bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The protein content of grass, chiefly meadow foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis), as influenced by frequency of cutting
Authors: Shutt Frank T. , Hamilton S. N. , Selwyn H. H. 
Published: March 2009

From a study of the data of two season's work the following observations may be made:Frequency of grazing with a view to the successful operation of the scheme will depend on a number of factors, chief among which is the character of the herbage and its growth. Recovery and vigour of growth are primarily dependent on rainfall and secondarily on the fertility of the soil, which may be increased by fertiliser applications. Rainfall, its amount and distribution, has in this investigation shown itself the most potent of all influences in the recovery of the plots. The results in general of 1928 indicate that the application of fertilisers, in which nitrogen predominates, greatly assisted in the maintenance of vigorous growth.The protein content of the herbage increases with the shortening of the period between cuttings, due in the first season solely to the fact that the protein content of the grass falls off with age, but in the second and subsequent seasons, in a very large measure, to the incursion of white Dutch clover.A consideration of protein yields per acre in relation to frequency of cutting reveals that in the first season, when the herbage is essentially grass, the shortening of the period between cuttings tends to reduce the protein yield; in the second season, when clover replaces grass, roughly in proportion to the shortening of the growing period, the higher protein content of the legume tends to counteract the depressing effect on yield of frequent cutting.
George Henry Falkiner Nuttall and the origins of parasitology and Parasitology
Authors: COX F. E. G. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYBy the beginning of the twentieth century, most of the major discoveries concerning the nature and life cycles of parasites had been made and tropical medicine was beginning to establish itself as a discipline but parasitology still lacked any real cohesion or focus. This focus arrived in 1908 when George Nuttall founded a new journal, Parasitology, as a Supplement to the Journal of Hygiene in order to cater for increasing numbers of papers on protozoological, helminthological and entomological topics that were being submitted for publication to that journal, thus bringing these three subjects together under one heading and, in doing so, established the discipline of parasitology. The events leading up to and the subsequent development of the discipline are discussed.
The interrelation of the law of occupation and economic, social and cultural rights: the examples of food, health and property
Authors: Vité Sylvain 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe current legal regime relative to occupation is no longer based solely on the contributions made by customary law and treaty-based law as set forth in the law of The Hague and the law of Geneva. It has undergone a thorough change with the progressive recognition of the applicability of human rights law to the situations which it governs, and their complementarity has been highlighted on several occasions. The question of the interrelation of international humanitarian law and human rights is not resolved merely by analysing their respective areas of application. The author examines the issue at the level of their individual rules. He considers whether the rules of international humanitarian law are confirmed, complemented, relativized or even contradicted by those deriving from human rights. The analysis focuses more particularly on the interrelation of the law of occupation and economic, social and cultural rights by concentrating on the promotion of adequate standards of living (right to food, right to health) and respect for property.
Phylogenetic relationships of the spider family Tetragnathidae (Araneae, Araneoidea) based on morphological and DNA sequence data
Authors: Álvarez‐Padilla Fernando , Dimitrov Dimitar , Giribet Gonzalo , Hormiga Gustavo 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe monophyly of Tetragnathidae including the species composition of the family (e.g., Are Nephila and their relatives part of this lineage?), the phylogenetic relationships of its various lineages, and the exact placement of Tetragnathidae within Araneoidea have been three recalcitrant problems in spider systematics. Most studies on tetragnathid phylogeny have focused on morphological and behavioral data, but little molecular work has been published to date. To address these issues we combine previous morphological and behavioral data with novel molecular data including nuclear ribosomal RNA genes 18S and 28S, mitochondrial ribosomal RNA genes 12S and 16S and protein‐coding genes from the mitochondrion [cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI)] and from the nucleus (histone H3), totaling ca. 6.3 kb of sequence data per taxon. These data were analyzed using direct optimization and static homology using both parsimony and Bayesian methods. Our results indicate monophyly of Tetragnathidae, Tetragnathinae, Leucauginae, the “Nanometa clade” and the subfamily Metainae, which, with the exception of the later subfamily, received high nodal support. Morphological synapomorphies that support these clades are also discussed. The position of tetragnathids with respect to the rest of the araneoid spiders remains largely unresolved but tetragnathids and nephilids were never recovered as sister taxa. The combined dataset suggests that Nephilidae is sister to Araneidae; furthermore, the sister group of Nephila is the clade composed by Herennia plus Nephilengys and this pattern has clear implications for understanding the comparative biology of the group. Tetragnathidae is most likely sister to some members of the “reduced piriform clade” and nephilids constitute the most‐basal lineage of araneids.
Risk factors for high cerebral blood flow velocity and death in Kenyan children with Sickle Cell Anaemia: role of haemoglobin oxygen saturation and febrile illness
Authors: Makani Julie , Kirkham Fenella J. , Komba Albert , Ajala‐Agbo Tolulope , Otieno Godfrey , Fegan Gregory , Williams Thomas N. , Marsh Kevin , Newton Charles R. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryHigh cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFv) and low haemoglobin oxygen saturation (SpO2) predict neurological complications in sickle cell anaemia (SCA) but any association is unclear. In a cross‐sectional study of 105 Kenyan children, mean CBFv was 120 ± 34·9 cm/s; 3 had conditional CBFv (170–199 cm/s) but none had abnormal CBFv (>200 cm/s). After adjustment for age and haematocrit, CBFv ≥150 cm/s was predicted by SpO2 ≤ 95% and history of fever. Four years later, 10 children were lost to follow‐up, none had suffered neurological events and 11/95 (12%) had died, predicted by history of fever but not low SpO2. Natural history of SCA in Africa may be different from North America and Europe.
Stable isotope analysis of archived roach (Rutilus rutilus) scales for retrospective study of shallow lake responses to nutrient reduction
Authors: GREY JONATHAN , GRAHAM CONOR T. , BRITTON J. ROBERT , HARROD CHRIS 
Published: March 2009

Summary1. There is increasing interest in the use of stable isotope analysis of archived materials to study the long‐term impacts of lake perturbations, including nutrient manipulation or species invasion. We tested the utility of this approach in a shallow productive lake using the zooplanktivorous early life stages of roach (Rutilus rutilus), a fish species that is widespread throughout Eurasian lakes.2. Barton Broad is a shallow lake with a well‐documented history of earlier eutrophication followed by nutrient reduction, including sediment removal from 1997 to 2000. Using scale samples collected pre‐ and post‐sediment removal, we demonstrated a strong, positive relationship between roach scale δ13C and total phosphorus. We argue that this reflects a decrease in the phytoplankton production which had dominated dissolved inorganic carbon dynamics, and a relative increase in the contribution of respired carbon in the food web.3. We also derived a scale : muscle isotope relationship for roach which allowed us to model changes in fish muscle against putative prey. Concomitant isotopic shifts in preserved zooplankton samples indicated that the phosphorus reduction measures had an ecosystem‐wide impact and that changes in roach scale isotope values were not a result of fish switching diet.4. Roach scale δ15N increased after sediment removal. Since this was not due to a switch in fish diet, we suggest that it probably reflects the loss of nitrogen‐fixing, heterocystous cyanobacteria from the plankton.
Two small ncRNAs jointly govern virulence and transmission in Legionella pneumophila
Authors: Sahr Tobias , Brüggemann Holger , Jules Matthieu , Lomma Mariella , Albert‐Weissenberger Christiane , Cazalet Christel , Buchrieser Carmen 
Published: March 2009

SummaryTo transit from intra‐ to extracellular environments, Legionella pneumophila differentiates from a replicative/non‐virulent to a transmissive/virulent form using the two‐component system LetA/LetS and the global repressor protein CsrA. While investigating how both regulators act co‐ordinately we characterized two ncRNAs, RsmY and RsmZ, that link the LetA/LetS and CsrA regulatory networks. We demonstrate that LetA directly regulates their expression and show that RsmY and RsmZ are functional in Escherichia coli and are able to bind CsrA in vitro. Single mutants have no (ΔrsmY) or a little (ΔrsmZ) impact on virulence, but the ΔrsmYZ strain shows a drastic defect in intracellular growth in Acanthamoeba castellanii and THP‐1 monocyte‐derived macrophages. Analysis of the transcriptional programmes of the ΔletA, ΔletS and ΔrsmYZ strains revealed that the switch to the transmissive phase is partially blocked. One major difference between the ΔletA, ΔletS and ΔrsmYZ strains was that the latter synthesizes flagella. Taken together, LetA activates transcription of RsmY and RsmZ, which sequester CsrA and abolish its post‐transcriptional repressive activity. However, the RsmYZ‐CsrA pathway appears not to be the main or only regulatory circuit governing flagella synthesis. We suggest that rather RpoS and LetA, by influencing LetE and probably cyclic‐di‐GMP levels, regulate motility in L. pneumophila.
Prolactin regulatory element–binding protein involved in cAMP‐mediated suppression of adiponectin gene
Authors: Li Junhua , Murao Koji , Imachi Hitomi , Yu Xiao , Muraoka Tomie , Kim Jae Bum , Ishida Toshihiko 
Published: March 2009

AbstractAdiponectin (ApN) has several protective effects against diabetes and atherosclerosis. However, the detailed mechanisms of the regulation of the ApN gene have not yet been clarified. Prolactin regulatory element–binding (PREB) protein has been identified as a factor that regulates insulin gene expression in the pancreas. PREB is located not only in the pancreas but also in adipose tissue; however, its role in adipose tissue is not known. To analyse the effects of PREB on ApN gene transcription, we employed a reporter gene assay and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). In the cells expressing or knocking down the PREB, ApN expression was determined. PREB was located mainly in the nuclei of adipose tissue and its cell line, 3T3‐L1 cells. The nuclear extract contained ApN promoter‐binding activity that was super‐shifted by PREB antiserum in EMSA studies. In the 3T3‐L1 cells, the co‐expression of PREB and the ApN promoter inhibited the activity of the latter. The addition of cAMP to the cells increased PREB expression in a dose‐dependent manner. A deletional analysis of the ApN promoter showed that the PREB‐responsive cis‐element in the ApN promoter mediated the transcriptional effect of PREB, whereas a mutant of this motif in the ApN promoter abrogated the effect of PREB, as well as that of cAMP. Furthermore, cells expressing or knocking down PREB exhibited decreased and increased ApN expression, respectively. These results demonstrate that PREB may contribute to the regulation of ApN gene transcription, in response to cAMP activation in adipocytes.
APPRAISING THE ETHOS OF EXPERIENTIAL NARRATIVES: KEY ASPECTS OF A METHODOLOGICAL CHALLENGE
Authors: Conle Carola , DeBeyer Michael 
Published: March 2009

AbstractIn this essay, Carola Conle and Michael deBeyer describe their efforts to find a conceptual approach and methodology for the appraisal of the ethos of experiential narratives presented in a particular curriculum context. The language of “implied authorship,”“the patterning of desire,” and “friendships offered and received,” first introduced by Wayne Booth, is elaborated through data from narrative presentations given by local heroes to students. Appraisals seemed possible when a narrative could be placed on Booth’s “scales of friendship” and when the rational qualities of experiential narratives were considered. In addition, data needed to be available in which students’ experiential encounters with the narratives could be seen as occasions where, during such moments of encounter, feelings and desires were created, memories were activated, and events and actions in a narrative were vicariously experienced through those activated phenomena. The authors offer a potential framework for future appraisals.
Oxidative Stress Alters Creatine Kinase System in Serum and Brain Regions of Polychlorinated Biphenyl (Aroclor 1254)‐Exposed Rats: Protective Role of Melatonin
Authors: Venkataraman Prabhu , Krishnamoorthy Gunasekaran , Selvakumar Kandaswamy , Arunakaran Jagadeesan 
Published: March 2009

Abstract:  Polychlorinated biphenyls are one of the environmental toxicants and neurotoxic compounds which induce the production of free radicals. Creatine kinase plays a key role in energy metabolism of nervous tissue and might be one of the targets for reactive oxygen species. Melatonin, an indoleamine, plays an important role in neurodegenerative diseases as an antioxidant and neuroprotector. The objective of the present study was to investigate the protective role of melatonin on polychlorinated biphenyl (Aroclor 1254)‐induced oxidative stress and the changes in creatine kinase activity in brain regions of adult rats. Group I: rats were intraperitoneally (i.p.) administered with corn oil (vehicle) for 30 days. Group II: rats injected i.p. with Aroclor 1254 at 2 mg/kg body weight (bw)/day for 30 days. Groups III and IV: rats i.p. received melatonin (5 or 10 mg/kg bw/day) simultaneously with Aroclor 1254 for 30 days. After 30 days, rats were killed and the brain regions were dissected to cerebral cortex, cerebellum and hippocampus. Lipid peroxidation, hydroxyl radical and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels were determined. The activity of creatine kinase was assayed in serum and brain regions, and its isoenzymes in serum were separated electrophoretically. Activity of creatine kinase was decreased while an increase in H2O2, hydroxyl radical and lipid peroxidation was observed in brain regions of polychlorinated biphenyl‐treated rats. Also polychlorinated biphenyl exposure showed a significant increase in serum creatine kinase level and its isoforms such as BB‐creatine kinase, MB‐creatine kinase, and MM‐creatine kinase. Administration of melatonin prevented these alterations induced by polychlorinated biphenyl by its free radical scavenging mechanism. Thus, polychlorinated biphenyl alters creatine kinase activity by inducing oxidative stress in brain regions, which can be protected by melatonin.
Vardenafil Modulates Bladder Contractility Through cGMP-mediated Inhibition of RhoA/Rho Kinase Signaling Pathway in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Morelli Annamaria , Filippi Sandra , Sandner Peter , Fibbi Benedetta , Chavalmane Aravinda K. , Silvestrini Enrico , Sarchielli Erica , Vignozzi Linda , Gacci Mauro , Carini Marco , Vannelli Gabriella B. , Maggi Mario 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5i), the most widely used drugs for erectile dysfunction, could also improve lower urinary tract symptoms, essentially due to overactive bladder (OAB), a condition hypothesized to be a result of an increased RhoA/Rho-kinase (ROCK) signaling. Phosphorylation/inactivation of RhoA by cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent protein kinase (PKG) activity has been described in vascular smooth muscle.

Aim
The aim of this paper was to investigate whether vardenafil-induced cGMP accumulation reduces RhoA/ROCK signaling in bladder.

Methods
Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs), a strain genetically prone to develop OAB, were treated with vardenafil (10 mg/kg/day) for 2 weeks. Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) were used as control. In vitro experiments were performed in human bladder smooth muscle cells (hBCs).

Main Outcome Measures
Urodynamic parameters were registered in vivo in anesthetized WKY and SHRs. RhoA/ROCK activity in bladder was evaluated by molecular and functional studies in tissues and cells.

Results
The intercontraction interval and bladder capacity, and were decreased in SHRs and restored by vardenafil. The in vitro relaxant effect of the ROCK inhibitor Y-27632 was higher in bladder strips from SHR than from WKY and reduced by vardenafil. Nω-nitro-L-arginine-methyl-ester (a NO-synthase inhibitor, 40 mg/kg/day during the last week of the 2-week treatment with vardenafil) partially antagonized vardenafil effect on Y-27632 responsiveness. Vardenafil prevented RhoA membrane translocation/activation, decreased ROCK activity, and increased cGMP levels in vivo (rat) and in vitro (hBCs). Exposing hBCs to vardenafil increased Ser188 RhoA phosphorylation, to the same extent as the PDE5-insensitive PKG agonist Sp-8-Br-PET-cGMP. Moreover, vardenafil inhibited several RhoA-dependent functions in hBCs, including smooth muscle gene transcription and endothelin-1-induced migration. These effects were reverted by the PKG inhibitor KT 5823, further suggesting a cGMP/PKG-dependency. In hBCs, vardenafil was active in the low nanomolar range.

Conclusions
This is the first study demonstrating that the effect of vardenafil on OAB could be partially determined by a cGMP-dependent RhoA/ROCK signaling inhibition.
Testosterone Deficiency and Peyronie’s Disease: Pilot Data Suggesting a Significant Relationship
Authors: Moreno Sergio A. , Morgentaler Abraham 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACT

Introduction
As testosterone (T) has been shown to influence wound healing, and serum T declines in the age group at risk for Peyronie’s disease (PD), we explored the possibility that low serum T may be associated with PD.

Aim
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between serum T concentrations and features of PD.

Methods
Medical records were reviewed for 121 consecutive patients with PD seen over a 2-year period. All patients were assessed for sociodemographic data, medical history, comorbid medical conditions, findings on physical examination, and severity of curvature. Laboratory testing included serum concentrations of total testosterone (TT) and free testosterone (FT). Testosterone deficiency (TD) was defined as TT values less than 300 ng/dL and/or FT less than 1.5 ng/dL.

Main Outcome Measures
Prevalence of TD in men with PD and correlation of TT and FT with severity of curvature and plaque size.

Results
Mean patient age was 53.9 ± 10.6 years (range 28–77). Penile curvature was 50.2 ± 23.6 degrees (range 10–120). Mean TT was 411.6 ± 203.6 ng/dL (range 69–877), and mean FT was 1.12 ± 0.58 ng/dL (range 0.13–5.06). Low T was identified in 29.5% by TT alone and in 74.4% overall. Severity of curvature was greater for men with TD compared with men with normal T (54.3 vs. 37.1 degrees, P = 0.006). Men with low FT had greater penile curvature than men with normal FT (37.5 vs. 55.9 degrees, respectively, P = 0.003). Severity of penile curvature correlated significantly with FT (r = −0.314, P = 0.016) and estradiol/T (r = 0.476, P = 0.0001) but not TT (r = −0.199, P = 0.138).

Conclusions
This pilot study suggests a possibly important relationship between low T and PD. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm this relationship.
Severe hip and knee pain in a man with chronic tophaceous gout
Authors: TOLIN Maria Cristina C. , NAVARRA Sandra V. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractGout is a common rheumatologic condition with characteristic clinical presentations during the acute arthritis and chronic tophaceous stages. Because of this, there is a tendency to overlook rare but important conditions which are independent of, but can co‐exist with gout. This case of severe hip and knee pain in a patient with tophaceous gout takes the reader on a problem‐solving exercise which simulates the analytical processes and decisions made in the clinic.
Comparison of aspiration and nonaspiration techniques for obtaining cytologic samples from the canine and feline spleen
Authors: LeBlanc Casey J. , Head Laurie L. , Fry Michael M. 
Published: March 2009

Background:Ultrasound‐guided fine needle aspiration of the spleen is commonly used in the diagnostic evaluation of veterinary patients. Techniques using suction delivered through a 6–20‐cm3syringe are the most commonly described means of obtaining cytologic samples of the spleen. Comparison studies of various human lesions have shown nonaspiration techniques to produce equal or superior cytologic specimens with less blood than specimens obtained using aspiration techniques.Objective:The purpose of this study was to compare the quality of splenic cytology specimens obtained using aspiration and nonaspiration techniques.Methods:Client‐owned dogs (n=24) and cats (n=7) receiving an abdominal ultrasound at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine were enrolled in the study between January and June 2005. Samples were obtained from patients with and without sonographic splenic abnormalities. Two clinical pathologists, working independently and blinded to the method of sample collection, graded the cytologic specimens using a subjective scoring system for cellularity, amount of blood, and preservation of cellular morphology.Results:Agreement between the 2 independent observers was good. Direct comparison of the 2 techniques showed that samples obtained by the nonaspiration method had higher cellularity (P=.0002), less blood (P=.0023), and similar cell morphology (P=1.0000) compared with samples obtained by the aspiration method.Conclusion:These results suggest the nonaspiration technique is a superior method for obtaining a high‐quality cytologic specimen from the canine and feline spleen.
Promoter Characterization in the AT-Rich Genome of the Obligate Endosymbiont “
Candidatus
Blochmannia floridanus”
Authors: Stoll Sascha , Feldhaar Heike , Gross Roy 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACT

The characterization of transcriptional start sites of 14 genes encoded by the extremely AT-rich genome of “
Candidatus
Blochmannia floridanus” revealed a high degree of conservation with the RpoD promoter consensus sequence of the free-living relative
Escherichia coli
. Moreover, in agreement with the presence of the alternative heat shock sigma factor RpoH in “
Ca
. Blochmannia,” typical RpoH-dependent promoters were identified. However, no heat shock response resembling that of
E. coli
could be detected in “
Ca
. Blochmannia.”