bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The impact of obesity in systemic lupus erythematosus on disease parameters, quality of life, functional capacity and the risk of atherosclerosis
Authors: RIZK Amal , GHEITA Tamer A. , NASSEF Sahar , ABDALLAH Abeer 
Published: December 2011

AbstractObjective:  To study the effect of obesity on the quality of life (QoL), functional capacity and the risk of carotid atherosclerotic plaque formation in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and to correlate the findings with disease parameters, activity and damage.Patients and methods:  Sixty SLE patients were clinically examined, investigated and their carotid intima media thickness (IMT) measured by ultrasonography. Assessment of the QoL, Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ‐II), fatigue severity scale (FSS), the disease activity using Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) and the damage by Systemic Lupus International Collaboration Clinics (SLICC)/American College of Rheumatology (ACR) damage index were performed on all patients. Patients were grouped according to their body mass index (BMI).Results:  The mean age of the patients was 28.55 ± 8.08 years, disease duration 6.49 ± 5.18 years with a female : male ratio of 5.67 : 1. There was a significant association of increased BMI with lupus nephritis and hypertension. In obese SLE patients, there was a significant decrease in QoL and functional capacity and obvious dyslipidemia. The IMT was increased and significantly correlated with waist circumference.Conclusion:  In SLE patients, there is an association of BMI with dyslipidemia and decreased QoL. Its role in disease activity is not clear and obesity was associated with SLE damage accrual, especially lupus nephritis among other risk factors, including age, disease duration and increased steroid use. Increased waist circumference increases the risk of atherosclerosis.
Individual variation in response to intraspecific competition: problems with inference from growth variation measures
Authors: Einum Sigurd , Forseth Torbjørn , Finstad Anders G. 
Published: December 2011

Summary1. The intensity of intraspecific competition may influence the growth of differently sized individuals to different extents. Measures of among‐individual variation in growth and body size are commonly applied to assess such effects. The measure chosen is then supposed to control for the effect of mean (also influenced by competition) on variance [e.g. coefficient of variation (CV)].2. Although there is an appealing simplicity to this approach, interpretations of such data have some apparently unrecognised underlying complexities. Here we combine empirical data from salmonid fishes and simulations to illustrate this.3. Simulations show that even if all individuals are equally affected by competition, CV of body mass will not be constant. In fact, the CV of body mass may either decrease or increase with increasing competition.4. Using empirical data from growth experiments, where differences among replicates in mean growth was controlled by temperature rather than competitive intensity, we show that two salmonid fish species differ with respect to how SD growth scales with mean growth. Because this slope represents a possible null‐hypothesis, and will rarely be known, observed relations between competitive intensity and SD or CV growth are unlikely to yield information regarding size‐specific effects of competition.5. Based on the empirical data, simulation results with respect to body mass variation showed that the relation between mean and CV final mass varied from positive to negative across species and scenarios.6. Insights regarding size‐specific competitive effects appear unlikely to be obtained from measures of variation in either growth or body size. If attempts to do so are made, a positive correlation between SD body size and measures of competitive intensity (e.g. population density) does suggest that smaller individuals are more influenced by increased competition. However, this will be an extremely conservative test, because the appropriate null‐hypothesis is a negative correlation of unknown strength.7. Future attempts to quantify relationships between body size and impacts of competitive intensity should employ more traditional analyses of variance on individual data (i.e. interactions between body size and competition on growth rates).
Clinical presentation, treatment and possible causes of persistent endometrial cups illustrated by two cases
Authors: Crabtree J. R. , Chang Y. , de Mestre A. M. 
Published: December 2011

SummaryPersistent endometrial cups are relatively rare in the mare and the occurrence in 2 successive pregnancies, as described in this issue, is an intriguing finding. This article describes an additional 2 cases of endometrial cups persisting in excess of 12 months in mares that had experienced pregnancy loss. Both mares demonstrated irregular ovarian activity in the form of repeated formation of haemorrhagic anovulatory follicles. A definitive diagnosis was made by visualisation of cup tissue by hysteroscopy and demonstration of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) in the mares' serum. Biopsy of endometrial cups was made under visual direction and the mares were treated by chemical curettage with kerosene. The clinical presentation, treatment and possible causes of persistent endometrial cups are reviewed and discussed.
Post operative infection, pyrexia and perioperative antimicrobial drug use in surgical colic patients
Authors: FREEMAN K. D. , SOUTHWOOD L. L. , LANE J. , LINDBORG S. , ACETO H. W. 
Published: December 2011

SummaryReasons for performing study: Infections are common complications in post operative colic patients. It is the impression of some surgeons that pyrexia in the early post operative period is a sign of infection and appropriate timing of perioperative antimicrobials will decrease the incidence of post operative infection.Objective: To determine the association between 1) post operative pyrexia and development of infection and 2) perioperative antimicrobial drug use and infection rate in post operative colic patients.Methods: Medical records of patients undergoing surgical treatment for colic were reviewed. Horses recovering from surgery and surviving >48 h were included. Data relating to case details, duration of surgery, post operative infection, peri‐ and post operative antimicrobial administration, presence, intensity and duration of pyrexia, were recorded. Data were analysed using standard statistical methods for simple comparisons between groups and by logistic regression for more complex comparisons.Results: One‐hundred‐and‐thirteen horses were included in the final analyses, 48 (43%) of which were diagnosed with a post operative infection. Duration of surgery and anaesthesia were associated with post operative infection. Eighty‐five percent of horses (n = 96) exhibited pyrexia (rectal temperature >38.3°C) post operatively. Peak temperature >39.2°C, time post surgery to peak temperature >48 h and duration of pyrexia >48 h were significantly associated with infection. In a combined model, time to first pyrexic >48 h post surgery, peak temperature and time to peak >48 h were equally weighted and the model's positive predictive value for post operative infection was 72%. Timing and dose rate of preoperative antimicrobials were not associated with infection but duration of post operative antimicrobial drug use was.Conclusion and clinical relevance: Slight to mild pyrexia (38–39.4°C) in the early post operative period is not necessarily associated with impending bacterial infection in colic patients and the use of antimicrobials in these patients may be costly and unnecessary.
An investigation of adult attachment and the nature of relationships with voices
Authors: Berry Katherine , Wearden Alison , Barrowclough Christine , Oakland Lauren , Bradley Jonathan 
Published: December 2011

Objectives. The study investigated associations between adult attachment and voice hearing. We hypothesized associations between insecure attachment, severity of voice hearing, and distress in relation to voices. We also hypothesized associations between attachment and the nature of relationships with voices.Method. Seventy‐three participants with a diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorders completed measures of anxiety and avoidance in attachment relationships and we coded experiences of voice hearing from interviews.Results. There were modest but significant positive associations between attachment anxiety and both severity and distress in relation to voice hearing, but no associations between attachment avoidance and these dimensions. We found evidence of predicted associations between attachment avoidance and themes of rejection, criticism, and threat in relationships with voices. Contrary to predictions, there were no significant associations between anxious attachment and the theme of control in relationships with voices and no association between anxious attachment and the theme of threat.Conclusions. The study is promising in demonstrating some associations between attachment and the nature of relationships with voices. This suggests that the assessment of attachment styles may be a useful contribution in developing formulations of voice hearing.
Fathers have higher motivation for parenting than mothers in common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)
Authors: Saito Atsuko , Izumi Akihiro , Nakamura Katsuki 
Published: December 2011

Abstract
Parental care is necessary for infant mammals to survive because they are
born immaturely. In rodents, the retrieval of pups has been used to evaluate
the motivation for maternal behaviour. Common marmosets are cooperative
breeders and their parental or alloparental behaviour has been evaluated on
the basis of the frequency of carrying infants in a family group. However,
under such a situation, the amount of time spent on carrying did not
directly reflect the level of motivation for parental or alloparental
behaviour because of interference by other family members. To directly
evaluate the motivation for such behaviour in common marmosets, animals
should be tested where each subject is separated from other family members.
Although some groups have applied an infant-retrieval test in which an
infant is presented to the subject to evaluate the motivation of each
marmoset, there are no studies in which retrieval behaviour is compared
among family members. We adopted the infant-retrieval test to compare the
motivation for parental or alloparental behaviour among family members: 8
fathers, 8 mothers, 14 older brothers and 9 older sisters. We measured the
time from the infant presentation to the retrieval of the infant by each
subject as the index of the motivation. We conducted the test when the
infant age was 1–8 days old. All the fathers invariably retrieved their
infants promptly, but some mothers did not. This variation of responsiveness
of mothers was partially explained by the amount of their experience of
having their own infants. There was a tendency that inexperienced mothers
took a longer time to retrieve infants than experienced ones. Older siblings
took a significantly longer time to retrieve infants than fathers during the
first few days, but their latency became the same as that of parents in the
8-day test period. Our present findings indicate that the motivation for
retrieving infants differs between mothers and fathers. Fathers' motivation
is invariably high whereas mothers' is more variable, and that parental and
alloparental behaviour may change depending on experience.
Zebra finch nestlings beg more under better nutritional conditions
Authors: Krause E. Tobias , Honarmand Mariam , Naguib Marc 
Published: December 2011

Abstract
Providing parental care involves costs for the parents when investing
resources such as food and time to raise their offspring. In many species,
offspring communicate their need by begging signals which often are linked
to their physiological condition but also may be affected by the expectation
they may develop depending on previous parental behaviour. To test whether
or not offspring begging is affected by the food quality to which parents
have access, we experimentally manipulated the early nutritional conditions
of zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) nestlings by providing
the parents with either a low or a high quality diet. We expected that lower
early nutritional conditions increase begging behaviour resulting from a
presumed higher nestling need. Yet, the experiments revealed that broods of
nestlings begged more intensely when they were raised on a high compared to
a low quality diet. Nestlings raised under high quality food conditions may
have a higher begging intensity due to their higher need associated with a
fast growth trajectory. Likewise, lower begging intensity by nestlings
raised on low quality food might result from a general delay in development,
or nestlings adjusted their begging to behavioural adjustments made by
parents as a response to the different diets. These findings highlight that
begging signals can be affected by a complex set of factors and expands the
classical view of signalling need. Begging call rates can increase with
offspring condition and with their expectations about the quality of food
that can be provided by the parents.
A comparison of prairie vole audible and ultrasonic pup calls and attraction to them by adults of each sex
Authors: Terleph Thomas A. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractRodent pups of many species emit both ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) and calls spanning into a lower frequency range, audible to humans (AUDs), yet there has been little systematic comparison of these different call types, or analyses of how they might differ in signal function. Here the spectral and temporal characteristics of USV and AUD pup calls are described for the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), a model used in studies of monogamous mating and biparental care, and a species with an unusually large functional and anatomical representation of auditory cortex. Findings provide a detailed description of each call type, including changes to a number of USV characteristics over pup development. Adult attraction to the playback of these two call types was tested in groups that differed in regards to sex and reproductive status. Separate groups included virgins as well as paired animals of each sex, tested at time points either prior to the birth of pups (associated with either mid or late gestation), or at postpartum time points (parents of 2–3 day olds and parents of 8–9 day olds). Adults were attracted to both USVs and AUDs, but group differences were found only in the attraction to USVs. Males were more attracted to USVs than females, and there were interactions of sex and reproductive status. Results suggest that pup vocal communication is quite sophisticated, and that USVs and AUDs may have different communicative functions.
Can male white-faced saki monkeys (Pithecia pithecia) detect female reproductive state?
Authors: Thompson C.L. , Whitten P.L. , Norconk M.A. 
Published: December 2011

Abstract
For mammalian males, copulating with females during ovulation is critical to
reproductive success. However male knowledge of ovulation may not always be
advantageous for females, as it could hinder mate choice or promote
harassment. White-faced saki monkeys live in variably monogamous and
polygamous social groups and hence females may have multiple motivations to
conceal ovulatory timing. White-faced sakis further show no obvious physical
or behavioral signs of ovulation, although they do use scent in a variety of
contexts, including sexual behavior. We collected data on three wild groups
of white-faced sakis at Brownsberg Naturepark, Suriname in order to assess
whether male copulations are coordinated with female ovulatory timing. We
recorded all occurrences of copulations and genital inspections, and
collected fecal samples from females which were radioimmunoassayed to obtain
estradiol and progesterone levels. We found that males copulated throughout
the female reproductive cycle, although the association between copulation
and reproductive state varied between dyads. Only one male–female dyad
showed significantly more copulations than expected during ovulation.
However four of five dyads copulated less than expected with pregnant
females, suggesting that males may be able to differentiate cycling from
non-cycling females. While genital inspections were distributed randomly
with regard to female reproductive state, the decision to copulate was not:
males were more likely to mate with both ovulating and cycling females than
with non-cycling females after genital inspection. Regardless, males were
not more likely to copulate with an ovulating vs. a cycling (non-ovulating)
female. These data indicate that while males may receive olfactory
information on female hormonal status, they do not make entirely accurate
decisions with regard to copulation timing. This inaccuracy may be due to
males' inability to detect ovulation, or alternately a lack of motivation to
limit copulations solely to conceptive periods. Pair familiarity and sexual
experience may also play a role in copulation accuracy.
Carotenoid-based plumage colouration in red bishops (Euplectes orix) — signalling presence rather than quality?
Authors: Edler Alice U. , Friedl Thomas W.P. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractThe role of bright plumage colouration for female choice has been the focus of research in sexual selection for many years, with several studies showing that females prefer the most elaborately ornamented males, which are often also the highest quality individuals. Here, we analysed the associations between reproductive performance and plumage, body condition and blood parasite load in the red bishop (Euplectes orix), a sexually dimorphic and polygynous weaverbird species, where males in a carotenoid-based orange-to-red breeding plumage defend territories and build many nests to which they try to attract females. Male reproductive success in terms of number of nests accepted was mainly determined by the number of nests built, but was also positively related to blood parasite load, while we found no influence of plumage characteristics. Together with previously obtained data, our results indicate that plumage characteristics in the red bishop do not affect male reproductive success and are generally not suitable to reliably indicate male quality. We suggest that the primary function of the brilliant orange-scarlet breeding plumage might be presence signalling in terms of increasing conspicuousness of breeding males to females searching for mates.
Remembering Kaiyuan and Tianbao: The Construction of Mosaic Memory in Medieval Historical Miscellanies
Authors: Luo Manling 
Published: December 2011

AbstractMedieval historical miscellanies have traditionally been seen as repositories of random historical information. This essay examines how the miscellany form makes possible a distinct mode of cultural memory construction, the piecing together of anecdotes gathered from oral and written sources to create a composite, multifaceted picture of the past, or "mosaic memory." Using as examples four monothematic post-An Lushan rebellion collections devoted to the memory of the Kaiyuan-Tianbao era (713-756), we may see how compilers created idiosyncratic versions of mosaic memory as a result of their personal motives and cultural positions. These individual versions also overlay and constitute a cumulative representation that reveals important features of mosaic memory as a communal discourse. The layered formation of mosaic memory helps to shed light on how the cultural memory of the Kaiyuan-Tianbao era took shape in the mid- and late-Tang periods and how medieval historical miscellanies functioned as an important site of cultural production.
Lipofuscin Quantification as a Potential Tool for Age Estimation in Snow Crabs,Chionoecetes opilio (O. Fabricius, 1788) (Decapoda, Oregoniidae)
Authors: Allain R. N. , Moriyasu M. , Crawford B. D. , Courtenay S. C. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractLipofuscin levels were investigated in snow crabs (Chionoecetes opilio) to assess the applicability of lipofuscin quantification as an age determining tool for this species. Localization and quantification of lipofuscin granules in the olfactory lobe cell mass (OLCM) of the brain were conducted by confocal microscopy and image analysis. The majority of immature crabs had no detectable lipofuscin. Crabs with a dirty carapace condition (an indication of greater age) had more lipofuscin (in terms of granule density, area fraction, and mean granule size) than crabs with a clean carapace condition; however, the amount of lipofuscin was much lower than that in more temperate species. Lipofuscin content was positively correlated with carapace size among crabs with a clean carapace but not among crabs with a dirty carapace. No correlation was observed between average lipofuscin granule fluorescent intensity and carapace width. OLCM neuron characteristics were also investigated. An inverse relationship was observed between neuron density and carapace width although it is unknown if this density reduction is due to a loss of neurons, an increase in size of the structures, or both. Furthermore, a positive relationship was observed between neuron size and carapace width. The range of neuron size also increased in larger crabs, suggesting the presence of mitotically active cells in the OLCM. Although lipofuscin levels were higher in dirty carapace condition (presumably older) crabs than in clean carapace crabs and increased with size (in mature, clean carapace snow crabs), the lack of detectable lipofuscin in most immature crabs, generally low levels of lipofuscin in mature crabs, and lack of increase with size in older (dirty carapace) crabs limits the applicability of this age estimation tool for this species.
Salinity, Temperature, and Seasonality Effects on the Metabolic Rate of the Brown Shrimp Farfantepenaeus aztecus (Ives, 1891) (Decapoda, Penaeidae) from the Coastal Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Latournerié José R. , González-Mora Ignacio D. , Gómez-Aguirre Samuel , Estrada-Ortega Alma R. , Soto Luis A. 
Published: December 2011

Abstract
The routine metabolic rate (QO2 in mg O2 g−1 DW h−1) was measured in juveniles of the brown shrimp, Farfantepenaeus aztecus (Ives, 1891) at salinity and temperature ranges prevailing during the cold and warm seasons at the coastal lagoon of Tamiahua, Veracruz, Mexico. A semi-closed respirometer was employed, with eight 4-L experimental chambers, each containing two shrimp of similar size and sex. The shrimp were fasting and in the intermoult stage, and acclimated to the chambers for 12 h prior to determining oxygen consumption. Oxygen measurements were taken every two hours with a partial replacement of water and aeration of one hour between readings. In a 24 h cycle, 6 to 8 measurements were made. Relations between QO2 and DW, for the different salinity and temperature conditions tested, were calculated and adjusted to the equation: QO2 = αDWβ. Two-way ANOVA was applied to analyse the effect of salinity, temperature, time of day, and body weight on F. aztecus QO2. Salinity had no significant (p > 0.05) effect upon the shrimp's routine metabolic rate at intervals of 26 to 34 psu and 22 to 36 psu, typical of the cold and warm seasons, respectively. However, seasonal temperature variation did significantly affect the shrimp's QO2, thus suggesting the existence of a different "pattern of acclimatization" in the energy requirements of the individuals from both seasons. The results indicate that the population of F. aztecus from this area of the Gulf of Mexico may represent a "cline", the physiological response of the components of which differs from that of other brown shrimp populations distributed over a wide geographical range in the western tropical Atlantic.