bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Striatal dopamine modulates song spectral but not temporal features through D1 receptors
Authors: Leblois Arthur , Perkel David J 
Published: May 2012

AbstractThe activity of midbrain dopaminergic neurons and their projection to the basal ganglia (BG) are thought to play a critical role in the acquisition of motor skills through reinforcement learning, as well as in the expression of learned motor behaviors. The precise role of BG dopamine (DA) in mediating and modulating motor performance and learning, however, remains unclear. In songbirds, a specialized portion of the BG is responsible for song learning and plasticity. Previously we found that DA acts on D1 receptors in Area X to modulate the BG output signal and thereby trigger changes in song variability. Here, we investigate the effect of D1 receptor blockade in the BG on song behavior in the zebra finch. We report that this manipulation abolishes social context‐dependent changes in variability not only in harmonic stacks, but also in other types of syllables. However, song timing seems not to be modulated by this BG DA signal. Indeed, injections of a D1 antagonist in the BG altered neither song duration nor the change of song duration with social context. Finally, D1 receptor activation in the BG was not necessary for the modulation of other features of song, such as the number of introductory notes or motif repetitions. Together, our results suggest that activation of D1 receptors in the BG is necessary for the modulation of fine acoustic features of song with social context, while it is not involved in the regulation of song timing and structure at a larger time scale.
Doxycycline treatment in a neonatal rat model of hypoxia–ischemia reduces cerebral tissue and white matter injury: a longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging study
Authors: Widerøe Marius , Havnes Marianne B , Morken Tora Sund , Skranes Jon , Goa Pål‐Erik , Brubakk Ann‐Mari 
Published: May 2012

AbstractDoxycycline may potentially be a neuroprotective treatment for neonatal hypoxic–ischemic brain injury through its anti‐inflammatory effects. The aim of this study was to examine any long‐term neuroprotection by doxycycline treatment on cerebral gray and white matter. Hypoxic–ischemic brain injury was induced in 7‐day‐old rats. Pups were treated with either doxycycline (HI+doxy) or saline (HI+vehicle) by intraperitoneal injection at 1 h after hypoxia–ischemia (HI). At 6 h after HI, MnCl2 was injected intraperitoneally for later manganese‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI was performed with diffusion‐weighted imaging on day 1 and T1‐weighted imaging and diffusion tensor imaging at 7, 21 and 42 days after HI. Animals were killed after MRI on day 42 and histological examinations of the brains were performed. There was a tendency towards lower lesion volumes on diffusion maps among HI+doxy than HI+vehicle rats at 1 day after HI. Volumetric MRI showed increasing differences between groups with time after HI, with less cyst formation and less cerebral tissue loss among HI+doxy than HI+vehicle pups. HI+doxy pups had less manganese enhancement on day 7 after HI, indicating reduced inflammation. HI+doxy pups had higher fractional anisotropy on diffusion tensor imaging in major white matter tracts in the injured hemisphere than HI+vehicle pups, indicating less injury to white matter and better myelination. Histological examinations supported the MRI results. Lesion size on early MRI was highly correlated with final injury measures. In conclusion, a single dose of doxycycline reduced long‐term cerebral tissue loss and white matter injury after neonatal HI, with an increasing effect of treatment with time after injury.
Legacy effects of aboveground–belowground interactions
Authors: Kostenko Olga , van de Voorde Tess F. J. , Mulder Patrick P. J. , van der Putten Wim H. , Martijn Bezemer T. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractRoot herbivory can greatly affect the performance of aboveground insects via changes in plant chemistry. These interactions have been studied extensively in experiments where aboveground and belowground insects were feeding on the same plant. However, little is known about how aboveground and belowground organisms interact when they feed on plant individuals that grow after each other in the same soil. We show that feeding by aboveground and belowground insect herbivores on ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris) plants exert unique soil legacy effects, via herbivore‐induced changes in the composition of soil fungi. These changes in the soil biota induced by aboveground and belowground herbivores of preceding plants greatly influenced the pyrrolizidine alkaloid content, biomass and aboveground multitrophic interactions of succeeding plants. We conclude that plant‐mediated interactions between aboveground and belowground insects are also important when they do not feed simultaneously on the same plant.
System‐based factors influencing intraoperative decision‐making in rectal cancer by surgeons: an international assessment
Authors: Augestad K. M. , Lindsetmo R.‐O. , Stulberg J. J. , Reynolds H. , Champagne B. , Senagore A. J. , Delaney C. P. ,   International Rectal Cancer Study Group (IRCSG)
Published: May 2012

AbstractAim  Sound surgical judgement is the goal of training and experience; however, system‐based factors may also colour selection of options by a surgeon. We analysed potential organizational characteristics that might influence rectal cancer decision‐making by an experienced surgeon.Method  One hundred and seventy‐three international centres treating rectal cancer were invited to participate in a survey assessment of key treatment options for patients undergoing curative rectal‐cancer surgery. The key organizational characteristics were analysed using multivariate methods for association with intra‐operative surgical decision‐making.Results  The response rate was 71% (123 centres). Sphincter‐saving surgery was more likely to be performed at university hospitals (OR = 3.63, P = 0.01) and by high‐caseload surgeons (OR = 2.77 P = 0.05). A diverting stoma was performed more frequently in departments with clinical audits (OR = 3.06, P = 0.02), and a diverting stoma with coloanal anastomosis was more likely in European centres (OR = 4.14, P = 0.004). One‐stage surgery was less likely where there was assessment by a multidisciplinary team (OR = 0.24, P = 0.02). Multivariate analysis showed that university hospital, clinical audit, European centre, multidisciplinary team and high caseload significantly impacted on surgical decision‐making.Conclusion  Treatment variance of rectal cancer surgeons appears to be significantly influenced by organizational characteristics and complex team‐based decision‐making. System‐based factors may need to be considered as a source of outcome variation that may impact on quality metrics.
Phylogeny of mosquitoes of tribe Culicini (Diptera: Culicidae) based on morphological diversity
Authors: Harbach Ralph E. , Kitching Ian J. , Culverwell C. Lorna , Dubois Jacques , Linton Yvonne‐Marie 
Published: May 2012

Harbach, R. E., Kitching, I. J., Culverwell, C. L., Dubois, J. & Linton, Y.‐M. (2012). Phylogeny of mosquitoes of tribe Culicini (Diptera: Culicidae) based on morphological diversity. —Zoologica Scripta, 41, 499–514.Relationships among taxa of the mosquito tribe Culicini are explored using 169 morphological characters from 86 exemplar species representing the four genera and 26 subgenera of Culicini, most species groups and subgroups of subgenus Culex and an outgroup of five species from five other tribes. We analysed the data set, with multistate characters treated as unordered, under implied weights with values of K ranging from 1 to 20, implemented by TNT. Each analysis, except K = 4, produced a single most parsimonious (fittest) cladogram (MPC). The topology of the ingroup was identical for K = 6–11, whereas the MPCs for K = 14–20 differed only in the position of a single species, which occupied the same position in the K = 16 and K = 6–11 topologies. The K = 9 and K = 16 trees were given further consideration. In both these cladograms, Lutzia is sister to a clade comprising genera Culex, Deinocerites and Galindomyia. The two topologies have 13 clades in common, but their arrangements differ primarily because of Culex (Culex) duttoni acting as a ‘rogue’ taxon. We evaluated the effect of removing this species from the K = 9 and K = 16 analyses and chose the refined K = 9 topology as the best hypothesis of relationships within Culicini. Genus Culex is not monophyletic because it includes Deinocerites and Galindomyia as derived members of the New World subgenera. With the exception of subgenera Culex, Eumelanomyia and Neoculex, there is strong support for the monophyly of all genera and subgenera. Subgenus Culex would be monophyletic were four other subgenera included and three other taxa (the Afrotropical Cx. duttoni, Neotropical Cx. apicinus and the Australasian Atriceps Group) excluded.
High‐throughput and parallel SNP discovery in selected candidate genes in Eucalyptus camaldulensis using Illumina NGS platform
Authors: Hendre Prasad S. , Kamalakannan R. , Varghese Mohan 
Published: May 2012

SummaryNext generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have revolutionized the pace and scale of genomics‐ and transcriptomics‐based SNP discovery across different plant and animal species. Herein, 72‐base paired‐end Illumina sequencing was employed for high‐throughput, parallel and large‐scale SNP discovery in 41 growth‐related candidate genes in Eucalyptus camaldulensis. Approximately 100 kb of genome from 96 individuals was amplified and sequenced using a hierarchical DNA/PCR pooling strategy and assembled over corresponding E. grandis reference. A total of 1191 SNPs (minimum 5% other allele frequency) were identified with an average frequency of 1 SNP/83.9 bp, whereas in exons and introns, it was 1 SNP/108.4 bp and 1 SNP/65.6 bp, respectively. A total of 75 insertions and 89 deletions were detected of which approximately 15% were exonic. Transitions (Tr) were in excess than transversions (Tv) (Tr/Tv: 1.89), but exceeded in exons (Tr/Tv: 2.73). In exons, synonymous SNPs (Ka) prevailed over the non‐synonymous SNPs (Ks; average Ka/Ks ratio: 0.72, range: 0–3.00 across genes). Many of the exonic SNPs/indels had potential to change amino acid sequence of respective genes. Transcription factors appeared more conserved, whereas enzyme coding genes appeared under relaxed control. Further, 541 SNPs were classified into 196 ‘equal frequency’ (EF) blocks with almost similar minor allele frequencies to facilitate selection of one tag‐SNP/EF‐block. There were 241 (approximately 20%) ‘zero‐SNP’ blocks with absence of SNPs in surrounding ±60 bp windows. The data thus indicated enormous extant and unexplored diversity in E. camaldulensis in the studied genes with potential applications for marker‐trait associations.
Engineering nitrogen use efficient crop plants: the current status
Authors: McAllister Chandra H. , Beatty Perrin H. , Good Allen G. 
Published: May 2012

SummaryIn the last 40 years the amount of synthetic nitrogen (N) applied to crops has risen drastically, resulting in significant increases in yield but with considerable impacts on the environment. A requirement for crops that require decreased N fertilizer levels has been recognized in the call for a ‘Second Green Revolution’ and research in the field of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) has continued to grow. This has prompted a search to identify genes that improve the NUE of crop plants, with candidate NUE genes existing in pathways relating to N uptake, assimilation, amino acid biosynthesis, C/N storage and metabolism, signalling and regulation of N metabolism and translocation, remobilization and senescence. Herein is a review of the approaches taken to determine possible NUE candidate genes, an overview of experimental study of these genes as effectors of NUE in both cereal and non‐cereal plants and the processes of commercialization of enhanced NUE crop plants. Patents issued regarding increased NUE in plants as well as gene pyramiding studies are also discussed as well as future directions of NUE research.
Identification of positive and negative regulators of disease resistance to rice blast fungus using constitutive gene expression patterns
Authors: Grand Xavier , Espinoza Rocio , Michel Corinne , Cros Sandrine , Chalvon Véronique , Jacobs John , Morel Jean‐Benoit 
Published: May 2012

SummaryElevated constitutive expression of components of the defence arsenal is associated with quantitative resistance to the rice blast fungus, a phenomenon called preformed defence. While the role of many disease regulators in inducible defence systems has been extensively studied, little attention has been paid so far to genes that regulate preformed defence. In this study, we show by microarray analysis across rice diversity that the preformed defence phenomenon impacts on a large number of defence‐related genes without apparently affecting other biological processes. Using a guilt‐by‐association strategy, we identified two positive regulators that promote constitutive expression of known defence markers and partial resistance to rice blast. The HSF23 gene encodes for a putative member of the heat shock transcription factor family, while CaMBP encodes for a putative Calmodulin‐binding protein. Both HSF23 and CaMBP strongly affect preformed defence and also plant growth. Additionally, we identified the OB‐fold gene as a negative regulator of blast resistance, which could be involved in RNA stabilization. The OB‐fold mutants do not suffer from obvious developmental defects. Taken together, our results prove that our strategy of combining analysis of gene expression diversity with guilt‐by‐association is a powerful way to identify disease resistance regulators in rice.
Spending Time and Money within the Household*
Authors: Browning Martin , Gørtz Mette 
Published: May 2012

AbstractWe consider, both theoretically and empirically, the allocation of time and money within the household. The research question is whether a married person who enjoys more leisure than their partner also receives more consumption (which seems to indicate the outcome of power within the household) or receives less consumption (which seems to indicate differing intrahousehold preferences). We develop a simple parametric structural model with household production that is tested on survey data. We find that relative wages have an impact on power. For leisure, this effect is dominated by a conventional wage effect, in which the partner who has the higher wage takes less leisure.
Heterogeneous Wage Effects of Apprenticeship Training*
Authors: Göggel Kathrin , Zwick Thomas 
Published: May 2012

Abstract The relatively small average wage effects of employer and occupation changes after apprenticeship training mask large differences between occupation groups and apprentices with different schooling backgrounds. People who change employer and occupation within industrial occupations enjoy large wage advantages, whereas apprentices in commerce and trading occupations, as well as in construction and crafts occupations, face wage losses from an occupation change. The differences between the firms that provide the apprenticeship training are found to be small or insignificant. In this paper, we reconcile the differences between previous findings by comparing and replicating the empirical estimation strategies used. This demonstrates that selectivity in occupations and changes, unobserved heterogeneity between occupations, and sample selection do matter.
Factors related to respiration influencing survival and respiratory function in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a retrospective study
Authors: Leonardis L. , Dolenc Grošelj L. , Vidmar G. 
Published: May 2012

BackgroundVarious breathing abnormalities (Neurology 2009; 73: 1218) have been proposed as indicators for the introduction of non‐invasive positive‐pressure ventilation (NIV) in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We were interested in the usefulness of symptoms of respiratory insufficiency and abnormal results of daytime arterial gas analyses (AGA) as predictors of survival and the effect of NIV on respiratory volumes and pressures.MethodsReported symptoms, respiratory subscore of the ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS‐r), Norris scale (Norris‐r), and AGA were retrospectively analyzed in 189 ALS patients. Longitudinal follow‐up of forced vital capacity (FVC), maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressure (MIP, MEP), and sniff nasal pressure (SNP) were analyzed with regard to the introduction of NIV.ResultsRespiratory symptoms were a bad prognostic sign (P = 0.007). Abnormalities in Norris‐r, ALSFRS‐r, pO2, pCO2, and oxygen saturation tended to be associated with a shorter survival, although they were not statistically significant. NIV prolonged survival and reduced the decline in FVC (P = 0.007), MIP, MEP, and SNP (the last three were not statistically significant). Symptoms, abnormal FVC, and AGA do not always coincide, and they can appear in a different sequence.ConclusionsAny respiratory abnormality should prompt the clinician to start discussing NIV with the patient. NIV prolongs survival and improves respiratory function.
Quantification of skin penetration of antioxidants of varying lipophilicity
Authors: Abla M. J. , Banga A. K. 
Published: May 2012

SynopsisAntioxidants play a vital role in protecting the skin from environmental distress. As the skin is constantly exposed to harmful UV radiation, endogenous antioxidants present in the superficial layers of the skin neutralize reactive oxygen species. Over time, antioxidants become depleted and loss their protective effect on the skin. Therefore, supplementing skin with topical antioxidant can help replenish this loss and fight the oxidative stress. The objective of this study was to deliver antioxidants topically and quantify the amount permeated in the stratum corneum and underlying skin. Polyphenols (catechin, resveratrol and curcumin) and vitamin (retinol) with various lipophilic properties were delivered via porcine ear skin, using propylene glycol as a vehicle. The amount in the stratum corneum and underlying skin was quantified using tape stripping and skin extraction methods, respectively, and samples were analysed via HPLC. All four antioxidants permeated into the skin from the propylene glycol vehicle. The order of the amount of antioxidant in the stratum corneum was catechin > resveratrol~ retinol> curcumin, whereas that in the underlying skin was retinol > catechin~ resveratrol~ curcumin. Of the total amount of polyphenols in the skin, approximately 90% was retained in the stratum corneum whereas 10% was quantified in the underlying skin. In contrast, 10% of retinol was retained in the stratum corneum whereas 90% permeated in the underlying skin. Polyphenols (catechin, resveratrol and curcumin) showed high concentration in the stratum corneum whereas retinol showed high accumulation in the underlying layers of the skin.
Rate of gestational weight gain, pre‐pregnancy body mass index and preterm birth subtypes: a retrospective cohort study from Peru
Authors: Carnero AM , Mejía CR , García PJ 
Published: May 2012

Please cite this paper as: Carnero AM, Mejía CR, García PJ. Rate of gestational weight gain, pre‐pregnancy body mass index and preterm birth subtypes: a retrospective cohort study from Peru. BJOG 2012;119:924–935.Objective  To examine the shape (functional form) of the association between the rate of gestational weight gain, pre‐pregnancy body mass index (BMI), and preterm birth and its subtypes.Design  Retrospective cohort study.Setting  National reference obstetric centre in Lima, Peru.Population  Pregnant women who delivered singleton babies during the period 2006–2009, resident in Lima, and beginning prenatal care at ≤12 weeks of gestation (n = 8964).Methods  Data were collected from the centre database. The main analyses consisted of logistic regression with fractional polynomial modelling.Main outcome measures  Preterm birth and its subtypes.Results  Preterm birth occurred in 12.2% of women, being mostly idiopathic (85.7%). The rate of gestational weight gain was independently associated with preterm birth, and the shape of this association varied by pre‐pregnancy BMI. In women who were underweight, the association was linear (per 0.1 kg/week increase) and protective (OR 0.88; 95% CI 0.82–1.00). In women of normal weight or who were overweight, the association was U‐shaped: the odds of delivering preterm increased exponentially with rates <0.10 or >0.66 kg/week, and <0.04 or >0.50 kg/week, respectively. In women who were obese, the association was linear, but non‐significant (OR 1.01; 95% CI 0.95–1.06). The association described for preterm birth closely resembled that of idiopathic preterm birth, although the latter was stronger. The rate of gestational weight gain was not associated with indicated preterm birth or preterm prelabour rupture of membranes.Conclusions  In Peruvian pregnant women starting prenatal care at ≤12 weeks of gestation, the rate of gestational weight gain is independently associated with preterm birth, mainly because of its association with idiopathic preterm birth, and the shape of both associations varies by pre‐pregnancy BMI.
Rules of thumb for minimizing subsoil compaction
Authors: SCHJØNNING P. , LAMANDÉ M. , KELLER T. , PEDERSEN J. , STETTLER M. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractSubsoil compaction is persistent and can affect important soil functions including soil productivity. The aim of this study was to develop recommendations on how to avoid subsoil compaction for soils exposed to traffic by machinery at field capacity. We measured the vertical stress in the tyre–soil contact area for two traction tyres at ca. 30‐ and 60‐kN wheel loads on a loamy sand at field capacity. Data on resulting stress distributions were combined with those from the literature for five implement tyres tested at a range of inflation pressures and wheel loads. The vertical stress in the soil profile was then predicted using the Söhne model for all tests in the combined data set. The predicted stress at 20 cm depth correlated with the maximum stress in the contact area, tyre inflation pressure, tyre–soil contact area and mean ground pressure. At 100 cm depth, the predicted vertical stress was primarily determined by wheel load, but an effect of the other factors was also detected. Based on published recommendations for allowable stresses in the soil profile, we propose the ‘50‐50 rule’: At water contents around field capacity, traffic on agricultural soil should not exert vertical stresses in excess of 50 kPa at depths >50 cm. Our combined data provide the basis for the ‘8‐8 rule’: The depth of the 50‐kPa stress isobar increases by 8 cm for each additional tonne increase in wheel load and by 8 cm for each doubling of the tyre inflation pressure. We suggest that farmers use this simple rule for evaluating the sustainability of any planned traffic over moist soil.