bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Compensation in seasonal leaf area dynamics and leaf longevity after defoliation in Buddleja davidii
Authors: THOMAS M M , WATT M S , TURNBULL M H , PELTZER D , WHITEHEAD D 
Published: July 2008

Summary Buddleja davidii is a major invasive weed and its success is attributed to its ability to recover rapidly following defoliation. To quantify the impacts of defoliation on seasonal leaf area dynamics, we measured rates of leaf area growth and loss on cohorts of leaves on control plants and on plants that were defoliated by 66% repeatedly at monthly intervals throughout two growing seasons. The rate of leaf area growth was closely related to cumulative air temperature, but the maximum rate for the defoliated plants in the first season was 2.2 times that of the control plants. This compensational leaf growth resulted in 52% greater total emergent leaf area, attributable to increased node production (34%) and leaf size (35%), compared with control plants. Leaf longevity during the first growing season in the defoliated plants was 12% greater than that in the control plants. During the second season, the degree of compensation was greatly reduced, attributable to reduced leaf size in defoliated plants compared with the control. Total emergent leaf area over both seasons in the defoliated treatment exceeded control values by only 15%. The impact of leaf loss on the vigour in this invasive shrub may, in the short term, be less significant than would be predicted. However, the impacts of continued defoliation are likely to increase markedly in subsequent years. The study provides the basis for modelling leaf area dynamics and plant growth in response to defoliation associated with biocontrol release programmes.
Long‐term management of Striga hermonthica: strategy evaluation with a spatio‐temporal population model
Authors: VAN MOURIK T A , BIANCHI F J J A , VAN DER WERF W , STOMPH T J 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThe parasitic weed Striga hermonthica poses a serious threat to cereal production in sub‐Saharan Africa. Striga hermonthica seedbanks are long‐lived; therefore, long‐term effects of control strategies on the seedbank only emerge after several years. We developed a spatially explicit, stochastic model to study the effectiveness of control strategies in preventing invasion of S. hermonthica into previously uninfested fields and in reducing established infestations. Spatial expansion of S. hermonthica and decrease in millet yield in a field was slower, on average, when stochasticity of attachment of seedlings to the host was included and compared to the deterministic model. The spatial patterns of emerged S. hermonthica plants 4–7 years after point inoculation (e.g. seeds in a dung patch) in the spatial‐stochastic model resembled the distribution typically observed in farmers’ fields. Sensitivity analysis showed that only three out of eight life cycle parameters were of minor importance for seedbank dynamics and millet yield. Weeding and intercropping millet with sesame or cowpea reduced the seedbank in the long term, but rotations of millet with trap crops did not. High seedbank replenishment during years of millet monoculture was not sufficiently offset by seedbank depletion in years of trap crop cultivation. Insight from simulations can be employed in a participatory learning context with farmers to have an impact on S. hermonthica control in practice.
Long‐term weed community dynamics in Swiss organic and integrated farming systems
Authors: HILTBRUNNER J , SCHERRER C , STREIT B , JEANNERET P , ZIHLMANN U , TSCHACHTLI R 
Published: July 2008

SummaryIn 1991, a farming‐system comparison was established on Burgrain Farm (Alberswil) to investigate the long‐term sustainability of farming systems in Switzerland. In this study, the impacts of the three farming systems [organic (ORG), and integrated (IF) with an extensive (IFext) and an intensive (IFint) variant] on weed dynamics and diversity in six fields planted with winter wheat, maize, summer/winter barley, potatoes/oilseed rape and temporary grassland are examined. Altogether, 51 plant species were recorded from 1999 to 2006 in the maize and winter wheat crop. Total weed ground cover prior to harvest was seven times higher for wheat and 15 times higher for maize in ORG than in IFint, but grain yields were not negatively affected. Weed diversity was higher for ORG than for IF. In the temporary grassland, Taraxacum officinale and Rumex obtusifolius increased with time and dominated the weed community in the maize which followed. Chenopodium and Polygonum species dominated in the wheat, especially in ORG. We conclude from this study that an optimal combination of direct and indirect means for controlling weeds would allow organic farming at this site, provided that problematic weeds (e.g. Elytrigia repens) can be kept at the low level observed at the end of 2006.
Study of gene–gene interactions for endophenotypic quantitative traits in Chinese asthmatic children
Authors: Chan I. H. S. , Tang N. L. S. , Leung T. F. , Huang W. , Lam Y. Y. O. , Li C. Y. , Wong C. K. , Wong G. W. K. , Lam C. W. K. 
Published: July 2008

Background:  Asthma is a complex disease resulting from interactions between multiple genes and environmental factors. Study of gene–gene interactions could provide insight into the pathophysiology of asthma.Methods:  We investigated the interactions among 18 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms in eight candidate genes for plasma total immunoglobulin E (IgE) concentration and peripheral blood (PB) eosinophil count in 298 Chinese asthmatic children and 175 controls. Generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction and generalized linear model were used to analyze gene–gene interactions for the quantitative traits.Results:  A significant interaction was found between R130Q in IL13 and I50V in IL4RA for plasma total IgE concentration, with a cross‐validation (CV) consistency of nine of 10 and a prediction error of 41.1% (P = 0.013). Plasma total IgE concentration was significantly higher in the high‐risk than the low‐risk groups (P < 0.0001). For PB eosinophil count, significant interaction was found between C‐431T in TARC and RsaI_in2 in FCERIB, with a CV consistency of nine of 10 and a prediction error of 40.2% (P = 0.009). PB eosinophil count was significantly higher in the high‐risk group than the low‐risk groups (P < 0.0001). Generalized linear model also revealed significant gene–gene interaction for the above two endophenotypes with P = 0.013 for plasma total IgE concentration and P = 0.029 for PB eosinophil count respectively.Conclusions:  Our data suggest significant interactions between IL13 and IL4RA for plasma total IgE concentration, and this is the first report to show significant interaction between TARC and FCERIB for PB eosinophil count in Chinese asthmatic children.
Asthma management pocket reference 2008*
Authors: Van Weel C. , Bateman E. D. , Bousquet J. , Reid J. , Grouse L. , Schermer T. , Valovirta E. , Zhong N. 
Published: July 2008

Asthma is one of the most common chronic airways diseases worldwide, and its prevalence is increasing. Family doctors (sometimes called ‘primary care physicians’ or ‘general practitioners’) are frequently an asthma patient’s first point of contact with healthcare systems. Disease management that follows evidence‐based practice guidelines yields better patient results, but such guidelines are often complicated and may recommend the use of resources not available in the family practice setting. A joint expert panel of the World Organization of Family Doctors (Wonca), International Primary Care Airways Group (IPAG) and the International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG) offers support to family doctors worldwide by distilling the globally accepted, evidence‐based recommendations from the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) into this brief reference guide.This guide provides tools intended to supplement a thorough history taking and the clinician’s professional judgment in order to provide the best possible care for patients with asthma. Diagnostic Questionnaires developed for children and adults specifically focus the physician’s attention on key symptoms and markers of asthma. When questionnaire responses suggest a diagnosis of asthma, Diagnosis Guides then lead the clinician through a series of investigations commonly available in primary care to support the diagnosis. In patients >40 years who smoke, COPD is an important alternative diagnosis, and some key aspects of differential diagnosis are illuminated.According to GINA, the goal of asthma treatment is to achieve and maintain control of the disease symptoms long‐term. The physician must first assess the patient’s current level of asthma control, then treat asthma in a stepwise manner to achieve and maintain symptom control. Both of these aspects are summarized in figures included in this guide. Finally, the guide also presents a flow chart summarizing management of asthma exacerbations in the acute care setting, and a glossary of asthma medications to assist the clinician in making medication choices for each individual patient. Finally, many patients with asthma also have concomitant allergic rhinitis, and this must be checked.The World Organization of Family Doctors has been delegated by WHO as the group that will be taking primary responsibility for education about chronic respiratory diseases among primary care physicians globally. This document will be a major resource in this educational program.
Physician and patient survey of allergic rhinitis in France: perceptions on prevalence, severity of symptoms, care management and specific immunotherapy
Authors: Demoly P. , Didier A. , Mathelier‐Fusade P. , Drouet M. , David M. , Bonnelye G. , Blic J. de , Klossek J. M. 
Published: July 2008

Background:  Specific immunotherapy (SIT) is the only aetiological treatment used in allergic rhinitis (AR). A telephone survey of patients and physicians in France was carried out to understand better the real and perceived advantages and inconveniences of this therapeutic approach.Methods:  A cohort of 453 individuals with AR was selected using the Score For Allergic Rhinitis questionnaire. The survey evaluated the level of understanding of allergic rhinitis and its management, including both pharmacotherapy and SIT. A parallel survey was conducted with 400 general practitioners, allergists and nonallergist specialists.Results:  Approximately 50% of patients had heard about SIT as a therapeutic option. Of these, 56% had a positive view of SIT and 14% a negative image. A majority of patients and physicians with a positive opinion associated SIT with improved well‐being and quality of life, while those with a negative opinion considered it to be a long and inconvenient treatment, with uncertain results. Over 50% of patients who had been offered SIT had accepted it and approximately 60% of these were satisfied with it. The future availability of SIT as sublingual tablets was perceived positively by both patients and physicians.Conclusions:  Many patients with AR are unaware of their pathology and few seek help from health professionals. When patients take medication, they are generally satisfied with their treatment, even if it is only symptomatic. Patients and physicians see the notion of definitive recovery as the main benefit of SIT, whereas the main disadvantage is the duration of treatment.
Bluffing and Waiting: Handling Effects and Post‐Release Immobility in a Death‐Feigning Snake (Natrix natrix)
Authors: Gregory Patrick T. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractTonic immobility is a common response of animals to capture by a predator; in some cases, the behaviour is elaborated into death‐feigning. Death‐feigning is usually interpreted as a last‐resort anti‐predator tactic that depends on the predator ceasing or slowing its attack when the prey is apparently dead, thus buying time for the prey to escape if the predator’s attention is directed elsewhere, even momentarily. I tested the effects of different handling regimes on the expression of death‐feigning in the grass snake (Natrix natrix). In one test, degree of handling had a significant effect on frequency of death‐feigning in small snakes, with snakes that received more handling feigning death more often. A second test showed that different initial handling regimes also affected the probability of death‐feigning in large snakes, with snakes initially held by the tail feigning death least frequently and those initially held by the head most frequently. Thus, increased apparent threat to a vulnerable part of the body is more likely to result in death‐feigning. It remains to be seen whether death‐feigning can reduce the threat posed by real predators, but immobility is frequently carried over into the post‐release period, during which the animal presumably weighs its chances and awaits an opportunity to escape. Regardless of cause, death‐feigning snakes exhibited significantly more frequent and longer post‐release immobility than did non‐death‐feigning snakes, which typically fled immediately upon release. Overall, small snakes feigned death less frequently than adults and were more likely to flee upon release, suggesting that immobility is a riskier anti‐predator defence strategy for them.
Why Do Males of the Spider Pisaura mirabilis Wrap Their Nuptial Gifts in Silk: Female Preference or Male Control?
Authors: Andersen Tina , Bollerup Kristine , Toft Søren , Bilde Trine 
Published: July 2008

AbstractMales of the spider Pisaura mirabilis present a nuptial prey gift to the female during courtship as a mating effort. The gift is usually round and wrapped in white silk. It was suggested that the wrapped gift functions as a sensory trap by mimicking the female’s eggsac implying that males exploit the female maternal care instinct and not her foraging motivation in a sexual context. The shape of the gift (round) and appearance (white) should then increase female acceptance of males. We tested these predictions experimentally and found that neither gift shape (round or oblong) nor silk wrapping (wrapped or unwrapped) facilitated female acceptance, in contrast unwrapped gifts were accepted faster than wrapped ones. Instead, we found that silk wrapping benefited the males because it significantly decreased the risk of females stealing the gift without copulation and consequently directly increased male mating success. Large oblong gifts were difficult for males to handle during copulation, resulting in shorter copulations for oblong vs. round gifts. Thus, round gifts were not preferred by the females but were beneficial to the males. Our results indicate two adaptive benefits to males of wrapping the nuptial gift: to reduce the risk of losing the gift to females without copulation, and make it possible to reshape an oblong prey into a round gift that facilitates the male’s access to the female’s genitalia. Our results suggest that the male gift wrapping trait may be selected though sexual conflict over remating rate.
Use of a Magnetic Compass for Nocturnal Homing Orientation in the Palmate Newt, Lissotriton helveticus
Authors: Diego‐Rasilla Francisco J. , Luengo Rosa M. , Phillips John B. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractPrevious studies have shown that migrating palmate newts (Lissotriton helveticus) can rely on acoustic cues for orientation to breeding ponds. Nonetheless, although acoustic cues are reliable over relatively short distances, they are unlikely to account for the long‐distance homing demonstrated in several other species of newts. Most individuals of L. helveticus migrate only a few hundred meters (Diego‐Rasilla, F. J. & Luengo, R. M. 2007: Acoustic orientation in the palmate newt, Lissotriton helveticus. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 61, 1329—1335), raising the possibility that this species may only utilize short‐distance cues (Joly, P. & Miaud, C. 1993: How does a newt find its pond? The role of chemical cues in migrating newts (Triturus alpestris). Ethol. Ecol. Evol. 5, 447—455; Russell, A. P., Bauer, A. M. & Johnson, M. K. 2005: Migration of amphibians and reptiles: an overview of patterns and orientation mechanisms in relation to life history strategies. In: Migration of Organisms (Elewa, M. T., ed). Springer‐Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 151—203; Sinsch, U. 2006: Orientation and navigation in Amphibia. Mar. Freshw. Behav. Phy. 39, 65—71). Therefore, experiments were carried out to investigate the use of the geomagnetic field in the nocturnal homing orientation of L. helveticus. Tests were carried out at night in an outdoor circular arena, under total overcast sky that prevented access to celestial compass cues. Individual newts were tested in one of four symmetrical alignments of an earth‐strength magnetic field. We studied the orientation behaviour of newts from two breeding ponds located 9.05 km west‐southwest and 19 km east‐northeast of the testing site. The distribution of magnetic bearings from both groups of newts exhibited significant orientation in the homeward direction. These findings indicate that palmate newts are capable of long‐distance homing and are able to orient in the homeward direction at night using the magnetic compass as the sole source of directional (i.e., compass) information.
High Temperature‐induced Changes in High Molecular Weight Glutenin Subunits of Chinese Winter Wheat and its Influences on the Texture of Chinese Noodles
Authors: Deng Z. , Tian J. , Zhao L. , Zhang Y. , Sun C. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractPost‐anthesis temperature affects wheat flour quality, dough properties and end‐use quality. In order to investigate the changes in high molecular weight glutenin subunit (HMW‐GS) expression caused by elevated temperature and its influences on the texture properties of Chinese noodles, three temperature‐induced (<35 °C) treatments were applied to two cultivars with different gluten strengths. The cultivars were grown outside in 0.75 m2 containers on the farm of Shandong Agricultural University in 2003–2004. Three post‐anthesis temperature treatments, at 15 days after anthesis (DAA), 20 and 25 DAA, respectively, were applied during the grain‐filling period by moving the containers from outside into a greenhouse at three replicates per treatment. At maturity, the HMW‐GS was extracted. The results indicated that the HMW‐GS expression from the wheat with stronger gluten strength appeared to be more tolerant under the different treatments than did that from the weaker dough strength wheat. The same HMW‐GS (5 + 10) from different cultivars showed different effects on noodle quality. Moderately high temperature treatments benefited wet noodle texture quality and noodle scores at a different degree. All HMW‐GS expression in wheat with the weaker strength appeared to be negatively correlated with wet noodle firmness (WNF) and wet noodle cutting force (WNCF). Some correlation coefficients showed significance. However, HMW‐GS expression at Glu‐B1 and individual Glu‐B1x14 expression from the strong wheat demonstrated significantly positive correlations with WNF and WNCF. Individual HMW‐GS expression of the Glu‐B1 and Glu‐B1 location and the X‐type subunits showed significantly positive correlations with the noodle score. The same HMW‐GS at Glu‐D1 from varieties with different gluten strength had different contributions to noodle quality.
Sex pheromone of Ostrinia sp. newly found on the leopard plant Farfugium japonicum
Authors: Tabata J. , Huang Y. , Ohno S. , Yoshiyasu Y. , Sugie H. , Tatsuki S. , Ishikawa Y. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractRecently, larvae of Ostrinia were found feeding on the leopard plant Farfugium japonicum (Asteraceae), previously unrecorded as a host plant of this genus. The adult moths that developed from these borers were morphologically similar to, but distinct from, Ostrinia zaguliaevi, a monophagous species specialized for feeding on another Asteraceae plant, the butterbur Petasites japonicus. Although the taxonomical status of the moth feeding on F. japonicum is to be determined, distinct morphological differences in the adults strongly suggest this to be a new species (hereafter referred to as O. sp.). To gain an insight into the reproductive isolation between O. sp. and other members of the genus Ostrinia, the female sex pheromone and the males’ response to it were investigated using samples collected from F. japonicum. (Z)‐9‐tetradecenyl acetate (Z9‐14:OAc), (Z)‐11‐tetradecenyl acetate (Z11‐14:OAc), (E)‐11‐tetradecenyl acetate (E11‐14:OAc), tetradecyl acetate, and (Z)‐11‐hexadecenyl acetate were identified as candidates for sex pheromone components by analyses using gas chromatographs coupled to a mass spectrometer (GC‐MS) and electroantennographic detector (GC‐EAD). A series of bioassays of male responses in a wind‐tunnel and a field cage indicated that the former three compounds are essential for attracting males, and the latter two have no synergistic effect on the attraction. We therefore concluded that Z9‐14:OAc, Z11‐14:OAc and E11‐14:OAc are the sex pheromone components of O. sp. Although the same three compounds are used as the sex pheromone components of O. zaguliaevi and another congener, Ostrinia zealis, the blend proportions differed greatly among the three (Z9‐14:OAc/Z11‐14:OAc/E11‐14:OAc = 18/76/6 in O. sp., 45/50/5 in O. zaguliaevi and 70/6/24 in O. zealis). Differences in sex pheromones could contribute to the reproductive isolation between O. sp. and the other two Ostrinia species if males of each species exhibit a narrow window of response to their own blend ratio.
The Manipulation of Gametes and Embryos in Farm Animals
Authors: Galli C , Lazzari G 
Published: July 2008

ContentsThis paper summarizes the major advances in farm animal assisted reproduction in the last 20 years with particular attention to the contributions of the authors. A main emphasis is on the biology of the oocyte, including a description of methods for isolation of developing follicles and culture of the corresponding oocytes. Milestones that have led to optimization of procedures for maturation of fully grown oocytes, fertilization, intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo culture in sheep, cattle, pigs and horses are described. The current status of nuclear transfer, cloning and embryonic stem cell generation and culture is also summarized for all major farm animal species. It is concluded that the manipulation of early development in farm animals is of crucial importance for agricultural purposes and that reproductive biotechnologies in farm animals are expected to play an increasing role in the next decades due to the growing demand for agricultural products from the emerging economies worldwide. In the biomedical field large animals represent increasingly important research models especially in the stem cell field for creating genetically modified animals for specific purposes. Finally, the successful translation of large animal research in the applied context requires solid science, long‐term resource commitment from involved institutions, and vision, dedication and entrepreneurial skills from the scientists involved.