bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Indirect genetic estimates of breeding population size in the polyploid green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris)
Authors: ISRAEL J. A. , MAY B. 
Published: February 2010

AbstractThe utility of genetic measures for kinship reconstruction in polysomic species is not well evaluated. We developed a framework to test hypotheses about estimating breeding population size indirectly from collections of outmigrating green sturgeon juveniles. We evaluated a polysomic dataset, in allelic frequency and phenotypic formats, from green sturgeon to describe the relationship among known progeny from experimental families. The distributions of relatedness values for kin classes were used for reconstructing green sturgeon pedigrees from juveniles of unknown relationship. We compared three rarefaction functions that described the relationship between the number of kin groups and number of samples in a pedigree to estimate the annual abundance of spawners contributing to the threatened green sturgeon Southern Distinct Population Segment in the upper Sacramento River. Results suggested the estimated abundance of breeding green sturgeon remained roughly constant in the upper Sacramento River over a 5‐year period, ranging from 10 to 28 individuals depending on the year and rarefaction method. These results demonstrate an empirical understanding for the distribution of relatedness values among individuals is a benefit for assessing pedigree reconstruction methods and identifying misclassification rates. Monitoring of rare species using these indirect methods is feasible and can provide insight into breeding and ontogenetic behaviour. While this framework was developed for specific application to studying fish populations in a riverscape, the framework could be advanced to improve genetic estimation of breeding population size and to identify important breeding habitats of rare species when combined with finer‐scaled sampling of offspring.
Population structure of wild wheat D‐genome progenitor Aegilops tauschii Coss.: implications for intraspecific lineage diversification and evolution of common wheat
Authors: MIZUNO NOBUYUKI , YAMASAKI MASANORI , MATSUOKA YOSHIHIRO , KAWAHARA TAIHACHI , TAKUMI SHIGEO 
Published: February 2010

Abstract Aegilops tauschii Coss. is the D‐genome progenitor of hexaploid wheat. Aegilops tauschii, a wild diploid species, has a wide natural species range in central Eurasia, spreading from Turkey to western China. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis using a total of 122 accessions of Ae. tauschii was conducted to clarify the population structure of this widespread wild wheat species. Phylogenetic and principal component analyses revealed two major lineages in Ae. tauschii. Bayesian population structure analyses based on the AFLP data showed that lineages one (L1) and two (L2) were respectively significantly divided into six and three sublineages. Only four out of the six L1 sublineages were diverged from those of western habitats in the Transcaucasia and northern Iran region to eastern habitats such as Pakistan and Afghanistan. Other sublineages including L2 were distributed to a limited extent in the western region. Subspecies strangulata seemed to be differentiated in one sublineage of L2. Among three major haplogroups (HG7, HG9 and HG16) previously identified in the Ae. tauschii population based on chloroplast variation, HG7 accessions were widely distributed to both L1 and L2, HG9 accessions were restricted to L2, and HG16 accessions belonged to L1, suggesting that HG9 and HG16 were formed from HG7 after divergence of the first two lineages of the nuclear genome. These results on the population structure of Ae. tauschii and the genealogical relationship among Ae. tauschii accessions should provide important agricultural and evolutionary knowledge on genetic resources and conservation of natural genetic diversity.
Restricted dispersal and genetic diversity in populations of an endangered montane lizard (Eulamprus leuraensis, Scincidae)
Authors: DUBEY S. , SHINE R. 
Published: February 2010

AbstractMany alpine species are under threat from global climate change, as their geographic ranges become increasingly fragmented and unsuitable. Understanding rates and determinants of gene flow among such fragmented populations, over historical as well as recent timescales, can help to identify populations under threat. It is also important to clarify the degree to which loss of local populations reduces overall genetic diversity within the taxon. The endangered Blue Mountains Water Skink (Eulamprus leuraensis) is restricted to <40 small swamps in montane south‐eastern Australia. Our analyses of seven microsatellite loci of 241 animals from 13 populations show strong geographic structure, with major genetic divergence even between populations separated by <0.5 km. Dispersal between populations is scarce, and appears to involve mostly males. Our analyses suggest potential recent bottleneck events in all the identified populations, and lower genetic diversity and population size parameter at lower‐elevation sites than at higher‐elevation sites. Management of this endangered taxon thus needs to treat most populations separately, because of their genetic distinctiveness and low rates of genetic exchange.
REVIEW: Ethanol consumption: how should we measure it? Achieving consilience between human and animal phenotypes
Authors: Leeman Robert F. , Heilig Markus , Cunningham Christopher L. , Stephens David N. , Duka Theodora , O'Malley Stephanie S. 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACTThere is only modest overlap in the most common alcohol consumption phenotypes measured in animal studies and those typically studied in humans. To address this issue, we identified a number of alcohol consumption phenotypes of importance to the field that have potential for consilience between human and animal models. These phenotypes can be broken down into three categories: (1) abstinence/the decision to drink or abstain; (2) the actual amount of alcohol consumed; and (3) heavy drinking. A number of suggestions for human and animal researchers are made in order to address these phenotypes and enhance consilience. Laboratory studies of the decision to drink or to abstain are needed in both human and animal research. In human laboratory studies, heavy or binge drinking that meets cut‐offs used in epidemiological and clinical studies should be reported. Greater attention to patterns of drinking over time is needed in both animal and human studies. Individual differences pertaining to all consumption phenotypes should be addressed in animal research. Lastly, improved biomarkers need to be developed in future research for use with both humans and animals. Greater precision in estimating blood alcohol levels in the field, together with consistent measurement of breath/blood alcohol levels in human laboratory and animal studies, provides one means of achieving greater consilience of alcohol consumption phenotypes.
Risk of first‐generation H1‐antihistamines: a GA2LEN position paper
Authors: Church M. K. , Maurer M. , Simons F. E. R. , Bindslev‐Jensen C. , Van Cauwenberge P. , Bousquet J. , Holgate S. T. , Zuberbier T. 
Published: February 2010

To cite this article: Church MK, Maurer M, Simons FER, Bindslev‐Jensen C, van Cauwenberge P, Bousquet J, Holgate ST, Zuberbier T. Risk of first‐generation H1‐antihistamines: a GA2LEN position paper. Allergy 2010; 65: 459–466.AbstractBackground:First‐generation H1‐antihistamines obtained without prescription are the most frequent form of self‐medication for allergic diseases, coughs and colds and insomnia even though they have potentially dangerous unwanted effects which are not recognized by the general public.Aims:  To increase consumer protection by bringing to the attention of regulatory authorities, physicians and the general public the potential dangers of the indiscriminate use first‐generation H1‐antihistamines purchased over‐the counter in the absence of appropriate medical supervision.Methods:  A GA2LEN (Global Allergy and Asthma European Network) task force assessed the unwanted side‐effects and potential dangers of first‐generation H1‐antihistamines by reviewing the literature (Medline and Embase) and performing a media audit of US coverage from 1996 to 2008 of accidents and fatal adverse events in which these drugs were implicated.Results:  First‐generation H1‐antihistamines, all of which are sedating, are generally regarded as safe by laypersons and healthcare professionals because of their long‐standing use. However, they reduce rapid eye movement (REM)‐sleep, impair learning and reduce work efficiency. They are implicated in civil aviation, motor vehicle and boating accidents, deaths as a result of accidental or intentional overdosing in infants and young children and suicide in teenagers and adults. Some exhibit cardiotoxicity in overdose.Conclusions:  This review raises the issue of better consumer protection by recommending that older first‐generation H1‐antihistamines should no longer be available over‐the‐counter as prescription‐ free drugs for self‐medication of allergic and other diseases now that newer second‐ generation nonsedating H1‐antihistamines with superior risk/benefit ratios are widely available at competitive prices.
Lifestyle and parental allergen sensitization are reflected in the intrauterine environment at gene expression level
Authors: Joerink M. , Oortveld M. A. W. , Stenius F. , Rindsjö E. , Alm J. , Scheynius A. 
Published: February 2010

To cite this article: Joerink M, Oortveld MAW, Stenius F, Rindsjö E, Alm J, Scheynius A. Lifestyle and parental allergen sensitization are reflected in the intrauterine environment at gene expression level. Allergy 2010; 65: 1282–1289.AbstractBackground:  Environmental factors, including the intrauterine environment, can influence the risk of allergy development. In the present study, we investigated whether lifestyle and parental allergen sensitization status are reflected at gene expression level in the intrauterine environment.Methods:  mRNA expression of 17 genes was determined by means of quantitative real‐time PCR in term placenta of 36 families participating in the ALADDIN study (Assessment of Lifestyle and Allergic Disease During Infancy). Data were analysed using a linear regression model to estimate the influence of lifestyle and parental allergen sensitization on the relative mRNA expression levels. Immunohistochemistry on placenta biopsies was used to verify protein expression.Results:  Significant differences in mRNA expression levels were detected at the foetal side of the placenta, where CD14 was expressed at higher levels in placentas from families living on a farm compared to not living on a farm, and IL‐12(p40) was expressed at lower levels when the father was sensitized compared to nonsensitized. At the maternal side of the placenta, higher expression of STAT4 and lower expression of GATA3 were detected in families with sensitized compared to nonsensitized mothers, and IL‐12(p40) was lower expressed when the families were living on a farm compared to not living on a farm. Immunohistochemistry performed for STAT4 and GATA3 showed that protein and mRNA levels correlated well.Conclusion:  Living on a farm and parental allergen sensitization are reflected in the intrauterine environment at the gene expression level.
Proliferation and Apoptosis in Aged and Photoregressed Mammalian Seminiferous Epithelium, with Particular Attention to Rodents and Humans
Authors: Pastor LM , Zuasti A , Ferrer C , Bernal‐Mañas CM , Morales E , Beltrán‐Frutos E , Seco‐Rovira V 
Published: February 2010

ContentsImbalances in the proliferation and apoptosis processes are involved in numerous epithelial alterations. In the seminiferous epithelium, normal spermatogenesis is regulated by spermatogonia proliferation and germ cell apoptosis, and both processes are involved in diverse pathological alterations of the seminiferous epithelium. Other physiological phenomena including aging and short photoperiod, in which apoptosis and proliferation seem to play important roles, cause testicular changes. Aging is accompanied by diminished proliferation and increased apoptosis, the latter occurring in specific states of the seminiferous cycle and considered the cause of epithelium involution. However, there is no clear evidence concerning whether proliferation decreases in the spermatogonia themselves or is due to an alteration in the cell microenvironment that surrounds them. As regards the factors that regulate the process, the data are scant, but it is considered that the diminution of c‐kit expression in the spermatagonia, together with the diminution in antiapoptotic factors (Bcl‐xL)) of the intrinsic molecular pathway of apoptosis play a part in epithelial regression. A short photoperiod, especially in rodents, produces a gradual involution of the seminiferous epithelium, which is related with increased apoptosis during the regression phase and a diminution of apoptosis during recrudescence. Proliferative activity varies, especially during the total regression phase, when it usually increases in the undifferentiated spermatogonia. In other species showing seasonal reproduction, however, decreased proliferation is considered the main factor in the regression of the seminiferous epithelium. Little is known about how both phenomena are regulated, although data in rodents suggest that both the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of apoptosis contribute to the increase in this process. In conclusion, regression of the seminiferous epithelium in physiological situations, as in many pathological situations, is a result of alterations in equilibrium between the proliferation and apoptosis of germinal cell types. However, both physiological phenomena showed important differences as regard proliferation/apoptosis and their regulation pathways, probably as a result of their irreversible or reversible character.
Nitric Oxide and Superoxide Anion Production During Heparin‐Induced Capacitation in Cryopreserved Bovine Spermatozoa
Authors: Rodriguez PC , Valdez LB , Zaobornyj T , Boveris A , Beconi MT 
Published: February 2010

ContentsThe aim of this work was to quantify NO, O2− and ONOO− production during heparin‐induced capacitation of cryopreserved bovine spermatozoa. A time dependent hyperbolic increase was observed for heparin‐dependent capacitation, O2 uptake, and NO production. Conversely, O2− production was increased during the first 15 min of incubation, showing a decrease from this time until 45 min. At 15 min of heparin incubation, a threefold increase in O2 consumption (5.9 ± 0.6 nmol/min × 107 cells), an enhancement in NO release (1.1 ± 0.2 nmol/min × 107 cells), and a five‐fold increase in O2− production (1.3 ± 0.07 nmol/min × 107 cells), were observed. Peroxynitrite production rate was estimated taking into account NO and O2− generation and the second‐order rate constant of the reaction between these species. To conclude, heparin‐induced capacitation of cryopreserved bovine spermatozoa activates (i) mitochondrial O2 uptake by high ADP levels due to increased energy requirements, (ii) NO production by a constitutive NOS and (iii) O2− production by a membrane‐bound NAD(P)H oxidase. The products of both enzymes are released to the extracellular space and could be involved in the process of sperm capacitation.
Differential muscle‐driven synaptic remodeling in the neuromuscular junction after denervation
Authors: Yampolsky Pessah , Pacifici Pier Giorgio , Witzemann Veit 
Published: February 2010

AbstractWe used knock‐in mice that express green fluorescent protein (GFP)‐labeled embryonic‐type acetylcholine receptors to investigate postsynaptic responses to denervation of fast‐twitch and slow‐twitch muscle fibers, and to visualize the integration of newly synthesized GFP‐labeled embryonic‐type receptors into adult synapses. The embryonic‐type receptors are transiently expressed and incorporated into the denervated endplates. They replaced synaptic adult‐type receptors in a directed fashion, starting from the endplate’s periphery and proceeding to its central regions. The progress of embryonic‐type receptor expression with respect to transcriptional control is a transient, short‐term activation mechanism. The less pronounced increase in the expression levels of the GFP‐labeled receptors revealed a differential shift in the integration and degradation processes that constitute the dynamic equilibrium of the synaptic receptor pool. Therefore, we were able to model the changes in the total receptor load of the neuromuscular endplate following denervation as a function of the abundance of available receptors and the initial receptor load of the endplate.
Regime shifts in ecological systems can occur with no warning
Authors: Hastings Alan , Wysham Derin B. 
Published: February 2010

Ecology Letters (2010) 13: 464–472AbstractPredicting regime shifts – drastic changes in dynamic behaviour – is a key challenge in ecology and other fields. Here we show that the class of ecological systems that will exhibit leading indicators of regime shifts is limited, and that there is a set of ecological models and, therefore, also likely to be a class of natural systems for which there will be no forewarning of a regime change. We first describe how nonlinearities in combination with environmental variability lead to model descriptions that will not have smooth potentials, concluding that many ecological systems are described by systems without smooth potentials and thus will not show typical leading indicators of regime shifts. We then illustrate the impact of these general arguments by numerically examining the dynamics of several model ecological systems under slowly changing conditions. Our results offer a cautionary note about the generality of forecasting sudden changes in ecosystems.
Enabling regional management in a changing climate through Bayesian meta‐analysis of a large‐scale disturbance
Authors: MacNeil M Aaron , Graham Nicholas A. J. 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACTAim  Quantifying and predicting change in large ecosystems is an important research objective for applied ecologists as human disturbance effects become increasingly evident at regional and global scales. However, studies used to make inferences about large‐scale change are frequently of uneven quality and few in number, having been undertaken to study local, rather than global, change. Our aim is to improve the quality of inferences that can be made in meta‐analyses of large‐scale disturbance by integrating studies of varying quality in a unified modelling framework that is informative for both local and regional management.Innovation  Here we improve conventionally structured meta‐analysis methods by including imputation of unknown study variances and the use of Bayesian factor potentials. The approach is a coherent framework for integrating data of varying quality across multiple studies while facilitating belief statements about the uncertainty in parameter estimates and the probable outcome of future events. The approach is applied to a regional meta‐analysis of the effects of loss of coral cover on species richness and the abundance of coral‐dependent fishes in the western Indian Ocean (WIO) before and after a mass bleaching event in 1998.Main conclusions  Our Bayesian approach to meta‐analysis provided greater precision of parameter estimates than conventional weighted linear regression meta‐analytical techniques, allowing us to integrate all available data from 66 available study locations in the WIO across multiple scales. The approach thereby: (1) estimated uncertainty in site‐level estimates of change, (2) provided a regional estimate for future change at any given site in the WIO, and (3) provided a probabilistic belief framework for future management of reef resources at both local and regional scales.
Enhancing Industry Association Theory: A Comparative Business History Contribution
Authors: Reveley James , Ville Simon 
Published: February 2010

abstractOur comparative business historical examination of industry associations aims to enrich the under‐theorized study of this distinctive type of meta‐organization. We compare two New Zealand industry associations operating in the same supply chain but with differing degrees of associative capacity and types of external architecture. Our analysis of these associations builds on two strands of theory that rarely communicate with each other: New Institutional Economics (NIE) and Organizational–Institutional Theory (OIT). We demonstrate how NIE describes the structural potentialities for associational strength, while OIT addresses the relational context within associations. In turn, NIE's examination of external influences reinforces OIT suggestions that associations which are rich in social capital can become developmental in orientation. Our historical analysis supplies fresh theoretical insights into industry associations, thereby addressing conceptual issues of interest to management scholars who study bridging‐type organizations. On this basis, we argue that business history and organization studies complement each other.
Technological Discontinuities and Competitive Advantage: A Historical Perspective on Formula 1 Motor Racing 1950–2006
Authors: Jenkins Mark 
Published: February 2010

abstractThis paper considers the interplay between technological discontinuities and competitive performance. Much of the work on technological discontinuities has focused on macro levels of analysis such as industries and technologies rather than specific firms. This study uses a historical perspective on Formula 1 motor racing to explore the dynamics between firm level performance and technological discontinuities over a 57 year period. The study supports the findings of previous research that incumbent firms are often unable to adapt to the impact of exogenous shocks. However the study also reveals situations where a relatively small number of firms are able to sustain their competitive superiority through a number of successive discontinuities. I suggest that, in addition to dynamic capabilities, these firms possess sustaining capabilities – munificent resource configurations which extend the time available for firms to adapt to technological changes – thereby allowing them to remain competitive across discontinuities.
A systematic review of fast food access studies
Authors: Fleischhacker S. E. , Evenson K. R. , Rodriguez D. A. , Ammerman A. S. 
Published: February 2010

SummaryThe frequent consumption of energy‐dense fast food is associated with increased body mass index. This systematic review aims to examine the methodology and current evidence on fast food access and its associations with outcomes. Six databases were searched using terms relating to fast food. Only peer‐reviewed studies published in English during a 10‐year period, with data collection and analysis regarding fast food access were included. Forty articles met the aforementioned criteria. Nearly half of the studies (n = 16) used their own set of features to define fast food. Studies predominantly examined the relationship between fast food access and socioeconomic factors (n = 21) and 76% indicated fast food restaurants were more prevalent in low‐income areas compared with middle‐ to higher‐income areas. Ten of 12 studies found fast food restaurants were more prevalent in areas with higher concentrations of ethnic minority groups in comparison with Caucasians. Six adult studies found higher body mass index was associated with living in areas with increased exposure to fast food; four studies, however, did not find associations. Further work is needed to understand if and how fast food access impacts dietary intake and health outcomes; and if fast food access has disparate socioeconomic, race/ethnicity and age associations.