bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of whole blood and PBMC assays for T-cell functional analysis
Authors: Deenadayalan Anbarasu , Maddineni Prabhavathi , Raja Alamelu 
Published: March 2013

Abstract

Background
Tuberculosis remains the foremost cause of morbidity and mortality, more than any other single infectious disease in the world. Cell mediated immune response plays a crucial role in the control of tuberculosis. Therefore, measuring cell mediated immune response against the antigens is having a vital role in understanding the pathogenesis of tuberculosis, which will also help in the diagnosis of and vaccination for tuberculosis.

Findings
The aim of the present study was to compare and optimize the assay conditions to measure the cell mediated immune response against M. tuberculosis specific antigens. Because the conventional PBMC assays (due to requirement of large volume of blood sample) are unable to screen more number of antigens within the same blood sample. So, here we have compared 6 days culture supernatants of 1:5 and 1:10 diluted blood and PBMCs from healthy laboratory volunteers, to assess the proliferative response of T lymphocytes and secreted IFN-γ levels against purified recombinant antigen of M. tuberculosis (MPT51, Rv3803c), crude antigens of M. tuberculosis (PPD) and mitogen (PHA).

Conclusions
We have observed good correlation between each assay and also the mean difference of these assays did not reach the statistical significance (p > 0.05). From these results, we conclude that 1:10 diluted whole-blood cultures can be well-suited as an alternative assay to measure cytokine production and lymphocyte proliferation in comparison to the conventional PBMC assays. Moreover, 1:10 diluted blood assays require less volume of blood when compared to PBMC assays which will be useful particularly in paediatric and field studies in endemic countries, where blood volume is a limiting factor.
Estimation of total phenol and in vitro antioxidant activity of Albizia procera leaves
Authors: khatoon Mahfuza , Islam Ekramul , Islam Rafikul , Rahman Aziz Abdur , Alam AHM Khurshid , Khondkar Proma , Rashid Mamunur , Parvin Shahnaj 
Published: March 2013

Abstract

Background
Research on natural products has gained a wide popularity due to the potential of discovering active compounds. The antioxidant properties contained in plants have been proposed as one of the mechanisms for the observed beneficial effect. Therefore, the present study investigated the antioxidant activity and total phenolic contents of various solvent extracts of Albizia procera leaves.

Methods
Antioxidant activity of the methanol extract and its derived fractions petroleum ether (APP), carbon tetrachloride (APC), dichloromethane (APD), ethyl acetate (APE), and residual aqueous fraction (APA) of the leaves of Albizia procera was performed by in vitro chemical analyses. Total phenolic content of the APM and other five fractions were also determined. APM and its derived fractions were also subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening test for various constituents.

R esults
Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of saponins, steroids, tannins, glycosides and flavonoids in the extracts. Amongst the extracts, APE showed the highest total phenolic content (449.18 ± 18.41mg of gallic acid equivalent/g of extract). In DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging test, the IC50 value of APM, APP, APC, APD, APE and APA was 43.43, 63.60, 166.18, 41.15, 11.79, and 63.06 μg/mL, respectively. Therefore, among the APM and its derived fractions, APE showed the highest antioxidant activity which is comparable to that of standard ascorbic acid (AA) (IC50 10.12 μg/mL). The total antioxidant capacity was found to be varied in different fractions. The reducing activity on ferrous ion was ranked as APE > APD > APM > APA > APC.

C onclusion
The above evidences suggest that APE of A. procera leaf is a potential source of natural antioxidant and can be used to prevent diseases associated with free radicals.
Are non-attenders a concern for primary care practice?
Authors: Khanassov Vladimir , Vedel Isabelle , Bergman Howard 
Published: March 2013

Abstract
The article by Eshel et al. describes major differences, in terms of demography and health status, between elderly patients who did and those who did not visit primary care physicians for general health check-ups. The authors conclude that non-attenders are not at risk for developing health conditions.
While this study by Eshel et al. provides a better understanding of the primary care population, the conclusion (no need for reaching out to the non-attenders) should be viewed with caution. In this study, non-attenders ‘have a higher probability of being women, older, not married and from a lower socio-economic’ segment of the population, a population that is known to be at higher risk for chronic disease. In addition, outreach programs in primary care would be key in providing essential preventive measures for this vulnerable population (e.g., osteoporosis prevention, vaccination, lifestyle, etc.).
This is a commentary on http://www.ijhpr.org/content/2/1/7.
Adaptive pedestrian behaviour for the preservation of group cohesion
Authors: Vizzari Giuseppe , Manenti Lorenza , Crociani Luca 
Published: March 2013

Abstract

Purpose
A crowd of pedestrians is a complex system in which individuals exhibit conflicting behavioural mechanisms leading to self-organisation phenomena. Computer models for the simulation of crowds represent a consolidated type of application, employed on a day-to-day basis to support designers and decision makers. Most state of the art models, however, generally do not consider the explicit representation of pedestrians aggregations (groups) and their implications on the overall system dynamics. This work is aimed at discussing a research effort systematically exploring the potential implication of the presence of groups of pedestrians in different situations (e.g. changing density, spatial configurations of the environment).

Methods
The paper describes an agent-based model encompassing both traditional individual motivations (i.e. tendency to stay away from other pedestrians while moving towards the goal) and an adaptive mechanism representing the influence of group presence in the simulated population. The mechanism is designed to preserve the cohesion of specific types of groups (e.g. families and friends) even in high density and turbulent situations. The model is tested in simplified scenarios to evaluate the implications of modelling choices and the presence of groups.

Results
The model produces results in tune with available evidences from the literature, both from the perspective of pedestrian flows and space utilisation, in scenarios not comprising groups; when groups are present, the model is able to preserve their cohesion even in challenging situations (i.e. high density, presence of a counterflow), and it produces interesting results in high density situations that call for further observations and experiments to gather empirical data.

Conclusions
The introduced adaptive model for group cohesion is effective in qualitatively reproducing group related phenomena and it stimulates further research efforts aimed at gathering empirical evidences, on one hand, and modelling efforts aimed at reproducing additional related phenomena (e.g. leader-follower movement patterns).
Draft genome of the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, a major forest pest
Authors: Keeling Christopher I , Yuen Macaire MS , Liao Nancy Y , Roderick Docking T , Chan Simon K , Taylor Greg A , Palmquist Diana L , Jackman Shaun D , Nguyen Anh , Li Maria , Henderson Hannah , Janes Jasmine K , Zhao Yongjun , Pandoh Pawan , Moore Richard , Sperling Felix AH , W Huber Dezene P , Birol Inanc , Jones Steven JM , Bohlmann Joerg 
Published: March 2013

Abstract
Background
The mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, is the most serious insect pest of western North American pine forests. A recent outbreak destroyed more than 15 million hectares of pine forests, with major environmental effects on forest health, and economic effects on the forest industry. The outbreak has in part been driven by climate change, and will contribute to increased carbon emissions through decaying forests.

Results
We developed a genome sequence resource for the mountain pine beetle to better understand the unique aspects of this insect's biology. A draft de novo genome sequence was assembled from paired-end, short-read sequences from an individual field-collected male pupa, and scaffolded using mate-paired, short-read genomic sequences from pooled field-collected pupae, paired-end short-insert whole-transcriptome shotgun sequencing reads of mRNA from adult beetle tissues, and paired-end Sanger EST sequences from various life stages. We describe the cytochrome P450, glutathione S-transferase, and plant cell wall-degrading enzyme gene families important to the survival of the mountain pine beetle in its harsh and nutrient-poor host environment, and examine genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism variation. A horizontally transferred bacterial sucrose-6-phosphate hydrolase was evident in the genome, and its tissue-specific transcription suggests a functional role for this beetle.

Conclusions
Despite Coleoptera being the largest insect order with over 400,000 described species, including many agricultural and forest pest species, this is only the second genome sequence reported in Coleoptera, and will provide an important resource for the Curculionoidea and other insects.
Aggressive behavior in the antennectomized male cricket Gryllus bimaculatus
Authors: Sakura Midori , Aonuma Hitoshi 
Published: March 2013

Summary
Male crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) exhibit intensively defensive aggressive behavior toward attacking other males most often culminating in fighting. After the fight, the loser no longer exhibits aggressiveness in a second, separate encounter with another male; rather the defeated male exhibits avoidance behavior. Here we investigate the role of sensory input from the antennae in male defensive aggressive behavior. When we removed antennae from males (antennectomized) we found that antennectomized males show little aggressiveness toward each other whereas they continued to exhibit typical fighting behavior to an intact male. In addition, in a second encounter, antennectomized losers showed significantly higher aggressiveness towards another male than intact losers do. We further found that antennectomized crickets do not utilize visual or palpal sensory input to elicit aggressive behavior. In contrast, intact males showed aspects of aggressive behavior to male cuticular substances before and after winning a fight, and if they lost a fight showed avoidance behavior. It thus appears that antennal sensory information is critical in the mediation of aggressive and avoidance behaviors. However, sensory inputs from the antennae are not necessary to elicit defensive aggressive behavior but are necessary to discriminate conspecific males and initiate attacking them.
Rhythmic profiles of cell cycle and circadian clock genes' transcripts in mice: a possible association between two periodic systems
Authors: Weigl Yuval , Ashkenazi Israel E. , Peleg Leah 
Published: March 2013

SummaryThe circadian system shapes the rhythms of most biological functions. The regulation of the cell cycle by a circadian clock was suggested to operate via stages S, G2, and G2/M. This study investigated a possible time link at stages G1 and G1/S as well. The daily expression profiles of cell cycle markers (Ccnd1, Ccne1 and Pcna) and circadian clock genes (Per2 and Clock) were monitored in liver and esophagus (low and high proliferation index, respectively) of BALB/c mice. Locomotor activity displayed a 24 hrs rhythm, establishing the circadian organization of the SCN. In the liver, the mRNA level patterns of Per2 and Clock fitted circadian rhythm with a 7:30 h shift. That temporal pattern suggests that the liver harbor a functional circadian clock. The rhythm of the analyzed cell cycle genes, however, were of low significance fitness and an opposite peak time between Pcna and Clock. These results propose a weak regulatory role of the circadian clock. In the esophagus, the rhythms of Clock and Per2 mRNA had a similar peak time and non circadian periods. Such results suggest that the esophagus either do not harbor a functional circadian apparatus or that phenotypes stem from differences in phase and amplitude of its various cell types' rhythms. The similarity in the rhythm parameters of Clock, Ccne1 and Pcna transcripts, questions the control of circadian clock upon the cell-cycle along G1 and G1/S stages. Yet G1/S transition may play a role in modulating the local clock of proliferating tissues.
The effects of elevated temperature on the sexual traits, immunology and survivorship of a tropical ectotherm
Authors: Breckels Ross D. , Neff Bryan D. 
Published: March 2013

Summary
In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projected an average global air temperature increase of 1.1-6.4°C by the end of the 21st century. Although the tropics are predicted to experience less extreme temperature increases than regions of higher latitude, tropical ectotherms live close to their thermal limits, and are thus particularly vulnerable to increases in temperature. In this study, we examined how predicted patterns of global warming will affect survival and sexual traits in the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata). Guppies were exposed from birth to one of four temperature treatments: 23°C, 25°C (control), 28°C, or 30°C. We measured brood survival and at sexual maturity, male ornamentation, sperm traits, and immune response. Our results show that increases in temperature result in guppies that have shorter, slower sperm but that there is an optimum temperature for ornamental hue at 28°C. Given the importance of sperm quality for reproduction, these results suggest population viability could be affected by warming. However, we found no difference in brood survival or immune response to a novel antigen across the treatments, indicating that survival may not be as vulnerable as previously thought. Overall, our data suggest that male sexual traits, and in particular sperm performance, are more sensitive than survival to a warming environment.
Using State-and-Transition Modeling to Account for Imperfect Detection in Invasive Species Management
Authors: Frid Leonardo , Holcombe Tracy , Morisette Jeffrey T. , Olsson Aaryn D. , Brigham Lindy , Bean Travis M. , Betancourt Julio L. , Bryan Katherine 
Published: March 2013

AbstractBuffelgrass, a highly competitive and flammable African bunchgrass, is spreading rapidly across both urban and natural areas in the Sonoran Desert of southern and central Arizona. Damages include increased fire risk, losses in biodiversity, and diminished revenues and quality of life. Feasibility of sustained and successful mitigation will depend heavily on rates of spread, treatment capacity, and cost–benefit analysis. We created a decision support model for the wildland–urban interface north of Tucson, AZ, using a spatial state-and-transition simulation modeling framework, the Tool for Exploratory Landscape Scenario Analyses. We addressed the issues of undetected invasions, identifying potentially suitable habitat and calibrating spread rates, while answering questions about how to allocate resources among inventory, treatment, and maintenance. Inputs to the model include a state-and-transition simulation model to describe the succession and control of buffelgrass, a habitat suitability model, management planning zones, spread vectors, estimated dispersal kernels for buffelgrass, and maps of current distribution. Our spatial simulations showed that without treatment, buffelgrass infestations that started with as little as 80 ha (198 ac) could grow to more than 6,000 ha by the year 2060. In contrast, applying unlimited management resources could limit 2060 infestation levels to approximately 50 ha. The application of sufficient resources toward inventory is important because undetected patches of buffelgrass will tend to grow exponentially. In our simulations, areas affected by buffelgrass may increase substantially over the next 50 yr, but a large, upfront investment in buffelgrass control could reduce the infested area and overall management costs.
Community and Ecosystem Effects of Buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare) and Nitrogen Deposition in the Sonoran Desert
Authors: Lyons Kelly G. , Maldonado-Leal Baruk G. , Owen Gigi 
Published: March 2013

AbstractBuffelgrass is a non-indigenous, invasive, C4grass that was introduced throughout much of southern Texas, the Southwestern United States, and northern and central Mexico to improve degraded rangelands. The successful introduction and spread of buffelgrass follows a trajectory similar to that of other invasive C4grasses in arid and semiarid ecosystems. In the Plains of Sonora of the Sonoran Desert (Mexico) buffelgrass is favored by widespread removal of native vegetation and seeding, but, why, following initial introduction, the species persists remains unclear. In this study, we addressed two concerns associated with buffelgrass invasion in the Plains of Sonora. We hypothesized that under arid rangeland conditions, buffelgrass outcompetes native herbaceous species (1) through rapid acquisition of limiting nutrients (here assumed to be nitrogen) and (2) under conditions with high nitrogen input. In summer 2002, a 2 by 2 factorial experiment was established with buffelgrass removal and nitrogen addition in both intact desert and converted buffelgrass grassland habitats. In winter 2003, we found that, regardless of habitat type, buffelgrass removal had a positive effect on abundance, biomass, and richness of native herbaceous species while addition of nitrogen, as urea (at 50 kg N ha−1yr−1or 9.18 lbs N ac−1yr−1), and disturbance resulted in reduction in abundance and biomass. Nitrogen addition did not negatively alter buffelgrass cover. Nitrogen addition had the expected result of increasing initial, peak and total NO3and NH4mineralization with the exception of NO3measures in intact desert. Removal of buffelgrass did not result in significant increases in soil NO3or NH4with the exception of peak NH4in intact desert. Results of this study support observations that native herbaceous species are displaced by buffelgrass invasion and that nitrogen pollution will likely favor buffelgrass over the native herbaceous species in this ecosystem.
Prioritizing Invasive Plant Management with Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis
Authors: Hohmann Matthew G. , Just Michael G. , Frank Peter J. , Wall Wade A. , Gray Janet B. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractPrioritizing management of invasive plants is important for large land management entities, such as federal and state public land stewards, because management resources are limited and multiple land uses and management objectives are differentially impacted. Management decisions also have important consequences for the likelihood of success and ultimate cost of control efforts. We applied multi-criteria decision analysis methods in a geographic information system using natural resource and land use data from Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Landscape-scale prioritization was based on a hierarchical model designed to increase invasive plant management efficiencies and reduce the risk of impacts to key installation management goals, such as training-land management and protected species conservation. We also applied spatial sensitivity analyses to evaluate the robustness of the prioritization to perturbations of the model weights, which were used to describe the relative importance of different elements of the hierarchical model. Based on stakeholders' need for confidence in making management investments, we incorporated the results of the sensitivity analysis into the decision-making process. We identified high-priority sites that were minimally affected by the weight perturbations as being suitable for up-front management and evaluated how adopting this strategy affected management area, locations, and costs. We found that incorporating the results of the sensitivity analysis led to a reduced management area, different target locations, and lower costs for an equal area managed. Finally, we confirmed the distinctiveness of the approach by comparing this same subset of prioritized sites with locations representing species-centric strategies for three invasive plants and their aggregate distribution. By supplying pragmatic information about the localized effects of weighting uncertainty, spatial sensitivity analyses enhanced the invasive plant management decision-making process and increased stakeholder confidence.
Molecular Genetic and Hybridization Studies ofDiorhabdaspp. Released for Biological Control ofTamarix
Authors: Bean Dan W. , Kazmer David J. , Gardner Kevin , Thompson David C. , Reynolds Beth (Petersen) , Keller Julie C. , Gaskin John F. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractThe genusDiorhabda(Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) was recently revised, using morphological characters, into five tamarisk-feeding species, four of which have been used in the tamarisk (Tamarixspp.) biological control program in North America and are the subject of these studies. The taxonomic revision is here supported using molecular genetic and hybridization studies. FourDiorhabdaspecies separated into five clades using cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 sequence data withDiorhabda elongataseparating into two clades. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis using genomic DNA revealed only four clades, which corresponded to the four morphospecies. Hybridization between the four species yielded viable eggs in F1crosses but viability was significantly lower than achieved with intraspecific crosses. Crosses involvingDiorhabda carinulataand the other three species resulted in low F2egg viability, whereas crosses betweenD. elongata, Diorhabda sublineataandDiorhabda carinataresulted in > 40% F2egg viability. Crosses betweenD. carinulataand the other three species resulted in high mortality ofD. carinulatafemales due to genital mismatch. AFLP patterns combined with principal coordinates analysis enabled effective separation betweenD. elongataandD. sublineata, providing a method to measure genetic introgression in the field.
Effects of Growth Regulator Herbicide on Downy Brome (Bromus tectorum) Seed Production
Authors: Rinella Matthew J. , Masters Robert A. , Bellows Susan E. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractPrevious research showed growth regulator herbicides, such as picloram and aminopyralid, have a sterilizing effect on Japanese brome (Bromus japonicus Thunb.) that can reduce this invasive annual grass's seed production nearly 100%. This suggests growth regulators might be used to control invasive annual grasses by depleting their short-lived seed banks. The goal of this study was to extend the previous Japanese brome research to downy brome (Bromus tectorum L.), the most damaging invasive annual grass of U.S. grasslands. In a greenhouse, we found picloram did not greatly influence downy brome seed production, while point estimates suggest aminopyralid reduced seed production 55 to 80%. If not for a highly abnormal retillering response that we somewhat doubt would occur in the field, point estimates suggest aminopyralid would have reduced downy brome seed production approximately 90% when applied at the heading stage and approximately 98% when applied at three earlier growth stages. Our greenhouse study should encourage field studies designed to further explore the potential for using growth regulators to control downy brome and other invasive annual grasses.