drinking status at age 60 was used in the analysis. Further analysis showed that subjects who reported frequent tea drinking at age 60 and at the baseline survey had a 10% lower risk of mortality than subjects who reported infrequent tea drinking at age 60 and at the baseline survey (HR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.84–0.97).ConclusionTea consumption is associated with lower risk of mortality in the oldest‐old Chinese.
Can stable isotope analysis reveal dietary differences among groups with distinct income levels in the city of Piracicaba (southeast region, Brazil)?
Authors: Gragnani J. G. , Garavello M. E. P. E. , Silva R. J. , Nardoto G. B. , Martinelli L. A. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractBackgroundThe present study aimed to determine whether the δ13C and δ15N of fingernails (δ13CF and δ15NF, respectively) would exhibit differences between groups from different income levels in the city of Piracicaba, Brazil.MethodsIn 2010, the fingernails of 273 participants belonging to six income groups were analysed to determine isotopic composition. δ13CF and δ15NF were compared with the stable isotope of a putative diet (δ13CD and δ15ND, respectively), which was estimated via an isotopic mass balance using, as a weighting factor, macronutrient intake by the main food items, as obtained by the 2008–2009 household food purchases conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics.Resultsδ13CF values showed a decreasing trend towards the lower income level groups, in accordance with the δ13CD values that showed the same trend. This isotopic change was mainly a result of the higher consumption of beef, bread, soft drinks and dairy by the highest income group; and also as a result of the higher consumption of soybean oil, rice and sugar by the lowest income group. The δ15NF values failed to capture differences in groups between income levels. This outcome was not expected because individuals in a higher income group tend to consume more animal protein and, as a result of the trophic fractionation, have higher δ15N values.ConclusionsThe combination of household purchase surveys and stable isotopic composition in modern humans is found to be a valuable tool, especially with respect to determining the role of C3 and C4 plants through the complex modern food chain.
Wheat genotypic variability in grain yield and carbon isotope discrimination under Mediterranean conditions assessed by spectral reflectance
Authors: Lobos Gustavo A. , Matus Iván , Rodriguez Alejandra , Romero‐Bravo Sebastián , Araus José Luis , del Pozo Alejandro 
Published: October 2013

AbstractA collection of 368 advanced lines and cultivars of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) from Chile, Uruguay, and CIMMYT (Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz y Trigo), with good agronomic characteristics were evaluated under the Mediterranean conditions of central Chile. Three different water regimes were assayed: severe water stress (SWS, rain fed), mild water stress (MWS; one irrigation around booting), and full irrigation (FI; four irrigations: at tillering, flag leaf appearance, heading, and middle grain filling). Traits evaluated were grain yield (GY), agronomical yield components, days from sowing to heading, carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C) in kernels, and canopy spectral reflectance. Correlation analyses were performed for 70 spectral reflectance indices (SRI) and the other traits evaluated in the three trials. GY and Δ13C were the traits best correlated with SRI, particularly when these indices were measured during grain filling. However, only GY could be predicted using a single regression, with Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI2: 2,200; 1,100) having the best fit to the data for the three trials. For Δ13C, only individual regressions could be forecast under FI (r2: 0.25–0.37) and MWS (r2: 0.45–0.59) but not under SWS (r2: 0.03–0.09). NIR‐based SRI proved to be better predictors than those that combine visible and NIR wavelengths.
Corticosterone administration up‐regulated expression of norepinephrine transporter and dopamine β‐hydroxylase in rat locus coeruleus and its terminal regions
Authors: Fan Yan , Chen Ping , Li Ying , Cui Kui , Noel Daniel M. , Cummins Elizabeth D. , Peterson Daniel J. , Brown Russell W. , Zhu Meng‐Yang 
Published: October 2013

AbstractStress has been reported to activate the locus coeruleus (LC)–noradrenergic system. In this study, corticosterone (CORT) was orally administrated to rats for 21 days to mimic stress status. In situ hybridization measurements showed that CORT ingestion significantly increased mRNA levels of norepinephrine transporter (NET) and dopamine β‐hydroxylase (DBH) in the LC region. Immunofluorescence staining and western blotting revealed that CORT treatment also increased protein levels of NET and DBH in the LC, as well as NET protein levels in the hippocampus, the frontal cortex and the amygdala. However, CORT‐induced increase in DBH protein levels only appeared in the hippocampus and the amygdala. Elevated NET and DBH expression in most of these areas (except for NET protein levels in the LC) was abolished by simultaneous treatment with combination of corticosteroid receptor antagonist mifepristone and spironolactone (s.c. for 21 days). Also, treatment with mifepristone alone prevented CORT‐induced increases of NET expression and DBH protein levels in the LC. In addition, behavioral tasks showed that CORT ingestion facilitated escape in avoidance trials using an elevated T‐maze, but interestingly, there was no significant effect on the escape trial. Corticosteroid receptor antagonists failed to counteract this response in CORT‐treated rats. In the open‐field task, CORT treatment resulted in less activity in a defined central zone compared to controls and corticosteroid receptor antagonist treatment alleviated this increase. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that chronic exposure to CORT results in a phenotype that mimics stress‐induced alteration of noradrenergic phenotypes, but the effects on behavior are task dependent. As the sucrose consumption test strongly suggests CORT ingestion‐induced depression‐like behavior, further elucidation of underlying mechanisms may improve our understanding of the correlation between stress and the development of depression.
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Chronic stress and dysfunction of the noradrenergic system are etiologically related to depression. In an attempt to explore their interaction, we found that chronic ingestion of corticosterone (CORT) up‐regulated expression of noradrenergic transporter (NET) and dopamine β‐hydroxylase (DBH) in the locus coeruleus and its main projection regions, which may induce an increase in cellular norepinephrine concentration. This interaction may represent an adaptive action to stress for maintaining homeostasis.
Genomic editing opens new avenues for zebrafish as a model for neurodegeneration
Authors: Schmid Bettina , Haass Christian 
Published: October 2013

AbstractZebrafish has become a popular model organism to study human diseases. We will highlight the advantages and limitations of zebrafish as a model organism to study neurodegenerative diseases and introduce zinc finger nucleases, transcription activator‐like effector nucleases, and the recently established clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat‐associated system for genome editing. The efficiency of the novel genome editing tools now greatly facilitates knock‐out and, importantly, also makes knock‐in approaches feasible in zebrafish. Genome editing in zebrafish avoids unspecific phenotypes caused by off‐target effects and toxicity as frequently seen in conventional knock‐down approaches.
Molecular mechanism of ERK dephosphorylation by striatal‐enriched protein tyrosine phosphatase
Authors: Li Rong , Xie Di‐Dong , Dong Jun‐hong , Li Hui , Li Kang‐shuai , Su Jing , Chen Lai‐Zhong , Xu Yun‐Fei , Wang Hong‐Mei , Gong Zheng , Cui Guo‐Ying , Yu Xiao , Wang Kai , Yao Wei , Xin Tao , Li Min‐Yong , Xiao Kun‐Hong , An Xiao‐fei , Huo Yuqing , Xu Zhi‐gang , Sun Jin‐Peng , Pang Qi 
Published: October 2013

AbstractStriatal‐enriched tyrosine phosphatase (STEP) is an important regulator of neuronal synaptic plasticity, and its abnormal level or activity contributes to cognitive disorders. One crucial downstream effector and direct substrate of STEP is extracellular signal‐regulated protein kinase (ERK), which has important functions in spine stabilisation and action potential transmission. The inhibition of STEP activity toward phospho‐ERK has the potential to treat neuronal diseases, but the detailed mechanism underlying the dephosphorylation of phospho‐ERK by STEP is not known. Therefore, we examined STEP activity toward para‐nitrophenyl phosphate, phospho‐tyrosine‐containing peptides, and the full‐length phospho‐ERK protein using STEP mutants with different structural features. STEP was found to be a highly efficient ERK tyrosine phosphatase that required both its N‐terminal regulatory region and key residues in its active site. Specifically, both kinase interaction motif (KIM) and kinase‐specific sequence of STEP were required for ERK interaction. In addition to the N‐terminal kinase‐specific sequence region, S245, hydrophobic residues L249/L251, and basic residues R242/R243 located in the KIM region were important in controlling STEP activity toward phospho‐ERK. Further kinetic experiments revealed subtle structural differences between STEP and HePTP that affected the interactions of their KIMs with ERK. Moreover, STEP recognised specific positions of a phospho‐ERK peptide sequence through its active site, and the contact of STEP F311 with phospho‐ERK V205 and T207 were crucial interactions. Taken together, our results not only provide the information for interactions between ERK and STEP, but will also help in the development of specific strategies to target STEP‐ERK recognition, which could serve as a potential therapy for neurological disorders.
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Regulation of phospho‐ERK by STEP underlies important neuronal activities. A detailed enzymologic characterisation and cellular studies of STEP revealed that specific residues in KIM and active site mediated ERK recognition. Structural differences between the KIM‐ERK interfaces and the active site among different ERK phosphatases could be targeted to develop specific STEP inhibitor, which has therapeutic potential for neurological disorders. PKA, protein kinase A & NGF, nerve growth factor.
Regulation of DNA methylation by ethanol induces tissue plasminogen activator expression in astrocytes
Authors: Zhang Xiaolu , Kusumo Handojo , Sakharkar Amul J. , Pandey Subhash C. , Guizzetti Marina 
Published: October 2013

AbstractAlcohol exposure affects neuronal plasticity in the adult and developing brain. Astrocytes play a major role in modulating neuronal plasticity and are a target of ethanol. Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is involved in modulating neuronal plasticity by degrading the extracellular matrix proteins including fibronectin and laminin and is up‐regulated by ethanol in vivo. In this study we explored the hypothesis that ethanol affects DNA methylation in astrocytes thereby increasing expression and release of tPA. It was found that ethanol increased tPA mRNA levels, an effect mimicked by an inhibitor of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) activity. Ethanol also increased tPA protein expression and release, and inhibited DNMT activity with a corresponding decrease in DNA methylation levels of the tPA promoter. Furthermore, it was observed that protein levels of DNMT3A, but not DNMT1, were reduced in astrocytes after ethanol exposure. These novel studies show that ethanol inhibits DNA methylation in astrocytes leading to increased tPA expression and release; this effect may be involved in astrocyte‐mediated inhibition of neuronal plasticity by alcohol.
imageWe propose that ethanol, by decreasing DNMT‐3a (DNA methyltransferase) levels and by inhibiting DNMT activity, reduces DNA methylation of the tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) promoter and leads to increased tPA mRNA and protein expression in astrocytes; tPA released is also increased by ethanol. As tPA promotes the degradation of neuritogenic extracellular matrix, the observed dysregulation of the epigenetic mechanism of DNA methylation in astyrocytes may be involved in ethanol‐induced inhibition of astrocyte‐mediated neuritogenesis.