bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
RNA silencing‐mediated resistance to a crinivirus (Closteroviridae) in cultivated sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) and development of sweetpotato virus disease following co‐infection with a potyvirus
Authors: KREUZE JAN F. , KLEIN ILANIT SAMOLSKI , LAZARO MILTON UNTIVEROS , CHUQUIYURI WILMER J. CUELLAR , MORGAN GABRIELA LAJO , MEJÍA PATRICIA G. CIPRIANI , GHISLAIN MARC , VALKONEN JARI P.T. 
Published: May 2008

SUMMARYSweetpotato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV; genus Crinivirus, family Closteroviridae) is one of the most important pathogens of sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.). It can reduce yields by 50% by itself and cause various synergistic disease complexes when co‐infecting with other viruses, including sweetpotato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV; genus Potyvirus, family Potyviridae). Because no sources of true resistance to SPCSV are available in sweetpotato germplasm, a pathogen‐derived transgenic resistance strategy was tested as an alternative solution in this study. A Peruvian sweetpotato landrace ‘Huachano’ was transformed with an intron‐spliced hairpin construct targeting the replicase encoding sequences of SPCSV and SPFMV using an improved genetic transformation procedure with reproducible efficiency. Twenty‐eight independent transgenic events were obtained in three transformation experiments using a highly virulent Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain and regeneration through embryogenesis. Molecular analysis indicated that all regenerants were transgenic, with 1–7 transgene loci. Accumulation of transgene‐specific siRNA was detected in most of them. None of the transgenic events was immune to SPCSV, but ten of the 20 tested transgenic events exhibited mild or no symptoms following infection, and accumulation of SPCSV was significantly reduced. There are few previous reports of RNA silencing‐mediated transgenic resistance to viruses of Closteroviridae in cultivated plants. However, the high levels of resistance to accumulation of SPCSV could not prevent development of synergistic sweet potato virus disease in those transgenic plants also infected with SPFMV.
A family of serine proteases of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis: chpC plays a role in colonization of the host plant tomato
Authors: STORK INES , GARTEMANN KARL‐HEINZ , BURGER ANNETTE , EICHENLAUB RUDOLF 
Published: May 2008

SUMMARYGenes for seven putative serine proteases (ChpA–ChpG) belonging to the trypsin subfamily and homologous to the virulence factor pat‐1 were identified on the chromosome of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (Cmm) NCPPB382. All proteases have signal peptides indicating export of these proteins. Their putative function is suggested by two motifs and an aspartate residue typical for serine proteases. Furthermore, six cysteine residues are located at conserved positions. The genes are clustered in a chromosomal region of about 50 kb with a significantly lower G + C content than common for Cmm. The genes chpA, chpB and chpD are pseudogenes as they contain frame shifts and/or in‐frame stop codons. The genes chpC and chpG were inactivated by the insertion of an antibiotic resistance cassette. The chpG mutant was not impaired in virulence. However, in planta the titre of the chpC mutant was drastically reduced and only weak disease symptoms were observed. Complementation of the chpC mutant by the wild‐type allele restored full virulence. ChpC is the first chromosomal gene of Cmm identified so far that affects the interaction of the pathogen with the host plant.
Dendritic cells from control but not atopic donors respond to contact and respiratory sensitizer treatment in vitro with differential cytokine production and altered stimulatory capacity
Authors: Holden N. J. , Bedford P. A. , McCarthy N. E. , Marks N. A. , Ind P. W. , Jowsey I. R. , Basketter D. A. , Knight S. C. 
Published: May 2008

SummaryBackground
Chemical haptens induce both contact and allergic respiratory disease with dendritic cells (DCs) controlling and directing immune responses in vivo. Contact and respiratory haptens may promote differential cytokine production yet distinguishing these effects in vitro remains difficult due to human donor variability.Objective
We sought to determine the effect of atopic status on the ability of DC to respond to contact and respiratory sensitizer treatment in vitro as DC from atopic donors are believed to promote Th2‐type responses.Methods
Enriched DC from control or atopic donors were treated for 4 h with levels of the contact sensitizer 2,4‐dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) or the respiratory sensitizer trimellitic anhydride (TMA) that did not reduce cell viability. A sensitive intracellular detection technique was used to measure cytokine production, while T cell responses were assessed in a mixed leucocyte reaction.Results
DC from control, non‐atopic, donors produced cytokines differentially in response to sensitizer treatment; DNCB treatment significantly increased the production of Th1 cytokines IL‐12 and IFN‐γ while TMA induced the production of IL‐13. Control donor DC treated with TMA stimulated less in a mixed leucocyte reaction than untreated cells with any response reduced further by blocking IL‐13 in culture. However, DC from atopic donors showed no significant alteration in either cytokine production or T cell stimulatory capacity after sensitizer treatment.Conclusion
Haptens modulate DC by changing the production of cytokines that may play a role in T cell stimulation and subsequent polarization of the immune response. DC from atopic donors were unresponsive to chemical sensitizer treatment, and may be deficient in inducing divergent T cell responses.
Effect of maternal egg consumption on breast milk ovalbumin concentration
Authors: Palmer D. J. , Gold M. S. , Makrides M. 
Published: May 2008

SummaryBackground
Maternal dietary avoidance of egg has been recommended to treat egg allergy in breastfed infants. However, only one of three randomized controlled trials have produced evidence in favour of this recommendation.Objective
Our objective was to assess human milk ovalbumin (OVA) concentration after daily maternal ingestion of one cooked egg for 3 weeks.Methods
Mothers with egg‐sensitive, eczematous breastfed infants were randomly allocated to consume one muffin per day containing one egg (egg group, n=16) or a similar egg‐free muffin (control group, n=16) for 21 days (Days 3–23). All mothers and infants followed an egg‐free diet. Breast milk samples were collected at two hourly intervals for 6 h after eating the test muffins on Days 3, 12 and 23 and breast milk OVA concentration measured. Infant eczema was assessed at the commencement and completion of the trial.Results
Women in the egg group had higher OVA concentrations in breast milk than the control group at all time‐points. Within each dietary group, OVA excretion did not change with time. OVA was not detected in breast milk of 25% of women in the egg group. In contrast, infant eczema symptom scores significantly reduced with time for both groups.Conclusion
Human milk OVA is related to maternal dietary egg intake, but a significant proportion of women either have a delayed excretion or may not excrete OVA in their breast milk.
Sex‐related splenocyte function in a murine model of allergic asthma
Authors: Okuyama K. , Wada K. , Chihara J. , Takayanagi M. , Ohno I. 
Published: May 2008

SummaryBackground
The prevalence and severity of asthma are higher among boys than girls, but the ratios are reversed after puberty. These observations strongly suggest that sex hormones have a role in the pathogenesis of the disease. However, the mechanisms underlying the gender differences in asthma are not fully understood.Objective
The aim of this study was to investigate sex differences in allergic inflammation in terms of immune function.Methods
Male and female C57BL/6 mice were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA). OVA‐specific IgE in serum and airway inflammation were compared between sexes. Splenocytes from OVA‐sensitized male or female donor mice were transferred to male or female naïve recipient mice. Subsequently, the recipient mice were challenged, followed by the evaluation of OVA‐specific IgE and airway inflammation. Cytokines secreted from splenocytes of the sensitized mice were measured.Results
The levels of OVA‐specific IgE and the allergen‐induced airway inflammation were higher in female than in the male mice. The contents of T‐helper type 2 (Th2) cytokines, IL‐4, IL‐5 and IL‐13, in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from female mice were higher than those from male mice. The airway inflammation in female recipients transferred with splenocytes from female donors was more severe than that in any other combination of recipients and donors. Splenocytes from the sensitized female mice produced more of the Th2 cytokine, IL‐5, than those from the sensitized male mice upon stimulation with OVA.Conclusion
Our findings suggest that the sex difference in allergic airway inflammation may be attributable to the sex difference in not only the hormonal environment but also in the immune cells themselves.
Patch time allocation in male parasitoids
Authors: MARTEL VÉRONIQUE , WAJNBERG ERIC , BOIVIN GUY 
Published: May 2008

Abstract 1. Patch time allocation has been mostly studied in female parasitoids exploiting patches of hosts. Different parameters such as oviposition, host encounters, patch quality, etc. have been repeatedly shown to modify the time females invest on hosts.2. Male parasitoids are expected to maximise their lifetime fitness by maximising the number of females inseminated during their life. Because they can be sperm and/or time limited, they should optimise their time allocation on emergence patches.3. Patch time allocation thus appears to be an important question for both male and female parasitoids.4. In this study, we determined the parameters used by males of the egg parasitoid Trichogramma turkestanica to decide when to leave the emergence patch. Among the different patch‐leaving parameters tested, only contacts with parasitised hosts and presence of virgin females significantly influenced the patch‐leaving tendency.5. Our results suggest that males express behaviours that could enable them to optimise their patch exploitation time, as females do, but using different strategies.
‘Tied down’– the process of becoming bedridden through gradual local confinement
Authors: Zegelin Angelika 
Published: May 2008

Aims and objectives.  To raise awareness of the process of being bedridden, to create knowledge about the different causes and types of being bedridden, to highlight what exactly constitutes being bedridden, to describe which factors influence being bedridden.Background.  Being bedridden is a common phenomenon in nursing. However, there is no solid base of knowledge on reasons, types, development of and coping with this situation. The concept of being bedridden is applied in an arbitrary manner and the state of being bedridden is far from being clearly defined. A literature review revealed that only pathophysiological effects of this state are sufficiently explained. The aim of this study was to gain knowledge of the development of being confined to bed.Design.  Data collection and analysis were performed by using a Grounded Theory approach as developed by Strauss and Corbin.Methods.  Thirty‐two interviews with older, bedridden people were conducted. They were asked about their perspective on and their experience of the development of being confined to bed. Half of the interviewees lived in a nursing home, the others were cared for at home.Results.  ‘Gradual local confinement’ was identified as the core category. Becoming bedridden is a slow process by which the person is increasingly confined to one location. This development is related to an increasing need for support and to negative consequences, such as a pathology of immobility, narrowing of interests and loss of time. These consequences again are responsible for a downward spiral development.Conclusions.  The study is the first research on the topic of being bedridden; no research in this field had been done before. There are some research results on bedrest, based on a purely medical perspective. The problem of being bedridden from the perspective of nursing is totally different. This study reveals phases of development and a range of factors influencing the problem of becoming bedridden. Many of these factors arise from the person and his/her interactional behaviour in the circumstances; other influences are structural factors, such as external pressure caused by time constraints of professional nursing services or unfavourable arrangements of furniture.Relevance to clinical practice.  Many factors that lead to being confined to bed are alterable. Long periods of being bedridden can be prevented in many cases, if early warning signs are recognised and preventive measures are taken in time. The result of this research could be the basis for a change of attitude and behaviour of professionals dealing with those patients. It could have a major impact on the quality of life of the patients and, in addition costs of treatment might be reduced.
Early temperament and negative reactivity in boys with fragile X syndrome
Authors: Shanahan M. , Roberts J. , Hatton D. , Reznick J. , Goldsmith H. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractBackground  The phenotype of children and adults with fragile X syndrome (FXS) includes a number of problem behaviours such as inattention, social anxiety and aggressive outbursts. However, very little work has been conducted with young children with FXS less than 5 years of age to examine the developmental pathway of problem behaviours in this population and to determine if later occurring problem behaviours may be rooted in early appearing temperament profiles.Methods  Parent ratings and laboratory‐based behavioural observations of negative reactivity were examined in 25 3‐year‐old boys with FXS and compared with 64 typically developing boys matched on age.Results  Compared with the typically developing group, boys with FXS were rated by their parents as exhibiting less anger and sadness on the Child Behaviour Questionnaire (CBQ), and they showed less facial sadness on the Laboratory Temperament Assessment Battery (Lab‐TAB). No group differences were found on the Lab‐TAB measures of distress vocalisations, bodily struggle, and facial anger; and anger peaked in the middle of the arm restraint episode for both groups. For boys with FXS, mental age was moderately positively correlated, and autistic behaviour was moderately negatively correlated, with sadness scores from the CBQ.Conclusions  Our results show different behavioural profiles in very young children with FXS than reported in older‐aged children with FXS which implies that temperamental differences and elevated problem behaviours reported in older‐aged children with FXS may not be rooted in early temperament. This information is important to develop the phenotype of early development in FXS to facilitate early identification and treatment.
Sedimentary evolution of a Late Pleistocene temperate red algal reef (Coralligène) on Rhodes, Greece: correlation with global sea‐level fluctuations
Authors: TITSCHACK JÜRGEN , NELSON CAMPBELL S. , BECK TIM , FREIWALD ANDRÉ , RADTKE ULRICH 
Published: May 2008

AbstractAutochthonous red algal structures known as coralligène de plateau occur in the modern warm‐temperate Mediterranean Sea at water depths from 20 to 120 m, but fossil counterparts are not so well‐known. This study describes, from an uplifted coastal section at Plimiri on the island of Rhodes, a 450 m long by 10 m thick Late Pleistocene red algal reef (Coralligène Facies), interpreted as being a coralligène de plateau, and its associated deposits. The Coralligène Facies, constructed mainly by Lithophyllum and Titanoderma, sits unconformably upon the Plio‐Pleistocene Rhodes Formation and is overlain by a Maerl Facies (2 m), a Mixed Siliciclastic‐Carbonate Facies (0·2 m) and an Aeolian Sand Facies (2·5 m). The three calcareous facies, of Heterozoan character, are correlated with established members in the Lindos Acropolis Formation in the north of the island, while the aeolian facies is assigned to the new Plimiri Aeolianite Formation. The palaeoenvironmental and genetic‐stratigraphic interpretations of these mixed siliciclastic‐carbonate temperate water deposits involved consideration of certain characteristics associated with siliciclastic shelf and tropical carbonate shelf models, such as vertical grain‐size trends and the stratigraphic position of zooxanthellate coral growths. Integration of these results with electron spin resonance dates of bivalve shells indicates that the Coralligène Facies was deposited during Marine Isotope Stage 6 to 5e transgressive event (ca 135 to 120 ka), in water depths of 20 to 50 m, and the overlying Maerl Facies was deposited during regression from Marine Isotope Stage 5e to 5d (ca 120 to 110 ka), at water depths of 25 to 40 m. The capping Aeolian Sand Facies, involving dual terrestrial subunits, is interpreted as having formed during each of the glacial intervals Marine Isotope Stages 4 (71 to 59 ka) and 2 (24 to 12 ka), with soil formation during the subsequent interglacial periods of Marine Isotope Stages 3 and 1, respectively. Accumulation rates of about 0·7 mm year−1 are estimated for the Coralligène Facies and minimum accumulation rates of 0·2 mm year−1 are estimated for the Maerl Facies. The existence of older red algal reefs in the Plimiri region during at least Marine Isotope Stages 7 (245 to 186 ka) and 9 (339 to 303 ka) is inferred from the occurrence of reworked coralligène‐type lithoclasts in the basal part of the section and from the electron spin resonance ages of transported bivalve shells.
Patient health literacy and participation in the health‐care process
Authors: Ishikawa Hirono , Yano Eiji 
Published: May 2008

AbstractObjectives  Health information is an important resource for patients to understand and engage in the management of their health conditions. We discuss the role of health literacy (HL) in improving patient participation and propose future research in this field.Methods  Literature searches were conducted to review existing definitions and measures of HL and identify empirical findings of its impact on patient health/illness‐related behaviours. We searched MEDLINE using ‘health literacy’ as a keyword and retrieved 371 articles published in English between 1985 and 2006. We also hand‐searched publications of leading researchers and related institutes and followed the reference lists of relevant articles.Results  The World Health Organization has defined HL as ‘the cognitive and social skills which determine the motivation and ability of individuals to gain access to, understand, and use information in ways which promote and maintain good health.’ Based on this definition, three levels of HL have been described: functional, communicative and critical. Studies of HL have increased dramatically over the past few years, but there is a gap between the conceptual definition of HL and its application. Thus, empirical evidence of its impact on patient health/illness‐related behaviours is still limited.Conclusions  The prevalence and consequence of inadequate HL as fully defined have not been determined. Further research is needed to develop measures of HL beyond the functional level and that consider the interaction of the individual patient HL with the health and social contexts in which the patient lives.
Study on association of single nucleotide polymorphism of CAPN1 gene with muscle fibre and carcass traits in quality chicken populations
Authors: Zhang Z.R. , Liu Y.P. , Jiang X. , Du H.R. , Zhu Q. 
Published: May 2008

SummaryThis study was aimed at investigating the effect of the calpain 1 (CAPN1) gene on carcass and meat quality traits in eight meat‐type chicken populations, including five pure lines (developed from Chinese local breeds) and three cross‐breeds. Primer pairs for the Coding Sequence (CDS) region in CAPN1 were designed from the chicken genomic sequence database. Polymorphisms were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)–Single Strand Conformation Polymorphism (SSCP) and DNA sequencing. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP; C2546T, G3535A and C7198A) were detected among individuals in each population. The associations of their haplotypes (H1 = CGA, H2 = CGC, H3 = CAA, H4 = CAC, H5 = TGA and H7 = TAA) with chicken breast muscle fibre and carcass traits were analysed. Results showed that the haplotypes were associated with live weight (LW), carcass weight (CW), breast muscle weight (BMW) and leg muscle weight (LMW) (p < 0.05), and were also related to eviscerated percentage (%EP) and breast muscle fibre density (p < 0.01). H1H3 haplotype was dominant for LW, CW and BMW; H1H5 haplotype was dominant for EP; H3H4 haplotype was dominant for LMW and H1H1 haplotype was dominant for BFD. It was concluded that the CAPN1 gene may be a major gene affecting meat quality traits of chicken or it is linked with the major gene. H1H3, H1H5 and H3H4 were the most advantageous haplotypes for carcass traits whereas H1H1 was the positive haplotype for breast muscle fibre trait.
Genetic variation and genetic trends in hip and elbow dysplasia in Swedish Rottweiler and Bernese Mountain Dog
Authors: Malm S. , Fikse W.F. , Danell B. , Strandberg E. 
Published: May 2008

SummaryThe aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters and genetic trends for hip (HD) and elbow dysplasia (ED) in Swedish Rottweiler (RW) and Bernese Mountain Dog (BMD). Analyses were based on screening results of hip status for 14 693 RW and 8221 BMD and elbow status for 11 891 RW and 7963 BMD, as well as pedigree data for 16 614 RW and 9835 BMD, recorded by the Swedish Kennel Club. Components of (co)variance and breeding values were obtained with a mixed linear animal model. The model included the fixed effects of sex, birth month, age at screening and a combined random effect of clinic and year of examination. The need to include genetic groups for phantom parents in the model was evaluated by comparison of two different models: with and without genetic groups. Estimated heritabilities for HD and ED were between 0.34 and 0.42. The genetic correlation between the traits was weak and positive for RW (rg = 0.23 ± 0.05) and not different from zero for BMD (rg = 0.06 ± 0.06).F‐statistics of the genetic group effects were not significant, implying that genetic groups do not need to be included in the model. Genetic trends indicated a genetic improvement in both traits. However, a faster genetic progress is expected if selection is based on predicted breeding values rather than phenotype. Based on the results, a statistical model for routine prediction of breeding values for HD and ED in Swedish dogs was suggested.
Natural occurrence and growth reaction on canavanine–glycine–bromothymol blue agar of non‐neoformans Cryptococcus spp. in Malaysia
Authors: Tay S. T. , Na S. L. , Tajuddin T. H. 
Published: May 2008

Summary Cryptococcus albidus and C. laurentii were the predominant non‐neoformans cryptococci isolated during an environmental sampling study for C. gattii at Klang Valley, Malaysia. Cryptococcus gattii was not isolated from any of the environmental samples. Cryptococcus albidus and C. laurentii were isolated mainly from vegetative samples of Eucalyptus trees and bird droppings. Upon testing on canavanine–glycine–bromothymol blue (CGB) agar, all the C. albidus isolates remained unchanged. Interestingly, a total of 29 (76.3%) C. laurentii isolates formed blue colours on the CGB agar. Sequence analysis of ITS1‐5.8rDNA‐ITS2 gene sequences (468 bp) of four CGB‐blue C. laurentii isolates demonstrated the closest match (99%) with that of C. laurentii CBS 7140. This study demonstrated the diverse environmental niche of C. albidus and C. laurentii in Malaysia.