bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assignment of the SLA alleles and reproductive potential of selective breeding Duroc pig lines
Authors: Soe Ok Kar , Ohba Yasunori , Imaeda Noriaki , Nishii Naohito , Takasu Masaki , Yoshioka Gou , Kawata Hisako , Shigenari Atsuko , Uenishi Hirohide , Inoko Hidetoshi , Ando Asako , Kitagawa Hitoshi 
Published: December 2008

Abstract:  Background:  Pigs with defined swine leukocyte antigen (SLA) haplotypes and their detailed information are useful for transplantation and immunological studies. We developed two herds of SLA homozygous Duroc pigs with novel SLA haplotypes and characterized their reproductive potential.Methods:  For selective inbreeding, a pair of Duroc pigs was chosen as initial breeders, and substantial breeding within progenies was carried out for eight generations. In the selective breeding Duroc pigs, SLA haplotypes were assigned by nucleotide sequence determination of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) products of three SLA classical class I genes and two class II genes. Based on this sequence information, we developed a rapid and simple SLA class II DNA typing method by polymerase chain reaction‐sequence specific primer (PCR‐SSP) technique. As a complementary method for the characterization of the SLA haplotypes, genetic polymorphisms of 36 microsatellite (MS) markers within the SLA region were also analyzed in the selective breeding pigs with SLA homozygous/heterozygous haplotypes.Results:  Among the selective breeding pigs from the third to fifth generations, only two SLA haplotypes were identified by the RT‐PCR based SLA typing method; Hp‐27.30 (SLA‐1*08an03, SLA‐1*06an04, SLA‐2*0102, SLA‐3*0101 DRB1*1101 and DQB1*0503) and Hp‐60.13 (SLA‐1*an02, SLA‐2*1002, SLA‐3*0502, DRB1*0403 and DQB1*0303). In these two SLA haplotypes, two class I haplotypes, Hp‐27.0 and Hp‐60.0, are novel. Furthermore, two class II haplotypes, Hp‐0.30 and Hp‐0.13, which were previously reported in Korean native pigs and pigs of Hanford breed, respectively, were also assigned by a simple assay using a PCR‐SSP technique in the entire selective breeding stock. Moreover, two haplotype specific MS patterns were observed across the entire SLA region in the selective breeding (homozygous/heterozygous) pigs. No morphological abnormalities were observed in selective breeding pigs. The theoretical inbreeding coefficient at the eighth generation was 78.5%. In all generations of selective breeding pigs, litter sizes were comparable and weaning weights from the fifth to eighth generation produced progenies significantly lighter (P < 0.01) than those in the non‐selective breeding pigs.Conclusions:  We established and characterized SLA homozygous Duroc herds with two kinds of haplotypes that can be used as a new resource for transplantation and other biomedical studies.
Virulence evolution and the trade‐off hypothesis: history, current state of affairs and the future
Authors: ALIZON S. , HURFORD A. , MIDEO N. , VAN BAALEN M. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractIt has been more than two decades since the formulation of the so‐called ‘trade‐off’ hypothesis as an alternative to the then commonly accepted idea that parasites should always evolve towards avirulence (the ‘avirulence hypothesis’). The trade‐off hypothesis states that virulence is an unavoidable consequence of parasite transmission; however, since the 1990s, this hypothesis has been increasingly challenged. We discuss the history of the study of virulence evolution and the development of theories towards the trade‐off hypothesis in order to illustrate the context of the debate. We investigate the arguments raised against the trade‐off hypothesis and argue that trade‐offs exist, but may not be of the simple form that is usually assumed, involving other mechanisms (and life‐history traits) than those originally considered. Many processes such as pathogen adaptation to within‐host competition, interactions with the immune system and shifting transmission routes, will all be interrelated making sweeping evolutionary predictions harder to obtain. We argue that this is the heart of the current debate in the field and while species‐specific models may be better predictive tools, the trade‐off hypothesis and its basic extensions are necessary to assess the qualitative impacts of virulence management strategies.
Multiplicative interaction between the two major mechanisms of permethrin resistance, kdr and cytochrome P450‐monooxygenase detoxification, in mosquitoes
Authors: HARDSTONE M. C. , LEICHTER C. A. , SCOTT J. G. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractEpistasis is the nonadditive interaction between different loci which contribute to a phenotype. Epistasis between independent loci conferring insecticide resistance is important to investigate as this phenomenon can shape the rate that resistance evolves and can dictate the level of resistance in the field. The evolution of insecticide resistance in mosquitoes is a growing and world‐wide problem. The two major mechanisms that confer resistance to permethrin in Culex mosquitoes are target site insensitivity (i.e. kdr) and enhanced detoxification by cytochrome P450 monooxygenases. Using three strains of mosquitoes, and crosses between these strains, we assessed the relative contribution of the two independent loci conferring permethrin resistance, individually and when present together. We found that for all genotype combinations tested, Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus exhibited multiplicative interactions between kdr and P450 detoxification, whether the resistance alleles were homozygous or heterozygous. These results provide a basis for further analysis of the evolution and maintenance of insecticide resistance in mosquitoes.
The evolutionary dynamics of evolvability in a gene network model
Authors: DRAGHI J. , WAGNER G. P. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractEvolvability, the ability of populations to adapt, has recently emerged as a major unifying concept in biology. Although the study of evolvability offers new insights into many important biological questions, the conceptual bases of evolvability, and the mechanisms of its evolution, remain controversial. We used simulated evolution of a model of gene network dynamics to test the contentious hypothesis that natural selection can favour high evolvability, in particular in sexual populations. Our results conclusively demonstrate that fluctuating natural selection can increase the capacity of model gene networks to adapt to new environments. Detailed studies of the evolutionary dynamics of these networks establish a broad range of validity for this result and quantify the evolutionary forces responsible for changes in evolvability. Analysis of the genotype–phenotype map of these networks also reveals mechanisms connecting evolvability, genetic architecture and robustness. Our results suggest that the evolution of evolvability can have a pervasive influence on many aspects of organisms.
Cross‐fostering Does Not Influence the Mate Preferences and Territorial Behaviour of Males in Lake Victoria Cichlids
Authors: Verzijden Machteld N. , Zwinkels Juul , Ten Cate Carel 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThe ability to recognise conspecifics in contexts of mate choice and territorial defence may have large effects on an individual’s fitness. Understanding the development of assortative behaviour may shed light on how species assortative behaviour evolves and how it may influence reproductive isolation. This is the case not only for female mate preferences, but also for male mate preferences and male territorial behaviour. Here we test with a cross‐fostering experiment whether early learning influences male mate preferences and male–male aggression biases in two closely related, sympatrically occurring cichlid species Pundamilia pundamilia and Pundamilia nyererei from Lake Victoria. Males that had been fostered, either by a conspecific female or by a heterospecific female, were tested for their aggression bias, as well as for their mate preferences, in two‐way choice tests. Males cross‐fostered with conspecific and heterospecific foster mothers selectively directed their aggression towards conspecific intruders. The cross‐fostering treatment also did not affect male mate preferences. These results are in striking contrast with the finding that females of these species show a sexual preference for males of the foster species.
What Triggers Reproductive Life? Effects of Adolescent Cohabitation, Social Novelty and Aggression in a Monogamous Mouse
Authors: Busquet Nicolas , Leveille Nizerolle Corinne , Feron Christophe 
Published: December 2008

AbstractCohabitation during childhood has been described as a powerful inhibitor of later sexual interest in animals including humans (the ‘Westermarck effect’), serving as a brother–sister incest avoidance mechanism. Mound‐building mice Mus spicilegus display a strong social inhibition of reproduction, responsible for the absence of reproduction in over‐wintering tumuli. To better understand the mechanisms responsible for triggering reproduction in this monogamous species, we formed 100 experimental couples of juveniles (35 d) and surveyed reproduction for 45 d. As expected, very few couples reproduced, which confirms the role of social familiarity in the inhibition of reproduction. Temporary separation (1 h or 24 h) of the two partners had little effect on reproductive success. However, pairing with a new partner, with or without prior isolation, significantly triggered reproduction. Observations of the first encounter between new partners revealed more agonistic and less affiliative behaviour than in controls (reunion of familiar partners). Interestingly, when the new partner was a sibling of the previous one, the behavioural analysis revealed an intermediate level of aggression, indicating that kinship with the previous partner was perceived and had consequences on social behaviour. Mice could therefore choose a new partner based on its relatedness to the previous mate. Mutual tolerance between new partners during the dyadic encounter was negatively correlated with subsequent reproduction. These results demonstrate the paramount role of social novelty in triggering reproduction in this monogamous mouse, and suggest a link between agonistic behaviour and sexual motivation. In the field, mound‐building mice may need to engage in agonistic interactions so as to overcome the long‐lasting social inhibition of reproduction in overwintering mounds.
Effects of Deficit Drip Irrigation Ratios on Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Yield and Fibre Quality
Authors: Basal H. , Dagdelen N. , Unay A. , Yilmaz E. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractIncreasing irrigation costs and declining water availability compel producers to adapt irrigation strategies for maximum crop yield and water use efficiency. A field trial was conducted to observe the effects of various drip irrigation ratios (IR‐0, IR‐25, IR‐50, IR‐75 and IR‐100) on water use efficiency (WUE), the irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE), lint yield, yield components and fibre quality at two upland cotton varieties during 2004 and 2005. WUE was found to increase from 0.62 to 0.71 kg m−3 as the irrigation water applied was reduced from 100 % to 75 % of soil water depletion. Deficit irrigation of cotton with drip irrigation at 75 % treatment level (IR‐75) did not decrease seed cotton yield and yield components during 2 years, with the exception of the number of bolls in 2005. Among fibre quality parameters, no significant differences in fibre length, fineness, uniformity index and elongation were detected between the 100 % and 75 % irrigation levels in 2005. The results revealed that irrigation of cotton with a drip irrigation method at 75 % level had significant benefits in terms of saved irrigation water without reducing yield, and high WUE indicated a definitive advantage of employing deficit irrigation under limited water supply conditions.
Correlates of mortality in elderly COPD patients: Focus on health‐related quality of life
Authors: ANTONELLI‐INCALZI Raffaele , PEDONE Claudio , SCARLATA Simone , BATTAGLIA Salvatore , SCICHILONE Nicola , FORESTIERE Francesco , BELLIA Vincenzo 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTBackground and objective:  The Saint George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) is widely used as a measure of health‐related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with COPD. This study tested whether the SGRQ predicts the survival of patients with COPD.Methods:  The study recruited 238 patients with COPD who were participants in the multicentre Salute Respiratoria nell'Anziano (Sa.R.A.) study. Patients' sociodemographic, clinical and functional characteristics were assessed and the association between the SGRQ and mortality, corrected for potential confounders, was estimated.Results:  The mean age of study participants was 72.6 years. Over the 5‐year observation period there were 88 deaths. After adjustment for potential confounders, the SGRQ score was associated with an increased risk of dying (hazard ratio (HR): 1.22 for four‐point increments; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02–1.45). There was no association between mortality and the Symptoms subscale (corrected HR: 1.13; 95% CI: 0.96–1.32), whereas each four‐point increment of the Activity (HR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.00–1.43) and Impact (HR: 1.38; 95% CI: 1.03–1.83) subscale scores were associated with increased mortality. Higher FEV1 relative to predicted (HR: 0.73 for each 5% increment; 95% CI: 0.58–0.91) and better performance at the 6‐min walking test relative to predicted (HR: 0.93 for each 5% increment; 95% CI: 0.89–0.97) were associated with lower mortality.Conclusions:  In elderly COPD patients, the SGRQ can improve prognostic models based on classical indicators of disease severity.
Incidence and risk factors for preincision hypotension in a noncardiac pediatric surgical population
Authors: NAFIU OLUBUKOLA O. , KHETERPAL SACHIN , MORRIS MICHELLE , REYNOLDS PAUL I. , MALVIYA SHOBHA , TREMPER KEVIN K. 
Published: December 2008

SummaryBackground:  Routine monitoring of blood pressure is an essential part of perioperative care in adults and children. It is however not known whether intraoperative hypotension (IOH) is clinically important in the ‘healthy’ pediatric patient. This may be partly due to the lack of data on the incidence and consequences of IOH in this group of patients. We utilized the Brain Trauma Foundation definition of hypotension to describe the incidence of preincision hypotension (PIH) in a large pediatric noncardiac surgical population and identified risk factors for the occurrence PIH.Methods:  We examined the electronic perioperative records of all children aged 1–17 years undergoing general anesthesia for noncardiac surgeries between January 2005 and June 2007 in our institution. Frequency and factors associated with PIH were computed. Binary logistic regression with forward step‐wise algorithm was used to examine factors associated with PIH.Results:  There were 22 263 children of whom 57.6% were males. Most (94.9%) cases were elective, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I–II (79.5%) procedures. Inhalational induction was predominantly used in this cohort (67%) although 33% of patients had propofol either as a sole induction agent or as part of a ‘co‐induction’ regime. Single or multiple episodes of PIH occurred in 35.8% of patients. PIH was more common in patients with ASA ≥ III (P < 0.001); those with preoperative hypotension (P < 0.001); and following intravenous induction (P < 0.001) as well as propofol co‐induction (P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis the following were significant predictors of PIH: baseline hypotension, propofol co‐induction, age, ASA ≥ III, and long preincision period.Conclusion:  Preincision hypotension is common in the pediatric surgical population undergoing general anesthesia. Factors independently predictive of PIH included high ASA status, pre‐existing hypotension, propofol co‐induction prolonged preincision period and adolescent age group. The importance of blood pressure monitoring, prompt recognition of hypotension and use of appropriate intervention is emphasized.
Inferring the parameters of the neutral theory of biodiversity using phylogenetic information and implications for tropical forests
Authors: Jabot Franck , Chave Jérôme 
Published: December 2008

AbstractWe develop a statistical method to infer the parameters of Hubbell’s neutral model of biodiversity using data on local species abundances and their phylogenetic relatedness. This method uses the approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) approach, where the data are summarized into a small number of informative summary statistics. We used three statistics: the number of species in the sample, ShannonHindex of evenness and Shao and Sokal’sB1index of phylogenetic tree imbalance. Our approach was found to outperform previous methods, illustrating the potential of ABC methods in ecology. Applying it to four large tropical forest tree data sets, the best‐fit immigration ratesmwere found to be two orders of magnitude smaller and regional diversitiesθlarger than previously reported for the same data. This implies that neutral‐compatible regional pools of tropical trees should extend over continental scales, and thatmmeasures, in this context, mostly the frequency of long‐distance dispersal events.
Methylmercury enters an aquatic food web through acidophilic microbial mats in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Authors: Boyd Eric S. , King Susan , Tomberlin Jeffery K. , Nordstrom D. Kirk , Krabbenhoft David P. , Barkay Tamar , Geesey Gill G. 
Published: December 2008

SummaryMicrobial mats are a visible and abundant life form inhabiting the extreme environments in Yellowstone National Park (YNP), WY, USA. Little is known of their role in food webs that exist in the Park's geothermal habitats. Eukaryotic green algae associated with a phototrophic green/purple Zygogonium microbial mat community that inhabits low‐temperature regions of acidic (pH ∼ 3.0) thermal springs were found to serve as a food source for stratiomyid (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) larvae. Mercury in spring source water was taken up and concentrated by the mat biomass. Monomethylmercury compounds (MeHg+), while undetectable or near the detection limit (0.025 ng l−1) in the source water of the springs, was present at concentrations of 4–7 ng g−1 dry weight of mat biomass. Detection of MeHg+ in tracheal tissue of larvae grazing the mat suggests that MeHg+ enters this geothermal food web through the phototrophic microbial mat community. The concentration of MeHg+ was two to five times higher in larval tissue than mat biomass indicating MeHg+ biomagnification occurred between primary producer and primary consumer trophic levels. The Zygogonium mat community and stratiomyid larvae may also play a role in the transfer of MeHg+ to species in the food web whose range extends beyond a particular geothermal feature of YNP.
HD‐GYP domain proteins regulate biofilm formation and virulence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Ryan Robert P. , Lucey Jean , O'Donovan Karen , McCarthy Yvonne , Yang Liang , Tolker‐Nielsen Tim , Dow J. Maxwell 
Published: December 2008

SummaryHD‐GYP is a protein domain involved in the hydrolysis of the bacterial second messenger cyclic‐di‐GMP. The genome of the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 encodes two proteins (PA4108, PA4781) with an HD‐GYP domain and a third protein, PA2572, which contains a domain with variant key residues (YN‐GYP). Here we have investigated the role of these proteins in biofilm formation, virulence factor synthesis and virulence of P. aeruginosa. Mutation of PA4108 and PA4781 led to an increase in the level of cyclic‐di‐GMP in P. aeruginosa, consistent with the predicted activity of the encoded proteins as cyclic‐di‐GMP phosphodiesterases. Mutation of both genes led to reduced swarming motility but had differing effects on production of the virulence factors pyocyanin, pyoverdin and ExoS. Mutation of PA2572 had no effect on cyclic‐di‐GMP levels and did not influence swarming motility. However, PA2572 had a negative influence on swarming that was cryptic and was revealed only after removal of an uncharacterized C‐terminal domain. Mutation of PA4108, PA4781 and PA2572 had distinct effects on biofilm formation and architecture of P. aeruginosa. All three proteins contributed to virulence of P. aeruginosa to larvae of the Greater Wax moth Galleria mellonella.
Examining the conflation of multiculturalism, sexism, and religious fundamentalism through Taylor and Bakhtin: expanding post‐colonial feminist epistemology
Authors: Racine Louise 
Published: December 2008

AbstractIn this post‐9/11 era marked by religious and ethnic conflicts and the rise of cultural intolerance, ambiguities arising from the conflation of multiculturalism, sexism, and religious fundamentalism jeopardize the delivery of culturally safe nursing care to non‐Western populations. This new social reality requires nurses to develop a heightened awareness of health issues pertaining to racism and ethnocentrism to provide culturally safe care to non‐Western immigrants or refugees. Through the lens of post‐colonial feminism, this paper explores the challenge of providing culturally safe nursing care in the context of the post‐9/11 in Canadian healthcare settings. A critical appraisal of the literature demonstrates that post‐colonial feminism, despite some limitations, remains a valuable theoretical perspective to apply in cultural nursing research and develop culturally safe nursing practice. Post‐colonial feminism offers the analytical lens to understand how health, social and cultural context, race and gender intersect to impact on non‐Western populations’ health. However, an uncritical application of post‐colonial feminism may not serve racialized men's and women's interests because of its essentialist risk. Post‐colonial feminism must expand its epistemological assumptions to integrate Taylor's concept of identity and recognition and Bakhtin's concepts of dialogism and unfinalizability to explore non‐Western populations’ health issues and the context of nursing practice. This would strengthen the theoretical adequacy of post‐colonial feminist approaches in unveiling the process of racialization that arises from the conflation of multiculturalism, sexism, and religious fundamentalism in Western healthcare settings.
‘The demented other’: identity and difference in dementia
Authors: Naue Ursula , Kroll Thilo 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThis paper explores the impact of the concepts of identity and difference on demented persons (especially on persons with Alzheimer's disease). The diagnosis of dementia is often synonymous with the assertion that demented individuals are no longer capable of making reasonable decisions. But rationality is an important aspect of characterizing a person's identity. Hence, this prevailing image of dementia as a loss of self and a change of identity leads to the situation that demented persons represent difference and otherness. Here, the brain and the mind act as the source for difference. The paper discusses several identity concepts with regard to demented persons and the relationship between identity and difference in dementia. This analysis is accompanied by an examination of the current biopolitics of dementia and ageing as biopolitics constitutes the socio‐political‐medical understanding of dementia. Challenges and possibilities for dementia care will be explored in the context of this complex relationship between theoretical concepts and political, medical, and health‐care practices.