bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does food‐searching ability determine habitat selection? Foraging in sand of three species of gerbilline rodents
Authors: Krasnov Boris R. , Shenbrot Georgy I. , Rios Luis E. , Lizurume Maria E.
Published: August 2010

The distribution of three gerbil species in the Negev Desert, Israel differs in relation to sandy habitats.Gerbillus gerbillusoccurs in sand only,Gerbillus dasyuruslives in all habitat types except sand,Gerbillus henleyioccurs in sand at high density periods only. We hypothesized that the reason for this distribution pattern is differential ability of species to forage in sand. We tested the ability of gerbils to search for seeds in sand layers of different depths and predicted that a)G. gerbilluswill have equal search success at different sand depths, b)G. henleyi(which is twice smaller thanG. gerbillusandG. dasyurus)will find seeds in thin layers better than in deep layers, and c)G. dasyuruswill successfully find seeds in the thinnest layers only. We predicted also d) thatG. gerbillusrelies on olfaction for seed location, so its foraging success will be higher in searching for whole seeds than for seed kernels, whereas this will not be the case forG. henleyiandG. dasyurus.We examined the responses of the three species to odor of whole seeds vs seed kernels in Y‐maze. In regards to seed depth, the search success ofG. gerbilluswas significantly higher when the whole seeds rather than kernels were offered in all treatments except the control, but sand depth did not influence the search success. The search success ofG. dasyurusandG. henleyidid not depend on the type of seeds offered. The search success ofG. dasyuruswas lower in experimental (1, 3, 5 and 8 cm sand depth) than in control (1 mm sand depth) treatments, but did not differ among most experimental treatments. The search success of the smallestG. henleyidepended on sand depth for both whole seeds and kernels.Gerbillus gerbillusandG. dasyurusdid not lose body masses in any treatment, whereas body mass changes ofG. henleyiwere influenced by the depth of sand in which gerbils foraged. No species demonstrated differences in response to whole seeds vs kernels in Y‐maze tests.
Succession of boreal forest spider assemblages following wildfire and harvesting
Authors: Buddle Christopher M. , Spence John R. , Langor David W.
Published: August 2010

To test whether spider succession following harvest differed from succession following wildfire, spiders were collected by pitfall trapping and sweep netting over two years in aspen‐dominated boreal forests. Over 8400 individuals from 127 species of spiders were identified from 12 stands representing three age‐classes (stand origin in 1995, 1982, and 1968) and two disturbance types (wildfire and harvesting). The diversity of spider assemblages tended to be higher in fire‐origin stands than in harvest‐origin stands; the youngest fire‐origin stands also supported more even distributions of spider species. Spider assemblages responded quickly to wildfire and harvesting as open habitat specialists colonized stands within one year after disturbance. Many web‐building species common to older forests either survived harvesting, or re‐colonized harvest‐origin stands more rapidly than they re‐colonized fire‐origin stands. Cluster analyses and DCA ordination show faunal convergence by ca 30 years after wildfire and harvesting; trajectories in re‐colonization, however, differed by disturbance type as the succession of spider assemblages from fire‐origin stands lagged behind spider succession in harvest‐origin stands. Comparison with cluster analyses using vegetation data and abiotic site conditions suggests spider assemblages recover from harvesting and fire more rapidly than do a variety of other site characteristics. Several spider species (e.g.Gnaphosa boreaKulezyński,Pirata bryantaeKurata,Arctosa alpigena(Doleschall)) appear dependent on some of the conditions associated with wildfires as they were absent or rarely collected in harvest‐origin stands.
Effects of habitat fragmentation: increased isolation and reduced habitat size reduces the incidence of dead wood fungi beetles in a fragmented forest landscape
Authors: Rukke Bjorn Arne
Published: August 2010

Negative effects of habitat fragmentation (increased isolation and reduced habitat size) affected presence of several beetle species inhabiting Fomes fomentarius (L.) Kickx basidiocarps in a fragmented forest landscape. At the scale of individual trees (tree level), incidence of Cis jacquemarti Mell./C. nitidus (F.) (not distinguished between individuals of these two species, abbreviated C. jacquemarti /nitidus), C. bidentatus (Ol.), C. lineatocribratus Mell., Ennearthron cornutum (Gyll.) (all Coleoptera, Cisidae) and Dorcatoma dresdensis Herbst (Coleoptera, Anobiidae) was reduced with increased habitat isolation and reduced habitat size. Additionally, increased habitat size at a larger scale (forest island level) also gave higher incidence of all species.

Some of the microhabitat variables measured influenced upon the presence of the study species. Fallen trees had a higher probability of C. jacquemarti / nitidus presence than standing trees, whilst the opposite was the case for C. bidentatus. There was also increased incidence of C. bidentatus on trees in denser forests and of E. cornutum in grey alder Alnus incana compared with birch trees (Betula spp.).

Increased volume of basidiocarps on a tree resulted in a higher number of individuals of C. jacquemarti / nitidus and C. lineatocribratus.
Landscape composition and vole outbreaks: evidence from an eight year study of Arvicola terrestris
Authors: Fichet‐Calvet E. , Pradier B. , Quéré J. P. , Giraudoux P. , Delattre P.
Published: August 2010

This study investigates the relationships between landscape composition and the population dynamics of the fossorial water vole Arvicola terrestris. Land use patterns were studied based on agricultural and forestry data from the French Ministry of Agriculture collected in 1955 and 1988. In the Massif Central, France, water vole populations were monitored from 1985 to 1993 by using index methods. Outbreaks of water vole populations occurred in many dispersed epicentres and spread suddenly and widely over > 7500 km2. At a regional scale, the fluctuation lasts six years on average with an outbreak period lasting from two to three years. Density variation patterns are positively correlated with the proportion of permanent grassland to agricultural land. A high risk of outbreak is linked to a high proportion of permanent grassland (over 90%), whereas a low risk of outbreak is linked to a proportion of < 80%, Conversely, density variation patterns are negatively correlated with the proportion of temporary grassland to agricultural land and with the proportion of forest to total land in the western (major) part of the study area. Temporary grassland thus appears to be a marginal habitat for water voles and extensive forests could act as a brake on outbreaks. The increase in the area of permanent grassland from 1955 to 1988 was apparently the major cause of chronic high densities of water voles. Therefore, land use and landscape management could be one way to control water vole outbreaks.
Are islands more susceptible to be invaded than continents? Birds say no
Authors: Sol Daniel
Published: August 2010

Island communities are generally viewed as being more susceptible to invasion than those of mainland areas, yet empirical evidence is almost lacking. A species‐by‐species examination of introduced birds in two independent island‐mainland comparisons is not consistent with this hypothesis. In the New Zealand‐mainland Australia comparison. 16 species were successful in both regions. 19 always failed and only eight had mixed outcomes. Mixed results were observed less often than expected by chance, and in only 5 cases was the relationship in the predicted direction. This result is not biased by differences in introduction effort because, within species, the number of individuals released in New Zealand did not differ significantly from those released in mainland Australia. A similar result emerged in the Hawaiian islands‐mainland USA comparison: among the 35 species considered, 15 were successful in both regions, seven always failed and 13 had mixed outcomes. In this occasion, the results fit well to those expected by chance, and in only seven cases was the relationship in the direction predicted. I therefore conclude that, if true, the view that islands are less resistant than continents to invasions is far from universal.
Local and regional‐scale responses of ant diversity to a semiarid biome transition
Authors: Bestelmeyer Brandon T. , Wiens John A.
Published: August 2010

The locations of biome transitions and ecotones are frequently defined by the rapid shift from one form of dominant vegetation to another. The composition of animal taxa is predicted to shift in parallel with that of dominant plants and species diversity is predicted to he greater in transitional zones than in adjacent areas. We asked whether ant species diversity and composition supported these predictions across a biome transition between shortgrass steppe and Chihuahuan desert vegetation. Neither species richness nor diversity was highest at the biome transition region as a whole, or within habitats in the biome transition. The biome transition region was not intermediate in ant species composition or in the representation of different faunal complexes. The community similarity between matched habitats shared between the biome transition zone and adjacent regions was less than that between distinct habitats occurring within regions. A zoogeographic transition for ants may occur to the north of the phytogeographic transition and may be coincident with the northern limits of monsoonal precipitation patterns. In contrast, the phytogeographic transition may be related to less extreme climatic variation within the monsoonal region occurring further south.
Effect of abiotic factors on reproduction in the centre and periphery of breeding ranges: a comparative analysis in sympatric harriers
Authors: García J. T. , Arroyo B. E.
Published: August 2010

Variables such as weather or other abiotic factors should have a higher influence on demographic rates in border areas than in central areas, given that climatic adaptation might be important in determining range borders. Similarly, for a given area, the relationship between weather and reproduction should be dissimilar for species which are in the centre of their breeding range and those that are near the edge. We tested this hypothesis on two sympatric ground‐nesting raptors, the hen harrier Circus cyaneus and the Montagu's harrier Circus pygargus in Madrid, central Spain, where the hen harrier is at the southern edge of its breeding range in the western Palearctic and the Montagu's harrier is central in its distribution. We examined the reproductive success of both species during an 8‐yr period, and looked at the influence of the most stressful abiotic factors in the study area (between‐year variation in rainfall and within‐year variation in temperature) on reproductive parameters.

In the hen harrier, low levels of rainfall during the breeding season had a negative influence on annual fledging success and thus on population fledgling production. The relationship between rainfall and reproduction was probably mediated through food abundance, which in Mediterranean habitat depends directly on rainfall levels. In the Montagu's harrier, no negative effect of dry seasons on productivity was found. Additionally, in the hen harrier, the proportion of eggs that did not hatch in each clutch increased with higher temperatures during the incubation period. No such relationship was found in the Montagu's harrier. We interpret these between‐species differences in terms of differences of breeding range and adaptations to the average conditions existing there. Hen harriers, commonest at northern latitudes, are probably best adapted to the most typical conditions at those latitudes, and have probably not developed thermoregulatory or behavioural mechanisms to cope with drought and high temperatures in Mediterranean habitats, in contrast to Montagu's harrier. Thus hen harrier distribution might be constrained by these variables, due to lower reproductive success or higher reproductive costs. Accordingly, a logistic regression analysis of the presence or absence of both species in 289 random points throughout the western Palearctic showed that the distribution of both species was related to temperature, but the relationship was in opposite directions for the two species: hen harriers had lower probability of breeding in areas with higher temperature (as expected in a species with a more northerly distribution).
Environmental parameters and microspatial distribution of insects: a case study of carabids in an alluvial forest
Authors: Antvogel Heike , Bonn Aletta
Published: August 2010

The microspatial distribution of carabid beetles in a pristine alluvialQuercus‐Ulmusforest along the river Elbe (north Germany) was investigated using 152 pitfall traps over a study period of 28 d. Traps were set in an area of only 100 × 120 m which comprised a wide range of microhabitats due to an extremely heterogeneous microrelief. Composition of the ground beetle assemblage was strongly influenced by microclimatic parameters and vegetation structure within a few metres: specifically soil moisture, light intensity. pH as well as cover of leaf litter and herbs. TWINSPAN analyses indicated a sensitive segregation of carabids into distinct microhabitats on a small scale. PCA and subsequent RDA distinguished two distinct species groups: species of wet deciduous woodland and species of wet open marsh habitats. The fringes of small temporary waters within the alluvial forest were of particular value for nature conservation, providing habitat for a high number of rare species. Although there was a shift in species composition over time and the assemblages reorganised spatially, the main environmental parameters governing the community remained the same as indicated by discriminant analyses, namely soil moisture, leaf litter cover and light intensity.
Butterfly‐hostplant fidelity, vagrancy and measuring mobility from distribution maps
Authors: Cook Laurence M. , Dennis Roger L. H. , Hardy Peter B.
Published: August 2010

Vagrancy among butterflies, defined as individuals found in mapping units (cells, squares) lacking larval hostplants, offers potential for measuring mobility among species. Herein, we investigate several simple measures of mobility (vagrancy indices) based on the occurrence of vagrants in two independent data sets within the same region. We find that the vagrancy indices do not simply reflect individual abundance, suggesting an innate component to mobility. The vagrancy indices agree closely for the two data sets. They also correlate highly with a migration index, based on distances over which species have been recorded moving during the last 50 yr. indicating that frequency of movement corresponds closely with migration distances of species. The frequency of movement in some species, as measured by the vagrancy indices, is shown to be under‐recorded, particularly nymphalids. In other species (e.g. Celastrina argiolus. Authocharis cardamines. Pyronia tithonus) according to vagrancy indices, migration distances seem to have been previously under‐recorded. We suggest how data collection can be improved for obtaining measurement of butterfly mobility.
Road and topography effects on invasion: edge effects in rat foraging patterns in two oceanic island forests (Tenerife, Canary Islands)
Authors: Delgado Juan D. , Arévalo José R. , Fernández‐Palacios José M.
Published: August 2010

We studied the effect of road edges on foraging activity by introduced ship or roof rats Rattus rattus in road‐fragmented laurel and pine forests on Tenerife (Canary Islands), By using selective baited stations enabling only foraging by rats we assessed bait removal rates along a road‐interior gradient and different topographic locations. We recorded higher removal rates in the laurel than in the pine forest regardless of the distance to road. We detected an edge effect of paved roads on introduced rat foraging. Removal rates were significantly greater along road edges than in forest interior in the laurel forest but not In the pine forest. Rats were more active along road habitats in forest ridges and slopes than in ravine beds in the laurel forest. There was no difference between topographic locations in rat activity at any distance from the road in the pine forest. It is suggested that variation in foraging intensity by introduced rats in road‐fragmented forests on these islands may depend, among other factors, on forest type, road edge effects and topographic pattern of the landscape.
Anthropogenic disturbance changes the structure of arboreal tropical ant communities
Authors: Floren Andreas , Freking Ansgar , Biehl Michael , Linsenmair K. Eduard
Published: August 2010

We investigated the influence of anthropogenic disturbance on the structure of arboreal Formicidae communities in SE Asian lowland forests. Included were a primary forest and three disturbed forests which had been cut for crop planting and abandoned 5. 15, and 40 yr after agricultural use for natural regeneration. Ant communities of at least 10 individuals of one tree species were sampled from each forest type by fogging. Diversity and community structure differed clearly among forest types. During the course of forest regeneration ant communities became more and more similar to those of the primary forest. A surrogate analysis shows that ant communities of the primary forest cannot be distinguished from randomly composed communities. This is in contrast to the theoretical expectations according to which ant communities should be structured by interspecific competition that lead to a large degree of predictability. However, a deterministic pattern of ant communities is found in the disturbed forest. This indicates that human disturbance not only changes the faunistic composition of ant communities but could also change the dynamics of the whole system. The transition from stochastic to deterministic communities might be of general importance for understanding the mechanisms structuring communities in disturbed habitats.
Long‐term dynamics of voles and lemmings at the timberline and above the willow limit as a test of hypotheses on trophic interactions
Authors: Ekerholm Per , Oksanen Lauri , Oksanen Tarja
Published: August 2010

We have monitored population fluctuations of microtine rodents since 1977 in two habitat complexes in Finnmark, northernmost Norway ‐ a low arctic plains landscape, with patches of willow scrubland embedded in lichen‐dwarf birch tundra, and in adjacent highlands, occupied by scrub‐free heaths, snow‐beds and bogs. In the plains landscape, voles were cyclic, with a period of five years, and with wave‐like density fluctuations. This pattern is consistent with time trajectory of prey in a predator‐prey limit cycle. Autoregression analysis implies that the prey pattern is cleanest in the most productive plains habitats, while dynamics in the prevailing heath and bog habitats are governed by two significant lags, implying that even vole‐plant interactions count. In the highlands, lemmings had two outbreaks, characterized by J‐shaped growth curves, and separated by long periods of low density. The fluctuation pattern of lemmings in highlands was consistent with the predicted time trajectory of a predator. The implications of time trajectories are corroborated by direct evidence on microtine impacts upon the vegetation and on spatial patterns in predator activity. Even the strong dispersal tendency of lemmings during population peaks is consistent with the conjecture that they are adapted to play the role of a predator in a sustained predator‐prey cycle. As a whole, the pattern supports T. Oksanen's modification of the hypothesis of exploitation ecosystems, where both local productivity and the structure of the landscape are taken in account.
Plant species richness in grasslands: the relative importance of contemporary environment and land‐use history since the Iron Age
Authors: Bruun Hans Henrik , Fritzbøger Bo , Rindel Per Ole , Hansen Ulla Lund
Published: August 2010

The richness of vascular plants in all patches of dry semi‐natural grassland within a landscape was investigated. The patch level richness was scaled up to the level of parish to match data on land‐use intensity from Iron Age through historical time. Three measures of diversity were obtained: the local species pool, an area‐independent diversity measure (the slope of the species number vs log area regression line), and the β‐diversity, A gradient through the study area in the density of grassland and a corresponding clinal variation in grassland plant species diversity were found. Explanatory models were built by partial least squares regression and conventional stepwise multiple regression. Data on contemporary environmental conditions in the grassland patches and in the parish as a whole were added first, and then data on continuously older times in sequence. In the stepwise regression analyses the variables were also added in the opposite sequence. The results show that contemporary conditions are able to explain the major part of the variation in all diversity measures. Variables concerning former land‐use do, however, add significantly to the explanation of variation in local species pool and in the area‐independent diversity, but not in β‐diversity. It is concluded that patterns of land‐use intensity from the Iron Age and onwards have contributed significantly to the shaping of local species pools, and thereby the richness of grassland communities.
Implications of species loss in freshwater fish assemblages
Authors: Magurran Anne E. , Phillip Dawn A. T.
Published: August 2010

Freshwater systems are vulnerable to pollution and species loss often ensues. Are there additional implications for assemblage structure? Here we use Berger‐Parker d. Simpson's I/D and Simpson's F to measure the ecological diversity of pristine and perturbed freshwater fish assemblages in Trinidad. West Indies, and Oklahoma. USA. Although the impacted sites typically had fewer species than expected, they could not be distinguished from unperturbed ones of equivalent richness. Changes in the evenness of these assemblages are thus driven by changes in richness. One practical outcome is that diversity indices may not provide independent verification of the detrimental consequences of pollution. The similarity in structure of naturally and anthropogenically impoverished assemblages provides no grounds for complacency, however, since it ignores the evolutionary history of the species concerned. On the basis of our results we suggest that species provenance may be important in tests of ecological function. Moreover, these investigations should replicate natural patterns of evenness as well as richness.
Methods for comparison of biotic regionalizations: the case of pteridophytes in the Iberian Peninsula
Authors: Márquez Ana L. , Real Raimundo , Vargas J. Mario
Published: August 2010

We made several regionalizations of the Iberian Peninsula based on the distributions of the pteridophyte flora to see whether the regionalization depended on the type and scale of lattice or the similarity index considered. We used five types of lattice in which the scale also varied: river basins, mountains and plains, natural regions, physiographic and geological regions, and administrative provinces; and two similarity indices: those of Jaccard and of Baroni‐Urbani and Buser. The regionalizations varied according to the type of lattice, the grain size, and the similarity index used. To assess the different regionalizations we used four methods: 1) the coefficient of variation of the size of sites in each lattice. 2) the bestblock method, which considers as the hest lattice that which maximizes the number of matches between presences over all pairwise site comparisons. 3) the Mantel test, to assess the statistical significance of the regionalizations obtained, and 4) mapability, which considers the most contiguous regionalization to be the best. The best regionalization according to our four criteria was that based on administrative provinces and Jaccard's index. This yielded a small central region and three large regions: northern, western, and eastern.
Rhabdomyomatous (mesenchymal) hamartoma of the tongue: report of a case
Authors: De la Sotta P. , Salomone C. , González S.
Published: August 2010

A 12‐year‐old girl presented with three yellowish polypoid lesions in the lateral border of tongue since birth. Histological examination showed oral mucosa covered by squamous epithelium and an underlying vascularized fibrous stroma, containing small and short bundles of striated muscle, corresponding to a rhabdomyomatous hamartoma.
Evaluation of the sensation in patients with trigeminal post‐herpetic neuralgia
Authors: Alvarez Fábio Kurogi , Siqueira Silvia Regina Dowgan Tesseroli de , Okada Massako , Teixeira Manoel Jacobsen , Siqueira José Tadeu Tesseroli de
Published: August 2010

BACKGROUND:  Post‐herpetic neuralgia (PHN) is one complication after herpes zoster infection, which may affect the facial superficial sensitivity.

Methods:  Eighteen patients with PHN were interviewed and evaluated according to a systematized sensitivity approach, including mechanical, thermal and pain.

Results:  The pain location was V1 in 15 patients. All trigeminal branches from both facial sides were evaluated; we compared the affected with the opposite side. There was a significant difference at V1 with cold (P = 0.038), vonFrey (P = 0.008) and pinpricks (P = 0.022); at V2, the statistical difference occurred with cold (P = 0.034), heat (P = 0.019) and pinpricks (P = 0.037); at V3, differences occurred with cold (P = 0.042) and heat (P = 0.036). Only V1 and oral mucosa (V2–3) presented pain threshold differences between both sides (P = 0.001, P = 0.021).

Conclusion:  Age, predominance of trigeminal PHN in V1 and continuous burning pain was common and similar to literature. Sensation was hampered with evident deficits of all sensory modalities in the affected trigeminal areas, especially V1.
Primary small cell carcinoma of the nasal cavity with an unusual oral manifestation
Authors: Tarozzi Marco , Demarosi Federica , Lodi Giovanni , Sardella Andrea , Carrassi Antonio
Published: August 2010

Small cell carcinoma (SCC) is a malignancy that mainly occurs in the lung, with primary lesions in the head and neck being very rare. This neoplasm has an aggressive growth pattern, high recurrence rate, and tendency to metastasize to other sites via the lymphatics and bloodstream. The prognosis of patients with SCC is poor, as the 5‐year survival is only 13%. Treatment options include surgical excision, multiple‐agent chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. We report a rare case of primary SCC of the nasal cavity presenting as a lesion of the hard palate and describe its clinical, histologic, and immunohistochemical features.
The assessment of oral health‐related quality of life by factor analysis in patients with Behcet's disease and recurrent aphthous stomatitis
Authors: Mumcu G. , Hayran O. , Ozalp D. O. , Inanc N. , Yavuz S. , Ergun T. , Direskeneli H.
Published: August 2010

Background:  The aim of the study was to test multidimensional properties of oral health impact profile‐14 (OHIP‐14) in Behcet's disease (BD) and recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) patients with active oral ulcers.

Methods:  Ninety‐six BD patients, 28 patients with RAS and 117 healthy controls (HC) were included in this study. In patients with active oral ulcers, the frequency and healing time of ulcers were recorded. Multidimensional properties of OHIP‐14 were examined by factor analysis.

Results:  Factor analysis revealed three subscales and explained 66.49% of overall variance in these patients with active oral ulcers. The score of Subscale 1 was positively correlated with the recurrence of oral ulcers per month (P = 0.037). Subscale 3 scores of the patients treated with colchicine were worse than those treated with immunosuppressives (P = 0.035).

Conclusions:  The factor structure of OHIP‐14 was found to be reliable and sensitive to clinical parameters and treatment modalities in active patients.
Development of an in vivo mouse model to study oral submucous fibrosis
Authors: Sumeth Perera M. W. , Gunasinghe D. , Perera P. A. J. , Ranasinghe A. , Amaratunga P. , Warnakulasuriya S. , Kaluarachchi K.
Published: August 2010

Background:  Epidemiological data have shown an association of areca nut chewing with oral submucous fibrosis (OSF). Experimental evidence to confirm this has been limited. Fibrosis‐promoting activity of areca nut was tested in an animal model.

Method:  Buccal mucosa of a group of 20 female BALB/c strain mice, 10–12 weeks of age, was treated twice daily 6 days per week with topical application of aqueous areca nut extracts for 300–600 days. A control group (n = 20) was treated with 50 mM NaCl. The influence of areca nut on the oral epithelium and connective tissue was recorded semiquantitatively by light microscopy.

Results:  The areca nut‐treated oral epithelium showed progressive changes in epithelial thickness leading to atrophy, increased cellularity of fibroblasts, fibrosis of connective tissue, focal infiltration of inflammatory cells and muscle atrophy. On killing after 600 days of treatment, the scores on cellularity, inflammation and muscle atrophy were significantly different to the control group (P = 0.03).

Conclusion:  The study provides further evidence that areca nut contributes to the development of OSF in treated animals. The model has the potential to test synergism of areca nut with other carcinogens and any therapeutic interventions.
Requirement of MMP‐3 in anchorage‐independent growth of oral squamous cell carcinomas
Authors: Liu Shyun‐Yeu , Liu Young‐Chau , Huang Wen‐Tsung , Huang Guan‐Cheng , Su Hsiao‐Jing , Lin Mei‐Huei
Published: August 2010

Background:  Matrix metalloproteinase‐3 (MMP‐3) is expressed in various carcinomas; however, its function is not clearly established. This study was to assess its possible role in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs).

Materials and methods:  Specimens of seven oral pre‐malignant lesions (OPMLs) and 92 OSCCs were subjected to MMP‐3 detection by RT‐PCR and Western blot. Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (AODNs) of MMP‐3 were used to transfect OSCC (OECM‐1 and SCC‐9) and esophageal carcinoma (CE81T/VGH) cell lines, and their growth was subsequently analyzed by XTT and soft‐agar colony assay.

Results:  MMP‐3 transcript was preferentially expressed in OSCCs (71 of 92, 77%) than in OPMLs (two of seven, 29%; P = 0.012). Both MMP‐3 transcript and protein levels were significantly higher in OSCC masses than in neighboring tissues (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.04, respectively). Growth of the three cell lines was not affected, while the colony numbers of OECM‐1 and CE81T/VGH were significantly reduced by the transfection of MMP‐3 AODNs (P = 0.002 and P = 0.004, respectively). SCC‐9 did not form colonies in soft‐agar/medium.

Conclusions:  MMP‐3 function may be required in most OSCCs, and it may support the anchorage‐independent growth of both OSCC and esophageal carcinoma.
Clinico‐pathologic correlations of myofibroblastic tumors of the oral cavity. II. Myofibroma and myofibromatosis of the oral soft tissues
Authors: Vered Marilena , Allon Irit , Buchner Amos , Dayan Dan
Published: August 2010

Background:  Myofibroma is a solitary benign tumor of myofibroblasts. Myofibromatosis describes multiple, simultaneous myofibromas at different sites in various organs. The clinico‐pathologic correlations of myofibroma/myofibromatosis confined only to oral soft tissues were analyzed.

Methods:  In the English language literature, 41 myofibroma and 12 myofibromatosis cases involving the oral soft tissues were found. From our files, three new myofibroma cases were added.

Results:  Age at time of diagnosis of oral mucosa myofibroma ranged from birth to 70 years (mean 21.7 years), considerably higher than myofibroma in other parts of the body. Lesions occurred during the first decade (44%) and in the first year of life (17%). Male:female ratio was 1:1.6, contrary to the male predominance in other parts of the body. Common sites were the tongue (32%) and buccal mucosa (18%). Treatment was local excision, either complete (n = 13) or partial (n = 3), wide excision (n = 4), surgery, and chemotherapy (n = 1). Myofibromatosis involving oral soft tissues was diagnosed at birth in nine (75%) patients, within the first year in two, and as a young adult in one. Male:female ratio was 2:1. The tongue was the most common site (50%). Half the patients died of disseminated disease within a few days from birth, three were cured by partial or complete excision, and three experienced spontaneous regression. Histologically, oral mucosa myofibroma/myofibromatosis appearance agreed with findings in the literature.

Conclusions:  Myofibroma should be included in the clinical differential diagnosis of masses of the oral soft tissues, especially in the tongue and buccal mucosa of children and adolescents. Histological differential diagnosis includes benign and malignant spindle‐shaped lesions. Treatment of choice is local excision.
How to name it: a rare case of odontogenic cyst
Authors: Ponniah I. , Murali Gopika Manoharan G. V. , SureshKumar P. , Karthikeyan K.
Published: August 2010

Odontogenic cysts and tumors are well‐recognized entities to the specialist oral pathologist and they seldom pose problems in differential diagnosis. This paper deals with an aggressive cystic lesion in the maxilla of a 65‐year‐old male that was characterized by a large radiographically multilocular lesion and a multicystic pattern microscopically. The categorization of this lesion was complicated by the presence of features suggestive of both glandular odontogenic cyst and cystic ameloblastoma with aggressive histologic phenotypes.
Fcγ receptors mediate internalization of anti‐Ro and anti‐La autoantibodies from Sjögren’s syndrome and apoptosis in human salivary gland cell line A‐253
Authors: Lisi Sabrina , Sisto Margherita , Soleti Raffaella , Saponaro Concetta , Scagliusi Pasquale , D’Amore Massimo , Saccia Matteo , Maffione Angela B. , Mitolo Vincenzo
Published: August 2010

Background:  The presence of serum anti‐Ro and anti‐La autoantibodies directed against the ribonucleoproteins Ro and La has been associated with Sjögren’s syndrome (SS), an autoimmune rheumatic disease that targets salivary and lachrymal glands. There is increasing evidence of the direct involvement of autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of tissue injury and correlation of their presence with clinical manifestations in SS. The focus of this work was to explore the cellular apoptotic pathway triggered by binding and penetration of anti‐Ro and anti‐La autoantibodies in human salivary gland cell line A‐253 and to identify the membrane receptors through which anti‐Ro and anti‐La could exert their effect.

Methods:  Anti‐Ro and anti‐La autoantibodies were purified from IgG fractions, obtained from eleven healthy volunteers and patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome, using Sepharose 4B‐Ro and Sepharose 4B‐La affinity columns. Flow cytometry, RT‐PCR, western blot and confocal microscopy analysis were used to visualize the FCγRI, FCγRII and FCγRIII receptors on the A‐253 cell membrane. DNA laddering and western blot analysis of caspases activation were studied to evaluate in A‐253 cells treated with anti‐Ro and anti‐La autoantibodies.

Results:  The results yeilded the evidence of the presence of members of the Fcγ receptors (FcγRs) family on the cell membrane of the human salivary gland cell line A‐253. Furthermore, we demonstrated that, in the A‐253 cell line, anti‐Ro and anti‐La autoantibodies can access the cells probably through Fcγ receptors, and trigger apoptotis.

Conclusions:  We conclude that anti‐Ro and anti‐La autoantibodies have pathogenic effects that could depend on binding to Fcγ receptors.
Immunolocalization of cell signaling molecules in the granular cell ameloblastoma
Authors: Sathi Gul San Ara , Han Phuu Pwint , Tamamura Ryo , Nagatsuka Hitoshi , Hu Hailong , Katase Naoki , Nagai Noriyuki
Published: August 2010

Background:  Bone morphogenic protein (BMP) and Wnt signaling pathway molecules play important roles in cytodifferentiation and cell proliferation. We attempted to localize these signaling molecules in the granular cell ameloblastoma.

Materials and methods:  Four samples of paraffin‐embedded ameloblastoma with granular cells were studied. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect basement membrane type heparan sulfate (HS) (JM403), cell surface type HS (10E4), heparanase, Wnt‐5a, Wnt‐2, β‐catenin, and BMP‐4.

Results:  In all four samples, strong expression of β‐catenin and Wnt‐5a was detected within the granular cells, while BMP‐4 expression was weak and Wnt‐2 was negative. Immunoreactivities of basement membrane type HS, cell surface type HS, and heparanase were variable within granular cells in ameloblastoma.

Conclusion:  Granular cells in ameloblastoma exhibit abnormal biological behaviors, particularly synthesis and secretion of protein. Synthesis of signaling molecules is upregulated, but secretion is arrested in some cases, while both are lost in other cases.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Circulating Antibodies to a Conserved Epitope of the Chlamydia Trachomatis 60‐kDa Heat Shock Protein is Associated with Decreased Spontaneous Fertility Rate in Ectopic Pregnant Women Treated by Salpingectomy
Authors: Sziller István , Fedorcsák Peter , Csapó Zsolt , Szirmai Katalin , Linhares Iara M , Papp Zoltàn , Witkin Steven S
Published: August 2010

Problem  This prospective study was aimed to evaluate whether non‐invasive clinical and serologic parameters of tubal disease are predictive for subsequent spontaneous conception and pregnancy outcome after first episode of ectopic pregnancy (EP).

Method of study  Overall, 144 women aged <35 years were enrolled. Outcome of subsequent spontaneous conception was analyzed after 3 years and compared with clinical parameters and antibody responses to Chlamydia trachomatis and epitopes of the 60‐kDa chlamydial heat shock protein (CHSP‐60).

Results  Antibody response to a conserved epitope of CHSP‐60 (amino acids, aa 260–277) was independently correlated with both decreased spontaneous conception and term delivery rates (adjusted odds ratios, OR: 3.6 and 5.4, respectively).

Conclusion  Presence of circulating antibodies to a conserved epitope of the CHSP‐60 is associated with a lower spontaneous conception rate, and increased likelihood of adverse pregnancy outcome in women treated by salpingectomy for first episode of EP.
REVIEW ARTICLE: Harnessing the Immune System for Ovarian Cancer Therapy
Authors: Odunsi Kunle , Sabbatini Paul
Published: August 2010

The clinical course of ovarian cancer is often marked by periods of relapse and remission until chemo‐resistance develops. Patients in remission with minimal disease burdens are ideally suited for the evaluation of immune‐based strategies. Major obstacles to the development of successful immune strategies include the identification of tumor‐restricted immunogenic targets, generation of a sufficient immune response to cause tumor rejection, and approaches to overcome evasion of immune attack. Many questions remain as optimal strategies are developed, which include: (i) What is the best antigen form (e.g. peptides, proteins or tumor lysates)? (ii) What are the appropriate adjuvants? (iii) Are mono‐valent or multi‐valent vaccines likely to be more effective? (iv) What is the optimal frequency and duration of vaccination? (v) How should antigen‐specific responses be monitored? and (vi) How should the anti‐cancer response be maintained? In this review, we explore representative examples of immune strategies under investigation for patients with ovarian carcinoma which illustrate many of these issues. Basic principles generic to all these immunotherapeutic approaches will also be discussed.
Early prediction of neurological sequelae or death after bacterial meningitis
Authors: Oostenbrink R , Moons KGM , Derksen‐Lubsen G , Grobbee DE , Moll HA
Published: August 2010

This study determined independent predictors of the occurrence of permanent neurological sequelae or death after childhood bacterial meningitis. Data were used from a large study on children (aged 1 mo to 15 y) initially presenting with meningeal irritation. A nested case‐control study was performed on children with (n= 23) and without (n= 70) permanent neurological sequelae (hearing impairment, locomotor dysfunction, mental retardation or epilepsy) or death after bacterial meningitis. Predictors obtained from clinical evaluation and laboratory tests at presentation and during the clinical course were identified by multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses. The study population comprised 23 cases and 70 controls (52% boys, median age 2.8 y). Independent predictors for an adverse outcome after bacterial meningitis were male gender, atypical convulsions in history, low body temperature at admission and the pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae. The area under the ROC curve of this prediction rule was 0.87 (95% confidence interval: 0.78–0.96), which was not improved by adding other characteristics. A score including these independent predictors could classify patients into categories with increasing risk for an adverse outcome.

Conclusion: Clinical characteristics available early in the clinical course, such as gender, atypical convulsions in history, low body temperature at admission and the pathogen, are predictive for the occurrence of permanent neurological sequelae or death after bacterial meningitis in childhood. The pathogen type, in particular, is the main prognostic determinant of childhood bacterial meningitis.
Size at birth and neonatal and postneonatal mortality
Authors: Cheung YB , Yip PSF , Karlberg JPE
Published: August 2010

Birthweight is a crude indicator of size at birth. Some neonatologists and obstetricians have advocated the use of ponderal index and birthlength to characterize size at birth. This paper examines the associations between various size‐at‐birth indicators and neonatal and postneonatal mortality, with an emphasis on ponderal index and birthlength. Size at birth, gestational age and mortality data for about one million babies born alive in Sweden between 1987 and 1995 were collected from the Swedish Medical Birth Registry. A multinomial logit regression was used to estimate conditional odds ratios. Birthlength and ponderal index were independently associated with neonatal and postneonatal mortality. In the latter period, ponderal index was only weakly associated with mortality. The associations were not sensitive to exclusion of cases of congenital anomalies and adjustment for gestational age.

Conclusion: Birthlength is strongly associated with both neonatal and postneonatal mortality; ponderal index is strongly associated with neonatal, but weakly with postneonatal mortality. The findings are consistent with previous hypotheses about a transient effect of ponderal index and a persistent effect of birthlength.
A clinical study of 77 patients with mucopolysaccharidosis type II
Authors: Schwartz Ida VD , Ribeiro Márcia G , Mota João G , Toralles Maria Betânia P , Correia Patrícia , Horovitz Dafne , Santos Emerson S , Monlleo Isabella L , Fett‐Conte Agnes C , Sobrinho Ruy P Oliveira , Norato Denise YJ , Paula Anna Carolina , Kim Chong A , Duarte Andréa R , Boy Raquel , Valadares Eugênia , De Michelena Maria , Mabe Paulina , Martinhago Cyro D , Pina‐Neto João M , Kok Fernando , Leistner‐Segal Sandra , Burin Maira G , Giugliani Roberto
Published: August 2010

Aim: This study aims to assess the clinical features of 77 South American patients (73 Brazilian) with mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II).

Methods: Details of the patients and their disease manifestations were obtained from a review of medical records, interviews with the patients and/or their families, and physical examination of the patients.

Results: Mean birth weight was 3360 g, median age at onset of symptoms was 18 months and median age at diagnosis was 6 years. For the whole sample (median age, 8.2 years; range, 2.8–53.0 years), neurological degeneration, typical pebbly skin lesions, seizures and extensive dermal melanocytosis were found in 23.3, 13.0, 13.0 and 1.3% of the cases, respectively. The most frequently reported echocardiogram abnormality was mitral valve regurgitation. Refraction errors were the most common ophthalmological manifestation. The following characteristics were found to be associated with the severe form of MPS II: earlier age at biochemical diagnosis, higher levels of urinary glycosaminoglycans, language development delay, behavioural disturbances, poor school performance and mental retardation.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that there is a considerable delay between the onset of signs and symptoms and the diagnosis of MPS II in Brazil (and probably in South America as well), and that many complications of this disease are underdiagnosed and undertreated. Therefore, the implementation of programmes aiming to increase the awareness of the disease, the availability of biochemical diagnostic tests and the provision of better support to affected patients is urgently needed.
Gastrointestinal symptoms in Fabry disease: everything is possible, including treatment
Authors: Hoffmann Björn , Keshav Satish
Published: August 2010

Gastrointestinal symptoms in Fabry disease were first described independently by William Anderson and Johannes Fabry. Case reports and case series suggest that the whole gastrointestinal tract may be affected in patients with Fabry disease. The Fabry Outcome Survey (FOS) database supports these observations. The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal involvement reported in a study of 342 patients (271 adults; 71 children) enrolled in FOS was 52% (49.8% in adults, 60.8% in children). Abdominal pain was the most prevalent symptom. The median age at onset of gastrointestinal symptoms was 14 years, similar to the age at onset of acroparaesthesia. The prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms was reduced in patients after receiving enzyme replacement therapy with agalsidase alfa for 12 and 24 months. There was no correlation between gastrointestinal symptoms and body mass index.

Conclusion: Gastrointestinal symptoms in Fabry disease may have been underestimated. The FOS database supports previous reports of beneficial effects of enzyme replacement therapy on gastrointestinal symptoms in Fabry disease.
Training of attention and memory deficits in children with acquired brain injury
Authors: Sjö N Madsen , Spellerberg S , Weidner S , Kihlgren M
Published: August 2010

This pilot study concerns cognitive rehabilitation of children with acquired brain injury (ABI).

Aim:  The aim is threefold; to determine (1) whether the Amsterdam Memory and Attention Training for Children (AMAT‐C) programme for children with ABI can be integrated in the child’s school, (2) whether supervision in the school‐setting maintains the child’s motivation throughout the training programme and (3) whether positive changes in memory, attention and executive functions are found with this implementation of the training method.

Methods:  Seven children with memory and/or attention deficits after ABI were trained with AMAT‐C. Measures used were programme evaluation questions, neuropsychological tests and a questionnaire concerning executive functions.

Results:  Overall, children, parents and trainers were satisfied with the programme and the children were motivated throughout the programme. The children showed significant improvements in neuropsychological subtests, primarily in tests of learning and memory. No overall change in executive functions was noted.

Conclusion:  Provision of AMAT‐C training and supervision at the child’s school appears to ensure (1) satisfaction with the programme, (2) sustaining of motivation and (3) improvements in learning and memory.
Human Nature and the Ideal of Cultural of Pluralism
Authors: KLEIN J. THEODORE
Published: August 2010

Review of Seymour W. Itzkoff, Cultural Pluralism and American Education.