bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Inheritance of increased seed tocopherol content in sunflower line IAST‐413
Authors: Del Moral L. , Pérez‐Vich B. , Fernández‐Martínez J. M. , Velasco L. 
Published: April 2011

With 1 figure and 1 tableAbstractSunflower seeds and oil are one of the richest natural food sources of alpha‐tocopherol (vitamin E). The sunflower line IAST‐413, with enhanced alpha‐tocopherol content, was developed by pedigree selection. The objective of this research was to study the inheritance of increased tocopherol content in seeds of IAST‐413. Plants of this line were reciprocally crossed with plants of line HA89 with wild‐type tocopherol content, and their F1, F1r, F2, F2r, BCP1 and BCP2 generations were evaluated in the field in 2006 and 2007. The F3 generation was evaluated in the field in 2007. Estimated broad‐sense heritability () was 0.78 in 2006 and 0.67 in 2007, whereas narrow‐sense heritability () was 0.70 in 2006 and 0.60 in 2007. Estimate of heritability through parent–offspring correlation was 0.67 and realized heritability was 0.64. The estimated minimum number of genes conditioning increased levels of tocopherol was 1.04 in 2006 and 1.95 in 2007. This mode of inheritance and response to selection should facilitate the introgression of the trait into elite germplasm to develop sunflower oil naturally rich in vitamin E.
Caring in Calcutta — utlising resources in the developing world
Authors: MORRIS TOM 
Published: April 2011

ABSTRACT  This paper presents an outline of the role of a visiting speech and language therapist with children with special needs in a developing country. Observations on the teachers' current practice with children in an educational environment are discussed before describing the aims of a voluntary worker running subsequent courses in communication skills for staff and parents. The results from a follow‐up study on the skills attained during the courses are presented, with implications for the future role of voluntary workers.In November 1993, the charitable organisation, Action Health, began a three‐year project in Calcutta, India, based at a school for children with special needs. The aim of the project is to provide support in developing the expertise of teachers of children with special needs in communication skills. Training as trainers is also provided for selected staff so that they may facilitate future courses for organisations in and around Calcutta. Although speech and language therapy is continually developing in India, there are still an estimated 12 million children with physical or mental disability — with only 60,000 children enrolled in general or special schools, and only c. 800 practising speech and hearing pathologists in the whole subcontinent. Existing educational services reach only 4% of the physically disabled and 0.2% of the developmentally delayed. Any resources available require careful distribution in order to make them as effective and productive as possible. The most important beneficiaries of the Action Health/REACH project will be the children attending both special schools and outreach centres in and around Calcutta. In order to establish and maintain such a service, the development of varied and innovative teaching methods among the staff is required. This calls for a recognition of the existing skills among the teachers and social workers involved, and how these may be used to good effect. The extent to which this can be achieved will act as an important guideline for the future involvement of visiting speech and language therapists in developing countries — not only in what they can offer to new projects but also how they can utilise what is already in operation. This creates an opportunity for reciprocal exchange of ideas, giving the visiting therapists a chance to learn how to adapt their own skills to meet the diverse and complex needs of a different culture within strict financial, social and geographical constraints. This will have valuable benefits for the therapists on their return, for their future invovlement in meeting the needs of their own community in the UK.
Increases in heart rate and systolic blood pressure in anesthetized dogs affected with X‐linked muscular dystrophy after cisatracurium administration: a retrospective study
Authors: Staffieri Francesco , Sleeper Margaret , Larenza Maria Paula 
Published: April 2011

SummaryBackground:  Most patients affected with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) present with arrhythmias and cardiomyopathies. Drugs which potentially may induce tachycardia or hypertension could precipitate acute cardiac failure in these patients and should be avoided.Methods:  Thirty anesthesia records of five experimental male golden retriever cross‐bred dogs affected with X‐linked muscular dystrophy (GRDM), a model of DMD, were retrospectively reviewed (DMD group). Anesthesia records were compared with those of 10 golden retriever dogs not affected with muscular dystrophy (control group). Records were excluded if dogs received anticholinergics or vasoactive amines. Anesthesia was induced with fentanyl followed by propofol, both intravenously. After orotracheal intubation, all dogs’ lungs were mechanically ventilated. Anesthesia was maintained with infusion of fentanyl and propofol (DMD group) or isoflurane in oxygen (control group). Pure O2 was provided to the DMD group. Cisatracurium (0.1 mg·kg−1) was administered intravenously to all dogs. Five‐min interval recordings of HR and systolic blood pressures (SAP) were obtained.Results:  Immediately after the administration of cisatracurium, absolute values for HR and SAP significantly increased by 78.3 ± 37.0 b·min−1 (115.4 ± 64.9%) and 33.0 ± 28.3 mmHg (33.5 ± 31.2%), respectively, in all DMD dogs and remained significantly increased for 10 and 30 min, respectively. Dogs in the control group did not show significant increases in HR or SAP after cisatracurium administration. All dogs recovered from anesthesia without complications.Conclusion:  In this report, increases in HR and SAP could be associated with the administration of cisatracurium in individuals affected with X‐linked muscular dystrophy. These cardiovascular changes deserve further investigation.
Gains in fluid intelligence after training non‐verbal reasoning in 4‐year‐old children: a controlled, randomized study
Authors: Bergman Nutley Sissela , Söderqvist Stina , Bryde Sara , Thorell Lisa B. , Humphreys Keith , Klingberg Torkel 
Published: April 2011

AbstractFluid intelligence (Gf) predicts performance on a wide range of cognitive activities, and children with impaired Gf often experience academic difficulties. Previous attempts to improve Gf have been hampered by poor control conditions and single outcome measures. It is thus still an open question whether Gf can be improved by training. This study included 4‐year‐old children (N = 101) who performed computerized training (15 min/day for 25 days) of either non‐verbal reasoning, working memory, a combination of both, or a placebo version of the combined training. Compared to the placebo group, the non‐verbal reasoning training group improved significantly on Gf when analysed as a latent variable of several reasoning tasks. Smaller gains on problem solving tests were seen in the combination training group. The group training working memory improved on measures of working memory, but not on problem solving tests. This study shows that it is possible to improve Gf with training, which could have implications for early interventions in children.
On the Potential of Being a Village Boy: An Argument for Local Rural Ethnography
Authors: Heley Jesse 
Published: April 2011

AbstractThis article explores the significance of researcher's positionality for the interpretation of local cultures of rurality. Drawing on personal experience of studying the apparent emergence of a new squirearchy in an English village, it argues that backyard ethnographies, in which researchers study worlds with which they are already familiar if not intimate, can offer valuable insights into cultures of rurality by facilitating particular forms of disclosure and understanding. While the potential value of insider status, and indeed participant observation, has become increasingly debated in rural research, the implications of being local have been largely neglected. The article discusses the significance of being local in terms of privileged access to elite cultures in rural space, focusing on how it assists enquiry in terms of acceptance, observation and interpretation. At the same time, it highlights some of the challenges to this mode of investigation. The article draws on material from a locality based study of the so‐called new squirearchy in England.
Forensic identification: the island problem and its generalisations
Authors: Slooten Klaas , Meester Ronald 
Published: April 2011

In forensics it is a classical problem to determine, when a suspect S shares a property Γ with a criminal C, the probability that S = C. In this article we give a detailed account of this problem in various degrees of generality. We start with the classical case where the probability of having Γ, as well as the a priori probability of being the criminal, is the same for all individuals. We then generalize the solution to deal with heterogeneous populations, biased search procedures for the suspect, Γ‐correlations, uncertainty about the subpopulation of the criminal and the suspect, and uncertainty about theΓ‐frequencies. We also consider the effect of the way the search for S is conducted, in particular when this is done by a database search. A returning theme is that we show that conditioning is of importance when one wants to quantify the ‘weight’ of the evidence by a likelihood ratio. Apart from these mathematical issues, we also discuss the practical problems in applying these issues to the legal process. The posterior probabilities of C = S are typically the same for all reasonable choices of the hypotheses, but this is not the whole story. The legal process might force one to dismiss certain hypotheses, for instance when the relevant likelihood ratio depends on prior probabilities. We discuss this and related issues as well. As such, the article is relevant both from a theoretical and from an applied point of view.
Returns to Type or Tenure?
Authors: Amann Roland A. , Klein Tobias J. 
Published: April 2011

SummaryA regression of wages on firm tenure is likely to yield biased estimates of the returns to tenure because tenure and wages are confounded by unobserved attributes of the job and the unobserved quality of the match between the firm and the employee. Previously, the within-job variation in tenure has been used as an instrument to estimate the average returns to tenure. We propose to use instead an easy-to-implement control function estimator for the returns to tenure and their dependence on unobserved heterogeneity. The results obtained for Germany indicate that there is a substantial amount of unobserved heterogeneity in the returns to tenure and that good job matches are characterized by higher returns to tenure in the first 5 years and lower returns thereafter.
Investigating the Behavioural Characteristics of Lottery Players by Using a Combination Preference Model for Conscious Selection
Authors: Baker Rose , McHale Ian G. 
Published: April 2011

SummaryConscious selection describes the process by which lottery players choose numbers non-randomly on their tickets. The only theoretical model that has been produced to date models conscious selection as number preference; for example players may tend to choose ‘lucky’ numbers. This model, however, does not fit the observed distributions of the numbers of winners of prizes well. We present a theoretical model in which clusters of similar number combinations are preferentially chosen. This three-parameter model gives a convincing visual fit to the long-tailed distributions of numbers of winners and accurately reproduces the correlations between the numbers of winners of the various tiers of prize. Our model is fitted to lottery data and the fit is compared with those of previous models that have been employed for conscious selection. We then use the model to contrast features of lottery player behaviour in two of the biggest lotteries in the world: the UK National Lottery game, lotto, and Spain’s El Gordo de la Primitiva. Finally, we use the model to detect any changes in UK player behaviour over time.
2,3‐Dimercaptopropanol, a thiol chelator, alleviates gastroduodenal ulcers in rats
Authors: Al Moutaery Meshal , Al Rayes Hannan , Al Swailam Ramaiz , Elfaki Ibrahim , Khan Haseeb Ahmad , Alhomida Abdullah Saleh , Arshaduddin Mohammad , Tariq Mohammad 
Published: April 2011

AbstractEarlier studies have implicated reactive oxygen species and transitional metals in the pathogenesis of gastric lesions. In this study, we have evaluated the effect of 2,3‐dimercaptopropanol (DMP), a thiol compound and metal chelator, on chemically induced gastroduodenal ulcers in rats. Acid secretion studies were undertaken using pylorus‐ligated rats pretreated with DMP (3–100 mg/kg, i.p.). The effect of orally administered DMP on cysteamine‐induced duodenal ulcers and ethanol‐induced gastric ulcers was also tested. The level of nonprotein sulfhydryls (NP‐SH) and gastric wall mucus was measured in the glandular stomach of rats treated with ethanol. None of the dose of DMP affected the volume or acidity of gastric secretion. Low doses of DMP (3 and 10 mg/kg) significantly reduced cysteamine‐induced duodenal ulcers, whereas the high doses (30 and 100 mg/kg) were ineffective in this model. All the doses of DMP significantly and dose dependently attenuated ethanol‐induced gastric lesions. The adverse effects of ethanol on gastric wall mucus and NP‐SH were significantly and dose dependently reversed by DMP. In conclusion, the protective effects of DMP appear to be independent of gastric acid secretion and may be associated with counteracting the oxidative stress by replenishing glutathione and reducing the pool of transition metals.
Pigment‐dispersing factor affects circadian molecular oscillations in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus
Authors: HASSANEEN Ehab , SALLAM Alaa El‐Din , ABO‐GHALIA Ahmad , MORIYAMA Yoshiyuki , TOMIOKA Kenji 
Published: April 2011

AbstractPigment‐dispersing factor (PDF) is an important neurotransmitter in insect circadian systems. In the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus, it affects nocturnal activity, the free‐running period and photic entrainment. In this study, to investigate whether these effects of PDF occur through a circadian molecular machinery, we measured mRNA levels of clock genes period (per) and timeless (tim) in crickets with pdf expression knocked‐down by pdf RNAi. The pdf RNAi decreased per and tim mRNA levels during the night to reduce the amplitude of their oscillation. The phase of the rhythm advanced by about 4 h in terms of trough and/or peak phases. On the other hand, pdf mRNA levels were little affected by per and tim RNAi treatment. These results suggest that PDF affects the circadian rhythm at least in part through the circadian molecular oscillation while the circadian clock has little effect on the pdf expression.
Life‐history traits related to diapause in univoltine and bivoltine populations of Ypthima multistriata (Lepidoptera: Satyridae) inhabiting similar latitudes
Authors: NORIYUKI Suzuki , AKIYAMA Koji , NISHIDA Takayoshi 
Published: April 2011

AbstractIn most temperate insects, diapause strategies and voltinism generally exhibit latitudinal clines, supporting the concept that they represent adaptations to climate. In contrast, in the satyrine butterfly Ypthima multistriata Butler, local populations with different voltinism patterns are geographically intermingled, suggesting that life‐history traits related to diapause may differ even between geographically and phylogenetically close populations. In this study, we experimentally examined the critical photoperiod for diapause induction and the larval developmental period in two univoltine and two bivoltine populations of Y. multistriata, all of which inhabit virtually the same latitude (34.652–34.750°N). We found that the critical photoperiod for diapause induction was longer in the univoltine populations than in the bivoltine populations. Moreover, the larval period under the long day length treatment was different among populations in both sexes, although significant differences were also detected between populations with the same voltinism. These results indicate that in Y. multistriata, life‐history traits related to diapause can not be attributed merely to climatic conditions such as temperature or day length, which depend largely on latitude. Therefore, we suggest that biotic elements, such as leaf toughness, as well as abiotic elements should be taken into account in attempts to explain the enigmatic pattern of geographic variation in the diapause strategies of Y. multistriata.
Chronic suppurative otitis media in children of Luanda, Angola
Authors: Taipale Anni , Pelkonen Tuula , Taipale Marko , Bernardino Luis , Peltola Heikki , Pitkäranta Anne 
Published: April 2011

AbstractAim:  Evaluation of clinical characteristics, bacteriology and hearing in paediatric patients with and without chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) in Luanda, Angola.Methods:  Interview, clinical examination, ear‐discharge culture, open air pure‐tone audiometry and brainstem auditory‐evoked potentials of 23 outpatients with CSOM and 23 controls in a paediatric hospital.Results:  Of the CSOM vs. control children, 35% vs. 26% had running water, 70% vs. 70% electricity, 64% vs. 0% HIV (p < 0.0001) and 36% vs. 0% tuberculosis in history (p = 0.002). Ten (43%) children had bilateral CSOM. The major ear‐discharge pathogens were Proteus spp. (44%) and Pseudomonas (22%). Hearing impairment of >25 dB was present in 52% of CSOM‐affected ears and bilateral hearing loss in 7 (30%) CSOM children vs. zero control child (p = 0.009). Only one hearing‐impaired child’s family had previously detected the handicap.Conclusion:  CSOM occurred in children with high co‐morbidity. Persistent otorrhoea was usually caused by Proteus spp. or Pseudomonas, and often suggestive of either HIV or hearing impairment. In the developing countries, prompt diagnosis and treatment of CSOM would enhance the children’s linguistic and academic development.
Role of a Novel Tetrodotoxin-Resistant Sodium Channel in the Nitrergic Relaxation of Corpus Cavernosum from the South American Rattlesnake Crotalus Durissus Terrificus
Authors: Capel Rodrigo O. , Mónica Fabíola Z. , Porto Marcovan , Barillas Samuel , Muscará Marcelo Nicolás , Teixeira Simone Aparecida , Arruda André Moreira Martins , Pissinatti Lorenzo , Pissinatti Alcides , Schenka André A. , Antunes Edson , Nahoum César , Cogo José Carlos , de Oliveira Marco Antonio , De Nucci Gilberto 
Published: April 2011

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Coitus in snakes may last up to 28 hours; however, the mechanisms involved are unknown.

Aim
To evaluate the relevance of the nitric oxide (NO)-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) system in snake corpus cavernosum reactivity.

Methods
Hemipenes were removed from anesthetized South American rattlesnakes (Crotalus durissus terrificus) and studied by light and scanning electronic microscopy. Isolated Crotalus corpora cavernosa (CCC) were dissected from the non-spiny region of the hemipenises, and tissue reactivity was assessed in organ baths.

Main Outcome Measures
Cumulative concentration-response curves were constructed for acetylcholine (ACh), sodium nitroprusside (SNP), 5-cyclopropyl-2-[1-(2-fluorobenzyl)-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine-3-yl]pyrimidin-4-ylamine (BAY 41-2272), and tadalafil in CCC precontracted with phenylephrine. Relaxation induced by electrical field stimulation (EFS) was also done in the absence and presence of Nω nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 100 µM), 1H-[1, 2, 4] oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ; 10 µM) and tetrodotoxin (TTX; 1 µM).

Results
The hemipenes consisted of two functionally concentric corpora cavernosa, one of them containing radiating bundles of smooth muscle fibers (confirmed by α-actin immunostaining). Endothelial and neural nitric oxide synthases were present in the endothelium and neural structures, respectively; whereas soluble guanylate cyclase and PDE5 were expressed in trabecular smooth muscle. ACh and SNP relaxed isolated CCC, with the relaxations being markedly reduced by L-NAME and ODQ, respectively. BAY 41-2272 and tadalafil caused sustained relaxations with potency (pEC50) values of 5.84 ± 0.17 and 5.10 ± 0.08 (N=3–4), respectively. In precontracted CCC, EFS caused frequency-dependent relaxations that lasted three times longer than those in mammalian CC. Although these relaxations were almost abolished by either L-NAME or ODQ, they were unaffected by TTX. In contrast, EFS-induced relaxations in marmoset CC were abolished by TTX.

Conclusions
Rattlesnake CC relaxation is mediated by the NO-cGMP-PDE5 pathway in a manner similar to mammals. The novel TTX-resistant Na channel identified here may be responsible for the slow response of smooth muscle following nerve stimulation and could explain the extraordinary duration of snake coitus.
Distinctive Features of Female-to-Male Transsexualism and Prevalence of Gender Identity Disorder in Japan
Authors: Baba Tsuyoshi , Endo Toshiaki , Ikeda Keiko , Shimizu Ayumi , Honnma Hiroyuki , Ikeda Hiroshi , Masumori Naoya , Ohmura Tousei , Kiya Tamotsu , Fujimoto Takashi , Koizumi Motoiki , Saito Tsuyoshi 
Published: April 2011

ABSTRACT

Introduction
The prevalence of transsexualism is thought to differ among socio-geographic backgrounds, and little is known about its prevalence in Japan. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which is known to be associated with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, is often seen in female-to-male (FTM) transsexual patients. Consequently, detection of PCOS is an important part of health care for these individuals.

Aim
The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of transsexuality in Japan, as well as the incidences of PCOS and insulin resistance among Japanese FTM transsexual patients.

Methods
One hundred four male-to-female (MTF) and 238 FTM Japanese transsexual patients were studied. Medical histories, including histories of menstrual cycling and hormone treatment, were taken. To exclude other diseases, such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia and hormone-secreting tumors, thorough medical assessments, including transvaginal or transrectal ultrasonography and measurement of serum hormone levels and insulin resistance indexes, were performed.

Main Outcome Measures
The diagnosis of PCOS was based on the Rotterdam 2003 criteria.

Results
Based on demographic statistics, the prevalences of MTF and FTM transsexuality are about 3.97 and 8.20 per 100,000 people, respectively, making the MTF-to-FTM ratio about 1:2. Of the FTM transsexual patients studied, 128 had not taken hormones before their initial assessment (untreated group); the remaining 50 self-administered androgen. Among the untreated group, 32.0% were diagnosed with PCOS, 30.1% were insulin-resistant, and 31.1% showed hypoadiponectinemia.

Conclusions
The sex ratio among Japanese transsexuals is different than among Caucasians. PCOS and insulin resistance are common findings in FTM transsexual patients at initial presentation.