bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The effect of cereal type and exogenous enzyme supplementation in pig diets on nutrient digestibility, intestinal microflora, volatile fatty acid concentration and manure ammonia emissions from finisher pigs
Authors: O'Connell J.M. , Sweeney T. , Callan J. J. , O'Doherty J. V. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractA 2 × 2 factorial experiment was conducted to investigate the interaction between cereal type (wheatv. barley) and an exogenous enzyme supplement (with or without) on nutrient digestibility, large intestinal microflora, volatile fatty acid profile andin vitromanure ammonia emissions from finisher pigs. The enzyme supplement used contained endo-1, 3-β-glucanase (EC 3·2·1·6) and endo-1, 4-β-xylanase (EC 3·2·1·8). The diets were formulated to contain similar concentrations of net energy (9·8 MJ/kg) and lysine (10·0 g/kg). Urine and faeces were collected over seven consecutive days from 16 boars (four boars per treatment, 80·0 kg live weight) that were housed in metabolism crates. After collections, the pigs were slaughtered and the contents of the intestinal tracts were removed for analysis. There was a significant interaction between cereal type and enzyme inclusion in the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter (DMD), organic matter (OMD) and nitrogen. The inclusion of an enzyme supplement in barley-based diets increased (P< 0·05) DMD, OMD and nitrogen digestibility compared with unsupplemented diets, however there was no effect of enzyme supplementation in wheat-based diets. There was a significant interaction between cereal type and enzyme inclusion in selected components of the gut microflora. Pigs offered unsupplemented barley-based diets had higher populations of bifidobacteria (P< 0·05) in the caecum and colon than those on the enzyme supplemented barley diet, however, there was no effect of enzyme supplementation on bifidobacteria in wheat-based diets. There was a significant interaction between cereal type and enzyme inclusion in volatile fatty acid production and inin vitroammonia emissions. In the absence of an enzyme supplement, barley-based diets reduced the proportion of isovaleric acid (P< 0·05) and isobutyric acid (P< 0·05) in the caecum and colon and also reduced manure ammonia emissions during storage from 0 to 240 h (P< 0·05) compared with the wheat-based diet, however there was no effect of cereal type in enzyme-supplemented diets. In conclusion, the inclusion of an enzyme in barley-based diets increased nutrient digestibility but also increased ammonia emissions.
Genotype by mating type interaction for litter size in Landrace and Large White sows
Authors: Lewis T. W. , Wiseman J. , Woolliams J. A. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractData obtained from a detailed base from a commercial breeding company of Landrace and Large White purebred nucleus sows were used to estimate genetic parameters of piglet number born alive (NBA) following artificial insemination and natural service. Heritabilities were small but significantly different from zero, and similar to literature estimates. The genetic correlation (rG) of NBA after AI or natural service using pooled data was 0·71 and was significantly different from one (P<0·01) but not significantly different between breeds (P>0·1). It is concluded that mating type may result in a re-ranking of sow genetic merit for NBA.
Genetic principal components for live ultrasound scan traits of Angus cattle
Authors: Meyer K. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractMultivariate restricted maximum likelihood analyses were carried out for a large data set comprising records for eye-muscle area, fat depth at the 12/13th rib and the rump P8 site, and percentage intramuscular fat, recorded via live ultrasound scanning of Australian Angus cattle. Records on heifers or steers were treated as separate traits from those on bulls. Reduced rank estimates of the genetic covariance matrix were obtained by restricted maximum likelihood, estimating the leading three, four, five, six, seven and all eight principal components and these were contrasted with estimates from pooled bivariate analyses.Results from analyses fitting five or six genetic principal components agreed closely with estimates from bivariate and eight-variate analyses and literature results. Heritabilities and variances for ‘fatness’ traits measured on heifers or steers were higher than those recorded for bulls, and genetic correlations were less than unity for the same trait measured in different sexes. Eye-muscle area showed little association with the other traits.Reduced rank estimation decreased computational requirements of multivariate analyses dramatically, in essence corresponding to those of an m-variate analysis for m principal components considered. Five or six principal components appeared to be necessary to model genetic covariances adequately. The first three of these components then explained about 97% of the genetic variation among the eight traits.A simulation study showed that errors in reduced rank estimates of the genetic covariance matrix were small, once three or more principal components from analyses fitting five or more components were used in constructing the estimates. Similarly, accuracy of genetic evaluation for the eight traits using the first four components was only slightly less than that using all principal components.Results suggest that reduced rank estimation and prediction is applicable for the eight scan traits considered. The leading three to four principal components sufficed to describe the bulk of genetic variation between animals. However, five or more principal components needed to be considered in estimating covariance matrices and the ‘loadings’ of the original traits to the principal components.
Black Point is associated with reduced levels of stress, disease‐ and defence‐related proteins in wheat grain
Authors: MAK YUNXIAN , WILLOWS ROBERT D. , ROBERTS THOMAS H. , WRIGLEY COLIN W. , SHARP PETER J. , COPELAND LES 
Published: April 2006

SUMMARYBlack Point in wheat is a dark discoloration at the embryo end of the grain, which causes substantial financial losses to wheat growers due to down‐grading of otherwise high‐grade wheat. There does not appear to be a single cause for Black Point, although evidence suggests that fungal infection is the main link to Black Point symptoms. We sought to identify grain proteins from Black Point‐affected and Black Point‐free wheat cultivar SUN239V, which is known to be very susceptible to Black Point. The proteomes of both the germ and endosperm‐bran components of Black Point‐affected and Black Point‐free grain were compared using two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis (2‐DE) with six replicate gels run for each protein sample. Approximately 1478 discrete protein spots were found in 2‐DE gels from the germ fraction of the grain, of which 354 were identified by mass spectrometry (MS). Similarly, 1360 discrete protein spots were found from the endosperm‐bran fraction, of which 303 were identified by MS. No proteins of fungal or bacterial origin were positively identified, suggesting that, at least in some cases, Black Point is not associated with microbial activity. Of the germ proteins, 252 were differentially expressed in Black Point‐affected tissue, with 67 of these proteins identified by MS. Of the endosperm‐bran proteins, 317 were differentially expressed in Black Point‐affected tissue, with 86 identified. The largest of 12 functional classes to which the differentially abundant proteins were assigned was the ‘stress’ class, i.e. products of genes associated with stress, disease and defence. Higher levels of these proteins were found in Black Point‐free grain, suggesting that protection from the disease might be afforded by increased levels of the ‘stress’ proteins.
von Willebrand factor propeptide in malaria: evidence of acute endothelial cell activation
Authors: Hollestelle Martine J. , Donkor Cynthia , Mantey Ebenezer Akrofi , Chakravorty Srabasti J. , Craig Alister , Akoto Alex Osei , O'Donnell James , Van Mourik Jan A. , Bunn James 
Published: April 2006

SummaryThe pathogenicity of Plasmodium falciparum is thought to relate to the unique ability of infected erythrocytes to adhere to and subsequently activate the vascular endothelium. To study the state of endothelial activation during falciparum malaria, we measured plasma levels of both von Willebrand factor (VWF) and its propeptide, indices of chronic and acute endothelial cell perturbation, respectively. Results were correlated with clinical and biochemical markers of disease severity, including plasma lactate. Our data show that acute endothelial cell activation is a hallmark of malaria in children, indicated by a significant rise in VWF and VWF propeptide. The highest VWF and propeptide levels were seen in cerebral and non‐cerebral severe malaria, and associations found between VWF propeptide level and lactate (P < 0·001). Mean VWF propeptide levels (nmol/l) were in cerebral malaria 33·4, non‐cerebral severe malaria 26·3, mild malaria 22·1, non‐malaria febrile illness 10·2, and controls 10·1. Differences between patient and control groups were highly significant (P < 0·005). Follow‐up of 26 cerebral malaria cases showed that levels of VWF propeptide, but not VWF fell by 24 h, following the clinical course of disease and recovery. These novel findings potentially implicate acute, regulated exocytosis of endothelial cell Weibel–Palade bodies in the pathogenesis of Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
Growth and phenology of mature temperate forest trees in elevated CO2
Authors: ASSHOFF ROMAN , ZOTZ GERHARD , KÖRNER CHRISTIAN 
Published: April 2006

AbstractAre mature forest trees carbon limited at current CO2 concentrations? Will ‘mid‐life’, 35 m tall deciduous trees grow faster in a CO2‐enriched atmosphere? To answer these questions we exposed ca. 100‐year‐old temperate forest trees at the Swiss Canopy Crane site near Basel, Switzerland to a ca. 540 ppm CO2 atmosphere using web‐FACE technology. Here, we report growth responses to elevated CO2 for 11 tall trees (compared with 32 controls) of five species during the initial four treatment years. Tested across all trees, there was no CO2 effect on stem basal area (BA) increment (neither when tested per year nor cumulatively for 4 years). In fact, the 4th year means were almost identical for the two groups. Stem growth data were standardized by pretreatment growth (5 years) in order to account for a priori individual differences in vigor. Although this experiment was not designed to test species specific effects, one species, the common European beech, Fagus sylvatica, showed a significant growth enhancement in the first year, which reoccurred during a centennial drought in the third year. None of the other dominant species (Quercus petraea, Carpinus betulus) showed a growth response to CO2 in any of the 4 years or for all years together. The inclusion or exclusion of single individuals of Prunus avium and Tilia platyphyllos did not change the picture. In elevated CO2, lateral branching in terminal shoots was higher in Fagus in 2002, when shoots developed from buds that were formed during the first season of CO2 enrichment (2001), but there was no effect in later years and no change in lateral branching in any of the other species. In Quercus, there was a steady stimulation of leading shoot length in high‐CO2 trees. Phenological variables (bud break, leaf fall, leaf duration) were highly species specific and were not affected by elevated CO2 in any consistent way. Our 4‐year data set reflects a very dynamic and species‐specific response of tree growth to a step change in CO2 supply. Stem growth after 4 years of exposure does not support the notion that mature forest trees will accrete wood biomass at faster rates in a future CO2‐enriched atmosphere.
Do geographic distribution, niche property and life form explain plants' vulnerability to global change?
Authors: BROENNIMANN OLIVIER , THUILLER WILFRIED , HUGHES GREG , MIDGLEY GUY F. , ALKEMADE J. M. ROBERT. , GUISAN ANTOINE 
Published: April 2006

AbstractWe modelled the future distribution in 2050 of 975 endemic plant species in southern Africa distributed among seven life forms, including new methodological insights improving the accuracy and ecological realism of predictions of global changes studies by: (i) using only endemic species as a way to capture the full realized niche of species, (ii) considering the direct impact of human pressure on landscape and biodiversity jointly with climate, and (iii) taking species' migration into account. Our analysis shows important promises for predicting the impacts of climate change in conjunction with land transformation. We have shown that the endemic flora of Southern Africa on average decreases with 41% in species richness among habitats and with 39% on species distribution range for the most optimistic scenario. We also compared the patterns of species' sensitivity with global change across life forms, using ecological and geographic characteristics of species. We demonstrate here that species and life form vulnerability to global changes can be partly explained according to species' (i) geographical distribution along climatic and biogeographic gradients, like climate anomalies, (ii) niche breadth or (iii) proximity to barrier preventing migration. Our results confirm that the sensitivity of a given species to global environmental changes depends upon its geographical distribution and ecological proprieties, and makes it possible to estimate a priori its potential sensitivity to these changes.
Modelling soft drink purchasers’ preferences for stimulant beverages
Authors: Sorenson Douglas , Bogue Joe 
Published: April 2006

SummaryThe main objective of this study was to identify the optimal extrinsic and intrinsic attributes, in terms of new product design, for a range of novel stimulant beverages targeted at specific market segments. A conjoint‐based survey was administered to 400 purchasers of soft drinks in Cork between September and November 2004. This research identified new market segments for stimulant beverages beyond the consumer groups traditionally targeted with stimulant drinks. New product development (NPD) opportunities exist for innovative stimulant juice‐based beverages positioned on a platform that emphasises functional refreshment and naturalness. Understanding consumers’ choice motives and value systems, through the integration of the voice of the consumer during the concept stage of the NPD process, can lead to increased new product success. This research can assist soft drink manufacturers optimally design a range of stimulant juice‐based beverages, and provide guidance for effective positioning and pricing strategies of innovative functional beverages.
Trace heavy metal contents of some spices and herbal plants from western Anatolia, Turkey
Authors: Divrikli Umit , Horzum Nesrin , Soylak Mustafa , Elci Latif 
Published: April 2006

SummaryTrace metal levels in eleven different spice and herbal plant species from western Anatolia, Turkey were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. The contents of trace metals in the herbal plant samples were found in the ranges: 3.8–35.4 μg g−1 for copper, 0.2–2.7 μg g−1 for cadmium, 0.1–2.8 μg g−1 for lead, 1.4–11.3 μg g−1 for nickel, 0.1–9.7 μg g−1 for chromium, 30.0–945.3 μg g−1 for iron, 7.9–152.5 μg g−1 for manganese and 5.2–83.7 μg g−1 for zinc. Results obtained are in agreement with data reported in the literature.
Revalidation of the postpartum stress scale
Authors: Hung Chich‐Hsiu 
Published: April 2006

Aims and objectives.  The purpose of this study was to test further and validate the postpartum stress scale developed for Taiwanese women.Background.  The postpartum stress scale was developed to measure postpartum stress in Taiwanese women. However, over the last decade, the social context in Taiwan has changed and several items in the scale needed to be re‐examined.Design.  Non‐experimental quantitative research with repeated measures at the first and fifth week of the postpartum period was conducted for this study.Methods.  A proportional stratified quota was used to sample from the 10 hospitals and six clinics with the highest birth rates in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Participants were 505 and 518 postpartum women at each time point, respectively.Results.  Factor analysis at two points in time identified three attributes of postpartum stress: (a) maternal role attainment, (b) lack of social support, and (c) negative body changes. The Cronbach's alphas at each time point were 0·94 and 0·92, respectively.Conclusions.  The results support the postpartum stress scale as a validated instrument that has been conceptualized, created, and tested with Taiwanese postpartum women.Relevance to clinical practice.  This study was done in the hope that women experiencing specific postpartum stressors would be detected and subsequently helped by supportive nursing intervention that provides stressor‐specific coping resources.
A comparison of HIV positive and negative pregnant women at a public sector hospital in South Africa
Authors: Bodkin Candice , Klopper Hester , Langley Gayle 
Published: April 2006

Aim.  The aim of the study was to compare HIV positive and negative pregnant women with respect to maternal and neonatal outcome to inform the development of clinical practice guidelines.Background.  HIV infection in pregnancy places an added burden on the physical ability of the woman's body to cope with pregnancy. As a result HIV causes an exaggeration of the problems related to pregnancy.Method.  Data were collected by means of a retrospective record review conducted on 212 stratified randomly selected HIV positive and 101 matched HIV negative pregnant women. The two sample t‐test and Fisher exact test were used to compare the maternal and neonatal outcomes of HIV positive and negative pregnant women.Results.  HIV positive pregnant women had a significantly lower haemoglobin (10·85 vs. 11·48 g/dl; P = 0·001), attended significantly fewer antenatal clinic appointments (4·03 vs. 4·63; P = 0·04), weighed significantly less (72·07 vs. 76·69 kg; P = 0·02) and were significantly more likely to present with an abnormal vaginal discharge (32·55 vs. 24·75%; P = 0·02) than HIV negative pregnant women. The difference in the prevalence in HIV positive pregnant women of pregnancy induced hypertension (16·98 vs. 9·90%; P = 0·06), syphilis infection (5·95 vs. 0·99%; P = 0·062) and urinary tract infection (15·53 vs. 7·92%; P = 0·06) approached significance when compared with HIV negative pregnant women. HIV positive pregnant women were significantly more likely to present with intrauterine growth retardation (4·72 vs. 0%; P = 0·03), significantly more likely to deliver earlier (37·92 vs. 38·51 weeks; P = 0·03) and significantly more likely to deliver neonates weighing less (2969·98 vs. 3138·43 g; P = 0·01) than HIV negative pregnant women.Conclusion.  The Department of Health attributes the high rate of HIV and AIDS related maternal morbidity and mortality in South Africa to the absence of accepted and practical guidelines for midwives’ antenatal assessment and management of HIV positive pregnant women.Relevance to clinical practice.  This study identifies maternal and neonatal outcomes related to HIV infection in pregnancy and provides evidence required to inform the development of clinical practice guidelines.
Does Booby Egg Dumping Amount to Quasi‐Parasitism?
Authors: Osorio‐Beristain Marcela , Pèrez‐Staples Diana , Drummond Hugh 
Published: April 2006

AbstractQuasi‐parasitism occurs when a paired male facilitates dumping in its own nest by an extra‐pair female with which it has recently copulated. Although numerous observations hint at quasi‐parasitism in diverse avian species, direct behavioral confirmation of male complicity is required to exclude the alternative adaptive explanations enumerated by Griffith et al. [Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol.56(2004) 191]. Our direct observations on dumping by female blue‐footed boobies (Sula nebouxii) show apparent male ambivalence: males were hostile to eggs dumped by their extra‐pair partners but half‐hearted in repelling those partners after the act of dumping. Hostility was evidenced when a host male that was present during dumping destroyed the extra‐pair partner's egg and when extra‐pair partners selectively dumped when the host male was absent or distracted rather than when it was alone on the territory. Host males appear to deter dumping by their extra‐pair partners rather than facilitating it, and their partial tolerance of females that have dumped may be a result of their general tolerance of unaccompanied females. Although paired male boobies sometimes copulate with females that dump into their nests, apparently this is not quasi‐parasitism.
Optimally fitted tracheal tubes decrease the probability of postextubation adverse events in children undergoing general anesthesia
Authors: SUOMINEN PERTTI , TAIVAINEN TOMI , TUOMINEN NETTA , VOIPIO VILLE , WIRTAVUORI KARI , HILLER ARJA , KORPELA REIJO , KARJALAINEN TIINA , MERETOJA OLLI 
Published: April 2006

SummaryBackground : The air leak test is recommended for assessing the appropriate size of an uncuffed tracheal tube (TT) in children. Our objectives were to determine whether there is a certain threshold air leak value beyond which a higher risk for adverse events after removal of TT can be predicted and to define other risk factors related to extubation.Methods : We enrolled 234 cases ranging from newborn to 9 years of age requiring tracheal intubation for elective or emergency surgery. General anesthesia was induced by a mask or intravenously. The TT size was calculated using the formula: [age (years)/4] + 4.5. After the induction of anesthesia, the patient's trachea was intubated and the correct position was confirmed. The attending anesthetist assessed the leak pressure. Incidences of adverse events (prolonged or barking cough, obstructed or prolonged inspiration or expiration, subcostal and sternal retractions, arterial desaturation, or laryngospasm) were recorded after removal of TT.Results : Ten patients were excluded from the study. A total of 218 children underwent 224 operations under general anesthesia. Children who had an absent air leak at 25 cmH2O pressure had 2.8 times more adverse events during emergence from anesthesia than those with an audible air leak. Adverse events after the removal of TT were 3.7 times more likely to occur in children whose anesthesia was provided by a less experienced anesthesia trainee.Conclusions : Adverse events after removal of TT were more likely to occur in children with an absent air leak at 25 cmH2O pressure and in children whose anesthesia was provided by a less experienced anesthetist.