bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cadmium effect on oxidative metabolism of pea (Pisum sativum L.) roots. Imaging of reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide accumulation in vivo
Authors: RODRÍGUEZ‐SERRANO MARÍA , ROMERO‐PUERTAS MARÍA C. , ZABALZA ANA , CORPAS FRANCISCO J. , GÓMEZ MANUEL , DEL RÍO LUIS A. , SANDALIO LUISA M. 
Published: May 2006

ABSTRACTGrowth of pea (Pisum sativum L.) plants with 50 µm CdCl2 for 15 d produced a reduction in the number and length of lateral roots, and changes in structure of the principal roots affecting the xylem vessels. Cadmium induced a reduction in glutathione (GSH) and ascorbate (ASC) contents, and catalase (CAT), GSH reductase (GR) and guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) activities. CuZn‐superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was also diminished by the Cd treatment, although Mn‐SOD was slightly increased. CAT and CuZn‐SOD were down‐regulated at transcriptional level, while Mn‐SOD, Fe‐SOD and GR were up‐regulated. Analysis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) levels by fluorescence and confocal laser microscopy (CLM) showed an over‐accumulation of O2.− and H2O2, and a reduction in the NO content in lateral and principal roots. ROS overproduction was dependent on changes in intracellular Ca+2 content, and peroxidases and NADPH oxidases were involved. Cadmium also produced an increase in salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene (ET) contents. The rise of ET and ROS, and the NO decrease are in accordance with senescence processes induced by Cd, and the increase of JA and SA could regulate the cellular response to cope with damages imposed by cadmium.
Can Rapoport's rule explain tree species richness along the Himalayan elevation gradient, Nepal?
Authors: Bhattarai Khem Raj , Vetaas Ole R. 
Published: May 2006

ABSTRACTRapoport's rule applied to an elevation gradient predicts a positive correlation between elevation ranges and elevation. This is supposed to be caused by the increasing magnitude of the climatic extremes at higher elevations, and thus, it is deduced that species richness should decrease with increasing elevation. The distribution of 614 tree species was used to test Rapoport's elevational rule along a gradient from 100 to 4300 m a.s.l., in the Nepalese Himalaya. The relationship between species richness and elevation was analysed by using generalized linear models (GLM). Generalized additive models (GAM) were used to examine the relationship between elevational range and the elevational mid‐point of a species along the gradient. The widest elevation ranges are observed at mid‐elevations, and narrow elevation ranges are observed at both ends of the gradient. This does not support Rapoport's elevation rule, as proposed by Stevens. There is a peak in species richness between 900 and 1000 m, and not in the tropical lowland as projected by Rapoport's elevation rule.
Differential sensitivities of pathogens in red cell concentrates to Tri‐P(4)‐photoinactivation
Authors: Trannoy L. L. , Terpstra F. G. , De Korte D. , Lagerberg J. W. M. , Verhoeven A. J. , Brand A. , Van Engelenburg F. A. C. 
Published: May 2006

Background and Objectives  Photodynamic treatment (PDT) with the cationic porphyrin, mono‐phenyl‐tri‐(N‐methyl‐4‐pyridyl)‐porphyrin chloride [Tri‐P(4)], has previously been shown to be effective at inactivating vesicle stomatitis virus (VSV) in red cell concentrates (RCC) with limited damage to red blood cells (RBC). The aim of this study was to determine the pathogen‐inactivating capacity of PDT with Tri‐P(4) for a broader range of pathogens and to establish the associated effect on in vitro RBC quality.Materials and Methods  A series of viruses and bacteria was spiked into 60% RCC. Pathogen inactivation was determined after PDT with 25 µm Tri‐P(4) and red light up to 360 kJ/m2. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐infected cells were evaluated for cell death induction, and RCC were analysed for the induction of haemolysis and ATP content.Results  For the lipid‐enveloped viruses bovine viral diarrhoea virus, HIV and pseudorabies virus, and for the Gram positive bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus, and the Gram‐negative bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Yersinia enterolitica, inactivation of ≥ 5 log10 was measured after 60 min of PDT with Tri‐P(4). The required treatment time to achieve this level of inactivation was four times longer than required for VSV. For cell‐associated HIV, only 1·7 log10 of inactivation was found, despite clear induction of cell death of HIV‐infected cells. The non‐enveloped virus, canine parvovirus, was completely resistant to the treatment. PDT of RCC with Tri‐P(4) for 60 min, and subsequent storage in AS‐3, resulted in 4% haemolysis after 35 days of storage. The ATP content of untreated and treated RBC declined with similar kinetics during storage.Conclusions  PDT of RCC with Tri‐P(4) for 60 min inactivates a wide range of pathogens, but not cell‐associated HIV and a non‐enveloped virus, and compromises RBC quality. This reduces the suitability of PDT with Tri‐P(4) for red cell sterilization. Therefore, further improvements in the treatment procedures to potentiate pathogen inactivation and to preserve RBC integrity will be required to generate an effective treatment for sterilizing RCC.
Effect of Bone Morphogenetic Protein‐4 (BMP‐4) on Adipocyte Differentiation from Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
Authors: Taha M. F. , Valojerdi M. R. , Mowla S. J. 
Published: May 2006

SummaryEmbryonic stem (ES) cells can differentiate spontaneously into various lineages in vitro. However, spontaneous commitment of ES cells to the adipocyte lineage is rare. In the present study, bone morphogenic protein‐4 (BMP‐4) is described as a factor inducing adipocyte differentiation from ES cells at a high rate. For this reason, ES‐cell‐derived embryoid bodies (EBs) in suspension cultures were exposed to different doses of BMP‐4 for 5 days before they were plated onto gelatin‐coated tissue culture plates. Moreover, the effect of serum‐containing and serum‐free media in three different combinations was assessed. Plated EBs, stained with Sudan Black and processed for transmission and scanning electron microscopy, were observed daily for adipocyte formation. Treatment with BMP‐4 resulted in the appearance of adipocyte clusters in EBs’ outgrowth, depending on the doses applied. Early in differentiation, many small fat droplets were observed in adipocytes, while later on they coalesced and formed a few large fat droplets. Adipocyte clusters had a fibrillar and vascular stroma, and each adipocyte was surrounded with a reticular external lamina. Furthermore, the appearance and development of adipocytes and their changes following 2–3 weeks of starvation mimicked live adipose tissue. In fact, understanding the biological activity of growth and differentiation factors is needed to regulate and direct stem cell differentiation to specific cell types in vitro.
The Oral Cavity of the Adult Zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Authors: Abbate F. , Germanà G. P. , De Carlos F. , Montalbano G. , Laurà R. , Levanti M. B. , Germanà A. 
Published: May 2006

SummaryThe zebrafish is a common model for developmental studies including those regarding tooth, palate and tongue. Nevertheless, little information is available about the morphology of the oral cavity in this teleost, especially in adult animals. In this study we used light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy to describe in detail the morphology of the oral cavity of adult zebrafish. The oral cavity could be divided into three different zones: the outer containing the lips, the intermediate corresponding to the internal valves and the internal that corresponds to the tongue. In the upper and lower intermediate zones, there were semilunar shaped valves, more prominent in the upper part. The internal lower zones correspond to the palate and the tongue, which is an individualized structure filled with numerous transversal ridges. Both the intermediate and internal zones were covered by a stratified epithelium containing numerous mucous and rodlet cells. Present data provide the first description of the morphology and structure of the oral cavity in the adult zebrafish and might serve as a baseline for developmental studies of the oral cavity using this teleost as a model.
Identification and characterization of polymorphisms within the 5′ flanking region, first exon and part of first intron of bovine GH gene
Authors: Ferraz A. L. J. , Bortolossi J. C. , Curi R. A. , Ferro M. I. T. , Ferro J. A. , Furlan L. R. 
Published: May 2006

SummaryThe aim of the present study was to identify and characterize polymorphisms within the 5′ flanking region, first exon and part of first intron of the bovine growth hormone gene among different beef cattle breeds: Nelore (n = 25), Simmental (n = 39), Simbrasil (n = 24), Simmental × Nelore (n = 30), Canchim × Nelore (n = 30) and Angus × Nelore (n = 30). Two DNA fragments (GH1, 464 bp and GH2, 453 bp) were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and then used for polymorphism identification by SSCP. Within the GH1 fragment, five polymorphisms were identified, corresponding to three different alleles: GH1.1, GH1.2 and GH1.3 (GenBank: AY662648, AY662649 and AY662650, respectively). These allele sequences were aligned and compared with bovine GH gene nucleotide sequence (GenBank: M57764 and AF118837), resulting in the identification of five insertion/deletions (INDELs) and five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). In the GH2 fragment two alleles were identified, GH2.1 and GH2.2 (GenBank: AY662651 and AY662652, respectively). The allele sequences were compared with GenBank sequences (M57764, AF007750 and AH009106) and three INDELs and four SNPs were identified. In conclusion, we were able to identify six new polymorphisms of the bovine GH gene (one INDEL and five SNPs), which can be used as molecular markers in genetic studies.
Genetic and permanent environmental variability of twinning in Thoroughbred horses estimated via three threshold models
Authors: Wolc A. , Bresińska A. , Szwaczkowski T. 
Published: May 2006

SummaryTwinning is a serious problem in Thoroughbred horses, as most of the multiple pregnancies are miscarried and live foals present lower performance values. The aim of this study was to estimate the heritability and repeatability of twinning in Thoroughbred horses. A total of 12648 pregnancies of 2033 Thoroughbred mares born between 1929 and 1994 in 11 studs were included. The analysis was performed by the use of AI‐REML algorithm under three threshold animal models. The first model included effects of stud, mare's birth period and interaction between them as fixed. The second model included the interaction between the stud and mare's birth period as random, whereas in the third model stud effects were also treated as random. The models were compared based on the deviances. Phenotypic and genetic trends were evaluated as well. The twinning rate was 3.5%. The study involved 443 twins and two triplets. Heritability estimates varied from 0.24 (model III) to 0.29 (model I), whereas repeatability estimates ranged from 0.33 (model I) to 0.34 (model III). The fluctuations of average annual genetic effects may result from segregation of the major gene in the population.
Epistatic kinship a new measure of genetic diversity for short‐term phylogenetic structures – theoretical investigations
Authors: Flury C. , Tietze M. , Simianer H. 
Published: May 2006

SummaryThe epistatic kinship describes the probability that chromosomal segments of length x in Morgan are identical by descent. It is an extension from the single locus consideration of the kinship coefficient to chromosomal segments. The parameter reflects the number of meioses separating individuals or populations. Hence it is suggested as a measure to quantify the genetic distance of subpopulations that have been separated only few generations ago. Algorithms for the epistatic kinship and the extension of the rules to set up the rectangular relationship matrix are presented. The properties of the epistatic kinship based on pedigree information were investigated theoretically. Pedigree data are often missing for small livestock populations. Therefore, an approach to estimate epistatic kinship based on molecular marker data are suggested. For the epistatic kinship based on marker information haplotypes are relevant. An easy and fast method that derives haplotypes and the respective frequencies without pedigree information was derived based on sampled full‐sib pairs. Different parameters of the sampling scheme were tested in a simulation study. The power of the method decreases with increasing segment length and with increasing number of segments genotyped. Further, it is shown that the efficiency of the approach is influenced by the number of animals genotyped and the polymorphism of the markers. It is discussed that the suggested method has a considerable potential to allow a phylogenetic differentiation between close populations, where small sample size can be balanced by the number, the length, and the degree of polymorphism of the chromosome segments considered.
New SNPs in the IGF2 gene and association between this gene and backfat thickness and lean meat content in Large White pigs
Authors: Vykoukalová Z. , Knoll A. , Dvořák J. , Čepica S. 
Published: May 2006

Summary IGF2‐in3‐G3072A is a causative mutation for paternally expressed quantitative trait loci on the p arm of porcine chromosome 2 with substantial effect on muscle growth and backfat thickness. The linkage disequilibrium between IGF2‐in3‐G3072A and IGF2‐in7‐G162C (IGF2‐NciI) in four breeds and associations between these polymorphisms and growth and meat performance in pigs of the Large White breed were analysed. A significant effect of these polymorphisms on backfat thickness and lean meat content was found. In addition, we identified two new single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in intron 7 of the gene. The existence of complete linkage disequilibrium between IGF2‐in3‐G3072A locus in the population under study where the locus segregated and SNPs in intron 7 of the IGF2 gene detectable with simple and reliable polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism techniques (G162C, C179G and G186T) offer possibilities to use these SNPs for genotyping of quantitative trait nucleotide in Large White and Landrace breeds.
Evaluation of genetic diversity in Japanese Brown cattle population by pedigree analysis
Authors: Honda T. , Fujii T. , Nomura T. , Mukai F. 
Published: May 2006

SummaryThe Japanese Brown is the second most common domestic beef breed in Japan. However, nowadays this breed is facing reduction in numbers because of pressure from a profitable domestic breed. This breed is uniformly characterized by its brown coat colour, but is comprised of two isolated sub‐breeds, Kumamoto and Kouchi, each possessing a different gene pool. Pedigree analyses were carried out for the two sub‐breeds using the pedigree records of animals born from 1970 to 2000. The effective population size has been found to be consistently reducing during the last three decades in both sub‐breeds. The current effective sizes were estimated to be 25.5 and 6.0 for the Kumamoto and Kouchi sub‐breeds, respectively. The estimate of the effective number of founders (Nef) in the Kumamoto sub‐breed decreased from 152.1 to 74.4; that of non‐founders (Nenf), from 41.7 to 5.3; and that of founder genome equivalents (Nge), from 32.7 to 4.9. The corresponding changes in the Kouchi sub‐breed were from 108.2 to 79.4, 16.2 to 4.1, and 14.1 to 3.9. Increasing differences between the two genetic diversity indices in the sub‐breeds indicate that the greater part of the reduction of genetic diversity can be attributed to genetic drift that accumulated in the non‐founder generations. A comparison with published estimates for several cattle breeds suggests the extremely limited genetic diversity of Japanese Brown. In addition to the avoidance of further reduction of genetic diversity, it will be important to counteract the process of breed decline by establishing a production system to efficiently utilize the unique characteristics of this breed and by developing links between the breed and products with market value.
Analysis of β‐tubulin Gene Fragments from Benzimidazole‐sensitive and ‐tolerant Cercospora beticola
Authors: Davidson R. M. , Hanson L. E. , Franc G. D. , Panella L. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractCercospora leaf spot of sugar beet, caused by the fungus Cercospora beticola, is a major foliar pathogen on sugar beet. Fungicide sprays have been used extensively to manage Cercospora leaf spot, including the benzimidazole fungicides. Resistance to benzimidazoles has been observed in isolates of C. beticola. The precise genetics of this resistance is not known in this fungus. We tested benzimidazole‐tolerant and ‐sensitive isolates and found a single mutation in the β‐tubulin gene of benzimidazole‐tolerant isolates that corresponds to a mutation known to confer benzimidazole tolerance in other ascomycetes. This mutation is predicted to cause a change from glutamic acid to alanine in the protein product. Isolates containing this mutation further show an increased sensitivity to an N‐phenylcarbamate, as would be predicted based on the mutant phenotype found in other filamentous fungi. Only a single mutation was found in isolates from different regions of the United States, isolated in different growing seasons.
Sensitive and Specific Digoxigenin‐labelled RNA Probes for Routine Detection of Citrus tristeza virus by Dot‐blot Hybridization
Authors: Barbarossa L. , Savino V. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractA non‐radioactive dot‐blot hybridization assay for the successful detection of Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) RNA in total nucleic acid extracts of infected citrus was developed. Two digoxigenin (DIG)‐labelled minus‐sense riboprobes, complementary to the coat protein gene sequence of a Chinese and an Apulian CTV isolate were synthesized. Several citrus tissues were evaluated as optimal virus source and leaf petioles were found appropriate material for reliable detection. The hybridization assay showed a detection limit corresponding to 0.2 mg of fresh infected tissue. The riboprobes allowed CTV detection in isolates from different geographical areas, grown in the screenhouse or in the field, resulting in similar hybridization patterns. The infected trees were tested during different seasons with positive results, although from July to August most of the samples gave a weaker hybridization signal, compared to other seasons. The high sensitivity and reliability of the molecular hybridization assay described make it a good alternative to serological methods for CTV detection.
Natural Infection of Tobacco by Colombian Datura virus in Poland, Germany and Hungary
Authors: Schubert J. , Doroszewska T. , Chrzanowska M. , Sztangret‐Wiśniewska J. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractIn 2004, a virus infection of tobacco with a so far unknown virus was observed in three Central European countries, Poland, Germany and Hungary. By means of cloning and sequencing of a partial cDNA of the virus the causal agent was identified as Colombian Datura virus (CDV). Comparison of the sequences of cloned cDNAs of isolates from all three locations together with phylogenetical analysis revealed that they were closely related to each other and already published isolates, but of different origin. Polyclonal antibodies were produced which reacted specifically with CDV. They were used for immunocapture reverse‐transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. In future they can be used for the virus survey in tobacco.
Spatial Analysis Based on Variance of Moving Window Averages
Authors: Wu B. M. , Subbarao K. V. , Ferrandino F. J. , Hao J. J. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractA new method for analysing spatial patterns was designed based on the variance of moving window averages (VMWA), which can be directly calculated in geographical information systems or a spreadsheet program (e.g. MS Excel). Different types of artificial data were generated to test the method. Regardless of data types, the VMWA method correctly determined the mean cluster sizes. This method was also employed to assess spatial patterns in historical plant disease survey data encompassing both airborne and soilborne diseases. The results obtained using the VMWA method were generally different from those obtained with Lloyd's index of patchiness and beta‐binomial distribution methods, were in partial agreement with the results from spatial analysis by distance indices, and were highly consistent with the results from semivariogram and spatial autocorrelation analysis methods. Results demonstrated that the VMWA method can be applied to many types of data, including binomial diseased or healthy plant counts, incidence, severity, and number of diseased plants or pathogen propagules although directional and edge effects may limit its application.
Utilization of eye care services in Victoria
Authors: Müller Andreas , Vu Hien T , Ferraro John G , Keeffe Jill E , Taylor Hugh R 
Published: May 2006

AbstractPurpose:  To determine baseline eye care utilization by older Victorians in order to assess change in 2 years after an eye health promotion campaign.Methods:  A letter of invitation to participate was sent to all people aged 70–79 years in randomly selected Melbourne postcode areas. A questionnaire was designed to allow gathering of eye health‐related information. Eye exams included autorefraction, frequency doubling technology and non‐mydriatic fundus photography. Results were compared with the Melbourne Vision Impairment Project .Results:  A total of 1695 people with a mean age of 74 years were recruited. The overall proportion with visual impairment was 8% (134/1695), of which 27% (36/134) was due to non‐refractive causes. Only 31% (11/36) of visually impaired people knew about low‐vision services, of whom 20% (7/36) had used them. Of all people with diabetes, only 52% (96/184) had a dilated eye exam within the recommended 2 years (Melbourne Vision Impairment Project 44%).Conclusions:  Compliance rates with recommendations for 2‐yearly eye exams for people with diabetes have not improved since the last major eye health study in Victoria 10 years ago. The same is true for the rate of undiagnosed glaucoma, suggesting that messages about eye examinations need to be promoted for older people at high risk of vision loss, for example, those with diabetes and at risk of vision loss from glaucoma.