bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Human Disturbance Influences Behaviour and Local Density of Juvenile Frogs
Authors: Garner Trenton W. J. , Nishimura Deise , Antwi Josephine , Oliver Nyakunga 
Published: September 2008

AbstractHabitat can be rendered less suitable because of numerous factors, including the presence of humans. Human disturbance is implicated as a threat for hundreds of amphibian species, but there is a dearth of peer‐reviewed literature addressing this topic, and what little is available focuses on adults. Here we present the results of a study examining the effects human disturbance may have on the distribution and behaviour of juvenile Eastern African leaf litter frogs of the genus Arthroleptis. Our findings show that human activity affects the local density of juveniles and strongly influences escape behaviour. These results indicate that costs of human disturbance to juvenile frogs may be severe and that human disturbance may play a role in fragmenting local frog populations.
Male Mating Tactics in the Northern Mountain Swordtail Fish (Xiphophorus nezahualcoyotl): Coaxing and Coercing Females to Mate
Authors: Morris Molly R. , Rios‐Cardenas Oscar , Darrah Abby 
Published: September 2008

AbstractOur understanding of the evolution of alternative male mating tactics would benefit greatly from more comparative studies; however, descriptions of the variation in mating behaviors are often lacking or reported in ways that consider only the role of male–male competition. Here we examine the mating behavior of the swordtail fish Xiphophorus nezahualcoyotl in relation to male size across different competitive contexts and in relation to coaxing vs. coercing females to mate. We also compare these results with reports for four other species of northern swordtails. The mating behaviors displayed by X. nezahualcoyotl males were correlated with male size, and were ranked in order from most coaxing to most coercive (a new behavior ‘headstand’, frontal displays, backing and fast chase) based on the probability that a behavior was followed by an attempted forced copulation. The largest males never used the most coercive behavior in the laboratory setting, even in the context of a larger competitor, and the smallest males never used the most coaxing behavior, even when alone with females. We argue, however, that changing the competitive context may not be the best way to expose the full range of behaviors a male may use if circumventing female mate choice is also driving the evolution of the alternative tactics. Finally, when we compared the mating behaviors of X. nezahualcoyotl males to those of the males of four other species of northern swordtails, they were not most similar to males of the closely related species X. continens. In X. continens, all males are small and have no morphological traits or behaviors that coax females to mate, where as even the smallest X. nezahualcoyotl males had both morphological and behavioral traits that could coax females to mate.
The Role of Circulating Metal Ions During Shell Fights in the Hermit Crab Pagurus bernhardus
Authors: Mowles Sophie L. , Briffa Mark , Cotton Peter A. , Spicer John I. 
Published: September 2008

AbstractFighting animals must make a series of decisions, and understanding the proximate causes behind these decisions can give insight into how they are made. For example, fights have been analysed with respect to energetic costs and endocrine changes associated with engaging. However, another mechanism for the control of demanding activity, such as fighting, is the modulation of aerobic capacity by divalent metal ions. Here we examine post‐fight haemolymph concentrations of magnesium (Mg2+) and calcium (Ca2+) ions in the common European hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus. Hermit crabs fight over the ownership of gastropod shells, where they adopt two very different roles during the encounter: attacker and defender. Despite the two roles performing different activities, we found that Mg2+ and Ca2+ affected them similarly, with concentrations of these ions being highest in successful individuals. Haemolymph concentrations of Mg2+ and Ca2+ were also found to increase as a result of fighting, and these elevated levels will, via allosteric interactions, increase the oxygen affinity of the respiratory pigment haemocyanin, enhancing respiratory capacity and therefore fighting ability. Furthermore, the present study revealed that seasonal changes in circulating levels, along with the ability of competitors to respond to them, may ultimately influence an individual’s success in aggressive interactions.
Planning and Assessment of Activity Budget Studies Employing Instantaneous Sampling
Authors: Wilson Ryan R. , Jansen Brian D. , Krausman Paul R. 
Published: September 2008

AbstractTo obtain accurate estimates of activity budget parameters, samples must be unbiased and precise. Many researchers have considered how biased data may affect their ability to draw conclusions and examined ways to decrease bias in sampling efforts, but few have addressed the implications of not considering estimate precision. We propose a method to assess whether the number of instantaneous samples collected is sufficient to obtain precise activity budget parameter estimates. We draw on sampling theory to determine the number of observations per animal required to reach a desired bound on the error of estimation based on a stratified random sample, with individual animals acting as strata. We also discuss the optimal balance between the number of individuals sampled and the number of observations sampled per individual for a variety of sampling conditions. We present an empirical dataset on pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) as an example of the utility of the method. The required numbers of observation to reach precise estimates for pronghorn varied between common and rare behaviors, but precise estimates were achieved with <255 observations per individual for common behaviors. The two most apparent factors affecting the required number of observations for precise estimates were the number of individuals sampled and the complexity of the activity budget. This technique takes into account variation associated with individual activity budgets and population variation in activity budget parameter estimates, and helps to ensure that estimates are precise. The method can also be used for planning future sampling efforts.
The Science of Animal Suffering
Authors: Dawkins Marian Stamp 
Published: September 2008

AbstractCan suffering in non‐human animals be studied scientifically? Apart from verbal reports of subjective feelings, which are uniquely human, I argue that it is possible to study the negative emotions we refer to as suffering by the same methods we use in ourselves. In particular, by asking animals what they find positively and negatively reinforcing (what they want and do not want), we can define positive and negative emotional states. Such emotional states may or may not be accompanied by subjective feelings but fortunately it is not necessary to solve the problem of consciousness to construct a scientific study of suffering and welfare. Improvements in animal welfare can be based on the answers to two questions: Q1: Will it improve animal health? and Q2: Will it give the animals something they want? This apparently simple formulation has the advantage of capturing what most people mean by ‘improving welfare’ and so halting a potentially dangerous split between scientific and non‐scientific definitions of welfare. It can also be used to validate other controversial approaches to welfare such as naturalness, stereotypies, physiological and biochemical measures. Health and what animals want are thus not just two of many measures of welfare. They provide the definition of welfare against which others can be validated. They also tell us what research we have to do and how we can judge whether welfare of animals has been genuinely improved. What is important, however, is for this research to be done in situ so that it is directly applicable to the real world of farming, the sea or an animal’s wild habitat. It is here that ethology can make major contributions.
Botryosphaeriaceae associated with Eucalyptus canker diseases in Colombia
Authors: Rodas C. A. , Slippers B. , Gryzenhout M. , Wingfield M. J. 
Published: September 2008

SummaryThe identities of Botryosphaeriaceae causing cankers on Eucalyptus in Colombia were investigated using morphological and DNA sequence comparisons. The pathogenicity of the species was also assessed on 42 Eucalyptus grandis clones planted at four different sites. Two species of the Botryosphaeriaceae were found to occur on E. grandis in Colombia. Neofusicoccum ribis was the more common species, and also the most pathogenic. Botryosphaeria dothidea was found only in one zone of Colombia, and was also less pathogenic than N. ribis. These two species could be distinguished easily based on DNA sequences of the ITS1/ITS2 rDNA region and EF1‐α, in addition to conidial sizes. Significant differences in resistance of clones to these pathogens were also evident from the various trials.
Genetic diversity and structure of the West Balkan Pramenka sheep types as revealed by microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA analysis
Authors: Ćinkulov M. , Popovski Z. , Porcu K. , Tanaskovska B. , Hodžić A. , Bytyqi H. , Mehmeti H. , Margeta V. , Djedović R. , Hoda A. , Trailović R. , Brka M. , Marković B. , Važić B. , Vegara M. , Olsaker I. , Kantanen J. 
Published: September 2008

SummarySeveral different phenotypes of the native Pramenka sheep have been developed in the Balkan region for different environmental and socio‐cultural conditions. Animals from seven West Balkan Pramenka sheep types were analysed for 15 microsatellite markers and for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and the results were used to assess genetic variation within and among the types and to infer the genetic population structure of the Pramenka sheep. Mean expected heterozygosity and allelic richness over the microsatellite loci and sheep types were 0.78 and 7.9, respectively. A Bayesian statistical method for estimating hidden genetic structure suggested that a core of the largest panmictic population was formed by Serbian, Kosovan, Bosnian, Montenegrin and Albanian types, while Croatian and Macedonian types comprised two other main populations, respectively. Mitochondrial DNA analysis revealed two mtDNA haplogroups in the Pramenka sheep, B and A, with a frequency of 93.7% and 6.3%, respectively. A total of 60 mtDNA haplotypes were found in 64 animals sequenced, and the mean nucleotide and haplotypic diversities over the types were 0.013 and 0.945, respectively. Molecular analysis suggests that the West Balkan Pramenka sheep types have their origins in two distinct maternal lineages of domestic sheep and different Pramenka phenotypes tend to form few panmictic populations. The Pramenka sheep represents a valuable resource of genetic diversity in sheep.
Characterization of Colletotrichum Species Causing Strawberry Anthracnose in Bulgaria
Authors: Jelev Zvezdomir J. , Bobev Svetoslav G. , Minz Dror , Maymon Marcel , Freeman Stanley 
Published: September 2008

AbstractStrawberry anthracnose was first reported in Bulgaria in 2002, subsequently reaching disease epidemic proportions in production fields from 2004. Isolates of Colletotrichum species from different strawberry cultivars (112), pepper (2), tomato (1), and the weed species Cirsium arvense (1), Abuthilon theophrasti (1) and Rumex obtusifolius (1) growing adjacent to cultivated strawberry fields, were characterized by morphological criteria and by various molecular methods. Morphological characterization defined all the isolates as Colletotrichum acutatum, which was ultimately confirmed by species‐specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. No PCR products were amplified using Colletotrichum gloeosporioides specific primers. Arbitrarily primed PCR determined that all the studied isolates, regardless of which plant species they originated from, were uniform indicating that they belong to an asexually reproducing population. Sequence analysis of the complete ITS (ITS 1 – 5.8S – ITS 2) region further identified the pathogen populations as C. acutatum and grouped them within the previously defined subgroup II, ‘Ca‐clonal’, which is uniform. Pathogenicity tests and alternate host infections imply that cross‐inoculation of C. acutatum between strawberry and other susceptible hosts is occurring under field conditions.
Acetic Acid, Ethanol and Steam Effects on the Growth of Botrytis cinerea in vitro and Combination of Steam and Modified Atmosphere Packaging to Control Decay in Kiwifruit
Authors: Lagopodi Anastasia L. , Cetiz Kamer , Koukounaras Athanasios , Sfakiotakis Evangelos M. 
Published: September 2008

AbstractThe effects of acetic acid fumigation, ethanol fumigation, and steam heat treatment on growth of Botrytis cinerea in vitro were investigated. The effect of steam heat treatments in combination with modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on Botrytis decay development on ‘Hayward’ kiwifruit was also studied. The fungus was grown in Petri dishes on potato dextrose agar. Ethanol fumigation with 100 μl/l for 3 or 6 min, or 200 μl/l for 6 min enhanced the growth of B. cinerea. The effect of acetic acid on growth of B. cinerea was time and dosage‐dependent. Fumigation with 1 μl/l for 6 min, 2 μl/l for 3 min, and 4 μl/l for 3 min promoted radial growth of the fungus when compared to the growth of the untreated control. Fumigation with 2 μl/l for 6 min delayed the growth of the fungus for the first 6 days, while fumigation with 6 μl/l for 3 min delayed the growth of the fungus after the sixth day. Fumigation with 4 or 6 μl/l acetic acid for 6 min, and 8 μl/l acetic acid for 3 or 6 min resulted in complete inhibition of fungal growth. Steam heat treatment at 45°C for 6 min, and at 48, 51, and 54°C for 3 or 6 min completely inhibited fungal growth in vitro. Furthermore, steam treatments at 47, 50, and 53°C for 3 or 6 min completely inhibited decay at the stem end of kiwifruit kept at 10°C in MAP for 12 days. However, none of the steam treatments inhibited decay in wounds on the surface of the fruit kept in MAP.
Comparison of therapeutic effects between radiofrequency ablation and percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy for small hepatocellular carcinomas
Authors: Ohmoto Kenji , Yoshioka Naoko , Tomiyama Yasuyuki , Shibata Norikuni , Kawase Tomoya , Yoshida Koji , Kuboki Makoto , Yamamoto Shinichiro 
Published: September 2008

AbstractBackground:  Although thermal ablation therapies have gained fairly wide acceptance as an effective treatment for small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), there have been only a few clinical studies comparing the response to radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy (PMCT). We evaluated the therapeutic efficacy and safety of these two procedures for the treatment of small HCC measuring ≤ 2 cm in diameter.Methods:  Thirty‐four patients who had 37 nodules were treated by RFA and were compared with 49 patients (56 nodules) who underwent PMCT. Treatment was repeated until complete tumor necrosis was confirmed by contrast computed tomography (CT) scanning. The therapeutic efficacy and complications were retrospectively compared between the two procedures.Results:  (i) There were significantly fewer treatment sessions (P < 0.001) in the RFA group than in the PMCT group, but the necrotic area was significantly larger (P < 0.001) in the former group. (ii) The local recurrence rate was significantly lower (P = 0.031) after RFA than after PMCT, although the ectopic recurrence rate showed no significant difference. (iii) The cumulative survival rate was significantly higher (P = 0.018) after RFA than after PMCT. (iv) The incidence of pain and fever after treatment was significantly higher in the PMCT group. Bile duct injury, pleural effusion, and ascites were also significantly more common in the PMCT group.Conclusions:  RFA is more useful than PMCT for the treatment of small HCC because it is minimally invasive and achieves a low local recurrence rate, high survival rate, and extensive necrosis after only a few treatment sessions.
Dietary trans‐resveratrol bioavailability and effect on CCl4‐induced liver lipid peroxidation
Authors: Vitaglione Paola , Ottanelli Barbara , Milani Stefano , Morisco Filomena , Caporaso Nicola , Fogliano Vincenzo 
Published: September 2008

AbstractBackground and Aim:  Several in vitro studies have demonstrated the ability of pure trans‐resveratrol (t‐Res) to act as an anti‐oxidant, but the scientific literature is lacking in in vivo studies dealing with dietary t‐Res bioavailability in oxidative stress models. Our aim was to investigate the bioavailability of t‐Res from dietary sources and its effect on an animal model of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)‐induced liver lipid peroxidation.Methods:  Ten rats were intragastrically administered for 14 days with a grape‐stalk extract determining a daily t‐Res dosage of 3 mg/kg. The control group (10 rats) was daily injected with the vehicle solvent without the t‐Res extract. After 1 week, the induction of liver lipid peroxidation by CCl4 injection was carried out. Serum and liver samples, at different time intervals, were collected to evaluate t‐Res content, by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography–mass spectometry–mass spectometry (LC‐MS‐MS). Liver malondialdehyde (MDA) as marker of oxidative stress was measured.Results:  t‐Res accumulates in the liver reaching 49.8 ± 10.2 ng/g after 7 days and 191.8 ± 15.3 ng/g after 14 days. No t‐Res was detected in serum. The increase of MDA liver concentration due to CCl4 injection after 24 h and 1 week was reduced by 38% and a 63%, respectively, by the treatment with the t‐Res extract.Conclusions:  A moderate consumption of t‐Res from a dietary source resulted in a time‐dose‐dependent liver accumulation. It was able to counteract in vivo CCl4‐induced liver lipid peroxidation thus demonstrating the hepatoprotective property of t‐Res.
Anti‐gastric cancer effects of celecoxib, a selective COX‐2 inhibitor, through inhibition of Akt signaling
Authors: Kim Nayoung , Kim Chung Hyun , Ahn Dong‐Won , Lee Kyoung Soo , Cho Soo‐Jeong , Park Ji Hyun , Lee Mi Kyoung , Kim Joo Sung , Jung Hyun Chae , Song In Sung 
Published: September 2008

AbstractBackground and Aim:  Previously, we showed that treatment with celecoxib significantly reduced the number of viable gastric cancer cells, in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner. However, the specific anti‐cancer effects of celecoxib on gastric cancer cells have not been clarified. The present in vitro study was carried out to investigate the mechanism involved in the anti‐gastric cancer effects of celecoxib.Methods:  3‐(4,5‐Dimethyl‐2 thiazoyl)‐2,5‐diphenyl‐2H‐tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was carried out after treating AGS cells (human gastric cancer cell line, ATCC CRL 1739) with celecoxib or indomethacin, and the effect of prostaglandin E2 or LY294002 (PI3K inhibitor) was evaluated. Western blot analysis of tAkt (total Akt), pAkt (phosphorylated Akt), pGSK3β (phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase‐3β), pFKHR (phosphorylated forkhead transcriptional factor), and caspase‐9 was carried out at various concentrations (0, 5, 10, 25, or 50 µmol/L) of celecoxib or indomethacin‐treatment for 24 or 48 h in AGS cells.Results:  Celecoxib‐ or LY294002‐induced cell death was found to occur in a dose‐dependent manner in AGS cells, and these decreases were slightly recovered by the addition of PGE2 (25 or 50 µmol/L). The expression of pAkt but not tAkt was lower in the celecoxib treated‐AGS cells and the response was dose dependent (P < 0.05). The expression of pGSK3β and pFKHR was also significantly decreased in the celecoxib treated‐AGS cells. Procaspase 9 (47 kDa) was frequently cleaved into 37, 35 and 17 kDa fragments in the celecoxib‐treatment group. However, these changes in cell signal transduction were not observed in the indomethacin treated‐AGS cells.Conclusion:  The anti‐cancer effects of celecoxib on gastric cancer cells might be partly mediated by downregulation of Akt, GSK3β, FKHR, and upregulation of caspase‐9, in the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.
Views of supervisors of colonoscopy training on quality issues for the national bowel cancer screening program in Australia
Authors: Pentti Marita , Muller Jennifer , Janda Monika , Newman Beth 
Published: September 2008

AbstractBackground and Aim:  To describe the views of supervisors of colonoscopy training in regard to colonoscopy training capacity and quality in Australia.Methods:  Anonymous postal surveys from March to May 2007 were posted to 127 colonoscopy training supervisors (30.2% estimated response rate). The surveys queried colonoscopy training capacity and quality, supervisors' views and opinions on innovative approaches to colonoscopy training, number of colonoscopies and time required by trainees to gain competence in colonoscopy.Results:  Approximately 50% of trainers agreed and 27% disagreed that current numbers of training places were adequate to maintain a skilled colonoscopy workforce in preparation for the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP). A collaborative approach with the private sector was seen as beneficial by 65%. Non‐gastroenterologists (non‐GEs) were more likely than gastroenterologists (GEs) to be of the opinion that simulators are beneficial for colonoscopy training (χ2‐test = 5.55, P = 0.026). The majority of trainers did not support training either nurses (73%) or general practitioners (GPs) in colonoscopy (71%). Approximately 60% of trainers considered that the current requirements for recognition of training in colonoscopy could be insufficient for trainees to gain competence and 80% of those indicated that ≥ 200 colonoscopies were needed.Conclusions:  Colonoscopy training in Australia has traditionally followed the apprenticeship model. Projected increases in demand for colonoscopy with the introduction of the NBCSP may require additional training places and new and innovative approaches to training in order to ensure the provision of high‐quality colonoscopy services under the NBCSP.
Recombinant human lactoferrin inhibits matrix metalloproteinase (MMP‐2, MMP‐3, and MMP‐9) activity in a rabbit preterm delivery model
Authors: Nakayama Ken , Otsuki Katsufumi , Yakuwa Kyoko , Hasegawa Akitoshi , Sawada Maki , Mitsukawa Kaori , Chiba Hiroshi , Nagatsuka Masaaki , Okai Takashi 
Published: September 2008

AbstractAim: To investigate the effect of recombinant human lactoferrin (rh‐LF) on the expression of matrix metalloproteinase as a marker of cervical maturation, using a rabbit preterm delivery model in which preterm labor was induced by bacteria.Methods: We used cervical tissues that had been excised in a previous study in which rabbits were randomly assigned to receive either inoculation withEscherichia coli (E. coli)or saline solution and to receive pretreatment with or without rh‐LF inserted into the cervix two hours before bacterial inoculation (Condition A: saline + saline; Condition B: rh‐LF + E. coli; Condition C: saline +E. coli).E. coli, saline solution, and rh‐LF were inserted into the cervix using a hysteroscope and a sterile polyethylene cannula. Both cervices of the rabbit uterus, which is bicorpus‐bicolli, were taken out and preserved, and expression of matrix metalloproteinases MMP‐2,‐3, and ‐9 in the cervix was evaluated using Western blot.Results: MMP‐2,‐3, and ‐9 levels in the cervix under Conditions A and B were significantly lower than that under Condition C.Conclusions: These results suggest that the prevention of preterm delivery by rh‐LF in a rabbit model has been achieved through inhibition of cervical maturation promoted by matrix metalloproteinase activity.