bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ubiquitous late competence genes in Bacillus species indicate the presence of functional DNA uptake machineries
Authors: Kovács Ákos T. , Smits Wiep Klaas , Mirończuk Aleksandra M. , Kuipers Oscar P. 
Published: May 2009

SummaryNatural competence for genetic transformation, i.e. the ability to take up DNA and stably integrate it in the genome, has so far only been observed in the bacterial kingdom (both in Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive species) and may contribute to survival under adverse growth conditions. Bacillus subtilis, the model organism for the Bacillus genus, possesses a well‐characterized competence machinery. Phylogenetic analysis of several genome sequences of different Bacillus species reveals the presence of many, but not all genes potentially involved in competence and its regulation. The recent demonstration of functional DNA uptake by B. cereus supports the significance of our genome analyses and shows that the ability for functional DNA uptake might be widespread among Bacilli.
QUANTUM REALITY AND ETHOS: A THOUGHT EXPERIMENT REGARDING THE FOUNDATION OF ETHICS IN COSMIC ORDER
Authors: Schäfer Lothar , Ponte Diogo Valadas , Roy Sisir 
Published: May 2009

Abstract.The authors undertake a thought experiment the purpose of which is to explore possibilities for understanding moral principles in analogy with cosmic order. The experiment is based on three proposals, which are described in detail: an ontological, a neurological, and a moral proposal. The ontological proposal accepts from the phenomena of quantum physics that there is a nonempirical domain of physical reality that consists not of material things but of what is philosophically conceptualized as a realm of nonmaterial forms. This realm of forms is the realm of potentiality in physical reality that quantum physics posits as an indivisible Wholeness—the One. It is the ultimate reality because everything empirical is the actualization of its forms. The neurological proposal is the hypothesis that the brain is sensitive to the potentiality waves in the cosmic field, as ordinary measuring instruments in physics are sensitive to potentiality waves at the quantum level, so that the cosmic field can communicate with the human brain. The third proposal assumes that the communication with the cosmic field can translate into moral ideas and actions. Even though the three proposals underlying the thought experiment are highly speculative, they lead to definite implications that make sense in their own right and can be applied in a useful way. From the order of reality some simple rules of conduct follow that are identical with traditional moral rules but have the character of rules of well‐ness, leading to new aspects of Aristotle's concept of eudaimonia and Kant's concept of the highest good. In analogy with the structure of physical reality, where all empirical phenomena are actualizations of nonempirical forms, it is suggested that the structure of morality, too, is that of a tacit, nonempirical form that actualizes in explicit principles and moral acts through our consciousness. The tacit form is thought to exist in the realm of cosmic potentiality, together with all the other forms that the empirical world actualizes. It can appear spontaneously in our consciousness when needed, offering its guidance to our judgment and free will. Because it does not appear in the form of commandments accompanied by threats, the actions of the tacit moral form define a higher level of morality, similar to that offered by some aspects of the Christian teaching, where one acts not out of fear but on the desire to do things right.
ALTRUISM IN SUICIDE TERROR ORGANIZATIONS
Authors: Qirko Hector N. 
Published: May 2009

Abstract.In recent years, much has been learned about the strategic and organizational contexts of suicide attacks. However, motivations of the agents who commit them remain difficult to explain. In part this is because standard models of social learning as well as Durkheimian notions of sacrificial behavior are inadequate in the face of the actions of human bombers. In addition, the importance of organizational structures and practices in reinforcing commitment on the part of suicide recruits is an under‐explored factor in many analyses. This essay examines the potential applicability of evolutionary models of altruism to the understanding of commitment to suicide on the part of terrorist organizational recruits. Three evolutionary models of sacrificial behavior in nonhuman species and many categories of human behavior are explored cross‐organizationally: reciprocity, inclusive fitness theory, and induced altruism. Reciprocal altruism is unlikely to be a major motivator in suicide attacks because the costs exhibited by attackers are too high to be adequately compensated. However, the role of evolved self‐deception in perceptions of personal death, and thus of rewards in the afterlife, is potentially illuminating. Inclusive fitness theory can help explain the motivations of attackers because rewards to kin often are offered by organizations to suicide recruits. However, suicide bombers also often act out of revenge for the loss of or injury to relatives, and inclusive fitness theory generally, as well as more specific theoretical models of retaliatory aggression, may not adequately account for the bombers' actions. Predictions from induced altruism theory appear to be well supported because suicide terror organizations tend to be tightly structured around practices intended to maintain and reinforce commitment though the manipulation of kinship‐recognition cues.
THE THIRD WAY OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES: BEYONDSUI GENERISRELIGIOUS STUDIES AND THE POSTMODERNISTS
Authors: Braxton Donald M. 
Published: May 2009

Abstract.This essay advocates dual‐inheritance theory for the renewal of Religious Studies.Not by Genes Alone, by Peter J. Richerson and Robert Boyd (2005), presents this approach in an admirably clear manner. To make my case, I survey the development of Religious Studies since the Enlightenment, with special attention to the American context. The historical survey brings us to the dawn of the twenty‐first century, where Religious Studies is often unnecessarily limited tosui generisReligious Studies and its postmodern critics. Neither approach engages regnant Darwinian theoretical frameworks of gene‐culture coevolution productively. In this context, I situate the contributions of dual‐inheritance theory as presented by Richerson and Boyd and offer examples of its utility for progress in Religious Studies, its ability to open cooperation across disciplinary boundaries, and its salutary demystification of religion as a culturally unique and coherent phenomenon. I conclude by addressing concerns scholars of religion might entertain regarding the issue of reductionism and how an emergent science of religion might contribute to the traditional concerns of religion‐and‐science dialogue as it has evolved in the English‐speaking context.
Does focused endogenous attention prevent attentional capture in pop‐out visual search?
Authors: Seiss Ellen , Kiss Monika , Eimer Martin 
Published: May 2009

AbstractTo investigate whether salient visual singletons capture attention when they appear outside the current endogenous attentional focus, we measured the N2pc component as a marker of attentional capture in a visual search task where target or nontarget singletons were presented at locations previously cued as task‐relevant, or in the uncued irrelevant hemifield. In two experiments, targets were either defined by color or by a combination of color and shape. The N2pc was elicited both for attended singletons and for singletons on the uncued side, demonstrating that focused endogenous attention cannot prevent attentional capture by salient unattended visual events. However, N2pc amplitudes were larger for attended and unattended singletons that shared features with the current target, suggesting that top‐down task sets modulate the capacity of visual singletons to capture attention both within and outside the current attentional focus.
User involvement in measuring service quality of local authority occupational therapy services; a new approach
Authors: Sixma Herman J. , Calnan Siân , Calnan Michael , Groenewegen Peter P. 
Published: May 2009

AbstractThe aim of this paper is two‐fold: (i) to describe the development of a new measuring instrument for quality of care from the perspective of the users of local authority Occupational Therapy (OT) services, and (ii) to evaluate the potential of the new instrument as a standardized approach for involving consumers in the service evaluation of home health care services. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods was used. Focus group discussions with users of local authority OT‐services preceded a postal survey. Questionnaires were sent to a random sample of 997 users of the local authority OT Bureau in Kent, UK. The response rate was 55%. A valid and reliable instrument – the QUOTE‐OT Services questionnaire – was developed, which reflects the (expressed) needs of the users of OT services. Feasibility tests showed that information from the instrument can play an important role in follow‐up activities that aim at continuous quality improvement. The QUOTE‐OT Services instrument can be seen as an example of a new generation of questionnaires for assessing user views in quality of care research. Potentially, instruments such as the QUOTE‐OT questionnaire contribute to the empowerment of users in programmes that aim at improving the quality of home health care services.
Critical illness‐related corticosteroid insufficiency in a dog with septic shock
Authors: Peyton Jamie L. , Burkitt Jamie M. 
Published: May 2009

AbstractObjective
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To describe a case of hydrocortisone‐responsive hypotension and critical illness‐related corticosteroid insufficiency (CIRCI) in a dog with septic shock.Case Summary
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A dog with aspiration pneumonia developed septic shock with pressor‐refractory hypotension. A standard ACTH stimulation test was performed that showed a blunted cortisol response consistent with CIRCI. Reversal of shock was achieved within 2 hours of hydrocortisone administration, and complete weaning from pressors was accomplished over the subsequent 8 hours. The patient recovered and was discharged from the hospital. An ACTH stimulation test performed 1 month after hospital discharge showed normal adrenal responsiveness consistent with resolution of CIRCI.New or Unique Information Provided
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This case is the first published report of hydrocortisone‐responsive hypotension and transient CIRCI associated with naturally occurring septic shock in a dog.
Hypothalamic‐pituitary axis deficiency following traumatic brain injury in a dog
Authors: Foley Catherine , Bracker Kiko , Drellich Sharon 
Published: May 2009

AbstractObjective –To describe endocrine dysfunction associated with traumatic brain injury in a dog.Summary –A 12‐week‐old dog presented with traumatic brain injury and did not respond to traditional supportive care. Continued hypothermia, electrolyte derangements, hypotension, and hyposthenuria prompted screening for and detection of several hypothalamic‐pituitary disorders including: hypoadrenocorticism, central diabetes insipidus, hypothyroidism, and growth hormone deficiency. Electrolyte abnormalities, urine osmolarity, and blood pressure improved with treatment for the associated disorders.New or Unique Information Provided –This is the first report of generalized hypothalamic‐pituitary dysfunction or panhypopituitarism following traumatic brain injury in a dog.
Trajectories of dental anxiety in a birth cohort
Authors: Thomson W. M. , Broadbent J. M. , Locker D. , Poulton R. 
Published: May 2009

Abstract – Objective:  To examine predictors of dental anxiety trajectories in a longitudinal study of New Zealanders.Methods: Prospective study of a complete birth cohort born in 1972/73 in Dunedin, New Zealand, with dental anxiety scale (DAS) scores and dental utilization determined at ages 15, 18, 26 and 32 years. Personality traits were assessed at a superfactor and (more fine‐grained) subscale level via the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire at age 18 years. Group‐based trajectory analysis was used to identify dental anxiety trajectories.Results: DAS scores from at least three assessments were available for 828 participants. Six dental anxiety trajectories were observed: stable nonanxious low (39.6%); stable nonanxious medium (37.9%); recovery (1.6%); adult‐onset anxious (7.7%); stable anxious (7.2%) and adolescent‐onset anxious (5.9%). Multivariate analysis showed that males and those with higher DMFS at age 15 years were more likely to be in the stable nonanxious low trajectory group. Membership of the stable nonanxious medium group was predicted by the dental caries experience at age 15 years. Participants who had lost one or more teeth between ages 26 and 32 years had almost twice the relative risk for membership of the adult‐onset anxious group. Personality traits predicted group membership. Specifically, high scorers (via median split) on the ‘stress reaction’ subscale had over twice the risk of being in the stable anxious group; low scorers on the traditionalism subscale were more likely to be members of the recovery trajectory group; and high scorers on the ‘social closeness’ subscale had half the risk of being in the stable anxious group. Dental caries experience at age 5 years was also a predictor for the stable anxious group. Membership of the late‐adolescent‐onset anxious group was predicted by higher dental caries experience by age 15 years, but none of the other predictors was significant.Conclusion: Six discrete trajectories of dental anxiety have been observed. Some trajectories (totalling more than 90% of the cohort) had clear associations with external influences, but others were more strongly associated with characteristics such as personality traits. A mix of both influences was observed with only the stable anxious dental anxiety trajectory.
Glucose‐induced inhibition: how many ionic mechanisms?
Authors: Burdakov D. , Lesage F. 
Published: May 2009

AbstractSensing of sugar by specialized ‘glucose‐inhibited’ cells helps organisms to counteract swings in their internal energy levels. Evidence from several cell types in both vertebrates and invertebrates suggests that this process involves sugar‐induced stimulation of plasma membrane K+ currents. However, the molecular composition and the mechanism of activation of the underlying channel(s) remain controversial. In mouse hypothalamic neurones and neurosecretory cells of the crab Cancer borealis, glucose stimulates K+ currents displaying leak‐like properties. Yet knockout of some of the candidate ‘leak’ channel subunits encoded by the KCNK gene family so far failed to abolish glucose inhibition of hypothalamic cells. Moreover, in other tissues, such as the carotid body, glucose‐stimulated K+ channels appear to be not leak‐like but voltage‐gated, suggesting that glucose‐induced inhibition may engage multiple types of K+ channels. Other mechanisms of glucose‐induced inhibition, such as hyperpolarization mediated by opening of Cl− channels and depolarization block caused by closure of KATP channels have also been proposed. Here we review known ionic and pharmacological features of glucose‐induced inhibition in different cell types, which may help to identify its molecular correlates.
Microsatellite markers characterized in the barn owl (Tyto alba) and of high utility in other owls (Strigiformes: AVES)
Authors: KLEIN ÁKOS , HORSBURGH GAVIN J. , KÜPPER CLEMENS , MAJOR ÁGNES , LEE PATRICIA L. M. , HOFFMANN GYULA , MÁTICS RÓBERT , DAWSON DEBORAH A. 
Published: May 2009

AbstractWe have identified 15 polymorphic microsatellite loci for the barn owl (Tyto alba), five from testing published owl loci and 10 from testing non‐owl loci, including loci known to be of high utility in passerines and shorebirds. All 15 loci were sequenced in barn owl, and new primer sets were designed for eight loci. The 15 polymorphic loci displayed two to 26 alleles in 56–58 barn owls. When tested in 10 other owl species (n = 1–6 individuals), between four and nine loci were polymorphic per species. These loci are suitable for studies of population structure and parentage in owls.
Immunomagnetic isolation of canine circulating endothelial and endothelial progenitor cells
Authors: Wills Tamara B. , Heaney Allison M. , Jane Wardrop K. , Haldorson Gary J. 
Published: May 2009

Background: Increased concentrations of circulating endothelial cells (CECs) are thought to be a biomarker of vascular injury in human patients with cardiovascular disease, neoplasia, vasculitis, sickle cell anemia, shock, and sepsis. Immunomagnetic isolation is a technique currently used to enumerate human CECs and can detect low numbers of cells.Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a standard protocol for immunomagnetic isolation could be used to obtain and enumerate CECs and a subpopulation of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from canine whole blood.Methods: Cultured canine aortic endothelial cells were stained immunohistochemically with von Willebrand factor to verify morphology and number. Using magnetic beads conjugated with anti‐CD146, CECs/EPCs were isolated in culture and in canine whole blood. CD146‐positive cells were stained with fluorescein‐conjugated Ulex europaeus agglutinin 1 (UEA‐1) to confirm endothelial origin and cells were counted manually using a fluorescent microscope. The method was then applied to EDTA‐anticoagulated whole blood samples from 10 healthy client‐owned dogs.Results: The anti‐CD146–coated magnetic beads (>5/cell) bound the cultured canine aortic endothelial cells. Only rare UEA‐1–positive cells were obtained from whole blood, while >85–90% of cultured canine aortic endothelial cells were UEA‐1 positive. The percentage recovery of cultured canine aortic endothelial cells was >86%. CECs in canine whole blood had >8 beads attached to the surface and were 10–40 μm in size. Using immunomagnetic isolation, 43.4 ± 15.6 CECs/mL (range 24–70/mL) were isolated from canine whole blood samples.Conclusions: Immunomagnetic isolation is an acceptable method for enumerating canine CECs/EPCs in whole blood. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the clinical significance of CEC/EPC concentration in different canine diseases.
Cytogenetic and molecular characterization of a durum alien disomic addition line with enhanced tolerance to Fusarium head blight
Authors: Jauhar Prem P. , Peterson Terrance S. , Xu Steven S. 
Published: May 2009

Current durum wheat ( Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum (Desf.)) cultivars have little or no resistance to Fusarium head blight (FHB), a ravaging disease of cereal crops. A diploid wheatgrass, Lophopyrum elongatum (Host) Á. Löve (2n = 2x = 14, EE genome), is an excellent source of FHB resistance. Through an extensive intergeneric hybridization using durum cultivar Langdon, we have developed a disomic alien addition line, named DGE-1 (2n = 28 + 2), with a wheatgrass chromosome pair. We used a unique method for isolating the addition line taking advantage of unreduced gametes functioning in Langdon × L. elongatum F1hybrids in their first backcross to the Langdon parent, resulting in 35-chromosome plants from which we derived DGE-1. The addition line DGE-1 has a plant type similar to its Langdon parent, although it is shorter in height with narrower leaves and shorter spikes. It is meiotically and reproductively stable, generally forming 15 bivalents with two chiasmata each. The alien chromosome pair from the grass confers FHB resistance to the addition line, which has less than 21% infection on the visual scale, mean = 6.5%. Using various biochemical and molecular techniques (Giemsa C-banding, fluorescent genomic in situ hybridization (fl-GISH), chromosome-specific simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, targeted region amplified polymorphism (TRAP) markers, and sodium dodecyl sulfate – polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE)), we have shown that the extra chromosome involved is 1E of L. elongatum. This is the first time that FHB resistance has been discovered on chromosome 1E. We have established a chromosome-specific marker for 1E that may be used to screen fertile hybrid derivatives and durum addition lines for this chromosome that confers FHB resistance.
Construction and characterization of twoCitrusBAC libraries and identification of clones containing the phytoene synthase gene
Authors: Baig M. N.R. , Yu An , Guo Wenwu , Deng Xiuxin 
Published: May 2009

Two deep-coverage Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) libraries of Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck ‘Cara Cara’ navel orange and Citrus reticulata (L.) Blanco ‘Egan No. 1’ Ponkan mandarin, which belong to the two most important species of the Citrus genus, have been constructed and characterized to facilitate gene cloning and to analyze variety-specific genome composition. The C. sinensis BAC library consists of 36 000 clones with negligible false-positive clones and an estimated average insert size of 126 kb covering ~4.5 × 109 bp and thus providing an 11.8-fold coverage of haploid genome equivalents, whereas the C. reticulata library consists of 21 000 clones also with negligible false-positive clones and an estimated average of 120 kb covering ~2.5 × 109 bp representing a 6.6-fold coverage of haploid genome equivalents. Both libraries were evaluated for contamination with high-copy vector, empty pIndigoBAC536 vector, and organellar DNA sequences. Screening has been performed by Southern hybridization of BAC filters, which results in <0.5% chloroplast DNA contamination and no mitochondrial DNA contamination in both libraries. Eight and five positive clones harboring the gene encoding Phytoene synthase (Psy (EC 2.5.1.32)) were identified from the C. sinensis and C. reticulata libraries, respectively, using the filter hybridization procedure. These results suggest that the two BAC libraries are useful tools for the isolation of functional genes and advanced genomics research in the two important species C. sinensis and C. reticulata. Resources, high-density filters, individual clones, and whole libraries are available for public distribution and are accessible at the National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University.
The Interplay between Prosody and Syntax in Sentence Processing: The Case of Subject- and Object-control Verbs
Authors: Bögels Sara , Schriefers Herbert , Vonk Wietske , Chwilla Dorothee J. , Kerkhofs Roel 
Published: May 2009

Abstract
This study addresses the question whether prosodic information can affect the choice for a syntactic analysis in auditory sentence processing. We manipulated the prosody (in the form of a prosodic break; PB) of locally ambiguous Dutch sentences to favor one of two interpretations. The experimental items contained two different types of so-called control verbs (subject and object control) in the matrix clause and were syntactically disambiguated by a transitive or by an intransitive verb. In Experiment 1, we established the default off-line preference of the items for a transitive or an intransitive disambiguating verb with a visual and an auditory fragment completion test. The results suggested that subject- and object-control verbs differently affect the syntactic structure that listeners expect. In Experiment 2, we investigated these two types of verbs separately in an on-line ERP study. Consistent with the literature, the PB elicited a closure positive shift. Furthermore, in subject-control items, an N400 effect for intransitive relative to transitive disambiguating verbs was found, both for sentences with and for sentences without a PB. This result suggests that the default preference for subject-control verbs goes in the same direction as the effect of the PB. In object-control items, an N400 effect for intransitive relative to transitive disambiguating verbs was found for sentences with a PB but no effect in the absence of a PB. This indicates that a PB can affect the syntactic analysis that listeners pursue.