bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Beyond the classical nurse species effect: diversity assembly in a Mediterranean semi‐arid dwarf shrubland
Authors: Chacón‐Labella Julia , de la Cruz Marcelino , Escudero Adrián 
Published: September 2015

AbstractQuestionsShrublands often exhibit very high levels of species richness. We ask which mechanisms underlie plant species co‐existence in a hyper‐diverse Mediterranean shrubland, and the scales at which individual species exert their effects during organization of diversity in these communities.LocationBrea de Tajo, Madrid, Spain.MethodsWe computed the individual species–area relationships (ISARs) in a completely mapped Mediterranean dwarf shrubland. Using appropriate species‐specific null models, we evaluated how diversity was organized around individual species, covering a wide array of spatial scales.ResultsWe mapped 7858 individuals from 48 perennial species. Our analyses showed that most species (80%) acted as accumulators and exhibited more diversity than expected, whereas 20% were neutral at fine scales. At larger spatial scales, most species exhibited no significant effects in terms of diversity accumulation.ConclusionsIn contrast to other species‐rich ecosystems such as tropical forests, our results suggest that positive interactions and niche complementarities are the main drivers of community assembly in these communities. The most important finding was the existence of non‐hierarchical multi‐specific clumping that was independent of the fine‐scale environmental heterogeneity, which is a pattern that has not been described previously, to the best of our knowledge. The abundance of accumulator species and the similarity among the ISAR curves suggest that nurse‐like species were not present, thereby indicating that a different ecological mechanism led to the emergence of this pattern.
The Structure of Semantic Competence: Compositionality as an Innate Constraint of the Faculty of Language
Authors: Del Pinal Guillermo 
Published: September 2015

AbstractThis article defends the view that the Faculty of Language is compositional; namely, that it computes the meaning of complex expressions from the meanings of their immediate constituents. I first argue that compositionality and other competing, non‐compositional constraints on the ways in which we compute the meanings of complex expressions should be understood as hypotheses about the innate constrains of the semantic operations of the Faculty of Language. I then argue that, unlike compositionality, most of the currently available non‐compositional constraints predict incorrect patterns of early linguistic development. This supports the view that the Faculty of Language is compositional. More generally, this article proposes a way of reframing the compositionality debate which, by focusing on its implications for language acquisition, opens what has so far been a mainly theoretical debate to a more straightforward empirical resolution.
Chimpanzee Mindreading and the Value of Parsimonious Mental Models
Authors: Clatterbuck Hayley 
Published: September 2015

AbstractI analyze two recent parsimony arguments that have been offered to break the current impasse in the chimpanzee mindreading controversy, the ‘logical problem’ argument from Povinelli, Penn, and Vonk, and Sober's attempt to apply model selection criteria in support of the mindreading hypothesis. I argue that Sober's approach fails to adequately rebut the ‘logical problem’. However, applying model selection criteria to chimpanzees' own mental models of behavior does yield a response to the ‘logical problem’ and reveals an adaptive advantage of mindreading models and a potential solution to a paradox raised by Whiten.
Grammar versus Pragmatics: Carving Nature at the Joints
Authors: Martí Luisa 
Published: September 2015

AbstractI argue that the debate on the division of labor between grammar and pragmatics, at least as it pertains to pragmatic free enrichment, needs to be better grounded empirically. Often, only a reduced set of facts from English is used to substantiate claims regarding pragmatic free enrichment. But considering a reduced set of facts from a single language can only afford limited (and, sometimes, wrong) results, because we can merely see whatever this one language chooses to express. Two cases studies are presented: adjectival fragments, and implicit indefinite objects. A grammatical analysis is defended for them.
The Communication Desideratum and Theories of Indexical Reference
Authors: Åkerman Jonas 
Published: September 2015

AbstractAccording to the communication desideratum (CD), a notion of semantic content must be adequately related to communication. In the recent debate on indexical reference, (CD) has been invoked in arguments against the view that intentions determine the semantic content of indexicals and demonstratives (intentionalism). In this article, I argue that the interpretations of (CD) that these arguments rely on are questionable, and suggest an alternative interpretation, which is compatible with (strong) intentionalism. Moreover, I suggest an approach that combines elements of intentionalism with other subjectivist approaches, and discuss the role of intuitions in developing and evaluating theories of indexical reference.
Identification and characterization of SNJ2, the first temperate pleolipovirus integrating into the genome of the SNJ1‐lysogenic archaeal strain
Authors: Liu Ying , Wang Jiao , Liu Yang , Wang Yuchen , Zhang Ziqian , Oksanen Hanna M. , Bamford Dennis H. , Chen Xiangdong 
Published: September 2015

SummaryProviral regions have been identified in the genomes of many haloarchaea, but only a few archaeal halophilic temperate viruses have been studied. Here, we report a new virus, SNJ2, originating from archaeal strain Natrinema sp. J7‐1. We demonstrate that this temperate virus coexists with SNJ1 virus and is dependent on SNJ1 for efficient production. Here, we show that SNJ1 is an icosahedral membrane‐containing virus, whereas SNJ2 is a pleomorphic one. Instead of producing progeny virions and forming plaques, SNJ2 integrates into the host tRNAMet gene. The virion contains a discontinuous, circular, double‐stranded DNA genome of 16 992 bp, in which both nicks and single‐stranded regions are present preceded by a ‘GCCCA’ motif. Among 25 putative SNJ2 open reading frames (ORFs), five of them form a cluster of conserved ORFs homologous to archaeal pleolipoviruses isolated from hypersaline environments. Two structural protein encoding genes in the conserved cluster were verified in SNJ2. Furthermore, SNJ2‐like proviruses containing the conserved gene cluster were identified in the chromosomes of archaea belonging to 10 different genera. Comparison of SNJ2 and these proviruses suggests that they employ a similar integration strategy into a tRNA gene.
Changes in oral mucosal MUC1 expression and salivary hormones throughout the menstrual cycle
Authors: Lee Y‐H , Kim Y‐Y , Chang J‐Y , Kho H‐S 
Published: September 2015

ObjectiveTo investigate relationships among oral mucosal epithelial MUC1 expression, salivary stress markers, and female gonadal hormones throughout the menstrual cycle.Subjects and MethodsThirty healthy women (25.9 ± 2.1 years) with regular menstrual cycle were included. Unstimulated (UWS) and stimulated whole saliva (SWS) were collected during the menstrual cycle. The expression level of oral mucosal MUC1 was analyzed. 17β‐Estradiol, progesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), cortisol, chromogranin A (CgA), and blood contamination levels were measured from UWS and SWS.ResultsSignificant positive correlations were observed between 17β‐estradiol and DHEA in UWS, cortisol and CgA in UWS, MUC1 expression and DHEA in SWS, and among cortisol, progesterone, and DHEA in UWS and SWS. Significant negative correlations were observed between MUC1 and cortisol/DHEA ratio in UWS and SWS. When each phase was analyzed individually, MUC1 expression showed significant negative correlations with cortisol, progesterone, and cortisol/DHEA ratio in UWS and with progesterone and cortisol/DHEA ratio in SWS during the mid‐luteal phase. A significant negative correlation was also observed between MUC1 and cortisol/DHEA ratio in UWS during the late luteal phase.ConclusionsStress‐related psychoendocrinological interactions throughout the menstrual cycle resulted in a decrease in oral mucosal epithelial MUC1 expression and a weakening of oral mucosal defense.
Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy for the pediatric recipient population: Risk factors for adverse outcomes
Authors: Walther Ashley E. , Coots Abigail C. , Goebel Jens W. , Alonso Maria H. , Ryckman Frederick C. , Tiao Greg M. , Nathan Jaimie D. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractKidney transplantation is the optimal treatment of ESRD in children. Some studies have reported inferior outcomes in recipients of LDN allografts who are ≤5 yr of age. We performed a retrospective review of pediatric recipient outcomes of 110 LDN allografts at our institution and examined predictors of adverse outcomes. Subgroup analysis was performed by dividing recipients into three age categories: 0–5 yr, 6–17 yr, and ≥18 yr. There was no significant difference between incidences of DGF or ARE between groups. Kaplan–Meier analysis demonstrated 100% allograft survival in 0‐ to 5‐yr‐old recipients, nearly reaching statistical significance (p = 0.07) for outcome superior to that of the two older age groups. Pretransplant HD was associated with increased risk of DGF (p = 0.05). Significant risk factors for ARE were recipient weight >15 kg (p = 0.033) and multiple renal arteries (p = 0.047). Previous ARE was associated with an increased risk of allograft failure (p = 0.02). LDN is not associated with increased risk of DGF, ARE, or allograft failure in the youngest recipients. These findings support an aggressive pursuit of preemptive transplantation even in the youngest pediatric allograft recipients.
The N‐terminal segment of glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase of Haemonchus contortus interacts with complements C1q and C3
Authors: Vedamurthy G. V. , Sahoo S. , Devi I. K. , Murugavel S. , Joshi P. 
Published: September 2015

SummaryHaemonchus contortus, an economically important blood‐sucking parasite of sheep and goats, survives the harsh host gut environment by secreting a number of proteins referred as excretory/secretory (ES) products. Glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), a glycolytic enzyme, is one of the components of H. contortus ES products. The parasite enzyme binds to complement C3 and inhibits its activity. In this study, the C3‐binding activity of the parasite GAPDH was mapped to the N‐terminal part of the enzyme by generating defined recombinant fragments of the protein. The N‐terminal fragment also trapped complement C1q but not C5 and inhibited complement‐mediated lysis of sensitized sheep erythrocytes. Competitive binding assay indicates different binding regions for C1q and C3 proteins. GAPDH stimulated proliferation of goat peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro and reacted with the sera from H. contortus‐infected animals. However, the fragments of GAPDH did not stimulate cell proliferation nor reacted with the infected animal sera. Furthermore, denatured GAPDH failed to react with the infected animal sera in dot blot suggesting conformation‐dependent epitope. These results demonstrate an elegant strategy of the parasite to completely shut down complement activation and identify GAPDH as a promising target for future therapeutic intervention.
Resistance in Australian barley (Hordeum vulgare) germplasm to the exotic pathogen Puccinia striiformis f. sp. hordei, causal agent of stripe rust
Authors: Dracatos P. M. , Khatkar M. S. , Singh D. , Stefanato F. , Park R. F. , Boyd L. A. 
Published: September 2015

Eighty‐eight Australian and 10 international barley cultivars were assessed for resistance to the barley stripe (yellow) rust pathogen, Puccinia striiformis f. sp. hordei (Psh). All cultivars were tested for seedling resistance to two UK‐derived isolates of Psh (11.01 and 83.39) that were shown to differ in virulence based on responses on 16 differential barley genotypes. The 98 barley cultivars differed substantially in stripe rust response; 45% were susceptible to Psh 11.01, 53% to Psh 83.39 and 44% to both isolates. The observed diverse infection types (ITs) suggest the presence of both known and uncharacterized resistance. However, further multipathotype tests are required for accurate gene postulation. The Yerong × Franklin (Y×F) doubled haploid (DH) population was phenotypically assessed as seedlings using both Psh isolates. Yerong and Franklin were immune and highly resistant, respectively, to both isolates used in this study. Marker‐trait and QTL mapping identified a major effect on the long arm of chromosome 7H contributed by Franklin in response to all isolates. The resistance of Yerong was mapped to 113·96 and 169·38 cM on chromosome 5HL in response to Psh 11.01 and 83.39, respectively. The Psh resistance sources identified in this study can be used for further genetic analysis and introgression for varietal improvement.
Heart rate variability across the menstrual cycle in young women taking oral contraceptives
Authors: Teixeira André L. , Ramos Plínio S. , Vianna Lauro C. , Ricardo Djalma R. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractPrevious studies have shown that resting heart rate variability (HRV) is modified by different phases of the menstrual cycle in nonusers of oral contraceptive pills (OCP); however, the effect of OCP on autonomic control of the heart remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate HRV during the low hormone (LH—not taking OCP) and during the high hormone (HH—active OCP use) phases of the menstrual cycle in young women. Seventeen healthy women (19–31 years) taking OCP for at least 6 consecutive months were enrolled in this study. Plasma estradiol and progesterone were verified at each visit. HRV was assessed by using one‐lead electrocardiography in time and frequency domains, in which participants rested in the supine position for a 20‐min period with a breathing rate of 15 cycles/min. In addition, resting heart rate, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were obtained. Both plasma estradiol (LH: 19.8 ± 4.2 pg/mL vs. HH: 12.4 ± 1.5 pg/mL; p > .05) and progesterone (LH: 0.247 ± 0.58 ng/mL vs. HH: 0.371 ± 0.08 ng/mL; p > .05) (mean ± SE) levels were similar in both phases. No significant difference was obtained for any component of HRV, heart rate, or blood pressure between the LH and HH phases (p > .05). These results provide preliminary evidence that use of OCP does not affect HRV during the menstrual cycle in healthy women.
Contextual startle responses moderate the relation between behavioral inhibition and anxiety in middle childhood
Authors: Barker Tyson V. , Reeb‐Sutherland Bethany , Degnan Kathryn A. , Walker Olga L. , Chronis‐Tuscano Andrea , Henderson Heather A. , Pine Daniel S. , Fox Nathan A. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractBehavioral inhibition (BI), a temperament characterized in early childhood by wariness and avoidance of novelty, is a risk factor for anxiety disorders. An enhanced startle response has been observed in adolescents characterized with BI in childhood, particularly when they also manifest concurrent symptoms of anxiety. However, no prior study has examined relations among BI, startle responsivity, and anxiety in a prospective manner. Data for the present study were from a longitudinal study of infant temperament. Maternal reports and observations of BI were assessed at ages 2 and 3. At age 7, participants completed a startle procedure, while electromyography was collected, where participants viewed different colors on a screen that were associated with either the delivery of an aversive stimulus (i.e., puff of air to the larynx; threat cue) or the absence of the aversive stimulus (i.e., safety cue). Parental reports of child anxiety were collected when children were 7 and 9 years of age. Results revealed that startle responses at age 7 moderated the relation between early BI and 9‐year anxiety. These findings provide insight into one potential mechanism that may place behaviorally inhibited children at risk for anxiety.
The neural correlates of motion‐induced shifts in reaching
Authors: Rodríguez‐Herreros Borja , Rodríguez‐Fornells Antoni , López‐Moliner Joan 
Published: September 2015

AbstractA basic function of the visual system is to estimate the location of objects. Among other sensory inputs, the coding of an object's position involves the integration of visual motion, such as that produced by other moving patterns in the scene. Psychophysical evidence has shown that motion signals can shift, in the direction of motion, both the perceived position and the directed action to a stationary object. The neural mechanisms that sustain this effect are generally assumed to be mediated by feedback circuits from the middle temporal area to the primary visual cortex. However, evidence from neural responses is lacking. We used measures of ERPs and Granger causality analysis—a tool to predict the causal connectivity of two brain responses—to unravel the circuit by which motion influences position coding. We found that the motion‐induced hand shift is tightly related to a neural delay: Participants with larger shifts of the pointing location presented slower sensory processing, in terms of longer peak latencies of the primary visual evoked potentials. We further identified early neural activity in the vicinity of the extrastriate cortex as the cause of this delay, which likely reflects the early processing of motion signals in position coding. These results suggest the rapid transfer of visual motion through feedforward circuits as a putative neural substrate in charge of the motion‐induced shift in reaching.
Establishment, Differentiation, Electroporation and Nuclear Transfer of Porcine Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Song Z , Cong P , Ji Q , Chen L , Nie Y , Zhao H , He Z , Chen Y 
Published: September 2015

ContentsThe limited success of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is largely attributed to defects in epigenetic reprogramming of the donor genome. Donor cell types with distinct potential competence may offer different epigenetic flexibility for subsequent genome reprogramming in SCNT. Stem cells possibly enable their genomes to be more readily reprogrammed than differentiated cells. To improve the efficiency of cloning, porcine mesenchymal stem cells (pMSCs) were isolated and well identified by 6‐channel flow cytometry and differentiation assays and were used as donors in SCNT. Compared with porcine embryonic fibroblasts (pEFs), our results showed that pMSCs markedly enhanced cloned embryo development in terms of cleavage and blastocyst formation (p < 0.05). To enhance the epigenetic flexibility of pMSCs, classical reprogramming factors (RFs) were transfected by electroporation, and we achieved optimization with ectopic expression of RFs in pMSCs. Our results suggest that the epigenetic status of donor cells has an improvement on genome reprogramming, and multipotent pMSCs favoured subsequent embryonic development.
Tiger, Bengal and Domestic Cat Embryos Produced by Homospecific and Interspecific Zona‐Free Nuclear Transfer
Authors: Moro LN , Jarazo J , Buemo C , Hiriart MI , Sestelo A , Salamone DF 
Published: September 2015

ContentsThe aim of this study was to evaluate three different cloning strategies in the domestic cat (Felis silvestris) and to use the most efficient to generate wild felid embryos by interspecific cloning (iSCNT) using Bengal (a hybrid formed by the cross of Felis silvestris and Prionailurus bengalensis) and tiger (Panthera tigris) donor cells. In experiment 1, zona‐free (ZP‐free) cloning resulted in higher fusion and expanded blastocyst rates with respect to zona included cloning techniques that involved fusion or injection of the donor cell. In experiment 2, ZP‐free iSCNT and embryo aggregation (2X) were assessed. Division velocity and blastocyst rates were increased by embryo aggregation in the three species. Despite fewer tiger embryos than Bengal and cat embryos reached the blastocyst stage, Tiger 2X group increased the percentage of blastocysts with respect to Tiger 1X group (3.2% vs 12.1%, respectively). Moreover, blastocyst cell number was almost duplicated in aggregated embryos with respect to non‐aggregated ones within Bengal and tiger groups (278.3 ± 61.9 vs 516.8 ± 103.6 for Bengal 1X and Bengal 2X groups, respectively; 41 vs 220 ± 60 for Tiger 1X and Tiger 2X groups, respectively). OCT4 analysis also revealed that tiger blastocysts had higher proportion of OCT4‐positive cells with respect to Bengal blastocysts and cat intracytoplasmic sperm injection blastocysts. In conclusion, ZP‐free cloning has improved the quality of cat embryos with respect to the other cloning techniques evaluated and was successfully applied in iSCNT complemented with embryo aggregation.
Serum and Tissue Steroid Hormone Levels in Canine Mammary Tumours: Clinical and Prognostic Implications
Authors: Queiroga FL , Pérez‐Alenza D , González‐Gil A , Silván G , Peña L , Illera JC 
Published: September 2015

ContentsHormonal dependency of canine mammary tumours (CMT) has been studied over the last few decades. However, studies assessing the prognostic and predictive potential of serum and/or tissue steroid hormone levels are still scarce in CMT. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report relating serum and tissue levels of steroid hormones and prognosis in dogs. Serum and tumour tissue from 45 female dogs with spontaneous CMT were included in the study. Moreover, serum and normal mammary tissue from 13 healthy female dogs were also included as controls. Steroid hormones were determined by competitive enzyme immunoassay. Overall, levels of steroid hormones in serum and tissue homogenates were significantly different between malignant and benign mammary tumours (p < 0.01), except for progesterone (P4) serum levels that revealed no statistical differences between groups. In malignant tumours, oestrone sulphate (SO4E1), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), androstenedione (A4), testosterone (T) and P4 elevated tissue concentrations were significantly associated with tumour relapse and/or distant metastasis during follow‐up. A significant association was found between elevated tissue SO4E1 (p = 0.003), 17β‐oestradiol (E2) (p = 0.036), DHEA (p = 0.022), A4 (p = 0.001) and P4 (p = 0.013) concentrations and shorter disease‐free survival and overall survival in female dogs with malignant mammary tumours. The high levels of tissue steroids found in cases of poor prognosis open the possibility of additional new therapeutic approaches. Future clinical trials will be needed to clarify the usefulness of targeting steroid hormones in the treatment of this neoplastic disease.
Capital united? Business unity in regulatory politics and the special place of finance
Authors: Young Kevin , Pagliari Stefano 
Published: September 2015

AbstractWhile organized business is a key actor in regulatory politics, its influence is often conditional on the level of unity or conflict occurring within the business community at any given time. Most contemporary regulatory policy interventions put pressure on the normal mechanisms of business unity, as they are highly targeted and sector‐specific. This raises the question of how business unity operates across a highly variegated economic terrain in which costs are asymmetric and free‐riding incentives are high. In this paper, we empirically assess patterns of business unity within regulatory policymaking across different regulated sectors. Our analysis utilizes data from hundreds of regulatory policy proposals and business community reactions to them in the telecommunications, energy, agriculture, pharmaceutical, and financial sectors over a variety of institutional contexts. We find considerable empirical support for the “finance capital unity” hypothesis – the notion that the financial sector enjoys more business unity than other regulated sectors of the economy. When the financial sector is faced with new regulations, business groups from other sectors frequently come to its aid.