bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cannabinoid receptor type 1 and 2 expression in the skin of healthy dogs and dogs with atopic dermatitis
Authors: Campora Luca , Miragliotta Vincenzo , Ricci Emanuele , Cristino Luigia , Di Marzo Vincenzo , Albanese Francesco , Federica della Valle Maria , Abramo Francesca 
Published: June 2012

Abstract
Objective—To determine the distribution of cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) and cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2) in skin (including hair follicles and sweat and sebaceous glands) of clinically normal dogs and dogs with atopic dermatitis (AD) and to compare results with those for positive control samples for CB1 (hippocampus) and CB2 (lymph nodes).
Sample—Skin samples from 5 healthy dogs and 5 dogs with AD and popliteal lymph node and hippocampus samples from 5 cadavers of dogs.
Procedures—CB1 and CB2 were immunohistochemically localized in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of tissue samples.
Results—In skin samples of healthy dogs, CB1 and CB2 immunoreactivity was detected in various types of cells in the epidermis and in cells in the dermis, including perivascular cells with mast cell morphology, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells. In skin samples of dogs with AD, CB1 and CB2 immunoreactivity was stronger than it was in skin samples of healthy dogs. In positive control tissue samples, CB1 immunoreactivity was detected in all areas of the hippocampus, and CB2 immunoreactivity was detected in B-cell zones of lymphoid follicles.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—The endocannabinoid system and cannabimimetic compounds protect against effects of allergic inflammatory disorders in various species of mammals. Results of the present study contributed to knowledge of the endocannabinoid system and indicated this system may be a target for treatment of immune-mediated and inflammatory disorders such as allergic skin diseases in dogs.
Development of a technique for contrast radiographic examination of the gastrointestinal tract in ball pythons (Python regius)
Authors: Banzato Tommaso , Russo Elisa , Finotti Luca , Zotti Alessandro 
Published: June 2012

Abstract
Objective—To develop a technique for radiographic evaluation of the gastrointestinal tract in ball pythons (Python regius).
Samples—10 ball python cadavers (5 males and 5 females) and 18 healthy adult ball pythons (10 males and 8 females).
Procedures—Live snakes were allocated to 3 groups (A, B, and C). A dose (25 mL/kg) of barium sulfate suspension at 3 concentrations (25%, 35%, and 45% [wt/vol]) was administered through an esophageal probe to snakes in groups A, B, and C, respectively. Each evaluation ended when all the contrast medium had reached the large intestine. Transit times through the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine were recorded. Imaging quality was evaluated by 3 investigators who assigned a grading score on the basis of predetermined criteria. Statistical analysis was conducted to evaluate differences in quality among the study groups.
Results—The esophagus and stomach had a consistent distribution pattern of contrast medium, whereas 3 distribution patterns of contrast medium were identified in the small intestine, regardless of barium concentration. Significant differences in imaging quality were detected among the 3 groups.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Radiographic procedures were tolerated well by all snakes. The 35% concentration of contrast medium yielded the best imaging quality. Use of contrast medium for evaluation of the cranial portion of the gastrointestinal tract could be a reliable technique for the diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases in ball pythons. However, results of this study may not translate to other snake species because of variables identified in this group of snakes.
Content of selected secondary metabolites in wild hop
Authors: Ürgeová Eva , Vulganová Katarína , Polívka Ľudovít 
Published: June 2012

AbstractWe focused on the determination of biologically active secondary metabolites in wild hops over the course of the vegetation period in four selected sites in Piešťany. Hop was collected in four collection periods in 2010. The objects of research were the leaves of male and female plants, and female cones. Analysis of the extracts from wild hop confirmed differences in total content of polyphenols, flavonoids between the localities and in the growing seasons over the vegetation period. The extracts from leaves from the first harvest in localities “gSládkovičova” and the river Vah showed higher levels of polyphenols (4.91–6.93 mg g−1 of dry mass), flavonoids (2.28–2.99 mg g−1 of dry mass) than the extracts from cones collected at the end of the vegetation period (polyphenols 3.63–5.33 mg g−1 of dry mass, flavonoids 1.86–2.16 mg g−1 of dry mass). The extracts from leaves from the first harvest from the “tennis court” site showed lower values of polyphenols and flavonoids. Our findings were that the leaves from the first harvest at the beginning of the growing season contained higher amounts of the secondary metabolites investigated than the cones at the end of the growing season. The content of α-bitter acids in wild hop cones ranged from 1.64 % to 2.91 %, in leaves from 0.11 % to 0.99%. Concentration of β-bitter acids in cones varied from 1.63 % to 1.93 % and in leaves from 0.02 % to 0.61 %.
Trace elements in Variegated Bolete (Suillus variegatus) fungi
Authors: Szubstarska Joanna , Jarzyńska Grażyna , Falandysz Jerzy 
Published: June 2012

AbstractMetallic elements such as Ag, Al, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sr, and Zn were determined using ICP-OES in a representative set of fifteen fruiting bodies of the edible fungus Suillus variegatus. Fruiting bodies were collected from unpolluted areas near the village of Lubichowo of the Bory Tucholskie forest complex in northern Poland in 2007–2008. The caps were richer in Ag, Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K,Mg, Ni, Rb, and Zn, and the stipes in Ba, Ca, Mn, Na, Pb, and Sr. Cobalt concentration in the caps and stipes was similar. In the caps, the content of the elements decreased in the order (mg per kg of dry weight): K 29000 ± 3700, Fe 1600 ± 80, Mg 990 ± 110, Rb 320 ± 86, Zn 90 ± 19, Ca 75 ± 34, Al 68 ± 32, Na 40 ± 18, Cu 19 ± 7, Mn 13 ± 7, Cd 1.0 ± 0.5, Ni 0.64 ± 0.32, Ag 0.40 ± 0.20, Cr 0.33 ± 0.06, Pb 0.20 ± 0.17, Ba 0.19 ± 0.11, Sr 0.15 ± 0.09, and Co 0.070 ± 0.050. Apparently, S. variegatus collected from background areas are relatively low in Pb and Cd and so are suitable for human consumption.
Influence of various spices on acrylamide content in buckwheat ginger cakes
Authors: Marková Lucie , Ciesarová Zuzana , Kukurová Kristína , Zieliński Henryk , Przygodzka Małgorzata , Bednáriková Alena , Šimko Peter 
Published: June 2012

AbstractThe aim of this work was to study the effect of various spices (cloves, cinnamon, allspice, white pepper, anise, star anise, coriander, fennel, nutmeg, cardamom, vanilla, and ginger) on acrylamide formation in buckwheat ginger cakes. The spices were characterised by their free radical scavenging activity and applied to formulation of the buckwheat ginger cakes in the same portions. After baking, the acrylamide content was determined by LC/ESI-MS-MS. The results showed a reduction in acrylamide content of up to 23 % in the buckwheat ginger cakes with the addition of nutmeg, fennel, anise, or cloves. A decrease in acrylamide content from 5 % to 11 % was found in the buckwheat ginger cakes with vanilla, cardamom, white pepper, or ginger. By contrast, the acrylamide content in the buckwheat ginger cakes with cinnamon or coriander increased by up to 29 %. No change in the acrylamide content was observed in the buckwheat ginger cakes with star anise or allspice. Only a slight correlation between the di(phenyl)-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)iminoazanium (DPPH·) free radical scavenging activity of the added spices and the final acrylamide content in the buckwheat ginger cakes (0.68) was observed. The final acrylamide content was probably influenced not only by the free radical scavenging activity of the spices added, but also by their chemical composition and the reactiveness of particular constituents with synergistic/antagonistic effect in the matrix studied.
PSO based path planner of an autonomous mobile robot
Authors: Deepak B. , Parhi Dayal 
Published: June 2012

AbstractA novel approach based on particle swarm optimization has been presented in this paper for solving mobile robot navigation task. The proposed technique tries to optimize the path generated by an intelligent mobile robot from its source position to destination position in its work space. For solving this problem, a new fitness function has been modelled, which satisfies the obstacle avoidance and optimal path traversal conditions. From the obtained fitness values of each particle in the swarm, the robot moves towards the particle which is having optimal fitness value. Simulation results are provided to validate the feasibility of the developed methodology in various unknown environments.
Minimal number of clues for Sudokus
Authors: Lass Christoph 
Published: June 2012

AbstractIn this article we will present a universal scheme for calculating the minimal number of clues needed for a generalized Sudoku to be uniquely solvable. By using equivalence partitioning and analyzing uniqueness properties of patterns, we will reduce the search space to a feasible size. As a result, we will present the minimal number for 2 × 4 Sudokus.
Carbonaceous particles reveal that Late Holocene dust causes the dark region in the western ablation zone of the Greenland ice sheet
Authors: Wientjes I.G.M. , Van De Wal R.S.W. , Schwikowski M. , Zapf A. , Fahrni S. , Wacker L. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractA dark region in the western ablation zone of the Greenland ice sheet is caused by outcropping ice layers that contain more dust than the surrounding brighter ice. These higher amounts of dust were deposited in the accumulation zone of the ice sheet and travelled with the ice to the ablation zone. To deduce the period and the causes of this higher dust deposition, carbonaceous particles in ice samples from the dark region and from brighter reference ice were analysed and used for dating. Samples including ice from directly below the surface contain high amounts of modern organic carbon, probably from microorganisms on the ice surface. Deeper samples reveal low amounts of carbonaceous particles, which are originally deposited in the accumulation zone. The amount of outcropping carbonaceous particles in the dark region seems significantly higher than in the reference ice. One of the samples that contained material initially deposited in the accumulation zone was dated and revealed Late Holocene ages, coinciding with a period of enhanced eolian activity in the nearby tundra. Therefore, variable eolian activity during the Holocene effected dust fluxes towards the ice and hence leads to albedo variations in the present ablation zone of the ice sheet.
Reconstruction of basal properties in ice sheets using iterative inverse methods
Authors: Habermann Marijke , Maxwell David , Truffer Martin 
Published: June 2012

AbstractInverse problems are used to estimate model parameters from observations. Many inverse problems are ill-posed because they lack stability, meaning it is not possible to find solutions that are stable with respect to small changes in input data. Regularization techniques are necessary to stabilize the problem. For nonlinear inverse problems, iterative inverse methods can be used as a regularization method. These methods start with an initial estimate of the model parameters, update the parameters to match observation in an iterative process that adjusts large-scale spatial features first, and use a stopping criterion to prevent the overfitting of data. This criterion determines the smoothness of the solution and thus the degree of regularization. Here, iterative inverse methods are implemented for the specific problem of reconstructing basal stickiness of an ice sheet by using the shallow-shelf approximation as a forward model and synthetically derived surface velocities as input data. The incomplete Gauss-Newton (IGN) method is introduced and compared to the commonly used steepest descent and nonlinear conjugate gradient methods. Two different stopping criteria, the discrepancy principle and a recent- improvement threshold, are compared. The IGN method is favored because it is rapidly converging, and it incorporates the discrepancy principle, which leads to optimally resolved solutions.
L'humeur comme médiateur
Authors: Tassin Jean-Pol 
Published: June 2012

Résumé C’est à partir des années 1960, lorsque la pharmacologie et la neurobiologie ont montré qu’elles pouvaient intervenir de façon efficace sur certaines maladies mentales ou neurologiques, qu’une sorte de guerre s’est déclarée entre les « bio » et les « psy ». Depuis cette période, les connaissances ont considérablement progressé de part et d’autre mais les avancées n’ont pas été suffisantes pour empêcher les controverses d’être toujours présentes. Nous proposons que l’humeur, un paramètre que les « psy » connaissent bien et que les « bio » commencent à connaître, serve de médiateur entre les deux écoles. Pour certains neurobiologistes, l’humeur serait l’expression des interactions entre les trois principaux ensembles de neuromodulation du système nerveux central, la dopamine, la noradrénaline et la sérotonine. Nous avons montré que les systèmes noradrénergiques et sérotoninergiques se contrôlent mutuellement et que la prise répétée de drogues – psychostimulants, opiacés, alcool ou tabac – entraîne un découplage de ces deux systèmes. La conséquence de ce découplage serait une perturbation de la régulation de l’humeur en situation de sevrage, la prise de produit devenant la solution la plus simple pour rétablir un équilibre. Ces monoamines ne sont cependant pas que les substrats biologiques de l’humeur, l’activité de leurs neurones dépend aussi de l’environnement et d’éléments inconscients qui rassemblent et représentent l’histoire de l’individu.
Small business participation procurement policy: Subcontracting vs Allotment
Authors: Maréchal François , Morand Pierre-Henri 
Published: June 2012

Résumé L’accès des PME à la commande publique peut s’effectuer par voie de sous-traitance ou par un allotissement des marchés. Cet article propose une comparaison de ces deux procédures dans le cadre d’un marché public attribué par un appel d’offres au premier prix sous plis cachetés. Nous analysons deux objectifs à première vue contradictoires qu’un acheteur public peut poursuivre : la minimisation du coût total espéré du marché et la maximisation des profits des PME. Nous déterminons les conditions sur les fonctions de coûts des firmes selon lesquelles la procédure d’allotissement des marchés permet de satisfaire simultanément les deux objectifs de l’acheteur public. Classification JEL : D44; L51.
Additive Schwarz Preconditioners with Minimal Overlap for Triangular Spectral Elements
Authors: Kwan Yuen-Yick 
Published: June 2012

AbstractThe additive Schwarz preconditioner with minimal overlap is extended to triangular spectral elements (TSEM). The method is a generalization of the corresponding method in tensorial quadrilateral spectral elements (QSEM). The proposed preconditioners are based on partitioning the domain into overlapping subdomains, solving local problems on these subdomains and solving an additional coarse problem associated with the subdomain mesh. The results of numerical experiments show that the proposed preconditioner are robust with respect to the number of elements and are more efficient than the preconditioners with generous overlaps.
Activity and enrichment use in disabled Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) rescued from bile farms
Authors: Dallaire JA , Field N , Mason GJ 
Published: June 2012

AbstractPhysical disability has the potential to impede the use of environmental enrichments in rehabilitation programmes. We therefore compared the behaviour of 63 disabled and non-disabled socially housed adult Asiatic black bears rescued from bile farms for 103 observation hours. Amputees were less active than non-amputees, spent less time standing, travelled less between different areas of their outdoor enclosure, and showed less frequent stereotypic behaviour. Blind bears also showed low levels of activity and stereotypic behaviour. Blind bears and male amputees spent less time than non-disabled bears eating food dispersed throughout the enclosure as a foraging enrichment. It is unclear whether their infrequent eating is due to impaired foraging, or to lower energy demands arising from lower activity levels. Blind bears tended to manipulate feeders and other enrichment objects less than sighted bears. Disabled bears did not show any signs of impaired social interactions, and were not competitively displaced from resources by other bears more often than non-disabled bears. Thus, disabled bears rescued from bile farms show deficits in overall activity, with amputees also travelling less around their enclosures and blind bears potentially compromised in some forms of enrichment use. However, it is apparent that they adapt well to the presence of social companions. Several disabled bears also showed a degree of novel behaviour, seemingly compensating for disabilities, suggesting possible avenues for enrichments targeted specifically at these bears. The data also suggest specific hypotheses to test in longitudinal studies of rehabilitation.
Cognitive bias in a non-human primate: husbandry procedures influence cognitive indicators of psychological well-being in captive rhesus macaques
Authors: Bethell EJ , Holmes A , MacLarnon A , Semple S 
Published: June 2012

AbstractThe measurement of ‘cognitive bias’ has recently emerged as a powerful tool for assessing animal welfare. Cognitive bias was initially, and widely, studied in humans, and describes the way in which particular emotions are associated with biases in information processing. People suffering from clinical levels of anxiety or depression, for example, interpret ambiguous events more negatively than do non-anxious or non-depressed people. Development of methods for use with non-human animals has revealed similar biases in several species of mammals and birds, and one invertebrate. However, cognitive bias has not been previously explored in any species of non-human primate, despite specific concerns raised about the welfare of these animals in captivity. Here, we describe a touchscreen-based cognitive-bias task developed for use with captive rhesus macaques(Macaca mulatta). Monkeys were initially trained on a ‘Go/No-Go’ operant task, in which they learned to touch one of two lines that differed in size in order to receive a reward (food), and to desist from touching the other line to avoid a mildly aversive stimulus (delay to the next trial and white noise). In testing sessions, the monkeys were presented with lines of intermediate size. We measured whether touchscreen responses to these ambiguous stimuli were affected by husbandry procedures (environmental enrichment, and a statutory health check involving restraint and ketamine hydrochloride injection) presumed to induce positive and negative shifts in affective state, respectively. Monkeys made fewer responses to ambiguous stimuli post health check compared to during the phase of enrichment suggesting greater expectation of negative outcomes following the health check compared to during enrichment. Shifts in affective state following standard husbandry procedures may therefore be associated with changes in information processing similar to those demonstrated in anxious and depressed humans, and in a number of other taxa.
The welfare of growing pigs in five different production systems in France and Spain: assessment of health
Authors: Temple D , Courboulay V , Velarde A , Dalmau A , Manteca X 
Published: June 2012

AbstractThis study was carried out to compare the health of growing pigs in five different production systems in France and Spain using measures provided by the Welfare Quality®protocol. A total of 11,647 pigs housed on 91 commercial farms were evaluated over a two-year period (2007-2009). Farms considered as conventional were close to the European dominant production system, rearing ‘white’ pigs (eg Large White; Landrace * Pietrain) housed on concrete floors. Systems considered as differentiated had specifications to distinguish them from the conventional one. Farms that housed ‘white’ breeds of pigs on straw were then considered as a different production system. Mallorcan Black pigs managed extensively on family farms in the Balearic islands represented a third production system. The remaining two systems assessed were represented by the methods used for Iberian pig rearing extensively or intensively. Multiple Generalised Linear Mixed Models were performed for each animal-based measure of health. The straw-bedded and the conventional systems did not differ in the prevalence of any animal-based measures. Mallorcan Black pigs and Iberian pigs kept extensively had a lower prevalence of severe wounds than pigs in the conventional system and the lowest prevalence of tail biting. Focusing on pigs housed in the conventional system, several possible causal factors (such as the feeding system and the type of floor) were identified relating to severe wounds, tail biting and lameness. Therefore, the recording of simple environmental-based factors can be useful in detecting farms that are more likely to show these problems.
Attitudes of Canadian beef producers toward animal welfare
Authors: Spooner JM , Schuppli CA , Fraser D 
Published: June 2012

AbstractCommercial beef production in western Canada involves raising cows and calves on large tracts of grassland, plus grain-based ‘finishing’ of animals in outdoor feedlots. This study used open-ended, semi-structured interviews to explore views on animal welfare of 23 commercial beef producers in this system. Although wary of the term ‘animal welfare’, participants understood the concept to encompass three well-known elements: (i) basic animal health and body condition; (ii) affective states (comfort, contentment, freedom from hunger or thirst); and (iii) the ability to live a ‘natural’ life. Participants attached importance to protecting animals from natural hardships (extreme weather, predators), yet many regarded some degree of natural challenge as acceptable or even positive. Quiet rumination was uniformly regarded as indicating contentment. Avoiding ‘stress’ was seen as a central goal, to be achieved especially by skilful handling and good facilities. Invasive procedures (branding, castration, de-horning) were recognised as painful but were accepted because they were seen as: (i) necessary for regulatory or management reasons; (ii) satisfactory trade-offs to prevent worse welfare problems such as aggression; or (iii) sufficiently short-term to be relatively unimportant. Other issues — including poor facilities, rough or excessive handling, poor nutrition, and failure to protect health — were regarded as more serious welfare concerns. While feeling constrained by low profits, participants saw good welfare as crucial to profitability. Participants uniformly expressed an ethic of care, enjoyment of working with animals, and varying degrees of willingness to sacrifice personal comfort for animal well-being. We argue that animal welfare policy and advocacy are likely to be more successful in engaging producers if they acknowledge and address producers’ views on animal welfare.