bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Morphine is an arteriolar vasodilator in man
Authors: Afshari Reza , Maxwell Simon R. J. , Webb David J. , Bateman D. Nicholas
Published: January 2009

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT

• It has been recognized for about 10 years that morphine is a veno‐dilator in man and that this effect may be related to histamine release.

WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS

• This effect also occurs in the arteriolar system, with vasodilatation at doses of morphine that may have clinical relevance in patients with heart failure, or who abuse opioids.

• The effect is mediated by histamine release and actions of nitric oxide.

• The mechanisms of this effect of morphine are unclear, but suggest an alternative therapeutic target in vascular disease.

AIMThe mechanisms of action of morphine on the arterial system are not well understood. The aim was to report forearm vascular responses, and their mediation, to intra‐arterial morphine in healthy subjects.

METHODSThree separate protocols were performed: (i) dose ranging; (ii) acute tolerance; (iii) randomized crossover mechanistic study on forearm blood flow (FBF) responses to intrabrachial infusion of morphine using venous occlusion plethysmography. Morphine was infused either alone (study 1 and 2), or with an antagonist: naloxone, combined histamine‐1 and histamine‐2 receptor blockade or during a nitric oxide clamp.

RESULTSMorphine caused an increase in FBF at doses of 30 µg min−1[3.25 (0.26) ml min−1 100 ml−1][mean (SEM)] doubling at 100 µg min−1to 5.23 (0.53) ml min−1 100 ml−1. Acute tolerance was not seen to 50 µg min−1morphine, with increased FBF [3.96 (0.35) ml min−1 100 ml−1] (P = 0.003), throughout the 30‐min infusion period. Vasodilatation was abolished by pretreatment with antihistamines (P = 0.008) and the nitric oxide clamp (P < 0.001), but not affected by naloxone. The maximum FBF with pretreatment with combined H1/H2 blockade was 3.06 (0.48) and 2.90 (0.17) ml min−1 100 ml−1after 30 min, whereas with morphine alone it reached 4.3 (0.89) ml min−1 100 ml−1.

CONCLUSIONSIntra‐arterial infusion of morphine into the forearm circulation causes vasodilatation through local histamine‐modulated nitric oxide release. Opioid receptor mechanisms need further exploration.
Transfer of methylamphetamine and amphetamine into breast milk following recreational use of methylamphetamine
Authors: Bartu Anne , Dusci Leon J. , Ilett Kenneth F.
Published: January 2009

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT

• The extent of drug transfer into milk during recreational intravenous use of methylamphetamine has not previously been studied.

WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS

• We have shown that methylamphetamine transfers into breast milk.

• The amount a breastfed infant would receive varied over 2.5‐fold range.

• A 48‐h withholding period for breastfeeding is recommended following recreational use.

AIMS To investigate the transfer of amphetamines into breast milk following their recreational use and estimate drug exposure for the breastfed infant.

METHODS Two breastfeeding mothers who were occasional recreational users of intravenous amphetamines were studied. A urine sample was collected 4 h after dose, and milk samples were collected over 24 h. Drug in urine was qualitatively identified by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry and quantification in milk was by high‐performance liquid chromatography. Absolute infant dose via milk was estimated.

RESULTS The urines contained predominantly methylamphetamine together with smaller amounts of amphetamine. In the 24 h after dose, average concentrations in milk were 111 µg l−1 and 281 µg l−1 for methylamphetamine and 4 µg l−1 and 15 µg l−1 for amphetamine in cases 1 and 2, respectively. Absolute infant doses for methylamphetamine plus amphetamine (as methylamphetamine equivalents) were 17.5 µg kg−1 day−1 and 44.7 µg kg−1 day−1, respectively, for cases 1 and 2.

CONCLUSION These limited data suggest that breastfeeding should be withheld for 48 h after recreational amphetamine use.
Fast food consumption counters the protective effect of breastfeeding on asthma in children?
Authors: Mai X‐M. , Becker A. B. , Liem J. J. , Kozyrskyj A. L.
Published: January 2009

Background
Fast food consumption and childhood asthma have rapidly increased in recent decades. During the same period there has been an increased rate of prolonged breastfeeding.

Objective
To evaluate if fast food consumption was associated with asthma in children, and if the proposed protective effect of breastfeeding on asthma was altered by fast food consumption.

Methods
This case–control study included 246 children with allergist‐diagnosed asthma and 477 non‐asthmatic controls at age 8–10 years. Information on fast food consumption and exclusive breastfeeding was obtained from questionnaire data. The association between asthma and fast food consumption was evaluated. Asthma in relation to exclusive breastfeeding was also evaluated, taking into account fast food consumption as a modifying factor.

Results
Children with asthma were more likely to consume fast food than children without asthma [crude odds ratio (OR) 1.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.23–2.34]. In comparison to prolonged exclusive breastfeeding (12 weeks), asthma was positively associated with short‐term exclusive breastfeeding (<12 weeks) in children who never or occasionally consumed fast food (crude OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.09–3.11), but not in children who frequently consumed fast food (crude OR 1.07, 95% CI 0.72–1.61). The P‐value for this interaction (0.109) was borderline. Children with high fast food consumption who were exclusively breastfed <12 weeks as infants, had greater than a twofold risk of asthma compared with infants who had been exclusively breastfed for a longer time period and who did not become high consumers of fast food in later childhood. These findings were not affected after final adjustment of confounders and covariates.

Conclusion
Fast food consumption is associated with asthma in children and potentially counteracts the protective effect of prolonged breastfeeding on asthma. This may explain the paradoxical phenomenon of parallel increased rates of prolonged breastfeeding and asthma in children.
Relevance of cytotoxic alloreactivity under different immunosuppressive regimens in clinical islet cell transplantation
Authors: Roelen D L , Huurman V A L , Hilbrands R , Gillard P , Duinkerken G , Van Der Meer-Prins P W M , Versteeg-van der Voort Maarschalk M F J , Mathieu C , Keymeulen B , Pipeleers D G , Roep B O , Claas F H J
Published: January 2009

Islet or β cell transplantation provides a promising cure for type 1 diabetes patients, but insulin-independency decreases frequently over time. Immunosuppressive regimens are implemented attempting to cope with both auto- and alloimmunity after transplantation. We analysed the influence of different immunotherapies on autoreactive and alloreactive T cell patterns and transplant outcome. Patients receiving three different immunosuppressive regimens were analysed. All patients received anti-thymocyte globulin induction therapy. Twenty-one patients received tacrolimus–mycophenolate mofetil maintenance immunosuppression, whereas the other patients received tacrolimus–sirolimus (SIR, n = 5) or SIR only (n = 5). Cellular autoreactivity and alloreactivity (CTL precursor frequency) were measured ex vivo. Clinical outcome in the first 6 months after transplantation was correlated with immunological parameters. C-peptide levels were significantly different between the three groups studied (P = 0·01). We confirm that C-peptide production was correlated negatively with pretransplant cellular autoreactivity and low graft size (P = 0·001, P = 0·007 respectively). Combining all three therapies, cellular autoimmunity after transplantation was not associated with delayed insulin-independence or C-peptide production. In combined tacrolimus–SIR and SIR-treated patients, CTL alloreactivity was associated with less insulin independence and C-peptide production (P = 0·03). The percentage of donors to whom high CTLp frequencies were measured was lower in insulin-independent recipients (P = 0·03). In this cohort of islet cell graft recipients, clinical outcome in the first 6 months after transplantation correlates with the applied immunosuppressive regimen. An association exists between insulin-independence and lower incidence of CTL alloreactivity towards donor human leucocyte antigen. This observational study demonstrates the usefulness of monitoring T cell reactivity against islet allografts to correlate immune function with graft survival.
Functional aspects of Toll-like receptor/MyD88 signalling during protozoan infection: focus on Toxoplasma gondii
Authors: Egan C E , Sukhumavasi W , Butcher B A , Denkers E Y
Published: January 2009

Toll-like receptor (TLR)/MyD88 signalling has emerged as a major pathway of pathogen recognition in the innate immune system. Here, we review recent data that begin to show how this pathway controls the immune response to protozoan infection, with particular emphasis on the opportunistic pathogen Toxoplasma gondii. The various ways that the parasite activates and suppresses TLR/MyD88 signalling defines several key principals that illuminate the complexities of the host–pathogen interaction. We also speculate how TLR/MyD88 signalling might be exploited to provide protection against Toxoplasma, as well as other protozoa and infection in general.
Saccharomyces boulardii inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced activation of human dendritic cells and T cell proliferation
Authors: Thomas S , Przesdzing I , Metzke D , Schmitz J , Radbruch A , Baumgart D C
Published: January 2009

Saccharomyces boulardii (Sb) is a probiotic yeast preparation that has demonstrated efficacy in inflammatory and infectious disorders of the gastrointestinal tract in controlled clinical trials. Although patients clearly benefit from treatment with Sb, little is known on how Sb unfolds its anti-inflammatory properties in humans. Dendritic cells (DC) balance tolerance and immunity and are involved critically in the control of T cell activation. Thus, they are believed to have a pivotal role in the initiation and perpetuation of chronic inflammatory disorders, not only in the gut. We therefore decided to investigate if Sb modulates DC function. Culture of primary (native, non-monocyte-derived) human myeloid CD1c+CD11c+CD123– DC (mDC) in the presence of Sb culture supernatant (active component molecular weight < 3 kDa, as evaluated by membrane partition chromatography) reduced significantly expression of the co-stimulatory molecules CD40 and CD80 (P < 0·01) and the DC mobilization marker CC-chemokine receptor CCR7 (CD197) (P < 0·001) induced by the prototypical microbial antigen lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Moreover, secretion of key proinflammatory cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor-α and interleukin (IL)-6 were notably reduced, while the secretion of anti-inflammatory IL-10 increased. Finally, Sb supernatant inhibited the proliferation of naive T cells in a mixed lymphocyte reaction with mDC. In summary, our data suggest that Sb may exhibit part of its anti-inflammatory potential through modulation of DC phenotype, function and migration by inhibition of their immune response to bacterial microbial surrogate antigens such as LPS.
The use of screening episodes linked to CIN3 and invasive cancer registrations to study outcomes from the NHS Cervical Screening Programme
Authors: Blanks R. G. , Moss S. M. , Coleman D. A. , Addou S. , Swerdlow A. J.
Published: January 2009

Objective:  To examine how NHS cervical screening data can be collected and analysed in order to evaluate women’s screening histories as episodes rather than as individual smears.

Design:  Analysis of routine cervical screening data grouped into screening episodes for a cohort of women regarding episodes starting in a given year.

Setting:  NHS Cervical Screening Programme.

Population:  Data from four Health Authorities (now eight Primary Care Trusts) from the NHS Cervical Screening Programme with primary smears (first in an episode) taken between 1 April 1999 and 31 March 2000.

Methods:  Cytology information obtained from the call/recall (‘Exeter’) computer system was linked to cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 3 and invasive cancer outcome information obtained from cancer registries. Screening histories were divided into episodes, each starting with a primary smear that was followed up to episode closure or, for episodes still open followed for an average 4.25 years, from the primary smear. The episode was divided into two parts (up to referral to colposcopy and following the referral). The outcomes of the episodes are described including referral rate to colposcopy and CIN3 and invasive cancer rates by factors such as age.

Main outcome measures:  Episode histories and rates of referral to colposcopy, CIN3 and invasive cancer.

Results:  There were 176 923 episodes from 176 319 women (1.003 episodes per woman) followed up to March 2004, the date at which the first phase of information accrual ceased. Of these episodes, 172 100 (97.3%) were closed either by a negative smear referring the woman back to routine recall or by default (defined as no smear recorded within 21 months following a smear requiring an action of repeat or refer to colposcopy). The remaining 4823 (2.7%) of episodes were still open, of which in 3121 (1.8%) the woman had been referred to colposcopy and in 1702 (1.0%) no referral decision had been made. Referral rates to colposcopy varied by age from 5.7% in women aged 20–24 years down to 0.9% in women aged 60–64 years. The overall efficiency of screening was highest for woman aged about 30 years, with a CIN3 detection rate of eight per 1000 women and a positive predictive value (for CIN3 or worse) of referral to colposcopy of 21%.

Conclusion:  The study has shown that routinely collected NHS cervical screening data can be combined to give information on complete episodes, allowing important performance measures to be studied. We suggest that in future information in the NHS screening system should be structured to facilitate such analysis and to allow cytology and histology information to be readily linked.
Atypical glandular cells in cervical smears: histological correlation and a suggested plan of management based on age of the patient in a low‐resource setting
Authors: Adhya A. K. , Mahesha V. , Srinivasan R. , Nijhawan R. , Rajwanshi A. , Suri V. , Dhaliwal L. K.
Published: January 2009

Objectives:  To perform an audit of all smears reported as atypical glandular cells (AGC) using the Bethesda system (TBS) 2001.

Methods:  A total of 18 376 cervical smears were screened from January 2005 to June 2007, of which 65 cases were reported as AGC. Follow‐up histology was available in 31 cases (47.7%), in whom a detailed cytological/histological correlation was carried out.

Results:  AGC constituted 0.35% of all Pap smears. Follow‐up histology was normal or benign in 20 cases, whereas a squamous or glandular abnormality was seen in 11 cases. Squamous abnormalities included one case each of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)1, CIN2 and CIN3 and five cases of squamous cell carcinoma. All glandular epithelial abnormalities were endometrial in origin and included two endometrial adenocarcinomas and one uterine serous carcinoma. Neither in situ nor invasive adenocarcinoma of the endocervix was observed. Review of smears and reclassification as AGC, not otherwise specified and favour neoplasia revealed a higher proportion of abnormality in the latter group, reaffirming the utility of subtyping. The median age of women with AGC was 41 years. The outcome was analysed with respect to the median age. In women aged equal or more than 40 years, AGC reflected a high‐grade squamous or glandular epithelial abnormality in 50% of cases compared with none in those less than 40 years old (P = 0.010).

Conclusion:  The age of the woman as well as the subtype of atypical glandular cells influences outcome and hence must be taken into consideration while formulating an acceptable management strategy in these women in a low‐resource setting.
Microhabitat use by three endemic Iberian cyprinids in Mediterranean rivers (Tagus River Basin, Spain)
Authors: MARTÍNEZ‐CAPEL F. , GARCÍA DE JALÓN D. , WERENITZKY D. , BAEZA D. , RODILLA‐ALAMÁ M.
Published: January 2009

Abstract  Microhabitat use by three endemic Iberian cyprinids, Barbus bocagei (Steindachner), Pseudochondrostoma polylepis (Steindachner), and Squalius pyrenaicus (Günther) was studied in terms of depth, mean water column velocity, focal height, focal velocity, distance to shore and substrate. Data were obtained by snorkelling during spring and summer at nine sites of the Tagus River Basin, Spain. Habitat suitability criteria (HSC) were calculated, including fish position and focal velocity in the water column. Species comparison showed differences in depth and focal height (indicating a vertical segregation), and greater water velocities for Pseudochondrostoma. Size‐class comparisons mainly showed differences in depth and focal height (correlated with fish size). The fish groups (3 species × 3 length classes) were assigned to microhabitat functional types. The results are essential for environmental flow assessments and allow 2‐ and 3‐dimensional habitat simulations in Mediterranean rivers; they are also useful to define critical habitats for the conservation of native fish populations.
Fishing agreements in the lower Amazon: for gain and restraint
Authors: ALMEIDA O. T. , LORENZEN K. , McGRATH D. G.
Published: January 2009

Abstract  Co‐management agreements, whereby community rules for the management of local floodplain lake fisheries are legalised and enforced by the government, have become common in the lower Amazon. Agreements are intended to limit exploitation, in particular by commercial boats, to raise stock abundance and fisheries productivity for the benefit of local subsistence‐oriented fishers and for conservation. A spatially replicated observational study was carried out to evaluate the performance of fishing agreements in terms of perceived rule compliance and actual impacts on fishing activities, catch and catch per unit of effort (CPUE, a measure of fisheries productivity and proxy for stock abundance). Perceived rule compliance was high, and this was corroborated by observed changes in fishing practices. Catch per unit of effort was significantly higher (by 48% on average) in areas subject to fishing agreements than in control areas without. Most likely this effect was attributable to the effective exclusion of mobile commercial fishing boats. Household fishing effort and catch in local communities were not significantly affected by the agreements, although a tendency towards slightly higher catches at lower effort was noticeable. In conclusion, the co‐management agreements have led to greater local control over resources and brought significant productivity and conservation benefits.
Carbon losses due to soil warming: Do autotrophic and heterotrophic soil respiration respond equally?
Authors: SCHINDLBACHER ANDREAS , ZECHMEISTER‐BOLTENSTERN SOPHIE , JANDL ROBERT
Published: January 2009

Global warming has the potential to increase soil respiration (RS), one of the major fluxes in the global carbon (C) cycle. RS consists of an autotrophic (RA) and a heterotrophic (RH) component. We combined a soil warming experiment with a trenching experiment to assess how RS, RA, and RH are affected. The experiment was conducted in a mature forest dominated by Norway spruce. The site is located in the Austrian Alps on dolomitic bedrock. We warmed the soil of undisturbed and trenched plots by means of heating cables 4 °C above ambient during the snow‐free seasons of 2005 and 2006. Soil warming increased the CO2 efflux from control plots (RS) by ∼45% during 2005 and ∼47% during 2006. The CO2 efflux from trenched plots (RH) increased by ∼39% during 2005 and ∼45% during 2006. Similar responses of RS and RH indicated that the autotrophic and heterotrophic components of RS responded equally to the temperature increase. Thirty‐five to forty percent or 1 t C ha−1 yr−1 of the overall annual increase in RS (2.8 t C ha−1 yr−1) was autotrophic. The remaining, heterotrophic part of soil respiration (1.8 t C ha−1 yr−1), represented the warming‐induced C loss from the soil. The autotrophic component showed a distinct seasonal pattern. Contribution of RA to RS was highest during summer. Seasonally derived Q10 values reflected this pattern and were correspondingly high (5.3–9.3). The autotrophic CO2 efflux increase due to the 4 °C warming implied a Q10 of 2.9. Hence, seasonally derived Q10 of RA did not solely reflect the seasonal soil temperature development.
Climate change and plant distribution: local models predict high‐elevation persistence
Authors: RANDIN CHRISTOPHE F. , ENGLER ROBIN , NORMAND SIGNE , ZAPPA MASSIMILIANO , ZIMMERMANN NIKLAUS E. , PEARMAN PETER B. , VITTOZ PASCAL , THUILLER WILFRIED , GUISAN ANTOINE
Published: January 2009

Mountain ecosystems will likely be affected by global warming during the 21st century, with substantial biodiversity loss predicted by species distribution models (SDMs). Depending on the geographic extent, elevation range, and spatial resolution of data used in making these models, different rates of habitat loss have been predicted, with associated risk of species extinction. Few coordinated across‐scale comparisons have been made using data of different resolutions and geographic extents. Here, we assess whether climate change‐induced habitat losses predicted at the European scale (10 × 10′ grid cells) are also predicted from local‐scale data and modeling (25 m × 25 m grid cells) in two regions of the Swiss Alps. We show that local‐scale models predict persistence of suitable habitats in up to 100% of species that were predicted by a European‐scale model to lose all their suitable habitats in the area. Proportion of habitat loss depends on climate change scenario and study area. We find good agreement between the mismatch in predictions between scales and the fine‐grain elevation range within 10 × 10′ cells. The greatest prediction discrepancy for alpine species occurs in the area with the largest nival zone. Our results suggest elevation range as the main driver for the observed prediction discrepancies. Local‐scale projections may better reflect the possibility for species to track their climatic requirement toward higher elevations.
Seminal expression of NY‐ESO‐1 and MAGE‐A4 as markers for the testicular cancer
Authors: Satie Anne‐Pascale , Auger Jacques , Chevrier Cécile , Le Bon Cynthia , Jouannet Pierre , Samson Michel , Jégou Bernard
Published: January 2009

Testicular germ cell tumours (TGCTs) are the most common malignancies in Caucasian young men and their incidence has increased over the past decades. However, a non‐invasive test allowing an early diagnosis of TGCT often proves inaccurate. We have previously shown that two Cancer‐Testis Antigens (CTA), namely MAGE‐A4 and NY‐ESO‐1, were expressed by TGCT. As exfoliation of carcinoma in situ (CIS) cells or tumour germ cells from testis into seminal fluid can occur, here we studied the expression of the 2 CTA in semen smears of patients with testicular cancer in comparison with healthy men. Using semen smears from healthy controls (n = 65) and patients diagnosed for testicular tumour (n = 57) and immunological staining, we observed expression of MAGE‐A4 and NY‐ESO‐1 proteins in seminal fluid exfoliated cells. We found a highly statistically significant difference in the ratios of stained cells to the total number of round cells between testicular cancer patients and healthy controls. Multivariable analysis, including sperm parameters and immunostaining on sperm smears, shows the improvement. This technique can provide towards testicular cancer diagnosis when it is included in the current testing regime. However, the fact that expression of these markers was not restricted to foetal germ cells led to detection in the semen of a number of healthy subjects. Although the detection of these CTA could be useful to characterize the sub‐type of individual TGCTs better, we stress here that the false positive rate precludes the exclusive employment of these CTA for the early detection of testicular neoplasia.
Bird diversity: a predictable function of satellite‐derived estimates of seasonal variation in canopy light absorbance across the United States
Authors: Coops Nicholas C. , Waring Richard H. , Wulder Michael A. , Pidgeon Anna M. , Radeloff Volker C.
Published: January 2009

Aim  To investigate the relationships between bird species richness derived from the North American Breeding Bird Survey and estimates of the average, minimum, and the seasonal variation in canopy light absorbance (the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation, fPAR) derived from NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS).

Location  Continental USA.

Methods  We describe and apply a ‘dynamic habitat index’ (DHI), which incorporates three components based on monthly measures of canopy light absorbance through the year. The three components are the annual sum, the minimum, and the seasonal variation in monthly fPAR, acquired at a spatial resolution of 1 km, over a 6‐year period (2000–05). The capacity of these three DHI components to predict bird species richness across 84 defined ecoregions was assessed using regression models.

Results  Total bird species richness showed the highest correlation with the composite DHI [R2 = 0.88, P < 0.001, standard error of estimate (SE) = 8 species], followed by canopy nesters (R2 = 0.79, P < 0.001, SE = 3 species) and grassland species (R2 = 0.74, P < 0.001, SE = 1 species). Overall, the seasonal variation in fPAR, compared with the annual average fPAR, and its spatial variation across the landscape, were the components that accounted for most (R2 = 0.55–0.88) of the observed variation in bird species richness.

Main conclusions  The strong relationship between the DHI and observed avian biodiversity suggests that seasonal and interannual variation in remotely sensed fPAR can provide an effective tool for predicting patterns of avian species richness at regional and broader scales, across the conterminous USA.
Determinants of cryptogam composition and diversity in Sphagnum‐dominated peatlands: the importance of temporal, spatial and functional scales
Authors: Lang Simone I. , Cornelissen Johannes H. C. , Hölzer Adam , Ter Braak Cajo J. F. , Ahrens Matthias , Callaghan Terry V. , Aerts Rien
Published: January 2009

Changing temperature regimes and precipitation patterns in the Subarctic will impact on vegetation composition and diversity including those of bryophyte and lichen communities, which are major drivers of high‐latitude carbon and nutrient cycling and hydrology.

We investigated the relative importance of such impacts at different temporal, spatial and plant functional scales in subarctic Sphagnum fuscum‐dominated peatlands, comprising both an in situ warming experiment and natural climatic and topographic gradients in northern Sweden and Norway. We applied multivariate analyses to investigate the relationships among cryptogam and vascular plant species composition and abiotic (temperature, moisture) and biotic (Sphagnum growth) regimes at various scales.

At the short‐term temporal scale (4‐year warming experiment), increased temperature yielded no clear effect on cryptogam or vascular plant species composition. Spatially, direct effects of temperature were decisive for overall species composition across regions (macro‐scale) rather than within one region (meso‐scale). Moisture and Sphagnum growth were drivers of species composition at all spatial scales, and Sphagnum growth itself depended on its position on the microtopographic gradient and on temperature.

Grouping of bryophytes and lichens at increasing scales of functional aggregation from species, growth form to the major higher taxon level (Sphagnum, other mosses, liverworts, lichens) revealed mostly increasing correlation with climate regimes and Sphagnum growth. Excluding liverworts from the analysis tended to reduce the correlation.

Abundances of lichens, liverworts, non‐Sphagnum mosses and (to a lesser degree) vascular plants were negatively related to Sphagnum abundance. Few cryptogam and vascular plant species showed a positive relationship with Sphagnum abundance. Correspondingly, cryptogam species richness and Shannon Index on peatlands strongly declined as Sphagnum abundance increased, while indices for vascular plants showed no significant relationship.

Synthesis. Scale, be it spatial or functional, strongly determined which environmental drivers showed the clearest relationships with vegetation composition and diversity. Our findings will help to optimize predictions about long‐term effects of climate on peatland vegetation composition, and subsequently its feedbacks to carbon and water cycles, at the regional scale.
Genetic relatedness and disrupted social structure in a poached population of African elephants
Authors: GOBUSH KATHLEEN , KERR BEN , WASSER SAMUEL
Published: January 2009

We use genetic measures of relatedness and observations of female bonding to examine the demographic signature of historically heavy poaching of a population of free‐ranging African elephants. We collected dung samples to obtain DNA and observed behaviour from 102 elephant families over a 25‐month period in 2003–2005 in Mikumi National Park, Tanzania. Poaching reduced the population by 75% in the decade prior to the 1989 ivory trade ban; park records indicate that poaching dropped significantly in Mikumi following the ban. Using 10 microsatellite loci, DNA was genotyped in 203 elephants and pair‐wise relatedness was calculated among adult females within and between groups. The Mikumi population is characterized by small group size, considerable variation in group relatedness, females with no first‐order adult relatives and females that form only weak social bonds. We used gene‐drop analysis and a model of a genetically intact pedigree to compare our observed Mikumi group relatedness to a simulated genetically intact unpoached expectation. The majority of groups in Mikumi contain 2 to 3 adults; of these, 45% were classified as genetically disrupted. Bonding, quantified with a pair‐wise association index, was significantly correlated with relatedness; however only half of the females formed strong bonds with other females, and relatedness was substantially lower for a given bond strength as compared to an unpoached population. Female African elephants without kin demonstrated considerable behavioural plasticity in this disturbed environment, grouping with other females lacking kin, with established groups, or remaining alone, unable to form any stable adult female‐bonds. We interpret these findings as the remaining effect of poaching disturbance in Mikumi, despite a drop in the level of poaching since the commercial trade in ivory was banned 15 years ago.
Morphological and molecular variation in tiger beetles of the Cicindela hybrida complex: is an ‘integrative taxonomy’ possible?
Authors: CARDOSO A. , SERRANO A. , VOGLER A. P.
Published: January 2009

Current taxon assignments at the species level are frequently discordant with DNA‐based analyses. Recent studies on tiger beetles in the Cicindela hybrida complex identified discordance between mtDNA patterns and the entities currently defined by the taxonomic literature. To test the accuracy of morphologically delimited groups, five named taxa (species) from 24 representative sampling sites across Europe were scored for 41 external morphological characters. Three of the named taxa were ‘diagnosable’, that is, defined by between one and three characters unique to each group. Newly sequenced ITS1 and existing mitochondrial cox1 markers established 20 and 22 different haplotypes, respectively, but only cox1 produced (four) diagnosable units. Phylogenetic analysis and statistical parsimony networks showed poor congruence of character variation with the taxonomic entities (and each other). Variation in morphological characters was therefore tested directly for association with DNA‐based nesting groups at various hierarchical levels using permutational contingency analysis. Significant statistical associations of 11 (of 13 variable) morphological characters were observed with nesting groups from ITS1 and mitochondrial DNA markers, predominantly at the 4‐step level. The analysis demonstrates the need for formal tests of congruence with morphological variation at the level of individual characters, a step that is omitted from recent studies of ‘integrative taxonomy’. In addition, statistical correlation of particular morphological characters with DNA‐based nesting groups can identify the lowest hierarchical level at which various character sets show congruence, as a means to define evolutionarily separated entities supported by diverse data sources.
Families in space: relatedness in the Barents Sea population of polar bears (Ursus maritimus)
Authors: ZEYL E. , AARS J. , EHRICH D. , WIIG Ø.
Published: January 2009

The kin structure and dispersal pattern of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) of the Barents Sea was investigated during the spring mating season using two complementary approaches. First, individual genotypes based on the analyses of 27 microsatellite loci of 583 polar bears were related to field information gathered from 1146 bears in order to reconstruct the animals’ pedigrees and to infer geographical distances between adult bears of different relatedness categories. According to the data, the median natal dispersal distance of the male animals was 52 km while that of the females was 93 km. Second, the relatedness of pairs of adult bears was estimated and correlated to the geographical distance between them. The female dyads had a much stronger kin structure than the male dyads. The ‘pedigree approach’ revealed a male kin structure which could not be detected using the ‘relatedness approach’. This suggests that, on a broader scale, effective dispersal is slightly male biased. Despite fidelity to natal areas, male‐mediated gene flow may nevertheless prevent genetic differentiation. Males might occasionally shift their home range which could therefore lead to a male‐biased breeding dispersal. Our results showed that a nonterritorial species such as the polar bear that has a high dispersal potential, lives in a highly unstable environment and migrates seasonally is still able to exhibit a distinct kin structure during the mating season.
History and evolution of alpine plants endemic to the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau: Aconitum gymnandrum (Ranunculaceae)
Authors: WANG LIUYANG , ABBOTT RICHARD J. , ZHENG WEI , CHEN PING , WANG YUJIN , LIU JIANQUAN
Published: January 2009

How Quaternary climatic oscillations affected range distributions and intraspecific divergence of alpine plants on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau (QTP) remains largely unknown. Here, we report a survey of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) and nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) DNA variation aimed at exploring the phylogeographical history of the QTP alpine endemic Aconitum gymnandrum. We sequenced three cpDNA fragments (rpl20–rps12 intergenic spacer, the trnV intron and psbA‐trnH spacer) and also the nuclear (ITS) region in 245 individuals from 23 populations sampled throughout the species’ range. Two distinct lineages, with eastern and western geographical distributions respectively, were identified from a phylogenetic analysis of ITS sequence variation. Based on a fast substitution rate, these were estimated to have diverged from each other in the early Pleistocene approximately 1.45 Ma. The analysis of cpDNA variation identified nine chlorotypes that clustered into two major clades that were broadly congruent in geographical distribution with the two ITS lineages. The east–west split of cpDNA divergence was supported by an amova which partitioned approximately half of the total variance between these two groups of populations. Analysis of the spatial distribution of chlorotypes showed that each clade was subdivided into two groups of populations such that a total of four population groups existed in the species. It is suggested that these different groups derive from four independent glacial refugia that existed during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), and that three of these refugia were located at high altitude on the QTP platform itself at that time. Coalescent simulation of chlorotype genealogies supported both an early Pleistocene origin of the two main cpDNA clades and also the ‘four‐refugia’ hypothesis during the LGM. Two previous phylogeographical studies of QTP alpine plants indicated that such plants retreated to refugia at the eastern/south‐eastern plateau edge during the LGM and/or previous glacial maxima. However, the results for A. gymnandrum suggest that at least some of these cold‐tolerant species may have also survived centrally on the QTP platform throughout the Quaternary.
Tug of war between continental gene flow and rearing site philopatry in a migratory bird: the sex‐biased dispersal paradigm reconsidered
Authors: LECOMTE NICOLAS , GAUTHIER GILLES , GIROUX JEAN‐FRANÇOIS , MILOT EMMANUEL , BERNATCHEZ LOUIS
Published: January 2009

Nonrandom dispersal has been recently advanced as a mechanism promoting fine‐scale genetic differentiation in resident populations, yet how this applies to species with high rates of dispersal is still unclear. Using a migratory species considered a classical example of male‐biased dispersal (the greater snow goose,Chen caerulescens atlantica), we documented a temporally stable fine‐scale genetic clustering between spatially distinct rearing sites (5–30 km apart), where family aggregates shortly after hatching. Such genetic differentiation can only arise if, in both sexes, dispersal is restricted and nonrandom, a surprising result considering that pairing occurs among mixed flocks of birds more than 3000 km away from the breeding grounds. Fine‐scale genetic structure may thus occur even in migratory species with high gene flow. We further show that looking for genetic structure based on nesting sites only may be misleading. Genetically distinct individuals that segregated into different rearing sites were in fact spatially mixed during nesting. These findings provide new, scale‐dependent links between genetic structure, pairing, and dispersal and show the importance of sampling different stages of the breeding cycle in order to detect a spatial genetic structure.
Curative effect of autologous platelet‐rich plasma on a large cutaneous lesion in a dog
Authors: Kim Jung‐Hyun , Park Chul , Park Hee‐Myung
Published: January 2009

A dorsal tail mass (1 × 1.2 cm) was observed on a 10‐year‐old castrated male, Shih‐tzu dog. A biopsy of the mass was performed and diagnosed histopathologically as a follicular cyst. A necrotic lesion (2.5 × 3 cm) developed at the biopsy site 1 week after sampling and failed to respond to 2 weeks of normal saline cleansing and systemic antibiotic administration. Autologous platelet‐rich plasma was applied to the lesion which gradually improved over a 4‐week period possibly by a contribution to the secretion of growth hormone, which can accelerate tissue regeneration. This case report suggests that autologous PRP may be beneficial in the management of large skin defects or in delayed wound healing.
Diesel oil‐induced alopecia in two cats
Authors: Declercq Jan , De Bosschere Hendrik
Published: January 2009

Two cats were presented for acute onset of rapidly progressive, bilaterally symmetrical hair loss of the ventrum and limbs. Alopecia occurred within 2 weeks after accidental skin exposure to diesel oil. The remaining hair epilated easily in affected areas. Denuded skin was strikingly dry and had adherent scale. Erythema and demarcation between affected and normal skin by a liquid‐line were present in one case. Above this line, the hair could not be removed. The head and the footpads were not involved. Systemic signs were not observed. Both cats made a complete recovery without treatment. Histological examination in one cat revealed severe orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis, mild to moderate acanthosis, follicular keratosis, a moderate dermal infiltrate of mast cells and an almost complete absence of sebaceous glands. If skin contact with diesel oil occurs in a cat, thorough washing of skin and haircoat after soaking in prue vegetable oil is recommended.
Prevalence of dural ectasia in 63 gene‐mutation‐positive patients with features of Marfan syndrome type 1 and Loeys‐Dietz syndrome and report of 22 novel FBN1 mutations
Authors: Söylen B , Singh KK , Abuzainin A , Rommel K , Becker H , Arslan‐Kirchner M , Schmidtke J
Published: January 2009

Marfan syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder involving different organ systems. Marfan syndrome type 1 (MFS1) is caused by mutations in the FBN1 gene. Heterozygosity for mutations in the TGFBR1 or TGFBR2 genes cause Loeys–Dietz syndrome (LDS) types 2A and 2B that overlap with MFS1 in their clinical features. The phenotype of MFS1 is defined by the Ghent nosology, which classifies the clinical manifestations in major and minor criteria. Dural ectasia is one of the major criteria for Marfan syndrome but it is rarely tested for. We here report 22 novel and 9 recurrent mutations in the FBN1 gene in 36 patients with clinical features of Marfan syndrome. Sixty patients with identified mutations in the FBN1 gene and three patients with mutations in the TGFBR1 or TGFBR2 genes were examined for dural ectasia. Forty‐seven of the 60 patients (78%) with MFS1 showed the dural ectasia criterion and 13 (22%) did not. Thirty‐three (55%) patients were suspected of having Marfan syndrome and 24 (73%) of them had dural ectasia. Two of the three patients with LDS had dural ectasia.
Evaluation of Grain Filling Rate and Duration in Bread and Durum Wheat, under Heat Stress after Anthesis
Authors: Dias A. S. , Lidon F. C.
Published: January 2009

Bread and durum wheat genotypes were submitted to heat stress during the grain filling period, and relationships between grain weight and accumulated time from anthesis until maturity, using days after anthesis and growing degree days, were described by cubic polynomials. Maximum grain weight and the duration and rate of grain filling were estimated from the fitted curves. It was found that bread and durum wheat exposure to high temperatures significantly decreased grain weight and hastens physiological maturity (shortening the grain filling period). High temperatures significantly affected the rate (on a growing degree day basis) and duration (on Julian day units) of grain filling. The grain filling rate, on a thermal time basis, was positively associated with the final grain weight and the estimated maximum grain weight. The duration of grain filling does not appear to be a limiting factor for genotype grain weight stability, being mainly fixed by temperature. Grain weight of the controlled plants was positively correlated with the final and maximum grain weight of heat stressed plants. It was concluded that a high grain filling rate and a high potential grain weight are major traits that can be useful to improve heat tolerance of Triticum under Mediterranean environments.
Multi‐level rural community engagement in health
Authors: Kilpatrick Sue
Published: January 2009

Community participation in health is consistent with notions of democracy. A systems perspective of engagement can see consumers engaged to legitimise government agendas. Often community participation is via consultation instead of partnership or delegation. A community development approach to engagement can empower communities to take responsibility for their own health care. Understanding rural place facilitates alignment between health programs and community, assists in incorporating community resources into health care and provides information about health needs. Rural communities, health services and other community organisations need skills in working together to develop effective partnerships that transfer some power from health systems. Rural engagement with national/state agendas is a challenge. Community engagement takes time and resources, but can be expected to lead to better health outcomes for rural residents.
Impact of rurality on health practices and services: Summary paper to the inaugural rural and remote health scientific symposium
Authors: Gregory Gordon
Published: January 2009

This summary paper for the symposium provides a brief overview of the papers by Craig Veitch, John Beard and Max Kamien that deal with the environmental, socioeconomic and political descriptors of ‘rurality’. Those three papers deal with a number of fundamental truths about rural and remote health, including the fact that internal migration is an important and poorly understood factor in determining community and health outcomes. A brief treatment of the issue suggests that selective internal migration is likely to mean that the burden of illness in rural and remote areas is even higher than that suggested by the published figures. The paper then asserts that thinking in the rural and remote health sector in Australia focuses largely on the negative aspects of the current characteristics of rural areas. A self‐evident definition of ‘rurality’ is offered that has it defined by the set of factors that currently characterise places, communities and individuals outside the major cities. The paper suggests that each of these characteristics has an upside or benefit, as well as a downside or risk, and that giving greater attention to the former will provide a better basis for informing rural health policy and practice than the deficit view alone.
Evaluating the outcomes of rural health policy
Authors: Farmer Jane , Currie Margaret
Published: January 2009

With the development of policies specifically relating to rural health and health care provision, it seems apposite to consider evaluating their outcomes. Although little has apparently been done that specifically studies policy or processes, much of rural health research implicitly ‘measures’ policy effects; for example, study of the effects of rural medical education. Given what is known about the policy‐making process, rural health researchers should beware of thinking that policy outcome evaluation might be straightforward or that evidence produced from evaluation will seamlessly influence future or evolving policy. Nonetheless, as rural health research and policy mature, it is worth adopting some of the complex approaches to health policy outcome measurement and applying them to understand our field – to find out the extent that policy, and indeed our role and research, have effects on rural health and care provision. In this paper, we identify some of the quirks of policy and policy evaluation and provide examples.
Estrogen receptor‐binding fragment‐associated gene 9 expression and its clinical significance in human testicular cancer
Authors: Fujimura Tetsuya , Takahashi Satoru , Urano Tomohiko , Xiaoqiang Liu , Ogushi Tetsuo , Muramatsu Masami , Ouchi Yasuyoshi , Kitamura Tadaichi , Homma Yukio , Inoue Satoshi
Published: January 2009

Objectives:  We previously demonstrated that estrogen receptor‐binding fragment‐associated gene 9 (EBAG9) is a tumor promoting factor in renal cell carcinoma (Ogushi T, Cancer Res. 2005; 65: 3700). Here, we evaluated EBAG9 expression and its clinical significance in normal and malignant human testicular tissues.

Methods:  We investigated the expression of EBAG9 in 90 testicular specimens (28 benign testicular tissue and 62 testicular germ cell tumor samples) by immunohistochemistry using rabbit polyclonal anti‐EBAG9 antibody.

Results:  Positive immunostaining of EBAG9 in the cytoplasm was found in 32 (52%) cancerous lesions, whereas the immunoreactivity of EBAG9 was weak in benign testicular tissues. Serum lactate dehydrogenaze (LDH) level was significantly higher in EBAG9‐positive cases (715.0 ± 727.3) compared with the negative cases (221.4 ± 126.8) (P = 0.0016). The EBAG9‐positive cases among the patients with advanced clinical stage (Stage II and III) more frequently belonged to the intermediate or poor risk group in the International Germ Cell Consensus Prognostic Classification System (IGCCPCS), compared with the EBAG9‐negative cases (P = 0.0012).

Conclusions:  These findings suggest that increased expression of EBAG9 may play a significant role in cancer progression and aggressiveness in testicular germ cell tumors.