bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The evolution of new lipoprotein subunits of the bacterial outer membrane BAM complex
Authors: Anwari Khatira , Webb Chaille T. , Poggio Sebastian , Perry Andrew J. , Belousoff Matthew , Celik Nermin , Ramm Georg , Lovering Andrew , Sockett R. Elizabeth , Smit John , Jacobs‐Wagner Christine , Lithgow Trevor 
Published: April 2012

SummaryThe β‐barrel assembly machine (BAM) complex is an essential feature of all bacteria with an outer membrane. The core subunit of the BAM complex is BamA and, in Escherichia coli, four lipoprotein subunits: BamB, BamC, BamD and BamE, also function in the BAM complex. Hidden Markov model analysis was used to comprehensively assess the distribution of subunits of the BAM lipoproteins across all subclasses of proteobacteria. A patchwork distribution was detected which is readily reconciled with the evolution of the α‐, β‐, γ‐, δ‐ and ε‐proteobacteria. Our findings lead to a proposal that the ancestral BAM complex was composed of two subunits: BamA and BamD, and that BamB, BamC and BamE evolved later in a distinct sequence of events. Furthermore, in some lineages novel lipoproteins have evolved instead of the lipoproteins found in E. coli. As an example of this concept, we show that no known species of α‐proteobacteria has a homologue of BamC. However, purification of the BAM complex from the model α‐proteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus identified a novel subunit we refer to as BamF, which has a conserved sequence motif related to sequences found in BamC. BamF and BamD can be eluted from the BAM complex under similar conditions, mirroring the BamC:D module seen in the BAM complex of γ‐proteobacteria such as E. coli.
Correlated evolution of phenotypic plasticity in metamorphic timing
Authors: MICHIMAE H. , EMURA T. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractPhenotypic plasticity has long been a focus of research, but the mechanisms of its evolution remain controversial. Many amphibian species exhibit a similar plastic response in metamorphic timing in response to multiple environmental factors; therefore, more than one environmental factor has likely influenced the evolution of plasticity. However, it is unclear whether the plastic responses to different factors have evolved independently. In this study, we examined the relationship between the plastic responses to two experimental factors (water level and food type) in larvae of the salamanderHynobius retardatus, using a cause‐specific Cox proportional hazards model on the time to completion of metamorphosis. Larvae from ephemeral ponds metamorphosed earlier than those from permanent ponds when kept at a low water level or fed conspecific larvae instead of larval Chironomidae. This acceleration of metamorphosis depended only on the permanency of the larvae’s pond of origin, but not on the conspecific larval density (an indicator of the frequency of cannibalism) in the ponds. The two plastic responses were significantly correlated, indicating that they may evolve correlatively. Once plasticity evolved as an adaptation to habitat desiccation, it might have relatively easily become a response to other ecological factors, such as food type via the pre‐existing developmental pathway.
Epigeic spiders are not affected by the genetically modified maize MON 88017
Authors: Svobodová Z. , Habuštová O. , Sehnal F. , Holec M. , Hussein H. M. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractThe genetically modified (GM) maize MON 88017 facilitates weed management owing to its tolerance to glyphosate, and resists western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, owing to the expression of Cry3Bb1 toxin. MON 88017 could therefore contribute to the solution of two major problems of European agriculture: continuous WCR spreading and high use of herbicides. To assess possible unwanted environmental impacts of MON 88017, we compared communities of spiders in plots planted in three successive years with this maize, its near isogenic non‐GM cultivar treated or not treated with an insecticide and two unrelated maize cultivars. Each of the five treatments was applied on five 0.5 ha plots in a 14 ha field. Spiders were collected in five pitfall traps per plot five times per year. Upon reaching the waxy ripening stage, all plants of first‐year cultivation were shredded to small pieces and ploughed into the soil in the respective plot, whereas in the 2nd and 3rd year the harvest was used for biogas production and only digestate was returned to the field. Out of 79 spider species, Pardosa agrestis, Pachygnatha degeeri and Oedothorax apicatus made up 28%, 25% and 23% of the total spider count in the 1st year of study; 2%, 8% and 84% in the 2nd; and 40%, 8% and 35% in the 3rd year. Statistical analysis did not reveal any influence of GM maize on the spider abundance and biodiversity. The abundance, and in two years also the species diversity, was insignificantly higher on the plots with GM maize than on plots with the insecticide‐treated non‐GM maize. The composition and size of spider community varied year to year, probably reflecting weather conditions and differences in field fertilization with organic matter.
Confocal laser scanning microscopy as a new valuable tool in the diagnosis of onychomycosis – comparison of six diagnostic methods
Authors: Rothmund G. , Sattler E. C. , Kaestle R. , Fischer C. , Haas C. J. , Starz H. , Welzel J. 
Published: April 2012

SummaryOnychomycosis is common and can mimic several different nail disorders. Accurate diagnosis is essential to choose the optimum antifungal therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) as new non‐invasive diagnostic tools in onychomycosis and to compare them with the established techniques. In a prospective trial, 50 patients with suspected onychomycosis and 10 controls were examined by CLSM and OCT. Parallel KOH preparation, culture, PAS‐staining and PCR were performed. PCR showed the highest sensitivity, followed by CLSM, PAS and KOH preparation. OCT offered the second best sensitivity but displayed the lowest specificity. CLSM and KOH preparation showed a high specificity and CLSM offered the best positive predictive value, similar to KOH preparation and OCT. Fungal culture showed the lowest sensitivity and the worst negative predictive value, yet culture and PCR are the only techniques able to identify genus and species. In summary, CLSM was comparable to PAS staining and superior to KOH preparation. Due to the low specificity we assess OCT not as appropriate. In the differentiation of species PCR outplays the fungal culture in terms of time and sensitivity.
Measurement of Alkaline Phosphatase in Canine Seminal Plasma – An Update
Authors: Schäfer‐Somi S , Fröhlich T , Schwendenwein I 
Published: April 2012

ContentsIn dogs, diagnosis of incomplete ejaculation and azoospermia can be made by measuring the activity of the enzyme alkaline phosphatase (AP) in seminal plasma. However, even though upper cut‐off value of 5000 IU / l is given in the literature, results by different assays may vary considerably. Furthermore, no data exist concerning the stability of the enzyme during storage of frozen seminal plasma, and no recommendations for pre‐analytic dilutions can be found. During the present study, we compared results from a conventional large scale wet chemistry analyzer to a widely used dry chemistry point of care system (POC) and established a best practice for pre‐analytical dilutions. Furthermore, stability of enzyme activities in seminal plasma during storage at −18°C for 24 h was evaluated. The average activity of AP in the 2nd fraction of normal ejaculates measured by Reflotron® was 107 328 IU / l. After 24 h of frozen storage, activities did not differ significantly (96 844 IU / l, p > 0.05). Fresh and frozen samples were analysed in parallel by the POC and conventional chemistry analyser, and the results compared that did not reveal a significant difference (p > 0.05). A dilution of seminal plasma with physiologic saline 1 : 100 prior to analysis was sufficient for the qualitative information whether AP activity is below or above 5000 IU / l. Present data show that AP measurement by a POC dry chemistry system is sufficiently accurate in diluted seminal plasma for the diagnosis of azoospermia and that seminal plasma can be stored frozen for 24 h before analysis.
Removal of Seminal Plasma Enhances Membrane Stability on Fresh and Cooled Stallion Spermatozoa
Authors: Barrier‐Battut I , Bonnet C , Giraudo A , Dubois C , Caillaud M , Vidament M 
Published: April 2012

ContentsFertility is reduced after semen cooling for a considerable number of stallions. The main hypotheses include alterations in plasma membrane following cooling and deleterious influence of seminal plasma. However, interindividual variability is controversial. We hypothesized that the removal of seminal plasma could enhance motility in some ‘poor cooler’ stallions, but could also affect, negatively or positively, membrane quality in some stallions. This study examined the effect of centrifugation, followed or not by removal of seminal plasma, on parameters indicating semen quality after 48 h at 4°C: motility, plasma membrane integrity as evaluated by hypo‐osmotic swelling test, acrosome integrity and response to a pharmacological induction of acrosome reaction using ionophore A23187. Sixty‐six ejaculates from 14 stallions were used, including stallions showing high or low sperm motility after cooled storage. Centrifugation without removal of seminal plasma did not affect sperm parameters. Removal of seminal plasma did not affect motility, but significantly stabilized sperm membranes, as demonstrated by a higher response to the osmotic challenge, and a reduced reactivity of the acrosome. Moreover, for the same semen sample, the response to an induction of acrosome reaction was significantly higher when the induction was performed in the presence of seminal plasma, compared with the induction in the absence of seminal plasma. This was observed both for fresh and cooled semen. When the induction of acrosome reaction with ionophore A23187 is used to evaluate sperm quality, care must therefore be taken to standardize the proportion of seminal plasma between samples. For the 10 stallions serving at least 25 mares, the only variable significantly correlated with fertility was motility. The influence of membrane stabilization regarding fertility requires further investigations.
Partisan Effects on Welfare State Retrenchment: Empirical Evidence from a Measurement of Government Intentions
Authors: Klitgaard Michael Baggesen , Elmelund‐Præstekær Christian 
Published: April 2012

AbstractThe effect of partisanship is disputed in the literature on welfare state retrenchment. The ‘new politics’ school argues that partisan conflicts are irrelevant to the understanding of retrenchment, but the second generation of retrenchment research concludes that such conflicts are still important. We engage in this debate by introducing a new empirical approach. Our method provides a necessary but currently missing link in the second generation of retrenchment studies which theorize on the input side of welfare state reform but conduct empirical studies on the output side. Our empirical approach entails a new type of data, compiled on the basis of content analysis of adopted laws, and we analyze the intentions pursued by incumbent governments in social policy‐making. Based on an empirical study, we find partisan effects in programmes protecting against social risks that are disproportionally distributed among social strata.
The British welfare state and mental health problems: the continuing relevance of the work of Claus Offe
Authors: Pilgrim David 
Published: April 2012

AbstractIt is now over thirty years since Claus Offe theorised the crisis tendencies of the welfare state in late capitalism. As part of that work he explored ongoing and irresolvable forms of crisis management in parliamentary democracies: capitalism cannot live with the welfare state but also cannot live without it. This article examines the continued relevance of this analysis by Offe, by applying its basic assumptions to the response of the British welfare state to mental health problems, at the turn of the twenty first century. His general theoretical abstractions are tested against the empirical picture of mental health service priorities, evident since the 1980s, in sections dealing with: re‐commodification tendencies; the ambiguity of wage labour in the mental health workforce; the emergence of new social movements; and the limits of legalism.
The Periphrastic Perfect in Ancient Greek: A Diachronic Mental Space Analysis1
Authors: Bentein Klaas 
Published: April 2012

AbstractIn the present article, I apply Fauconnier’s mental spaces theory to the diachronic analysis of the Ancient Greek periphrastic perfect. I argue that the periphrastic construction started out as a ‘resultative’ perfect, with FOCUS and EVENT located in the same mental space. I show that, contrary to what is sometimes believed, the construction was not limited to a purely stative meaning, but underwent the cross‐linguistically attested semantic shift from resultative to anterior, whereby an additional non‐FOCUS EVENT‐space was constructed. In fourth‐century Classical Greek, we witness the further extension of the periphrastic construction with regard to semantics, morphology and discourse context. I close the article with some remarks on the possible aoristicisation of the periphrastic perfect.
An Extension of the Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test for Complex Sample Survey Data
Authors: Natarajan Sundar , Lipsitz Stuart R. , Fitzmaurice Garrett M. , Sinha Debajyoti , Ibrahim Joseph G. , Haas Jennifer , Gellad Walid 
Published: April 2012

SummaryIn complex survey sampling, a fraction of a finite population is sampled. Often, the survey is conducted so that each subject in the population has a different probability of being selected into the sample. Further, many complex surveys involve stratification and clustering. For generalizability of the sample to the finite population, these features of the design are usually incorporated in the analysis. Although the Wilcoxon rank sum test is commonly used to compare an ordinal variable in bivariate analyses, no simple extension of the Wilcoxon rank sum test has been proposed for complex survey data. With multinomial sampling of independent subjects, the Wilcoxon rank sum test statistic equals the score test statistic for the group effect from a proportional odds cumulative logistic regression model for an ordinal outcome. Using this regression framework, for complex survey data, we formulate a similar proportional odds cumulative logistic regression model for the ordinal variable, and we use an estimating equations score statistic for no group effect as an extension of the Wilcoxon test. The method proposed is applied to a complex survey designed to produce national estimates of healthcare use, expenditures, sources of payment and insurance coverage.
Testing the Equality of Mean Functions of Ionospheric Critical Frequency Curves
Authors: Gromenko Oleksandr , Kokoszka Piotr 
Published: April 2012

SummaryThe paper develops a significance test for evaluating the equality of the mean functions in two samples of spatially indexed functional data. The problem is motivated by an important question in space physics research which is related to the hypothesis of ionospheric global cooling (as opposed to the conjectured global warming of near surface atmosphere). The critical electron frequency of the ionosphere's F2 region, foF2, can be used to test conjectures about the trends in the ionosphere empirically. We apply the proposed test to the foF2-records over eastern and western Europe to verify whether there is a conjectured difference between first-order behaviour of these records over regions with different magnetic inclinations. It is found that the difference between the means is statistically significant for night-time records. The implications of this result are discussed. Finite sample performance of the test proposed is validated via numerical simulations.
Age-Dependent Mixture Models for Recovery Data on Animals Marked at Unknown Age
Authors: McCrea Rachel S. , Morgan Byron J. T. , Cole Diana J. 
Published: April 2012

SummaryData are often collected from wild animals that have been marked at unknown age. As a result, standard probability models, fitted by maximum likelihood, cannot incorporate age dependence in probabilities of annual survival. We propose and fit new mixture models to ring–recovery data on birds ringed of unknown age, in which it is possible to incorporate age dependence in survival. It is shown that it is important to analyse simultaneously data on animals marked as young, and of known age, as otherwise the mixture model is parameter redundant. The potential of the approach is illustrated by a new analysis of data on mallards, Anas platyrhynchos, and the wider performance of the approach is demonstrated through simulation. The models provide a way of analysing correctly large numbers of historical data sets.
Muscle force recovery in relation to muscle oxygenation
Authors: Ufland Pierre , Lapole Thomas , Ahmaidi Said , Buchheit Martin 
Published: April 2012

SummaryThe aim of this study was to investigate the relative contribution of human muscle reoxygenation on force recovery following a maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). Ten athletes (22·9 ± 4·0 years) executed a plantar‐flexion sequence including two repeated MVCs [i.e. a 30‐s MVC (MVC30) followed by a 10‐s MVC (MVC10)] separated by 10, 30, 60, 120 or 300 s of passive recovery. A 10‐min passive recovery period was allowed between each MVC sequence. This procedure was randomly repeated with two different recovery conditions: without (CON) or with (OCC) arterial occlusion of the medial gastrocnemius. During OCC, the occlusion was maintained from the end of MVC30 to the end of MVC10. Muscle oxygenation (Near‐infrared spectroscopy, NIRS, [Hbdiff]) was continuously measured during all MVC sequences and expressed as a percentage of the maximal changes in optical density observed during MVC30. Maximal Torque was analysed at the start of each contraction. Torque during each MVC10 was expressed as a percentage of the Torque during the previous MVC30. Torque recovery was complete within 300 s after MVC30 during CON (MVC10 = 101·8 ± 5·0%); 88·6 ± 8·9% of the Torque was recovered during OCC (P = 0·005). There was also a moderate correlation between absolute level of muscle oxygenation and Torque (r = 0·32 (90% CI, 0·09;0·52), P = 0·02). Present findings confirm the role of human muscle oxygenation in muscular force recovery during repeated‐maximal efforts. However, the correlation between absolute muscle oxygenation and force level during recovery is only moderate, suggesting that other mechanisms are likely involved in the force recovery process.
Gene Expression Changes in C57BL/6J and DBA/2J Mice Following Prenatal Alcohol Exposure
Authors: Downing Chris , Flink Stephen , Florez‐McClure Maria L. , Johnson Thomas E. , Tabakoff Boris , Kechris Katerina J. 
Published: April 2012

BackgroundPrenatal alcohol exposure can result in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Not all women who consume alcohol during pregnancy have children with FASD and studies have shown that genetic factors can play a role in ethanol teratogenesis. We examined gene expression in embryos and placentae from C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2J (D2) mice following prenatal alcohol exposure. B6 fetuses are susceptible to morphological malformations following prenatal alcohol exposure while D2 are relatively resistant.MethodsMale and female B6 and D2 mice were mated for 2 hours in the morning, producing 4 embryonic genotypes: true‐bred B6B6 and D2D2, and reciprocal B6D2 and D2B6. On gestational day 9, dams were intubated with 5.8 g/kg ethanol, an isocaloric amount of maltose dextrin, or nothing. Four hours later, dams were sacrificed and embryos and placentae were harvested. RNA was extracted, labeled and hybridized to Affymetrix Mouse Genome 430 v2 microarray chips. Data were normalized, subjected to analysis of variance and tested for enrichment of gene ontology molecular function and biological process using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID).ResultsSeveral gene classes were differentially expressed in B6 and D2 regardless of treatment, including genes involved in polysaccharide binding and mitosis. Prenatal alcohol exposure altered expression of a subset of genes, including genes involved in methylation, chromatin remodeling, protein synthesis, and mRNA splicing. Very few genes were differentially expressed between maltose‐exposed tissues and tissues that received nothing, so we combined these groups for comparisons with ethanol. While we observed many expression changes specific to B6 following prenatal alcohol exposure, none were specific for D2. Gene classes up‐ or down‐regulated in B6 following prenatal alcohol exposure included genes involved in mRNA splicing, transcription, and translation.ConclusionsOur study identified several classes of genes with altered expression following prenatal alcohol exposure, including many specific for B6, a strain susceptible to ethanol teratogenesis. Lack of strain specific effects in D2 suggests there are few gene expression changes that confer resistance. Future studies will begin to analyze functional significance of the expression changes.
Plasma and Cerebrospinal Fluid Pharmacokinetic Parameters After Single‐Dose Administration of Intravenous, Oral, or Rectal Acetaminophen
Authors: Singla Neil K. , Parulan Cherri , Samson Roselle , Hutchinson Joel , Bushnell Rick , Beja Evelyn G. , Ang Robert , Royal Mike A. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractBackground:  This is the first study to compare plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pharmacokinetics of intravenous (IV), oral (PO), or rectal (PR) formulations of acetaminophen.Methods:  Healthy male subjects (N = 6) were randomized to receive a single dose of IV (OFIRMEV®; Cadence) 1,000 mg (15 minute infusion), PO (2 Tylenol® 500 mg caplets; McNeil Consumer Healthcare), or PR acetaminophen (2 Feverall® 650 mg suppositories; Actavis) with a 1‐day washout period between doses. The 1,300 mg PR concentrations were standardized to 1,000 mg. Acetaminophen plasma and CSF levels were obtained at T0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 hours.Results:  IV acetaminophen showed earlier and higher plasma and CSF levels compared with PO or PR administration. CSF bioavailability over 6 hours (AUC0–6) for IV, PO, and PR 1 g was 24.9, 14.2, and 10.3 μg·h/mL, respectively. No treatment‐related adverse events were reported. One subject was replaced because of premature failure of his lumbar spinal catheter. The mean CSF level in the IV group was similar to plasma from 3 to 4 hours and higher from 4 hours on. Absorption phase, variability in plasma, and CSF were greater in PO and PR groups than variability with IV administration.Conclusions:  These results demonstrate that earlier and greater CSF penetration occurs as a result of the earlier and higher plasma peak with IV administration compared with PO or PR.