bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identification and Functional Analysis of Three MAX2 Orthologs in Chrysanthemum
Authors: Dong Lili , Ishak Abdurazak , Yu Jing , Zhao Ruiyan , Zhao Liangjun 
Published: January 2013

AbstractMORE AXILLARY BRANCHING 2 (MAX2), initially identified in Arabidopsis thaliana, is a key regulatory gene in strigolactone signal transduction. Three orthologs of MAX2 were cloned from Dendranthema grandiflorum (DgMAX2a, b, and c). Each of the genes has an open reading frame of 2,049 bp and encodes 682 amino acid proteins. The predicted amino acid sequences of the three DgMAX2s are most closely related to the MAX2 orthologs identified in petunia (PhMAX2A and PhMAX2B), and display the highest amino acid sequence similarity with PhMAX2A compared to other MAX2s. Expression analysis revealed that DgMAX2s are predominantly expressed in the stem and axillary buds. On a cellular level, we localized the DgMAX2a::GFP fusion protein to the nucleus in onion epidermal cells, which is consistent with the nuclear localization of MAX2 in Arabidopsis. The chrysanthemum DgMAX2a is able to restore the max2–1 mutant branching to wild‐type (WT) Arabidopsis, suggesting that it is a functional MAX2 ortholog. These results suggest that DgMAX2s may be candidate genes for reducing the shoot branching of chrysanthemum.
Systemic Leptin Increases the Electrical Activity of Supraoptic Nucleus Oxytocin Neurones in Virgin and Late Pregnant Rats
Authors: Velmurugan S. , Russell J. A. , Leng G. 
Published: January 2013

In the rat hypothalamus, fasting attenuates the expression of oxytocin and this can be reversed by exogenous leptin administration. In the present study, we investigated the effects of systemically administered leptin on the electrical activity of magnocellular neurones in the supraoptic nucleus of urethane‐anaesthetised rats. In virgin female rats, systemic leptin significantly excited identified oxytocin neurones with no detected effects on the patterning of activity, as reflected by hazard function analyses. The lowest dose that was consistently effective was 100 μg/i.v., and this dose had no significant effect on vasopressin neurones. In virgin rats fasted overnight, the spontaneous firing rate of oxytocin neurones was significantly lower than in unfasted rats, although leptin had a similar excitatory effect as in unfasted rats. In late pregnant rats (days 19–21 of pregnancy), spontaneous firing rates of oxytocin neurones were higher than in virgins, and the initial response to leptin was similar to that in virgin rats, although the increase in activity was more persistent. In fasted pregnant rats, the mean spontaneous firing rate of oxytocin neurones was again lower than in unfasted rats, although leptin had no significant effect even at the higher dose of 1 mg/rat. Thus, fasting reduced the spontaneous firing rates of oxytocin neurones in nonpregnant rats, and this effect could be reversed by the excitatory effects of leptin. Pregnant rats showed some evidence of leptin resistance but only after an overnight fast.
The AIN‐76A defined rodent diet accelerates the development of heart failure in SHHF rats: A cautionary note on its use in cardiac studies
Authors: Rees M. L. , Gioscia‐Ryan R. A. , McCune S. A. , Browder J. C. , Zachman D. K. , Chicco A. J. , Johnson C. A. , Murphy R. C. , Moore R. L. , Sparagna G. C. 
Published: January 2013

SummaryPrevious studies from our laboratory have shown positive benefits of linoleic acid (LA) feeding for attenuation of rat heart failure (HF). However, another research group concluded LA feeding was detrimental to cardiac function, using the American Institute of Nutrition 76A (AIN) diet as a background diet for the experimental animals only. To reconcile these conflicting results and determine whether (i) AIN has effects on cardiovascular function, and (ii) AIN reverses the positive effects of LA feeding, studies were performed using spontaneously hypertensive heart failure (SHHF) rats in both a survival study with lifetime feeding of AIN (control: Purina 5001) and a 2 × 2 factorial design for 6 weeks in young male SHHF rats with background diet and LA as variables. During a lifetime of AIN feeding, mortality from heart failure is significantly accelerated, cardiolipin altered and triglycerides increased. In young rats, 6 weeks on the AIN diet promoted increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure, increased fed and fasting blood glucose, increased serum inflammatory eicosanoids, decreased docosahexanoic acid, increased posterior wall thickness in diastole and an altered cardiolipin subspecies profile. The addition of LA to the AIN diet was able to rescue blood pressure. However, the combination increased retroperitoneal fat mass, body weight and fed blood glucose beyond the levels with the AIN diet alone. Because the AIN diet has wide ranging effects on cardiovascular parameters, our results suggest that it should not be used in animal studies involving the cardiovascular system unless induction of cardiac dysfunction is the desired outcome.
Effects of UVB Radiation on competition between the bloom‐forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa and the Chlorophyceae Chlamydomonas microsphaera1
Authors: Zhang Yong , Jiang Hai‐Bo , Qiu Bao‐Sheng 
Published: January 2013

The growth, photosynthetic characteristics, and competitive ability of three algal strains were investigated under different doses of ultraviolet‐B (UVB) radiation (0, 0.285, and 0.372 W · m−2). The organisms were the toxic bloom‐forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa FACHB 912, nontoxic M. aeruginosa FACHB 469, and the green microalga Chlamydomonas microsphaera FACHB 52. In monocultures, the growth of all three strains was inhibited by UVB. In mixed cultures, enhanced UVB radiation resulted in decreased percentages of the two M. aeruginosa strains (19%–22% decrease on d 12 of the competition experiment). UVB radiation resulted in increased contents of chlorophyll a, b, and carotenoids (CAR) in C. microsphaera, and decreased contents of allophycocyanin (APC) or phycocyanin in the two Microcystis strains. All three strains showed increased levels of UVabsorbing compounds and intracellular reactive oxygen species under 0.372 W · m−2 UVB radiation, and decreased light compensation points, dark respiratory rates, and maximal quantum efficiency of PSII. After a 20 h recovery, the photosynthetic oxygen evolution of C. microsphaera was restored to its maximum value, but that of Microcystis strains continued to decrease. Nonphotochemical quenching was increased by UVB radiation in C. microsphaera, but was unaffected in the two M. aeruginosa strains. Our results indicated that C. microsphaera has a competitive advantage relative to Microcystis during exposure to UVB irradiation.
Estimating and Forecasting with a Dynamic Spatial Panel Data Model*
Authors: Baltagi Badi H. , Fingleton Bernard , Pirotte Alain 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThis study focuses on the estimation and predictive performance of several estimators for the dynamic and autoregressive spatial lag panel data model with spatially correlated disturbances. In the spirit of Arellano and Bond (1991) and Mutl (2006), a dynamic spatial generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator is proposed based on Kapoor, Kelejian and Prucha (2007) for the spatial autoregressive (SAR) error model. The main idea is to mix non‐spatial and spatial instruments to obtain consistent estimates of the parameters. Then, a linear predictor of this spatial dynamic model is derived. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we compare the performance of the GMM spatial estimator to that of spatial and non‐spatial estimators and illustrate our approach with an application to new economic geography.
The Afterlife of Monuments in the English Peak District: The Evidence of Early Bronze Age Burials
Authors: Rogers Alice J. 
Published: January 2013

SummaryThis research is an investigation of the locations of Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age round barrows in the Peak District. The work involved close examination of the barrows present around two earlier monuments: the Long Low bank barrow and the henge at Arbor Low. Using a Geographic Information System, it considered the densities of the barrows around these focal monuments, inter‐visibility between the sites, and the distribution of distinctive artefacts in the surrounding area. The results raise important questions about the role of memory in the past.
Date, Rituals and Socio‐Cultural Identity in the North‐Western Roman Provinces
Authors: Livarda Alexandra 
Published: January 2013

SummaryThis article explores issues of socio‐cultural identity in the north‐western Roman provinces, using all the available archaeobotanical evidence of date (Phoenix dactylifera L.). This fruit does not conform to the general social distribution pattern of other Roman exotic food plant imports in this area, but instead indicates a strong ceremonial connection. Through an in‐depth contextual approach the role of date in both domestic and ceremonial sites is investigated to reach beyond the simple ‘date‐Roman‐ritual’ association. The results suggest strong temporal, spatial and contextual patterning and an overall rare occurrence and selective use of the fruit in certain rituals and mystic cults. Date may have been employed not necessarily as a food, and was probably an affordable luxury for some in their ritual pursuits. As such, date can now be regarded as part of specific ceremonial expressions rather than a standard ingredient of a normative ceremonial or ‘Roman’ identity.
Effect of blur and subsequent adaptation on visual acuity using letter and Landolt C charts: differences between emmetropes and myopes
Authors: Poulere Eleni , Moschandreas Joanna , Kontadakis George A , Pallikaris Ioannis G , Plainis Sotiris 
Published: January 2013

AbstractPurposeTo compare the effects of defocus induced blur and blur adaptation on visual acuity and to evaluate any differences between emmetropes and myopes using letter and Landolt C logMAR charts.MethodsThe sample consisted of 26 volunteers, with a mean age of 27 ± 3 years, comprising 13 emmetropes (spherical equivalent range: −0.63 to +0.50 D) and 13 myopes (spherical equivalent range: −0.75 to −5.00 D). Monocular visual acuity (VA) was measured in each eye using letter and Landolt C logMAR charts under the following conditions: (1) with the distance refractive correction, (2) immediately after exposure to +2.00 D defocus and (3) following 60 min of binocular adaptation to +2.00 D blur. Objective refraction at the beginning and at the end of the experimental procedure was evaluated. Averaged VA data between the two eyes were used for analysis.ResultsDeterioration in VA with +2.00 D defocus was greater in the emmetropes compared to myopes for both charts. The mean difference between the two refractive groups was more pronounced for the Landolt‐C (0.17 logMAR) compared to the letter chart (0.10 logMAR). The reduction in VA with blur was related to the amount of the refractive error. Following 60 min of adaptation, a significant improvement in VA was observed in both groups that did not differ between the two charts. The improvement in VA following adaptation using the letter chart was linearly correlated with spherical equivalent refractive correction.ConclusionsMyopes show higher tolerance to retinal defocus compared to emmetropes, which could be attributed to previous blur experience. The effect of blur on VA is more pronounced using Landolt C optotypes than with letters. Prolonged exposure to blur results in equally improved performance for both refractive groups.
Lymphatic biomarkers in primary melanomas as predictors of regional lymph node metastasis and patient outcomes
Authors: Pasquali Sandro , van der Ploeg Augustinus P. T. , Mocellin Simone , Stretch Jonathan R. , Thompson John F. , Scolyer Richard A. 
Published: January 2013

SummaryRecently developed lymphatic‐specific immunohistochemical markers can now be utilized to assess intratumoral and/or peritumoral lymphatic vessel density (LVD), to detect lymphatic vessel invasion (LVI) by melanoma cells and to identify lymphatic marker expression in melanoma cells themselves. We systematically reviewed the available evidence for the expression of lymphatic markers as predictors of regional node metastasis and survival in melanoma patients. The currently available evidence suggests that LVD (particularly in a peritumoral location) and LVI are predictors of sentinel node metastasis and poorer survival. Nevertheless, adherence to international guidelines in the conduct and reporting of the studies was generally poor, with wide methodologic variations and heterogeneous findings. Larger, carefully conducted and well‐reported studies that confirm these preliminary findings are required before it would be appropriate to recommend the routine application of costly and time‐consuming immunohistochemistry for lymphatic markers in the routine clinical assessment of primary cutaneous melanomas.
Policy Capacity and the Ability to Adapt to Climate Change:Canadian andU.S. Case Studies
Authors: Craft Jonathan , Howlett Michael 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThis special issue contributes to extant empirical scholarship assessing governmental capacity to meet significant policy challenges, in this case those related to climate change adaptation. The study includes detailed examination of five policy sectors—finance, infrastructure, energy, forestry, and transportation—in two countries,Canada and theUnitedStates—in order to determine what kinds of governance arrangements and analytical capacities exist in this area, how they are changing (if at all), and how they interrelate with the status and evolution of climate change outcomes in each sector. The articles provide a comprehensive sampling of policy network structure and behavior, organizational mandates and resources, and actual job duties and training of policy actors across these sectors at both the federal and subnational level of government.
Early Increased Ficolin‐2 Concentrations are Associated with Severity of Liver Inflammation and Efficacy of anti‐Viral Therapy in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients
Authors: Hu Y.‐L. , Luo F.‐L. , Fu J.‐L. , Chen T.‐L. , Wu S.‐M. , Zhou Y.‐D. , Zhang X.‐L. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractFicolin‐2 is a kind of human serum complement lectin with a structure similar to mannan‐binding lectin (MBL), and it has been implicated in innate immunity. Recent studies have shown that complement pathway activation may contribute to hepatitis. However, the relationship between ficolin‐2 and viral hepatitis remains largely elusive. The aim of this study was to determine the dynamics of ficolin‐2 in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Forty nine patients who had not yet received therapy [24 patients with abnormal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels (>40 U/L) and 25 patients with normal ALT levels (≤40 U/L)], 28 patients with hepatitis C who received therapy for 2 weeks and 16 patients received therapy for a full month or longer were included in the study. A sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure the ficolin‐2 concentrations in all serum samples of patients and 42 healthy donors. We found the concentrations of ficolin‐2 were significantly higher in chronic hepatitis C patients with abnormal ALT values than in chronic hepatitis C patients with normal ALT values and healthy controls. Ficolin‐2 concentrations in chronic hepatitis C patients with abnormal ALT values were positively correlated with ALT levels (*P < 0.05). After therapy, the concentrations of ficolin‐2 decreased and accompany with ALT and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA levels. Then, we found ficolin‐2 concentrations in rapid viral response (RVR) group decreased significantly (*P < 0.05), while in non‐RVR group, ficolin‐2 decreased slightly (P > 0.05). Our findings suggest that early increased ficolin‐2 is highly correlated with hepatic inflammation and rapid viral response.
Synergistic and Additive Effects of Cimetidine and Levamisole on Cellular Immune Responses to Hepatitis B virus DNA Vaccine in Mice
Authors: Niu X. , Yang Y. , Wang J. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractWe and others have previously shown that both cimetidine (CIM) and levamisole (LMS) enhance humoral and cellular responses to DNA vaccines via different mechanisms. In this study, we investigated the synergistic and additive effects of CIM and LMS on the potency of antigen‐specific immunities generated by a DNA vaccine encoding the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg, pVax‐S2). Compared with CIM or LMS alone, the combination of CIM and LMS elicited a robust HBsAg‐specific cellular response that was characterized by higher IgG2a, but did not further increase HBsAg‐specific antibody IgG and IgG1 production. Consistent with these results, the combination of CIM and LMS produced the highest level of IL‐2 and IFN‐γ in antigen‐specific CD4+ T cells, whereas the combination of CIM and LMS did not further increase IL‐4 production. Significantly, a robust HBsAg‐specific cytotoxic response was also observed in the animals immunized with pVax‐S2 in the presence of the combination of CIM and LMS. Further mechanistic studies demonstrated that the combination of CIM and LMS promoted dendritic cell (DC) activation and blocked anti‐inflammatory cytokine IL‐10 and TGF‐β production in CD4+CD25+ T cells. These findings suggest that CIM and LMS have the synergistic and additive ability to enhance cellular response to hepatitis B virus DNA vaccine, which may be mediated by DC activation and inhibition of anti‐inflammatory cytokine expression. Thus, the combination of cimetidine and levamisole may be useful as an effective adjuvant in DNA vaccinations for chronic hepatitis B virus infection.
The Politics of Public and Private Pension Generosity in Advanced Democracies
Authors: Wolf Frieder , Zohlnhöfer Reimut , Wenzelburger Georg 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThe quantitative strand of social policy research suffers from a triple deficit: analyses of aggregate expenditure dominate, most of the few studies of replacement rates focus on unemployment or sickness benefits while pensions are excluded, and the interdependence between public and private pension plans is often ignored. This article addresses the said deficits, first, by discussing the pension sectors' theoretical peculiarities and by proposing two hypotheses: one on the role played by political parties in implementing public pension retrenchment, and the second on their role in extending private pension plans. Second, the article presents regression results of public pension replacement rate changes in 18 developed democracies. The findings show considerably smaller cuts to pensions than to unemployment or sickness benefits, and striking differences regarding partisan effects between the sectors. Lastly, the article assesses partisan effects on private pension plans, detecting some rather surprising effects. Most noteworthy is the fact that those parties which reduced public pension generosity during the 1990s (i.e. Social Democrats) cannot claim responsibility for compensating these cuts by eliciting higher private engagement.
A Microsoft Excel Application for Automatically Building Historical Geography GIS Maps
Authors: Polczynski Michael , Polczynski Mark 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThe ability to visualize location and time information on satellite‐generated maps using geographic information systems (GIS) such as Google Earth has enabled researchers with limited mapping expertise to use GIS for a wide range of applications. GIS holds special benefits for research in historical geography involving visualization of events and time‐based changes in geographical information. This article describes a Microsoft Excel VBA application which automatically converts information contained in a Microsoft Excel workbook into a.kml (Keyhole Markup Language) file suitable for display by mapping systems such as Google Earth. The application requires no knowledge of KML or Excel VBA. An example illustrates how the application can be used to trace the Mongol invasion of Eastern Europe.
Dracunculiasis, Proximity, and Risk: Analyzing the Location of Guinea Worm Disease in a GIS
Authors: Royal Nathaniel 
Published: January 2013

AbstractDracunculus medinesis is a waterborne parasite that has afflicted human populations for millennia. It is spread to new water bodies by the travel activities of the humans it affects. This study analyzes the relationship between Guinea worm incidence and its proximity to features of the built and natural environment to identify any apparent relationships. The study examines the Tillabéri region in the country Niger where there was a reemergence in the number of cases of Guinea worm in 2003. It is found that population centers with Guinea worm infected individuals are often within two kilometers of nomadic herding routes.
Response patterns to interactive SMS health education quizzes at two sites in Uganda: a cohort study
Authors: de Lepper Anne M. , Eijkemans Marinus J. C. , van Beijma Hajo , Loggers Jan Willem , Tuijn Coosje J. , Oskam Linda 
Published: January 2013

AbstractObjectiveThe use of mobile phones can improve and strengthen (preventive) health care in low‐ and middle‐income countries. We aimed to retrospectively assess the response patterns of participants in free SMS health education quizzes in Uganda.MethodsStudy participants were employees of two companies and their community networks. We investigated how quickly individuals responded to quiz question(s) and assessed possible influencing factors. Cox regression and anova analyses were used.ResultsFifty percentage of responders answered within 50 min. The response chance declined with every additional day after sending an incentive via SMS (Hazard Ratio 0.993, CI 95% 0.981–0.984). Quiz topics influenced both participation rates and response time. Response time was shortest for questions on HIV and sexual behaviour. Response rates were high for HIV (79%) and malaria (78.4%), but only 37.4% for demographic topics. Network providers had a substantial effect on response behaviour.ConclusionInteractive SMS programs are a fast method to reach the target population and incentives increase response rates. The most important factor influencing response time and participation rate is the network provider. Future research should focus on developing evidence‐based guidelines for the design, implementation and evaluation of SMS‐based interventions.