bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of different levels of dietary sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) peel extract on humoral immune system responses in broiler chickens
Authors: Pourhossein Zohreh , Qotbi Ali Ahmad Alaw , Seidavi Alireza , Laudadio Vito , Centoducati Gerardo , Tufarelli Vincenzo 
Published: July 2014

AbstractThis experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of different levels of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) peel extract (SOPE) on humoral immune system responses in broiler chickens. Three hundred 1‐day broilers (Ross‐308) were randomly allocated to treatments varying in supplemental SOPE added in the drinking water. The experimental groups consisted of three treatments fed for 42 days as follows: a control treatment without feed extract, a treatment containing 1000 ppm of SOPE and a treatment containing 1250 ppm of SOPE. All treatments were isocaloric and isonitrogenous. Broilers were vaccinated with Newcastle disease virus (NDV), avian influenza (AI), infectious bursal disease (IBD) and infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) vaccines. Antibody titer response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) was higher in the group fed 1250 ppm of SOPE (P < 0.05) as well as for immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM. Similarly, antibody titer responses to all vaccines were constantly elevated (P < 0.05) by SOPE enrichment in a dose‐dependent manner. Relative weights of spleen and bursa of Fabricius were unaffected by treatments. Dietary SOPE supplementation may improve the immune response and diseases resistance, indicating that it can constitute a useful additive in broiler feeding. Thus, supplying SOPE in rations may help to improve relative immune response in broiler chickens.
‘I didn't used to have much friends’: exploring the friendship concepts and capabilities of a boy with autism and severe learning disabilities
Authors: Potter Carol 
Published: July 2014

Accessible summary

This paper looks at the friendships of Ben, (not his real name), a 10‐year‐old boy with autism and learning disabilities, in his mainstream school.

Ben was able to name his friends and showed that he understood some important things about friendship.

Adults in the school said that Ben was very keen to have friends and that some of his friendships had lasted for over a year.

The study focused on the importance of listening to children with autism and learning disabilities and on the need to highlight their social strengths.

SummaryWhilst progress has been made in understanding the friendships of children with autism, research on the friendships of children with additional learning disabilities remains extremely limited. In this research, a qualitative case study approach provided a rich description of the friendship concepts and capabilities of Ben, a 10‐year‐old boy with autism and severe learning disabilities within the context of a mainstream primary classroom in the United Kingdom. An innovative activity‐based strategy was used to gain Ben's own perspectives in relation to friendship. Findings revealed that Ben exhibited a strong desire to have friends, believed himself to have some, demonstrated some understanding in respect of degrees of friendship and displayed a commitment to friendships over relatively long periods of time. Methodological, developmental and capacity perspectives informed the discussion, with a case being made both for a greater focus on the friendship capabilities of children with autism and learning disabilities and their more direct inclusion in the research process.
Treatment with LPS plus INF‐γ induces the expression and function of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, modulating NIH3T3 cell proliferation: participation of NOS and COX
Authors: Español A J , Maddaleno M O , Lombardi M G , Cella M , Martínez Pulido P , Sales M E 
Published: July 2014

Background and PurposeLPS and IFN‐γ are potent stimuli of inflammation, a process in which fibroblasts are frequently involved. We analysed the effect of treatment with LPS plus IFN‐γ on the expression and function of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in NIH3T3 fibroblasts with regards to proliferation of these cells. We also investigated the participation of NOS and COX, and the role of NF‐κB in this process.Experimental ApproachNIH3T3 cells were treated with LPS (10 ng·mL−1) plus IFN‐γ (0.5 ng·mL−1) for 72 h (iNIH3T3 cells). Cell proliferation was evaluated with MTT and protein expression by Western blot analysis. NOS and COX activities were measured by the Griess method and radioimmunoassay respectively.Key ResultsThe cholinoceptor agonist carbachol was more effective at stimulating proliferation in iNIH3T3 than in NIH3T3 cells, probably due to the de novo induction of M3 and M5 muscarinic receptors independently of NF‐κB activation. iNIH3T3 cells produced higher amounts of NO and PGE2 than NIH3T3 cells, concomitantly with an up‐regulation of NOS1 and COX‐2, and with the de novo induction of NOS2/3 in inflamed cells. We also found a positive feedback between NOS and COX that could potentiate inflammation.Conclusions and ImplicationsInflammation induced the expression of muscarinic receptors and, therefore,stimulated carbachol‐induced proliferation of fibroblasts. Inflammation also up‐regulated the expression of NOS and COX‐2, thus potentiating the effect of carbachol on NO and PGE2 production. A positive crosstalk between NOS and COX triggered by carbachol in inflamed cells points to muscarinic receptors as potential therapeutic targets in inflammation.
Beyond sex allocation: the role of mating systems in sexual selection in parasitoid wasps
Authors: Boulton Rebecca A. , Collins Laura A. , Shuker David M. 
Published: July 2014

ABSTRACTDespite the diverse array of mating systems and life histories which characterise the parasitic Hymenoptera, sexual selection and sexual conflict in this taxon have been somewhat overlooked. For instance, parasitoid mating systems have typically been studied in terms of how mating structure affects sex allocation. In the past decade, however, some studies have sought to address sexual selection in the parasitoid wasps more explicitly and found that, despite the lack of obvious secondary sexual traits, sexual selection has the potential to shape a range of aspects of parasitoid reproductive behaviour and ecology. Moreover, various characteristics fundamental to the parasitoid way of life may provide innovative new ways to investigate different processes of sexual selection. The overall aim of this review therefore is to re‐examine parasitoid biology with sexual selection in mind, for both parasitoid biologists and also researchers interested in sexual selection and the evolution of mating systems more generally. We will consider aspects of particular relevance that have already been well studied including local mating structure, sex allocation and sperm depletion. We go on to review what we already know about sexual selection in the parasitoid wasps and highlight areas which may prove fruitful for further investigation. In particular, sperm depletion and the costs of inbreeding under chromosomal sex determination provide novel opportunities for testing the role of direct and indirect benefits for the evolution of mate choice.
Risk factors for eosinophilic esophagitis
Authors: Philpott H. , Nandurkar S. , Royce S. G. , Thien F. , Gibson P. R. 
Published: July 2014

SummaryEosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic antigen driven disease, whereby food and/or aeroallergens result in inflammation and luminal narrowing, and the clinical symptoms of dysphagia and food bolus obstruction events (FBOE). Established risk factors are male gender, Caucasian race and atopy. Increased risk amongst family members, and a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in a gene coding thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) on the pseudoautosomal region of the X and Y chromosomes supports a genetic predisposition. Environmental factors including the timing and nature of food and aeroallergen exposure to the developing immune system may be important, whilst esophageal barrier function integrity and the influence of microbiota are worthy of future research.
Contact allergy to epoxy hardeners
Authors: Aalto‐Korte Kristiina , Suuronen Katri , Kuuliala Outi , Henriks‐Eckerman Maj‐Len , Jolanki Riitta 
Published: July 2014

SummaryBackgroundDiglycidylether of bisphenol A resin is the most important sensitizer in epoxy systems, but a minority of patients develop concomitant or solitary contact allergy to epoxy hardeners. At the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, several in‐house test substances of epoxy hardeners have been tested in a special epoxy compound patch test series.ObjectivesTo analyse the frequency and clinical relevance of allergic reactions to different epoxy hardeners.MethodsTest files (January 1991 to March 2013) were screened for contact allergy to different epoxy hardeners, and the clinical records of patients with allergic reactions were analysed for occupation, concomitant allergic reactions, and exposure.ResultsThe most commonly positive epoxy hardeners were m‐xylylenediamine (n = 24), 2,4,6‐tris‐(dimethylaminomethyl)phenol (tris‐DMP; n = 14), isophorone‐diamine (n = 12), and diethylenetriamine (n = 9). Trimethylhexamethylenediamine (n = 7), tetraethylenepentamine (n = 4), and triethylenetetramine (n = 2) elicited some reactions, although most patients were found to have no specific exposure. Allergic reactions to hexamethylenetetramine, dimethylaminopropylamine and ethylenediamine dihydrochloride were not related to epoxy products.ConclusionsTris‐DMP is an important sensitizer in epoxy hardeners, and should be included in the patch test series of epoxy chemicals.
Interstudy repeatability of left and right ventricular volume estimations by serial‐gated tomographic radionuclide angiographies using a cadmium‐zinc‐telluride detector gamma camera
Authors: Jensen Maria M. , Haase Christine , Zerahn Bo 
Published: July 2014

SummaryPurposeEstimation of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) with 99MTc‐HSA equilibrium radionuclide angiography (RA) is frequently used for assessing cardiac function. The purpose of this study was to investigate the interstudy repeatability of left (LV) and right (RV) ventricular volume and ejection fraction estimations, using a cadmium‐zinc‐telluride (CZT) SPECT camera.Materials and methodsForty‐six patients were scanned twice, interrupted by repositioning. Each acquisition was analysed twice by two experienced technologists. Interstudy and interobserver variations were calculated as the coefficient of variation (CV) and the 95% confidence interval (CI) for limits of agreement (LOA) between each sequence of analyses for each of the two acquisitions.ResultsThe Interstudy variations and 95% CI for LVEF, LV end systolic (LVESV) and end diastolic (LVEDV) volumes were 4·6% (−5·4 to 6·4), 9·3% (−6·90 to 5·20) and 7·0% (−13·9 to 11·1), respectively. For the right ventricle, the corresponding values were 11·9% (−9·40 to 10·8), 9·8% (−14·9 to 10·8) and 8·1% (−20·7 to 16·3).DiscussionThe CZT detector camera has excellent reproducibility with regard to interstudy variation when assessing LV volumes and EF. Interstudy variation is considerably higher for RV volumes and EF, indicating a lack of consistency in tracing the boarders of the right ventricle.
Living‐donor liver transplantation for congenital biliary atresia with porto‐pulmonary hypertension and moderate or severe pulmonary arterial hypertension: Kyoto University experience
Authors: Ogawa Eri , Hori Tomohide , Doi Hiraku , Segawa Hajime , Uemoto Shinji 
Published: July 2014

AbstractPorto‐pulmonary hypertension with moderate or severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is viewed as a contraindication to liver transplantation (LT) because of associated poor outcomes; however, patients with biliary atresia (BA) are generally good candidates for LT. Ten patients with moderate/severe PAH underwent living‐donor liver transplantation (LDLT) at our institution; eight of these patients had BA and were the focus of this study. Preoperative therapies, including prostaglandin (PG)I2, were introduced. When mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) after treatment was <40 mmHg or initial mPAP without therapy was <35 mmHg, we performed an acute volume challenge test to evaluate right ventricular function. LDLT was performed when mPAP after anesthetic induction was confirmed at ≤35 mmHg. Six patients had favorable responses to preoperative treatment and catheter testing, but two patients showed poor responses. The two patients with poor responses had poor clinical courses with unstable mPAP after LDLT. The other six patients had successful courses with well‐controlled mPAP, and PGI2 was withdrawn or weaned following LDLT. Survival did not significantly differ between the eight BA recipients with moderate/severe PAH and 77 age‐matched BA recipients without PAH from the same time period. LDLT has major benefits for BA patients with well‐controlled PAH.
Re‐emergence of the Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) as a reference species for evo‐devo
Authors: Cordero Gerardo Antonio 
Published: July 2014

SUMMARYEvolutionary developmental biology requires integration of knowledge from multiple levels of organization. Information at the genome level is quickly outpacing crucial descriptive information on developmental processes at the cell, tissue, and organ levels. Unprecedented progress in genomics has enabled the rise of so‐called non‐traditional reference species. However, a substantial, though overlooked, amount of phenotypic information has long been available for species such as the Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta), which recently became the first turtle to feature a fully sequenced and annotated nuclear genome. In this commentary, I highlight research on the comparative embryology of Chrysemys during the twentieth century and briefly discuss future directions for research on this re‐emerging species for evo‐devo.
The relationship between tree biodiversity and biomass dynamics changes with tropical forest succession
Authors: Lasky Jesse R. , Uriarte María , Boukili Vanessa K. , Erickson David L. , John Kress W. , Chazdon Robin L. 
Published: July 2014

AbstractTheory predicts shifts in the magnitude and direction of biodiversity effects on ecosystem function (BEF) over succession, but this theory remains largely untested. We studied the relationship between aboveground tree biomass dynamics (Δbiomass) and multiple dimensions of biodiversity over 8–16 years in eight successional rainforests. We tested whether successional changes in diversity–Δbiomass correlations reflect predictions of niche theories. Diversity–Δbiomass correlations were positive early but weak later in succession, suggesting saturation of niche space with increasing diversity. Early in succession, phylogenetic diversity and functional diversity in two leaf traits exhibited the strongest positive correlations with Δbiomass, indicating complementarity or positive selection effects. In mid‐successional stands, high biodiversity was associated with greater mortality‐driven biomass loss, i.e. negative selection effects, suggesting successional niche trade‐offs and loss of fast‐growing pioneer species. Our results demonstrate that BEF relationships are dynamic across succession, thus successional context is essential to understanding BEF in a given system.
More than memory impairment in voltage‐gated potassium channel complex encephalopathy
Authors: Bettcher B. M. , Gelfand J. M. , Irani S. R. , Neuhaus J. , Forner S. , Hess C. P. , Geschwind M. D. 
Published: July 2014

Background and purposeAutoimmune encephalopathies (AEs) are a heterogeneous group of neurological disorders that affect cognition. Although memory difficulties are commonly endorsed, few reports of AEs inclusively assess all cognitive domains in detail. Our aim was to perform an unbiased cognitive evaluation of AE patients with voltage‐gated potassium channel complex antibodies (VGKCC‐Abs) in order to delineate cognitive strengths and weaknesses.MethodsSerial VGKCC‐Ab AE subjects (n = 12) were assessed with a comprehensive evaluation of memory, executive functions, visuospatial skills and language. Clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (n = 10/12) was evaluated. Five subjects had serial cognitive testing available, permitting descriptive analysis of change.ResultsSubjects demonstrated mild to moderate impairment in memory (mean Z = −1.9) and executive functions (mean Z = −1.5), with variable impairments in language and sparing of visuospatial skills. MRI findings showed T2 hyperintensities in medial temporal lobe (10/10) and basal ganglia (2/10). Serial cognitive examination revealed heterogeneity in cognitive function; whereas most patients improved in one or more domains, residual impairments were observed in some patients.ConclusionsThis study augments previous neuropsychological analyses in VGKCC‐Ab AE by identifying not only memory and executive function deficits but also language impairments, with preservation of visuospatial functioning. The study further highlights the importance of domain‐specific testing to parse out the complex cognitive phenotypes of VGKCC‐Ab AE.
Sex and Weapons: Contrasting Sexual Dimorphisms in Weaponry and Aggression in Snapping Shrimp
Authors: Hughes Melissa , Williamson Tucker , Hollowell Kathleen , Vickery Rachel 
Published: July 2014

AbstractSexual dimorphisms in weaponry and aggression are common in species in which one sex (usually males) competes for access to mates or resources necessary for reproduction – sexually dimorphic weaponry and aggression, in other words, are frequently the result of intrasexual selection. In snapping shrimp, the major chela (snapping claw) can be a deadly weapon, and males of many species have larger chelae than females, a pattern readily interpreted as resulting from intrasexual selection. Thus, males might be expected to show more sex‐specific aggression than females, and be more aggressive overall. We tested these predictions in two species of snapping shrimp in a territorial defense context. Neither of these predictions was supported: in both species, females, but not males, engaged in sex‐specific aggression and females were more aggressive than males overall. These contrasting sexual dimorphisms – larger weaponry in males but higher aggression in females – highlight the importance of considering the function of weaponry and aggression in contexts other than direct competitions over mates. In addition, species differences in the degree of sexual dimorphism in chela size were due to differences in female, not male, chela size, and the species with greater sexual dimorphism in weaponry was significantly less aggressive overall; also, while paired and solitary males did not differ in residual chela size, for the species with greater sexual dimorphism, females carrying embryos had smaller residual chela sizes. These results suggest that understanding the sexual dimorphisms in weaponry and aggression in snapping shrimp requires understanding the relative costs and benefits of both in females as well as males.
Increased survival of experimentally evolved antimicrobial peptide‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus in an animal host
Authors: Dobson Adam J. , Purves Joanne , Rolff Jens 
Published: July 2014

AbstractAntimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been proposed as new class of antimicrobial drugs, following the increasing prevalence of bacteria resistant to antibiotics. Synthetic AMPs are functional analogues of highly evolutionarily conserved immune effectors in animals and plants, produced in response to microbial infection. Therefore, the proposed therapeutic use of AMPs bears the risk of ‘arming the enemy’: bacteria that evolve resistance to AMPs may be cross‐resistant to immune effectors (AMPs) in their hosts. We used a panel of populations of Staphylococcus aureus that were experimentally selected for resistance to a suite of individual AMPs and antibiotics to investigate the ‘arming the enemy’ hypothesis. We tested whether the selected strains showed higher survival in an insect model (Tenebrio molitor) and cross‐resistance against other antimicrobials in vitro. A population selected for resistance to the antimicrobial peptide iseganan showed increased in vivo survival, but was not more virulent. We suggest that increased survival of AMP‐resistant bacteria almost certainly poses problems to immune‐compromised hosts.
GHIP in Streptococcus pneumoniae is involved in antibacterial resistance and elicits a strong innate immune response through TLR2 and JNK/p38MAPK
Authors: Dong Jie , Wang Jian , He Yujuan , Li Chenwei , Zhou Aie , Cui Jin , Xu Wenchun , Zhong Liang , Yin Yibing , Zhang Xuemei , Wang Hong 
Published: July 2014

Interaction between pneumococcal virulence factors and innate immune receptors triggers host responses via specific signaling pathways after infection. By generating a deficient mutant, we show here that, compared with the wild‐type parent strain, glycosyl hydrolase 25 relating to invasion protein (GHIP) mutant strain was impaired in rapid dissemination into vessels and caused less severe inflammation in mice lungs. Further study demonstrated that the lack of this protein in Streptococcus pneumoniae caused an increased susceptibility to whole blood or neutrophils, while this impairment could be recovered by supplementing recombinant GHIP (rGHIP). Additionally, secreted GHIP could be detected in culture medium, and purified protein was able to induce the release of tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 6 from peritoneal macrophages. Further investigations revealed that the induction of interleukin 6 by this virulence factor depended on the phosphorylation of c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase and p38 mitogen activated protein kinase and Toll‐like receptor 2. Taken together, GHIP, a novel pneumococcal virulence factor, appeared to play a critical role in bacterial survival and the induction of host innate immune response during pneumococcal infection.
An evaluation of the bottom trawl surveys in the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem
Authors: Axelsen Bjørn Erik , Johnsen Espen 
Published: July 2014

AbstractDemersal fish, shrimp and cephalopod assemblages on the continental shelves and slopes off Angola, Namibia and the southern and western coasts of South Africa have been monitored in terms of fisheries‐independent trawl surveys since the 1980s. The time series have provided vital input to stock assessments and are widely used in studies of ecology and biodiversity. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the technical specifications of the vessels and trawls used, to examine effects of modifications on catching efficiency, and to assess implications of these modifications over time. We find that the demersal trawl data collected in South Africa are not comparable with those of Namibia and Angola, and that the time series of Angola and Namibia contain inherent differences in terms of catchability of bottom dwellers. The introduction of smaller bobbins gear on the RV Dr. Fridtjof Nansen in 1994 increased the catchability of bottom‐dwelling species, and catch rates of monkfish and sole were higher in surveys with commercial vessels than the RV Dr. Fridtjof Nansen. We recommend that temporal trends are interpreted with caution and that time series for the three countries are viewed in isolation.