bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Association analysis between canine behavioural traits and genetic polymorphisms in the Shiba Inu breed
Authors: Takeuchi Y. , Kaneko F. , Hashizume C. , Masuda K. , Ogata N. , Maki T. , Inoue‐Murayama M. , Hart B. L. , Mori Y. 
Published: April 2009

SummaryThe relationships between behavioural trait data and the genotype of 15 polymorphisms in eight neurotransmitter‐related genes were analysed in 77 dogs of the Shiba Inu breed, an indigenous Japanese dog. The data were obtained from a 26‐item questionnaire on the dog’s behaviour, distributed to the dog’s owners, through veterinary hospitals and the Shiba Inu breed magazine. A factor analysis of the questionnaire items extracted eight factors accounting for 66.8% of the variance. An association analysis between these factors and genetic polymorphisms indicated that the polymorphism of c.471T>C in the solute carrier family 1 (neuronal/epithelial high‐affinity glutamate transporter) member 2 (SLC1A2) gene was significantly associated with Factor 1, referred to as ‘aggression to strangers’. This association remained stable in separate analyses of data from surveys obtained from the hospitals and those obtained from the magazine. The results suggest that the c.471T>C polymorphism is associated with some types of aggressive behaviour in the Shiba Inu. Further studies using other dog breeds are necessary to extend these findings to dogs in general.
Strong links between teleconnections and ecosystem exchange found at a Pacific Northwest old‐growth forest from flux tower and MODIS EVI data
Authors: WHARTON SONIA , CHASMER LAURA , FALK MATTHIAS , PAW U KYAW THA 
Published: April 2009

AbstractVariability in three Pacific teleconnection patterns are examined to see if net carbon exchange at a low‐elevation, old‐growth forest is affected by climatic changes associated with these periodicities. Examined are the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Pacific/North American Oscillation (PNA) and El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO). We use 9 years of eddy covariance CO2, H2O and energy fluxes measured at the Wind River AmeriFlux site, Washington, USA and 8 years of tower‐pixel remote sensing data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to address this question. We compute a new Composite Climate Index (CCI) based on the three Pacific Oscillations to divide the measurement period into positive‐ (2003 and 2005), negative‐ (1999 and 2000) and neutral‐phase climate years (2001, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2007). The forest transitioned from an annual net carbon sink (NEP=+217 g C m−2 yr−1, 1999) to a source (NEP=−100 g C m−2 yr−1, 2003) during two dominant teleconnection patterns. Net ecosystem productivity (NEP), water use efficiency (WUE) and light use efficiency (LUE) were significantly different (P<0.01) during positive (NEP=−0.27 g C m−2 day−1, WUE=4.1 mg C g−1 H2O, LUE=0.94 g C MJ−1) and negative (NEP=+0.37 g C m−2 day−1, WUE=3.4 mg C g−1 H2O, LUE=0.83 g C MJ−1) climate phases. The CCI was linked to variability in the MODIS Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) but not to MODIS Fraction of absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FPAR). EVI was highest during negative climate phases (1999 and 2000) and was positively correlated with NEP and showed potential for using MODIS to estimate teleconnection‐driven anomalies in ecosystem CO2 exchange in old‐growth forests. This work suggests that any increase in the strength or frequency of ENSO coinciding with in‐phase, low frequency Pacific oscillations (PDO and PNA) will likely increase CO2 uptake variability in Pacific Northwest conifer forests.
Pedogenesis, permafrost, and soil moisture as controlling factors for soil nitrogen and carbon contents across the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: BAUMANN FRANK , HE JIN‐SHENG , SCHMIDT KARSTEN , KÜHN PETER , SCHOLTEN THOMAS 
Published: April 2009

AbstractWe investigated the main parameters [e.g. mean annual air temperature , mean annual soil temperature, mean annual precipitation, soil moisture (SM), soil chemistry, and physics] influencing soil organic carbon (Corg), soil total nitrogen (Nt) as well as plant available nitrogen (Nmin) at 47 sites along a 1200 km transect across the high‐altitude and low‐latitude permafrost region of the central‐eastern Tibetan Plateau. This large‐scale survey allows testing the hypothesis that beside commonly used ecological variables, diversity of pedogenesis is another major component for assessing carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling. The aim of the presented research was to evaluate consequences of permafrost degradation for C and N stocks and hence nutrient supply for plants, as the transect covers all types of permafrost including heavily degraded areas and regions without permafrost. Our results show that SM is the dominant parameter explaining 64% of Corg and 60% of N variation. The extent of the effect of SM is determined by permafrost, current aeolian sedimentation occurring mostly on degraded sites, and pedogenesis. Thus, the explanatory power for C and N concentrations is significantly improved by adding CaCO3 content (P=0.012 for Corg; P=0.006 for Nt) and soil texture (P=0.077 for Corg; P=0.015 for Nt) to the model. For soil temperature, no correlations were detected indicating that in high‐altitude grassland ecosystems influenced by permafrost, SM overrides soil temperature as the main driving parameter at landscape scale. It was concluded from the current study that degradation of permafrost and corresponding changes in soil hydrology combined with a shift from mature stages of pedogenesis to initial stages, have severe impact on soil C and plant available N. This may alter biodiversity patterns as well as the development and functioning of the ecosystems on the Tibetan Plateau.
Vegetation type determines heterotrophic respiration in subalpine Australian ecosystems
Authors: JENKINS MEAGHAN , ADAMS MARK A. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractSoils are the largest store of carbon in the biosphere and cool‐cold climate ecosystems are notable for their carbon‐rich soils. Characterizing effects of future climates on soil‐stored C is critical to elucidating feedbacks to changes in the atmospheric pool of CO2. Subalpine vegetation in south‐eastern Australia is characterized by changes over short distances (scales of tens to hundreds of metres) in community phenotype (woodland, shrubland, grassland) and in species composition. Despite common geology and only slight changes in landscape position, we measured striking differences in a range of soil properties and rates of respiration among three of the most common vegetation communities in subalpine Australian ecosystems. Rates of heterotrophic respiration in bulk soil were fastest in the woodland community with a shrub understorey, slowest in the grassland, and intermediate in woodland with grass understorey. Respiration rates in surface soils were 2.3 times those at depth in soils from woodland with shrub understorey. Surface soil respiration in woodlands with grass understorey and in grasslands was about 3.5 times that at greater depth. Both Arrhenius and simple exponential models fitted the data well. Temperature sensitivity (Q10) varied and depended on the model used as well as community type and soil depth – highlighting difficulties associated with calculating and interpreting Q10. Distributions of communities in these subalpine areas are dynamic and respond over relatively short time‐frames (decades) to changes in fire regime and, possibly, to changes in climate. Shifts in boundaries among communities and possible changes in species composition as a result of both direct and indirect (e.g. via fire regime) climatic effects will significantly alter rates of respiration through plant‐mediated changes in soil chemistry. Models of future carbon cycles need to take into account changes in soil chemistry and rates of respiration driven by changes in vegetation as well as those that are temperature‐ and moisture‐driven.
Effects of CD14, TLR2, TLR4, LPB, and IL‐6 Gene Polymorphisms on Chlamydia pneumoniae Growth in Human Macrophages In Vitro
Authors: Poikonen K. , Lajunen T. , Silvennoinen‐Kassinen S. , Leinonen M. , Saikku P. 
Published: April 2009

Abstract Chlamydia pneumoniae is an obligate intracellular gram‐negative bacterium, which causes respiratory infections in humans. It can infect various cell types, e.g. vascular endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells and monocyte‐derived macrophages in vitro. The susceptibility of macrophages from healthy individuals to C. pneumoniae infection is highly variable. In this study, we evaluated the effects of innate immunity genes CD14 −260 C>T, TLR2 Arg753Gln, TLR4 Asp299Gly, LBP Phe436Leu and IL6 −174 G>C polymorphisms on C. pneumoniae growth in human macrophages in vitro. The growth of C. pneumoniae was highest in CD14 −260 C>T TT genotype cells and the difference to CC and CT genotypes was statistically significant (P = 0.032 and 0.022 respectively). The G‐allele of the IL6 −174 G>C polymorphism had a positive influence on chlamydial growth; the difference was statistically significant only between CC and GC genotypes (P = 0.018). TLR2 Arg 753Gln, TLR4 Asp299Gly, LBP Phe436Leu polymorphisms showed no effect on chlamydial growth.
Development of an Effective Method for Dendritic Cell Immunotherapy of Mouse Melanoma
Authors: Lee T.‐H. , Cho H. K. , Cho Y. H. , Lee M.‐G. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractDendritic cell (DC) immunotherapy is a strong candidate for the treatment of incurable cancers especially malignant melanoma. Nevertheless, the proper guideline of DC immunotherapy does not exist. The absence of the guideline is also an obstacle to clinical trials of DC immunotherapy. So we conducted this study in order to develop an effective DC preparation method for immunotherapy in mouse malignant melanoma. Mouse bone marrow‐derived DC were stimulated with tumour antigen alone or tumour antigen plus a cocktail (anti‐CD40 antibody +TNF‐α+ IL‐1β) for 8, 24 or 48 h and the characteristics of these DC, such as surface molecules (CD40, CD80, CD86, MHC class II, CCR7), cytokines(IL‐12, IFN‐γ, and IL‐10), DC‐induced T cell proliferation in vitro, and the production of IFN‐γ by those cells, were evaluated. Mice with melanoma were then treated with DC stimulated with tumour antigen alone and tumour antigen plus cocktail for 8 or 48 h. The tumour size and survival rate of these mice were then evaluated. (1) Beneficial clinical effects such as a reduction of tumour size and an increased survival rate were best observed in the group treated with DC stimulated for 8 h with tumour antigen plus cocktail. (2) The single prominent characteristic of DC stimulated for 8 h with tumour antigen plus cocktail was an elevated IL‐12 secretion. The cytokine IL‐12 was not secreted by other DC. Consequently, proper production of IL‐12 was found to be an important requirement for DC used in immunotherapy of mouse melanoma.
Antibodies against a Class II HLA–Peptide Complex Raised by Active Immunization of Mice with Antigen Mimicking Peptides
Authors: Dam‐Tuxen R. , Riise E. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractMultiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease linked to the human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class II genes DRB1*1501, DRB5*0101 and DQB1*0602. T cells reactive towards the DRB1*1501 in complex with various peptides derived from myelin basic protein (MBP), which is the major component of myelin, have been found in the peripheral blood of MS patients. These autoreactive T cells are believed to play a role in the pathogenesis of MS. In this article, antibodies against the HLA complex DR2b (DRA1*0101/DRB1*1501) in complex with the MBP‐derived peptide MBP85‐99 have been generated by immunization of NMRI mice with three different antigen mimicking peptides displayed on M13 bacteriophages. The peptides mimick the epitope of a monoclonal antibody specific for the DR2b–MBP85‐99 complex. The mice developed IgG antibodies not only against the peptides injected, but they also developed antibodies against the DR2b complex and specific antibodies against the DR2b–MBP85‐99 complex. These data open up the possibility of designing antigen mimicking peptides for vaccination against MS.
Novel lycopene epsilon cyclase activities in maize revealed through perturbation of carotenoid biosynthesis
Authors: Bai Ling , Kim Eun‐Ha , DellaPenna Dean , Brutnell Thomas P. 
Published: April 2009

SummaryIn maize, human selection for yellow endosperm has led to diversification of grain carotenoid content and composition. This variation has remained largely untapped in modern breeding programs that have focused nearly exclusively on yield gains. In this paper, we show that carotenoid accumulation patterns differ in maize embryo and endosperm tissues, and that this tissue‐specific accumulation is largely mediated through differential expression of genes encoding lycopene β‐cyclase and lycopene ε‐cyclase (LcyB and LcyE). In the absence of LCYB function, LCYE produces a number of unusual carotenes, including δ‐carotene, ε‐carotene and lactucaxanthin (ε,ε‐carotene‐3,3′‐diol), in endosperm tissue. A similar carotene cyclization profile is seen when LcyE is introduced into lycopene‐accumulating Escherichia coli cells, suggesting that the carotenoid profile in the endosperm tissue of the lcyB mutant is largely due to the activity of LCYE in the absence of LCYB. Using site‐directed mutagenesis of LcyE, critical amino acids were defined that regulate the product specificity of the enzyme. Finally, we show that several genes encoding enzymes in isoprenoid and carotenoid biosynthesis are probably subject to negative transcriptional regulation, mediated by a carotenoid or a molecule derived from a carotenoid. The implications of these findings with respect to breeding for carotenoid composition in maize grain are discussed.
Influence of hypobaric hypoxia on bispectral index and spectral entropy in volunteers
Authors: IKEDA T. , YAMADA S. , IMADA T. , MATSUDA H. , KAZAMA T. 
Published: April 2009

Background: Hypoxia has been shown to change electroencephalogram parameters including frequency and amplitude, and may thus change bispectral index (BIS) and spectral entropy values. If hypoxia per se changes BIS and spectral entropy values, BIS and spectral entropy values may not correctly reflect the depth of anaesthesia during hypoxia. The aim of this study was to examine the changes in BIS and spectral entropy values during hypobaric hypoxia in volunteers.Methods: The study was conducted in a high‐altitude chamber with 11 volunteers. After the subjects breathed 100% oxygen for 15 min at the ground level, the simulated altitude increased gradually to the 7620 m (25,000 ft) level while the subjects continued to breathe oxygen. Then, the subjects discontinued to breath oxygen and breathed room air at the 7620 m level for up to 5 min until they requested to stop hypoxic exposure. Oxygen saturation (SpO2), heart rate, 95% spectral edge frequency (SEF), BIS, response entropy (RE), and state entropy (SE) of spectral entropy were recorded throughout the study period.Results: Of the 11 subjects, seven subjects who underwent hypoxic exposure for 4 min were analysed. SpO2 decreased to 69% at the 7620 m level without oxygen. However, SEF, BIS, RE, and SE before and during hypoxic exposure were almost identical.Conclusion: These data suggest that hypoxia of oxygen saturation around 70% does not have a strong effect on BIS and spectral entropy.
Soft tissue landmark for ultrasound identification of the sciatic nerve in the infragluteal region: the tendon of the long head of the biceps femoris muscle
Authors: BRUHN J. , MOAYERI N. , GROEN G. J. , VAN VEENENDAAL A. , GIELEN M. J. , SCHEFFER G. J. , VAN GEFFEN G.‐J. 
Published: April 2009

Background and objectives: The sciatic nerve block represents one of the more difficult ultrasound‐guided nerve blocks. Easy and reliable internal ultrasound landmarks would be helpful for localization of the sciatic nerve. Earlier, during ultrasound‐guided posterior approaches to the infragluteal sciatic nerve, the authors recognized a hyperechoic structure at the medial border of the long head of biceps femoris muscle (BFL). The present study was performed to determine whether this is a potential internal landmark to identify the infragluteal sciatic nerve.Methods: The depth and the thickness of this hyperechoic structure, its relationship with the sciatic nerve and the ultrasound visibility of both were recorded in the proximal upper leg of 21 adult volunteers using a linear ultrasound probe in the range of 7–13 MHz. The findings were verified by an anatomical study in two cadavers.Results: The hyperechoic structure at the medial border of the BFL extended in a dorsoventral direction between 1.4±0.6 cm (mean±SD) and 2.8±0.8 cm deep from the surface, with a width of 2.2±0.9 mm. Between 2.6±0.9 and 10.0±1.5 cm distal to the subgluteal fold, the sciatic nerve was consistently identified directly at the ventral end of the hyperechoic structure in all volunteers. The anatomical study revealed that this hyperechoic structure corresponds to tendinous fibres inside and at the medial border of the BFL.Conclusion: The hyperechoic BFL tendon might be a reliable soft tissue landmark for ultrasound localization of the infragluteal sciatic nerve.
Pathogen reduction technology (Mirasol®) treated single‐donor platelets resuspended in a mixture of autologous plasma and PAS
Authors: Janetzko K. , Hinz K. , Marschner S. , Goodrich R. , Klüter H. 
Published: April 2009

Background and Objectives  Mirasol® pathogen reduction technology (PRT) for platelet concentrates uses riboflavin and ultraviolet light. Previously, we described increased metabolism and activation for PRT platelets stored in 100% plasma. To improve platelet quality, we resuspended platelets in a mixture of plasma and platelet additive solution (PAS).Materials and Methods  Single‐donor platelets were resuspended in plasma and split into an untreated control and a PRT‐treated single product. One hundred and fifty millilitre PAS (SSP+) was added to both. Over 7 days, we assayed pH, glucose consumption‐, lactate production rate and CD62p with and without TRAP.Results  On day 5, PRT units showed a significantly lower pH (7·087 ± 0·105 vs. 7·288 ± 0·200) accompanied by a higher lactate production (0·104 ± 0014 vs. 0·063 ± 0·017 mmol/1012/h) and glucose consumption rate (0·039 ± 0005 vs. 0·028 ± 0·009 mmol/1012 platelets/h). CD62p expression was higher in treated units (44·5 ± 13·0 vs. 16·5 ± 7·6%).Conclusion  In comparison to PRT platelets resuspended in 100% plasma, a mixture of plasma and PAS improves pH and platelet metabolism but not platelet activation. Prolonged shelf‐life for up to 7 days may be possible.
Biocontrol of decay in seasoning utility poles. I. Growth rate and colonizing ability of bluestain and decay fungi in vivo and in vitro
Authors: Brown A. V. , Webber J. F. 
Published: April 2009

SummarySeasoning (air drying) of utility poles for 6–12 months is essential before preservative treatment can be achieved. However, during seasoning, pine sapwood is often colonized by decay fungi, thereby compromising the performance and service life of the poles. This study investigated the potential of bluestain fungi to act as short‐term biocontrol agents against decay during seasoning. An important attribute for biocontrol is rapid growth, so growth rates of common bluestain (Ceratocystis coerulescens, Ophiostoma minus, Ophiostoma piceae, Ophiostoma piliferum, Sphaeropsis sapinea) and decay fungi (Heterobasidion annosum, Phlebiopsis gigantea, Stereum sanguinolentum) were compared on agar medium and pine in logs at various temperatures. On agar, the growth temperature optimum of most bluestain fungi and all the decay fungi was ∼25°C, with little growth at ≤5°C or above 32.5°C. Overall, the fastest growing were S. sapinea and O. minus. In logs, the most effective colonizers were S. sapinea and O. minus with pathogenic abilities that made them well fitted to colonize the sapwood of freshly felled pine. Within these species, certain isolates produced much larger lesions in phloem and the sapwood tangential plane than all the decay fungi. Notably, there was significant variation in colonizing ability between different isolates within a species, emphasizing the need for testing a range of isolates when selecting a potential biocontrol agent.
Genetic diversity and differentiation of Chinese wild soybean germplasm (G. soja Sieb. & Zucc.) in geographical scale revealed by SSR markers
Authors: Li X. H. , Wang K. J. , Jia J. Z. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractWild soybean (Glycine soja), as the progenitor of soybeans (G. max), is widely distributed in China and has been collected as a supplementary germplasm pool of soybeans. In this study, 375 wild soybean accessions from a set of genebank core collection were analysed for genetic diversity by using 42 simple sequence repeat primer pairs. The mean allele number per locus was 19.62. Ten‐percent unique alleles involving 35 or 83.33% loci differentiated among the geographical regions. The mean gene diversity (h) per locus was 0.89. A very low mean coefficient of gene differentiation (GST = 0.08) for geographical regions and a high mean within‐region gene diversity (HS = 0.81) were observed, indicating that most genetic diversity existed within the regions. There was an obvious relationship between genetic distance and geographical distance. The results showed multiple centers of genetic diversity for Chinese wild soybean in North China, the Huanghe River Valley, and Central China as well as the Changjiang River Valley, implicating multiple site origins of soybeans within China.
Effects of sodium valproate on synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability in rat hippocampus
Authors: Yong Wu , Zhang Min‐Min , Wang Shu , Ruan Di‐Yun 
Published: April 2009

Summary Valproate (VPA) has long been used in the treatment of both generalized and partial seizures. However, its cellular mechanisms of action remain unclear. In the present study, the effects of VPA on synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability were examined in the hippocampal CA1 region using whole‐cell patch clamp recordings. Perfusion with VPA, at therapeutically attainable concentrations (i.e. 0.3 and 0.6 mmol/L), significantly increased the frequency (112 ± 2 and 133 ± 2% of control, respectively;n = 5; bothP < 0.05), but not the average amplitude, of miniature inhibitory post‐synaptic currents (mIPSCs). Perfusion with VPA had no effect on either the amplitude or the frequency of miniature excitatory post‐synaptic currents (mEPSCs). In acutely dissociated CA1 pyramidal neurons, VPA had no effect on 10 µmol/L GABA‐induced currents. Furthermore, following the administration of 0.3 and 0.6 mmol/L VPA, the frequency of action potential firing was significantly reduced from 18.0 ± 1.1 to 15.3 ± 0.9 and from 18.6 ± 0.9 to 12.6 ± 0.6, respectively (n = 8; bothP < 0.05). In contrast, 0.3 and 0.6 mmol/L VPA significantly increased spike frequency adaptation from 4.02 ± 0.47 to 4.72 ± 0.55 and from 3.47 ± 0.41 to 4.48 ± 0.58, respectively (n = 8;P < 0.05). The results of the present study suggest that VPA presynaptically increases inhibitory synaptic activity without modifying excitatory synaptic transmission and reduces neuronal excitability. Any or all of these effects may contribute to its anticonvulsant action.