bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mitochondrial DNA differentiation between populations of black sea bass (Centropristis striata) across Cape Hatteras, North Carolina (USA)
Authors: McCartney Michael A. , Burton Michael L. , Lima Thiago G. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractAimPhylogeographical ‘breaks’ often occur at biogeographical province boundaries, suggesting common causative factors. Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, on the US Atlantic coast, separates water masses of sharply differing temperature and divides the Virginian and Carolinian provinces, but has not often been detected as a phylogeographical break. We studied the black sea bass, Centropristis striata (Linnaeus, 1758), a species with philopatric adults but long‐lived planktonic larvae. An earlier study of only two Atlantic populations, and lower‐resolution mitochondrial RFLP markers, showed strong separation between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic, but not across Cape Hatteras.LocationOver 300 adults were collected from populations from the Gulf of Mexico, the US south Atlantic (North Carolina south of Cape Hatteras, the east coast of Florida, and South Carolina), and the US mid‐Atlantic (North Carolina north of Cape Hatteras, Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey and Massachusetts).MethodsWe sequenced the mitochondrial control region, analysed DNA sequence and haplotype frequency differentiation and haplotype networks, and performed coalescent analyses of population sizes and migration rates.ResultsSequences formed three clusters – Gulf of Mexico, south Atlantic and mid‐Atlantic – the Atlantic clusters being divided at Cape Hatteras. Analyses of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that 31% of sequence variation was between populations on opposite sides of Cape Hatteras, while only 5% was between populations on the same side, yet migrate analysis detected asymmetric migration across the Cape, greater from north to south than in the opposite direction. A transitional population with roughly equal frequencies of south and mid‐Atlantic haplotypes occupied a narrow stretch between Cape Hatteras and the Virginia border.Main conclusionsStrong barriers to gene flow exist between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic, and across Cape Hatteras. Adult migratory and spawning behaviours that separate mid‐Atlantic and south Atlantic populations, limited larval exchange, and selection imposed by thermal gradients are each potentially responsible. In addition, these data indicate that fishery stocks of black sea bass north and south of Cape Hatteras are genetically distinct, supporting their separate management.
Pharmacological modulation of beta‐catenin and its applications in cancer therapy
Authors: Thakur Ravi , Mishra Durga Prasad 
Published: March 2013

AbstractBeta‐catenin (β‐catenin) is a multifunction protein with a central role in physiological homeostasis. Its abnormal expression leads to various diseases including cancer. In normal physiology, β‐catenin either maintains integrity of epithelial tissues or controls transcription of various genes on extracellular instigations. In epithelial tissues, β‐catenin functions as a component of the cadherin protein complex and regulates epithelial cell growth and intracellular adhesion. In Wnt signalling, β‐catenin is a major transcriptional modulator and plays a crucial role in embryogenesis, stem cell renewal and organ regeneration. Aberrant expression of β‐catenin can induce malignant pathways in normal cells and its abnormal activity is also exploited by existing malignant programmes. It acts as an oncogene and modulates transcription of genes to drive cancer initiation, progression, survival and relapse. Abnormal expression and function of β‐catenin in cancer makes it a putative drug target. In the past decade, various attempts have been made to identify and characterize various pharmacological inhibitors of β‐catenin. Many of these inhibitors are currently being investigated for their anticancer activities in a variety of cancers. The first half of this review will focus on the role of β‐catenin in cancer initiation, maintenance, progression and relapse whereas the second half will briefly summarize the recent progress in development of agents for the pharmacological modulation of β‐catenin activity in cancer therapeutics.
Molecular and pedigree measures of relatedness provide similar estimates of inbreeding depression in a bottlenecked population
Authors: Townsend S. M. , Jamieson I. G. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractIndividual‐based estimates of the degree of inbreeding or parental relatedness from pedigrees provide a critical starting point for studies of inbreeding depression, but in practice wild pedigrees are difficult to obtain. Because inbreeding increases the proportion of genomewide loci that are identical by descent, inbreeding variation within populations has the potential to generate observable correlations between heterozygosity measured using molecular markers and a variety of fitness related traits. Termed heterozygosity‐fitness correlations (HFCs), these correlations have been observed in a wide variety of taxa. The difficulty of obtaining wild pedigree data, however, means that empirical investigations of how pedigree inbreeding influences HFCs are rare. Here, we assess evidence for inbreeding depression in three life‐history traits (hatching and fledging success and juvenile survival) in an isolated population of Stewart Island robins using both pedigree‐ and molecular‐derived measures of relatedness. We found results from the two measures were highly correlated and supported evidence for significant but weak inbreeding depression. However, standardized effect sizes for inbreeding depression based on the pedigree‐based kin coefficients (k) were greater and had smaller standard errors than those based on molecular genetic measures of relatedness (RI), particularly for hatching and fledging success. Nevertheless, the results presented here support the use of molecular‐based measures of relatedness in bottlenecked populations when information regarding inbreeding depression is desired but pedigree data on relatedness are unavailable.
Do habitat shifts drive diversification in teleost fishes? An example from the pufferfishes (Tetraodontidae)
Authors: Santini F. , Nguyen M. T. T. , Sorenson L. , Waltzek T. B. , Lynch Alfaro J. W. , Eastman J. M. , Alfaro M. E. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractHabitat shifts are implicated as the cause of many vertebrate radiations, yet relatively few empirical studies quantify patterns of diversification following colonization of new habitats in fishes. The pufferfishes (family Tetraodon‐tidae) occur in several habitats, including coral reefs and freshwater, which are thought to provide ecological opportunity for adaptive radiation, and thus provide a unique system for testing the hypothesis that shifts to new habitats alter diversification rates. To test this hypothesis, we sequenced eight genes for 96 species of pufferfishes and closely related porcupine fishes, and added 19 species from sequences available in GenBank. We time‐calibrated the molecular phylogeny using three fossils, and performed several comparative analyses to test whether colonization of novel habitats led to shifts in the rate of speciation and body size evolution, central predictions of clades experiencing ecological adaptive radiation. Colonization of freshwater is associated with lower rates of cladogenesis in pufferfishes, although these lineages also exhibit accelerated rates of body size evolution. Increased rates of cladogenesis are associated with transitions to coral reefs, but reef lineages surprisingly exhibit significantly lower rates of body size evolution. These results suggest that ecological opportunity afforded by novel habitats may be limited for pufferfishes due to competition with other species, constraints relating to pufferfish life history and trophic ecology, and other factors.
The effect of ploidy and incubation temperature on survival and the prevalence of aplasia of the septum transversum in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L
Authors: Fraser T W K , Fleming M S , Poppe T T , Hansen T , Fjelldal P G 
Published: March 2013

AbstractHeart deformities are a concern in aquaculture and are linked to egg incubation temperature. Diploid and triploid Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., were incubated at 6, 8 and 10 °C and analysed for aplasia of the septum transversum (n = 150 ploidy−1 incubation temperature−1). Heart morphology (size and shape) was assessed in fish incubated at 6 °C and in fish with and without aplasia of the septum transversum (n = 9 group−1) incubated at 10 °C. Egg mortality was significantly higher in triploids than in diploids at all incubation temperatures, and increased egg incubation temperatures increased mortality in both ploidy. Triploids grew quicker than diploids after egg incubation at 10 °C, but not at 6 °C. Aplasia of the septum transversum occurred only in triploid fish after incubation at 6 °C and 8 °C (0.7% and 3.3%, respectively) and was significantly greater (P ≤ 0.05) in triploids after incubation at 10 °C compared with diploids (30% and 18%, respectively). Aplasia of the septum transversum significantly increased heart mass and resulted in a long flat ventricle compared with fish displaying a septum transversum. The results suggest triploid salmon should be incubated below 8 °C.
Detection of Brucella spp. in Stretched Curd Cheese as Assessed by Molecular Assays
Authors: Capuano Federico , Capparelli Rosanna , Mancusi Andrea , Esposito Salvatore , Corrado Federica , Guarino Achille 
Published: March 2013

AbstractThe study concerns the presence of Brucella spp. in the stretched curd cheese produced in an area characterized by the presence of a relevant number of herds infected with Brucella spp. One hundred ninety‐one cheese samples made with milk from different species were tested by two molecular assays. Positive samples were further submitted to sequence analysis of the IS711 gene. Eleven out of 98 of the samples made with buffalo milk alone resulted contaminated. The prevalence in cheese samples from cow milk alone and milk from cow and buffalo was 2.7% and 10.5%, respectively. No sample was positive to the microbiological Office International des Epizooties detection tests of Brucella spp.Practical ApplicationThe aim of the study is to evaluate the use of molecular assays as a tool to support microbiological and immunological tests carried out to eradicate brucellosis. Molecular assays shows to be a useful aid for the monitoring of herds health and the safety of dairy products evaluation; furthermore, their application to dairy products allows the implementation of the procedures to trace those infected farms that supply milk to dairies.
Merging dietary assessment with the adolescent lifestyle
Authors: Schap T. E. , Zhu F. , Delp E. J. , Boushey C. J. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractThe use of image‐based dietary assessment methods shows promise for improving dietary self‐report among children. The Technology Assisted Dietary Assessment (TADA) food record application is a self‐administered food record specifically designed to address the burden and human error associated with conventional methods of dietary assessment. Users would take images of foods and beverages at all eating occasions using a mobile telephone or mobile device with an integrated camera [e.g. Apple iPhone, Apple iPod Touch (Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, USA); Nexus One (Google, Mountain View, CA, USA)]. Once the images are taken, the images are transferred to a back‐end server for automated analysis. The first step in this process is image analysis (i.e. segmentation, feature extraction and classification), which allows for automated food identification. Portion size estimation is also automated via segmentation and geometric shape template modeling. The results of the automated food identification and volume estimation can be indexed with the Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies to provide a detailed diet analysis for use in epidemiological or intervention studies. Data collected during controlled feeding studies in a camp‐like setting have allowed for formative evaluation and validation of the TADA food record application. This review summarises the system design and the evidence‐based development of image‐based methods for dietary assessment among children.
Nutrient intakes, major food sources and dietary inadequacies of Inuit adults living in three remote communities in Nunavut, Canada
Authors: Sharma S. , Hopping B. N. , Roache C. , Sheehy T. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractBackgroundInuit in Nunavut, Canada, are currently undergoing a nutritional transition that may contribute to an increased prevalence of chronic disease. Information is lacking about the extent to which contemporary Inuit diets are meeting current dietary recommendations.MethodsA culturally appropriate quantitative food frequency questionnaire (QFFQ) developed and validated for Inuit in Nunavut, Canada, was used to assess food and nutrient intake in a cross‐sectional sample of adults.ResultsParticipants included 175 women and 36 men with mean (SD) ages of 42.4 (13.2) and 42.1 (15.0) years, respectively. The response rate for those who completed the study was 79% with 208 QFFQs included for analysis. Reported mean daily energy intakes were: men 15 171 kJ (3626 kcal); women 11 593 kJ (2771 kcal). Dietary inadequacy was expressed as the percentage of participants reporting intakes below the sex‐ and age‐specific estimated average requirements (EARs). For nutrients without EARs, adequate intakes were used. Energy and sodium intakes exceeded the recommendations. Less than 10% of participants met recommendations for dietary fibre intake. Vitamin E intakes were below EARs for ≥97% of participants, whereas >20% reported inadequate vitamin A, folate and magnesium intakes. Among women, >50% reported inadequate calcium and vitamin D intakes. Non‐nutrient‐dense foods contributed 30% of energy, 73% of sugars and 22% of fat. Traditional foods contributed 56% of protein and 49% of iron.ConclusionsThe present study demonstrates a relatively high prevalence of inadequate nutrient intakes among Inuit. The results may be used to monitor the nutrition transition among Inuit, evaluate nutritional interventions, and inform public health policy decision‐making.
Assisted‐living elderly and the mealtime experience
Authors: Mahadevan M. , Hartwell H. J. , Feldman C. H. , Ruzsilla J. A. , Raines E. R. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractBackgroundAlthough there is increasing evidence of barriers to nutritional health among elderly assisted‐living residents, there has not been the same emphasis when examining the ways in which these individuals experience their mealtimes, as well as the factors that they perceive as contributing to their overall sense of health and well‐being. Mealtimes may be disregarded as being particularly unimportant or hurried and overlooked, especially for those residents who may be lonely and have feelings of isolation, ultimately leading to a reduced food intake and poor nutrition.MethodsA convenience sample of 38 men and women, aged ≥65 years, were selected from four assisted‐living facilities in and around Montclair, NJ, USA, to participate in focus group discussions. Data were analysed using content analysis procedures.ResultsParticipants described their experiences of mealtimes, and the factors contributing to an overall sense of well‐being during these occasions. The ability to make healthy food choices, socialise, interact with staff, friends and family members, and enjoy a tasty meal in a warm and inviting dining environment, may provide a dignity that is unmatched by other services.ConclusionsThe findings of the present study highlight the importance of maintaining the health of elderly assisted‐living residents through strategies that enhance their mealtime experiences. Listening to the food voice of elderly through research such as that carried out in the present study will help policy makers develop a plan that will effectively deal with systemic barriers prevalent in these facilities, and incorporate strategies to motivate and encourage their residents to increase their food intake and improve their health and well‐being.
From Legal Transplants to Sustainable Transition
Authors: Tong Xin , Yan Lin 
Published: March 2013

SummaryExtended producer responsibility (EPR), which assigns significant responsibility to producers to take back their end‐of‐life products to create incentives for redesign of products with lower life cycle environmental impacts, has come to a crossroad facing a trade‐off between the original innovation‐oriented regime design and the cost‐efficiency challenges in practice. This is particularly true in its implementation in non‐Organization for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) countries as they are trying to transplant the “best practices” from OECD countries, for there is increasing skepticism as to whether EPR is suitable for developing countries at all. As an important producer of electronic products and destination of electronic waste (e‐waste) flows in the world, China has been expected to play a vital role in the evolution of global governance based on the idea of EPR, either to create new ways for producers to perform their end‐of‐life strategies, or to reshape the mode of production and consumption with its fast‐growing market. However, the establishment of EPR in China has been long and full of difficulties. This article reviews the status and trends in the establishment of an EPR system for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) management in China. We use the framework of a multilevel perspective of transition theory in our analysis to characterize the complex interactions among various agents in the evolution of the Chinese system from initial innovation‐oriented design to the current efficiency‐oriented version. An ongoing research framework for evaluation of the EPR program in China is outlined as the research agenda in coming years.
Psychometric comparison of theMotivationAssessmentScale (MAS) and theQuestionsAboutBehavioralFunction (QABF)
Authors: Koritsas S. , Iacono T. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractBackgroundTheMotivationAssessmentScale (MAS) and theQuestionsAboutBehavioralFunction (QABF) are frequently used to assess the learned function of challenging behaviour in people with intellectual disability (ID). The aim was to explore and compare the psychometric properties of theMASand theQABF.MethodSeventy adults withIDand challenging behaviour and their disability support workers participated in the study. Support workers completed theMASandQABFregarding a challenging behaviour that they identified as causing most concern.ResultsBoth measures demonstrated good internal consistency. Based on the intra‐class correlation coefficient, inter‐rater reliability of theMASandQABFwas acceptable for sub‐scale scores, but not for individual items. Convergent validity, as reflected by correlations between functionally analogous scales, was satisfactory, but there was low agreement between theMASandQABFon the function of challenging behaviour. Factor analysis of theQABFrevealed factors that clearly corresponded to the five factors reported by the developers, four of which were well determined. Similar analyses of theMASyielded a four‐factor solution, however, only one factor was well determined.ConclusionThe psychometric properties of theMASandQABFwere similar, and item‐by‐item reliability was problematic. The results suggest that both measures may prove unreliable for assessing the function of challenging behaviour among adults withID. In developing interventions to address challenging behaviour, other techniques (e.g. observations) should be used to supplement information from these measures.
Endoscopic focal modulation microscopy
Authors: AHN J. , YOO H. , GWEON D.‐G. 
Published: March 2013

SummaryWe present endoscopic focal modulation microscopy (FMM) for minimally invasive imaging of deep tissue with high contrast, and then compare the results using endoscopic confocal microscopy (CM). Deep tissue imaging is achieved using a needle‐like endoscopic probe based on gradient‐index (GRIN) lenses. A tissue‐like phantom with fluorescent micro‐beads and rat kidney tubules were imaged through the endoscopic probe with FMM. FMM effectively rejected the background signals from the out‐of‐focus plane, thereby enhancing the image contrast and the optical sectioning ability. The combination of the GRIN endoscopic probe and FMM provides deep tissue imaging with better contrast than endoscopic CM.
Light at Night Alters Daily Patterns of Cortisol and Clock Proteins in Female Siberian Hamsters
Authors: Bedrosian T. A. , Galan A. , Vaughn C. A. , Weil Z. M. , Nelson R. J. 
Published: March 2013

Humans and other organisms have adapted to a 24‐h solar cycle in response to life on Earth. The rotation of the planet on its axis and its revolution around the sun cause predictable daily and seasonal patterns in day length. To successfully anticipate and adapt to these patterns in the environment, a variety of biological processes oscillate with a daily rhythm of approximately 24 h in length. These rhythms arise from hierarchally‐coupled cellular clocks generated by positive and negative transcription factors of core circadian clock gene expression. From these endogenous cellular clocks, overt rhythms in activity and patterns in hormone secretion and other homeostatic processes emerge. These circadian rhythms in physiology and behaviour can be organised by a variety of cues, although they are most potently entrained by light. In recent history, there has been a major change from naturally‐occurring light cycles set by the sun, to artificial and sometimes erratic light cycles determined by the use of electric lighting. Virtually every individual living in an industrialised country experiences light at night (LAN) but, despite its prevalence, the biological effects of such unnatural lighting have not been fully considered. Using female Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus), we investigated the effects of chronic nightly exposure to dim light on daily rhythms in locomotor activity, serum cortisol concentrations and brain expression of circadian clock proteins (i.e. PER1, PER2, BMAL1). Although locomotor activity remained entrained to the light cycle, the diurnal fluctuation of cortisol concentrations was blunted and the expression patterns of clock proteins in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and hippocampus were altered. These results demonstrate that chronic exposure to dim LAN can dramatically affect fundamental cellular function and emergent physiology.
PATENT ENFORCEMENT: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Authors: Weatherall Kimberlee , Webster Elizabeth 
Published: March 2013

AbstractWithout the confidence that patent rights can be enforced quickly and efficiently, when needed, the patent system will not stimulate innovation. For this reason, governments, academics, international institutions and the private sector have poured significant resources into gathering and analysing statistics on patent enforcement over the last two decades. This paper reviews these studies and finds that while infringement is relatively common, much enforcement occurs informally and less than 1–2% of patents incur litigation. New strategic uses of the enforcement system, especially by nonpracticing entities, are the major emerging enforcement issue, especially in the United States. While the old problem of litigation costs attracts the lion's share of empirical attention, it has produced remarkably few solutions to date.