bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Resistance to Fusarium head Blight and Deoxynivalenol Accumulation in Chinese Barley
Authors: Ma Hongxiang , Ge Hejing , Zhang Xu , Lu Weizhong , Yu Dazhao , Chen He , Chen Jianming 
Published: October 2008

Abstract Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe is a devastating barley disease world‐wide, causing significant yield losses and contaminating cereal products with mycotoxins. Barley grain contaminated with deoxynivalenol (DON) is associated with gushing and may be rejected by the malting and brewing industry. Genetically inherited resistance is the most effective option for the control of the disease. A total of 266 barley cultivars and breeding lines originating from China were evaluated for FHB resistance and concentration of DON in grain. Plants were inoculated with isolates of F. graminearum under field conditions by injecting conidia into a single spikelet of each spike. FHB symptoms were evaluated by visual inspection, and DON content was analysed by HPLC. Significant differences in FHB ratings and DON levels were observed among cultivars. Visual symptoms of FHB varied from 4.88 to 71.75% of infected spikelets 21 days after inoculation and from 7.86 to 113.33 area under the disease progress curve units (AUDPC). Twenty‐seven lines were more resistant to FHB than the control resistant cultivar Zhedar 2 and with fewer than 12% infected spikelets. Twenty‐one of the above lines originated from the area in the mid to low valley of Yangtze River, where FHB epidemics are frequent. DON levels ranged from 0.05 to 24.39 mg/kg among the tested barley lines. Correlation coefficients were significant between FHB symptom ratings and DON levels. However, there was no significant correlation between symptom rating and plant height and no significant correlation between symptom rating and heading date.
Diversity among Single Zoospore Isolates Derived from Single‐zoosporangia of Phytophthora sojae Kauf. and Gerd
Authors: Chen Chang‐Qing , Huang Li‐Li , Buchenauer Heinrich , Zhao Hai‐Yan , Zuo Yu‐Hu , Kang Zhen‐Sheng 
Published: October 2008

Abstract Phytophthora sojae Kauf. and Gerd, a host specific pathogen to soybean, causes pre and postemergence damping‐off and root and stem rot on soybean. The pathogen evokes severe yield losses in most soybean growing areas worldwide. The objective of this study was to determine phenotypic and genotypic diversity among single zoospore isolates (SZIs) originating from two single zoosporangia (Ps411‐1 and Ps411‐2) derived from the same parental isolate of P. sojae Ps411. Results showed that colony morphology and growth rate of 32 SZIs derived from sporangium Ps411‐1 and 35 SZIs released from sporangium Ps411‐2 did not significantly differ from the parental isolate Ps411. Pathogenicity of the SZIs was tested on three resistant and three susceptible Chinese soybean cultivars. While the majority of SZIs derived from sporangium Ps411‐1(59.4%) and sporangium Ps411‐2(71.4%) retained the same virulence spectrum as the parental isolate, the other SZIs of both progenies demonstrated either a higher or a lower level of virulence compared to that of parental isolate. A low level genetic variability in the populations of both single zoospore progenies was also demonstrated using the sequence‐related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) technique. Cluster analysis separated the SZIs from both zoosporangia, Ps411‐1 and Ps411‐2, into four and three SRAP groups, respectively. No close correlation among SRAP and virulence could be established among SZIs. The results of this study suggest that virulence variability may be regarded as part of the total genetic changes among the zoospore progenies derived from single‐zoosporangia. The pathogenic variability during asexual reproduction may play a role in changing the virulence structure of P. sojae.
Association of a Distinct Begomovirus and a Betasatellite with Leaf Curl Symptoms in Pedilanthus tithymaloides
Authors: Tahir Muhammad , Haider Muhammad Saleem , Iqbal Javed , Briddon Rob William 
Published: October 2008

Abstract Pedilanthus tithymaloides (Redbird flower) is an ornamental shrub that occasionally exhibits leaf curl and enation symptoms in Pakistan. Symptoms were shown to be associated with a monopartite begomovirus and a betasatellite. The complete nucleotide sequence of the begomovirus was found to be 2764 nucleotides in length and have the highest nucleotide sequence identity to a begomovirus previously isolated from tomato (90.3% nucleotide sequence identity), followed by Radish leaf curl virus (86.3%). The complete betasatellite sequence was determined to be 1358 nucleotides in length and has the highest sequence identity (97%) with Tobacco leaf curl betasatellite. The analysis shows the begomovirus associated with leaf curl disease of Pedilanthus to be a distinct and previously unreported begomovirus for which the name Pedilanthus leaf curl virus (PedLCV) is proposed. This virus is one of an increasing number of monopartite begomoviruses shown to be associated with a betasatellite.
Relationships among adaptation patterns, morphophysiological traits and molecular markers in durum wheat
Authors: Annicchiarico P. , Royo C. , Bellah F. , Moragues M. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractBreeding for specific or wide adaptation would be more cost‐efficient if preliminary indications on genotype adaptive responses could be provided by easily‐detectable morphophysiological or molecular characteristics. We investigated the consistency among adaptation parameters, morphophysiological traits and SSR markers in estimating and structuring the genetic diversity among 24 durum wheat genotypes. Additive main effects and multiplicative interaction adaptation parameters were estimated across 14 Algerian locations belonging to a low‐ or a high‐elevation subregion. Eight morphophysiological traits were assessed in two locations per subregion. Genotype Euclidean distances based on adaptation parameters were closely related to those based on morphophysiological traits (r = 0.75, P = 0.01). Marker‐based distances exhibited low correlation with those based on adaptation parameters (r = 0.26, P = 0.01) or morphophysiological traits (r = 0.32). The consistency between adaptation parameters and morphophysiological traits for genotype ordination and classification was greater than that between either information layer and SSR markers. Optima of phenology and plant height differed between subregions, whereas many kernels per spike and fertile tillers were associated with adaptation to both subregions.
Effects of Melatonin Implants During Non‐Breeding Season on Sperm Motility and Reproductive Parameters in Rasa Aragonesa Rams
Authors: Casao A , Vega S , Palacín I , Pérez‐Pe R , Laviña A , Quintín FJ , Sevilla E , Abecia JA , Cebrián‐Pérez JA , Forcada F , Muiño‐Blanco T 
Published: October 2008

ContentsThe effect of melatonin implants administered during non‐breeding season in Rasa Aragonesa rams on sperm motility parameters and other reproductive traits was assessed. In a first experiment, two Rasa Aragonesa rams were implanted (with melatonin group M), remaining other two males as control group (C). Semen of each group was collected from 1 May to 23 June, twice or three times a week, and motility parameters were assessed using a computer‐assisted sperm analysis system. Melatonin increased the percentage of progressive motile spermatozoa, particularly during 46–75 days after melatonin implantation (p < 0.01). In experiment 2, M and C in vitro fertilization ability had been determined by zona‐pellucida binding assays, using spermatozoa from experiment 1, obtained 60–70 days after melatonin was implanted. A significantly higher number of spermatozoa attached per oocyte was observed in frozen‐thawed immature ovine oocytes incubated with sperm from M animals than in those incubated with sperm from the C group (p < 0.01). Finally, a field assay (experiment 3) was performed. In this case, five Rasa Aragonesa rams were implanted with melatonin and three remained as control group. Sperm doses from those animals were used for artificial insemination of 2608 Rasa Aragonesa ewes from 39 different farms at non‐breeding season. Fertility, litter size and fecundity were studied. Semen from melatonin implanted rams seemed to increase both fertility and fecundity in ewes inseminated with spermatozoa obtained 46–60 days after implantation (p < 0.1). Thus, melatonin treatment in rams during non‐breeding season modifies sperm motility parameters and seems to improve the fertilization parameters obtained.
Chondroid syringoma of the scrotum
Authors: Okuda Hidenobu , Tei Norihide , Shimizu Kiyonori , Imazu Tetsuo , Yoshimura Kazuhiro , Kiyohara Hisakazu 
Published: October 2008

Abstract:A 70‐year‐old Japanese man complained of a nodular, non‐tender scrotal mass, which had been gradually increasing in size over the last 10 years. Excisional biopsy of the scrotal specimen revealed chondroid syringoma, a very rare benign tumor, more likely to occur in the head and neck region. This is the eighth such case reported, and is an important type of scrotal tumor.
Naftopidil versus tamsulosin hydrochloride for lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia with special reference to the storage symptom: A prospective randomized controlled study
Authors: Ukimura Osamu , Kanazawa Motohiro , Fujihara Atsuko , Kamoi Kazumi , Okihara Koji , Miki Tsuneharu ,   Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy Research Group
Published: October 2008

Objectives: In order to compare the clinical efficacy of naftopidil (Naf) and tamsulosin hydrochloride (Tam), which differ in their selectivity to alpha receptor subtypes, we performed a multi‐center prospective randomized controlled study.Methods: Men complaining of lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hypertrophy, were randomized into two treatment groups: one receiving 50 mg Naftopidil daily (Naf group,n = 31 pts), and one receiving 0.2 mg Tam once daily (Tam group,n = 28 pts). Baseline symptom scores were compared to those at 2 weeks and at the end of the observation period (6–8 weeks).Results: In the Naf group at 2 weeks, the score of the daytime frequency significantly improved from 3.5 to 2.2 (P = 0.03), and the score of nocturia improved significantly from 3.5 to 2.2 (P = 0.0004), respectively. In the Tam group at 2 weeks, however, no significant improvement was noted in the increased score of daytime frequency (P = 0.1) or nocturia (P = 0.2). At 2 weeks, the storage symptom score of the frequency to the combined score of daytime frequencies and the score of nocturia was better in the Naf group (improved from 7.0 to 4.4,P = 0.0017) than in the Tam group (from 6.8 to 4.9,P = 0.08) (P < 0.05). At 6–8 weeks, the effects of the two drugs on lower urinary tract symptoms were comparable.Conclusions: Naf demonstrated a significant early response to improve storage symptoms at 2 weeks, including daytime frequency and nocturia, compared with Tam.
Cavitation peening to improve the fatigue strength of nitrocarburized steel
Authors: FUKUDA S. , MATSUI K. , ISHIGAMI H. , ANDO K. 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACTShot peening is a commonly employed technique used to improve the fatigue strength of nitrocarburized components. However, the compound layer of the component can be broken by this technique. Cavitation peening (CP) is an alternative shotless technique, which can increase the fatigue strength of the component without separation of the compound layer. To evaluate the potential of CP as a means for improving fatigue strength, nitrocarburized carbon steel (JIS S50C) has been analyzed in the non‐peened and CP conditions. The fatigue strength of CP specimens was increased by 15% in comparison with that of non‐peened specimens. This increase in the fatigue strength of CP specimen was achieved by the increase in the maximum hardness and compressive residual stress within the diffusion zone.
Surface damage evolution of engineering steel
Authors: BESEL M. , BRUECKNER‐FOIT A. 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACTThe surface damage evolution of ordinary low carbon steel under mechanical fatigue loading was observed using a long‐distance microscope. Fatigue cracks initiated at pits, sulfide inclusions and in the soft ferrite phase. Damage evolution was not only pronounced by the initiation of well‐defined cracks. Areas of high plastic activity interspersed with microcracks exist. Coalescence of propagating well‐defined cracks with these areas of high plastic activity shows clearly the contribution of such plastified areas to the damage accumulation. Therefore, well‐known damage parameters such as line counts (i.e. maximum crack length) are unsuitable to describe the damage evolution. In this paper, a new damage parameter is defined based on the observation that cracks and plastified areas appear as dark regions. It is shown that this parameter satisfies the basic conditions for a damage parameter. It is used to evaluate the damage accumulation quantitatively based on surface observations even for complex damage patterns.
What a reviewer wants
Authors: DAVIDSON ANDREW J. , CARLIN JOHN B. 
Published: October 2008

SummaryUnderstanding what a reviewer wants helps authors write better papers and design better research studies. Central to any research study is the research question. This is the first thing the reviewer looks for. The question, or research aim, should be relevant, original and very clearly defined. The paper should also be scientifically valid; the methods should achieve the aim by addressing the question, and the conclusions should match the results. The statistical analysis often attracts criticism, especially the relatively simple problems arising with the use of P‐values and the concepts of statistical and clinical significance. There are several agreed guidelines describing exactly how studies should be reported. Following these is a great help to reviewers.
Phylogenetic beta diversity: linking ecological and evolutionary processes across space in time
Authors: Graham Catherine H. , Fine Paul V. A. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractA key challenge in ecological research is to integrate data from different scales to evaluate the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that influence current patterns of biological diversity. We build on recent attempts to incorporate phylogenetic information into traditional diversity analyses and on existing research on beta diversity and phylogenetic community ecology. Phylogenetic beta diversity (phylobetadiversity) measures the phylogenetic distance among communities and as such allows us to connect local processes, such as biotic interactions and environmental filtering, with more regional processes including trait evolution and speciation. When combined with traditional measures of beta diversity, environmental gradient analyses or ecological niche modelling, phylobetadiversity can provide significant and novel insights into the mechanisms underlying current patterns of biological diversity.
Population dynamics of cereal aphids: influence of a shared predator and weather
Authors: Leslie T. W. , Van Der Werf W. , Bianchi F. J. J. A. , Honěk A. 
Published: October 2008

Abstract1 Aphid populations may show strong year‐to‐year fluctuations, but questions remain regarding the dominance of factors that cause this variation, especially the role of natural enemies. To better understand the dynamics of aphid species that occur as pests in cereals, we investigated the relative influence of top‐down control by a predator and weather (temperature and precipitation) on population fluctuations of three cereal aphid species.2 From 1987 to 2005, populations of Metopolophium dirhodum, Sitobion avenae and Rhopalosiphum padi in insecticide‐free stands of winter wheat were monitored in the Praha‐Ruzyné region of the Czech Republic. Densities of an aphidophagous predator, the ladybeetle Coccinella septempunctata, were recorded from an overwintering site in the landscape. Weather was quantified using historical records.3 A significant bottom‐up effect of densities of aphids on those of C. septempunctata was found, but evidence of direct top‐down regulation of aphids by C. septempunctata was only significant in the case of R. padi. There was no significant periodicity in the dynamics of the aphid or C. septempunctata, suggesting that there was no clear predator‐prey cycle. Combinations of C. septempunctata and weather variables could be used to explain M. dirhodum and R. padi per capita rate of change. There were also indications that weather directly affected peak density of M. dirhodum.4 We conclude that regional estimates of C. septempunctata densities are not sufficient to determine whether aphid population dynamics are driven by predator–prey interactions. Feasibility of time series analysis as an investigative tool in aphid population dynamics studies is discussed.
Do exotic generalist predators alter host plant preference of a native willow beetle?
Authors: Cha Dong H. , Hochwender Cris G. , Bosecker Elizabeth M. , Tucker Rachel E. , Kaufman Arlen D. , Fritz Robert S. , Smyth Rebecca R. 
Published: October 2008

Abstract1 Selection can favour herbivores that choose host plants benefitting their offspring either by enhancing growth rates or by increasing larval defences against native predators. For exotic predator species that feed on herbivores, their success with invading new habitats may depend upon overcoming defences used by native prey. Whether exotic predators can alter herbivore host choice has remained unexamined. Therefore, we compared the efficacy of larval defence by Chrysomela knabi (a native beetle species) that had fed on two native willow hosts: Salix sericea (a phenolic glycoside (PG)‐rich species) and Salix eriocephala (a PG‐poor species), when attacked by exotic generalist predators. In addition, the preference and performance of C. knabi on S. sericea and S. eriocephala was examined.2 Chrysomela knabi preferred and performed better on S. sericea. In a common garden, adult C. knabi were nine‐fold more common and oviposited five‐fold more frequently on S. sericea than on S. eriocephala. In the laboratory, adult feeding preference on leaf discs and survival rates of larvae were both greater on S. sericea, and time to pupation was shorter.3 Chrysomela knabi larvae produced significantly more salicylaldehyde when fed S. sericea leaves than when fed S. eriocephala leaves. Additionally, those larvae with greater salicylaldehyde had reduced predation by two exotic generalist predators, Harmonia axyridis larvae and juvenile Tenodera aridifolia sinensis.4 The results obtained in the present study suggest that selection favoured the preference of C. knabi for PG‐rich willow plants because larvae grew and survived better and that selection by common exotic generalist predators would reinforce this preference.
Successful colonization, reproduction, and new generation emergence in live interior hybrid spruce Picea engelmannii×glauca by mountain pine beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae
Authors: Huber Dezene P. W. , Aukema Brian H. , Hodgkinson Robert S. , Lindgren B. Staffan 
Published: October 2008

Abstract1 Although mountain pine beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins are able to utilize most available Pinus spp. as hosts, successful colonization and reproduction in other hosts within the Pinaceae is rare.2 We observed successful reproduction of mountain pine beetle and emergence of new generation adults from interior hybrid spruce Picea engelmannii×glauca and compared a number of parameters related to colonization and reproductive success in spruce with nearby lodgepole pine Pinus contorta infested by mountain pine beetle.3 The results obtained indicate that reduced competition in spruce allowed mountain pine beetle parents that survived the colonization process to produce more offspring per pair than in more heavily‐infested nearby pine.4 We also conducted an experiment in which 20 spruce and 20 lodgepole pines were baited with the aggregation pheromone of mountain pine beetle. Nineteen pines (95%) and eight spruce (40%) were attacked by mountain pine beetle, with eight (40%) and three (15%) mass‐attacked, respectively.5 Successful attacks on nonhost trees during extreme epidemics may be one mechanism by which host shifts and subsequent speciation events have occurred in Dendroctonus spp. bark beetles.
Apoptosis as a post‐phagocytic winnowing mechanism in a coral–dinoflagellate mutualism
Authors: Dunn Simon R. , Weis Virginia M. 
Published: October 2008

SummaryThis study was aimed at detecting apoptosis as a post‐phagocytic mechanism of symbiont selection during the onset of symbiosis in larvae of the scleractinian coralFungia scutaria.Larvae were infected with one of threeSymbiodiniumtypes: freshly isolated homologous ITS‐type C1f from adultF. scutaria, heterologous C31 from adultMontipora capitata, known to be unable to successfully colonizeF. scutarialarvae, and type B1 from the symbiotic sea anemoneAiptasiaspp. Apoptosis was detected by the activation of caspases, enzymes specific to apoptosis. Caspase activity was measuredin situby cleavage of a specific fluorophore and detection with confocal microscopy. At 6 h post infection, there was a significant increase in caspase activation in gastrodermal cells in C31‐infected larvae, compared with larvae infected with C1f or B1 types. Compared with control larvae infected with C31, which had decreased infection rates present by 24 h post infection, when C31‐infected larvae were incubated with a broad‐scale caspase inhibitor, the per cent of larvae infected with C31 did not significantly decrease over time. This indicates that the reduction in infection success observed in untreated C31‐infected larvae can be rescued with inhibition of caspases and apoptosis. This suggests the presence of a post‐phagocytic recognition mechanism. Larvae infected with freshly isolated B1 retained infection success over time compared with C31‐infected larvae, suggesting that there is host discrimination between heterologous algae. Initiation of this post‐phagocytic response may occur more readily with a highly specific heterologous symbiont type such as C31, compared with a generalist heterologous type such as clade B1.
Molecular characterization of the arginine deiminase system in Listeria monocytogenes: regulation and role in acid tolerance
Authors: Ryan Sheila , Begley Máire , Gahan Cormac G. M. , Hill Colin 
Published: October 2008

SummaryThe capacity of Listeria monocytogenes to withstand low pH is important for growth in low‐pH foods, successful passage through the gastric barrier and survival within the macrophage phagosome. The ability of this pathogen to survive and adapt to acidic conditions is therefore predicted to play a significant role in the infectious cycle. In silico analysis of the L. monocytogenes genome revealed the presence of putative arginine deiminase (ADI) genes, which have been shown to play a role in the acid tolerance of other bacterial genera. In the present study, we show that L. monocytogenes possesses a functional ADI system and analysis of deletion mutants reveals that it contributes to both growth and survival of the bacterium under acidic conditions. An RT‐PCR approach demonstrated that expression of ADI genes is increased in environments of low pH and anaerobicity and in the presence of arginine. A putative activator of ADI genes, namely ArgR, was identified and was shown to contribute to transcriptional regulation at this locus. Furthermore, expression of ADI genes was shown to be modulated by both the alternative stress sigma factor σB and the central virulence regulator PrfA. Finally, using the murine model of infection, we have established a role for the ADI system in the virulence of L. monocytogenes.