bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intraspecific variation in avian pectoral muscle mass: constraints on maintaining manoeuvrability with increasing body mass
Authors: DIETZ MAURINE W. , PIERSMA THEUNIS , HEDENSTRÖM ANDERS , BRUGGE MAARTEN
Published: February 2007

Within a single year, long‐distance migrants undergo a minimum of four cycles of fuel storage and depletion because their migrations have at least one stopover. Each cycle includes an almost twofold change in body mass (mb). Pervasive predation threats beg the question whether escape flight abilities keep up with such large changes in mb.

We derive aerodynamic predictions how pectoral muscle mass (mpm) should change with mb to maintain constant relative flight power.

We tested these predictions with data on red knot Calidris canutus, a long‐distance migrating wader that breeds in arctic tundra and winters in temperate and tropical coastal areas. We focused on the subspecies C. c. islandica.

m
pm varied with mb in a piecewise manner. In islandica knots with mb ≤ 148 g, the slope (1·06) was indistinguishable from the prediction (1·25). In heavy knots (mb > 148 g) the slope was significantly lower (0·63), yielding a mpm 0·81 times lower than predicted at pre‐departure weights (210 g).

Manoeuvrability tests showed that above 160 g, knots were increasingly unable to make a 90° angle turn. This is consistent with mpm being increasingly smaller than predicted.

Relatively low mpm enables savings on mass and hence flight costs, and savings on overall energy expenditure. We predict that reduced escape flight ability at high mb will be compensated by behavioural strategies to minimize predation risk.
Drought changes phosphorus and potassium accumulation patterns in an evergreen Mediterranean forest
Authors: SARDANS J. , PEÑUELAS J.
Published: February 2007

Climate models predict more extreme weather in Mediterranean ecosystems, with more frequent drought periods and torrential rainfall. These expected changes may affect major process in ecosystems such as mineral cycling. However, there is a lack of experimental data regarding the effects of prolonged drought on nutrient cycling and content in Mediterranean ecosystems.

A 6‐year drought manipulation experiment was conducted in a Quercus ilex Mediterranean forest. The aim was to investigate the effects of drought conditions expected to occur over the coming decades, on the contents and concentrations of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in stand biomass, and P and K content and availability in soils.

Drought (an average reduction of 15% in soil moisture) increased P leaf concentration by 18·2% and reduced P wood and root concentrations (30·9% and 39·8%, respectively) in the dominant tree species Quercus ilex, suggesting a process of mobilization of P from wood towards leaves. The decrease in P wood concentrations in Quercus ilex, together with a decrease in forest biomass growth, led to an overall decrease (by approximately one‐third) of the total P content in above‐ground biomass. In control plots, the total P content in the above‐ground biomass increased 54 kg ha−1 from 1999 to 2005, whereas in drought plots there was no increase in P levels in above‐ground biomass. Drought had no effects on either K above‐ground contents or concentrations.

Drought increased total soil soluble P by increasing soil soluble organic P, which is the soil soluble P not directly available to plant capture. Drought reduced the ratio of soil soluble inorganic P : soil soluble organic P by 50% showing a decrease of inorganic P release from P bound to organic matter. Drought increased by 10% the total K content in the soil, but reduced the soil soluble K by 20·4%.

Drought led to diminished plant uptake of mineral nutrients and to greater recalcitrance of minerals in soil. This will lead to a reduction in P and K in the ecosystem, due to losses in P and K through leaching and erosion, if the heavy rainfalls predicted by IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) models occur. As P is currently a limiting factor in many Mediterranean terrestrial ecosystems, and given that P and K are necessary for high water‐use efficiency and stomata control, the negative effects of drought on P and K content in the ecosystem may well have additional indirect negative effects on plant fitness.
Interactive effects of warming and species loss on model Antarctic microbial food webs
Authors: NEWSHAM K. K. , GARSTECKI T.
Published: February 2007

Predicting the effects of warming and species loss on ecosystems are two significant challenges currently facing ecologists. However, little is known of the interactive effects of these two factors. We hence tested whether or not warming and species loss interact to influence productivity and dissolved nitrogen concentrations in model Antarctic microbial food webs. Food webs, consisting of a uniform bacterial community and mixtures of six, four, two and zero bacterivorous flagellate species, drawn randomly from a pool of six flagellate species isolated from an Antarctic freshwater lake, were grown in soil extract suspension medium held in microcosms for 252 h. Half of the microcosms were kept at 4 °C and half were warmed to 8 °C over the first 36 h and then held at this temperature.

After 252 h there were significant interactive effects of flagellate species loss and warming on the abundance of bacterial prey and the concentration of ammonium in the medium: bacterial abundances were reduced by 75% and NH4‐N concentrations were doubled in mixtures inoculated with six and four flagellate species, compared with those inoculated with two species, but only in warmed microcosms. This difference in response was apparently largely owing to the absence ofBodo saltansandSpumella putida, species with high grazing activities and growth rates, from most replicates of the warmed two species mixtures.

Evidence for an apparent complementarity effect was also found, withB. saltansandSpongomonas uvellagrowing more rapidly at 4 °C in mixtures of six species than in those of four species.

Data from a separate experiment, in which the flagellate species were grown in single‐species culture under food‐saturated conditions, confirmed that the logarithmic growth rates ofB. saltansandS. putidawere the highest of each of the six species at both 4 °C and 8 °C.

We broadly conclude from our data that random species loss from food webs or communities is likely to alter their responses to environmental change, largely owing to interspecific differences in responses to change.
CD27 expression discriminates between regulatory and non‐regulatory cells after expansion of human peripheral blood CD4+ CD25+ cells
Authors: Duggleby Richard C. , Shaw Tovah N. F. , Jarvis Lorna B. , Kaur Gurman , Hill Gaston J. S.
Published: February 2007

It is clear that regulatory T cells (Treg) have an important role in preventing autoimmunity and modulating responses to pathogens. Full characterization of Treg cell function in human patients would be greatly facilitated by practical methods for expanding Treg in vitro. Methods for expansion have been reported but whether expression of surface and intracellular markers associated with freshly isolated Treg following expansion correlates with the maintenance of function is unclear. Our aim was to investigate the various methods of expansion and to correlate regulatory activity with expression of these markers. We show that, of the markers associated with freshly isolated Treg, only CD27 expression correlated with regulatory activity and could be used to isolate cells with regulatory activity from lines expanded from CD4+ CD25+ cells. Also, cells expressing high levels of the transcription factor forkhead box P3 (Foxp3) were confined to the CD27+ population within these lines. Expression of CD27 by cells in lines expanded from CD4+ CD25– cells varied depending on the stimulus used for expansion, but these lines did not have significant regulatory activity even when the CD27+ cells were tested. Analysis of synovial CD4+ CD25+ cells from reactive arthritis patients revealed that they were predominantly CD27 positive. This also applied to CD25high and CD25intermediate CD4+ cells, despite their reported different abilities to regulate. We conclude that, whilst CD27 is useful for identifying Treg in the cell lines obtained after expansion of CD4+ CD25+ cells, its expression may not reliably identify the Treg cell population in other T‐cell populations such as those found in joints.
Randomized controlled trial of mineral trioxide aggregate and formocresol for pulpotomy in primary molar teeth
Authors: Aeinehchi M. , Dadvand S. , Fayazi S. , Bayat‐Movahed S.
Published: February 2007

Aim  To compare the outcome after 6 months of the application of formocresol (FC) or mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) during pulpotomy in primary molar teeth.

Methodology  A maximum of 126 children (aged 5–9 years) with carious primary teeth that required pulpotomy were selected. Following randomization, a standard pulpotomy preparation was undertaken, and the coronal pulp removed and bleeding arrested. In the FC group, cotton balls, soaked in FC, were placed for 5 min, and then the pulp chamber was filled with Zonalin, a pulpotomy agent. In the MTA group, a 1‐mm‐thick paste of MTA was used as a pulpotomy agent. The crowns in both groups were restored with amalgam or glass ionomer. The teeth of 100 patients were evaluated and compared clinically and radiographically after 3 and 6 months.

Results  No signs of clinical failure were observed at the 3‐ and 6‐month follow‐up appointments in either group. There were no significant differences in the radiographic findings of the teeth and surrounding tissue at the 3‐month follow‐up. However, at the 6‐month follow‐up, significantly more cases (P = 0.036) with root resorption were seen in the FC group; no cases of resorption occurred amongst the MTA cases. The surrounding tissue showed radiographic signs of post‐treatment disease in four FC cases; none was seen in the MTA cases.

Conclusion  After 6 months, pulpotomy with MTA was associated with fewer cases of root resorption and post‐treatment disease. MTA appears to be a reliable alternative material for pulpotomy in primary molar teeth.
The influence of irrigating solutions on the accuracy of the electronic apex locator facility in the Tri Auto ZX handpiece
Authors: Erdemir A. , Eldeniz A. U. , Ari H. , Belli S. , Esener T.
Published: February 2007

Aim  To determine the influence of various irrigating solutions on the accuracy of the electronic apex locator facility in the Tri Auto ZX handpiece.

Methodology  One hundred and forty teeth with single canals and mature apices, scheduled for extraction for either periodontal or prosthetic reasons in 76 patients were used. Following informed written consent local anaesthesia was administered, access cavities were prepared and pulp tissue removed. The teeth were then randomly divided into seven groups according to the irrigating solutions used. The root canal length measurements were completed using the Tri Auto ZX handpiece with automatic reverse function in the presence of one or other of the following solutions: 0.9% saline, 2.5% NaOCl, 3% H2O2, 0.2% chlorhexidine, 17% EDTA, Ultracaine® D‐S or in the absence of an irrigating solution (control). Files were immobilized in the access cavity with composite resin. After extraction, the apical regions of the teeth were exposed and the file tips examined under a stereomicroscope. Distances between the file tips and the apical constriction were measured (mm) and analysed using a one‐way anova and post hoc Tukey test.

Results  Mean distances from the apical constriction to the file tip were longer in the 0.9% saline group (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference on file tip position between the other solutions.

Conclusions  Tri Auto ZX gave reliable results with all irrigating solutions apart from in the presence of 0.9% saline.
Whole saliva in X‐linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia
Authors: LEXNER MICHALA ORON , BARDOW ALLAN , HERTZ JENS MICHAEL , ALMER LIS , NAUNTOFTE BIRGITTE , KREIBORG SVEN
Published: February 2007

Background.  X‐linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (HED) is the most common type of ectodermal dysplasia. Identification of female carriers of X‐linked HED can be difficult because of varying degrees of clinical symptoms due to the X‐chromosome inactivation. This is the first study about whole saliva flow and composition in males affected by HED and female carriers all confirmed by molecular genetic analysis.

Hypothesis and aim.  As salivary glands derive from ectoderm, we hypothesized that whole saliva flow and composition are altered in males affected by HED and female carriers.

Design.  Saliva flow and composition were examined in a group of affected males and in a group of female carriers, all confirmed by molecular genetic analysis, and compared with healthy male and female controls.

Results.  Affected males and female carriers had reduced whole saliva flow and saliva with high concentrations of most inorganic salivary constituents as well as total protein. However, affected males and female carriers seemed to have reduced amylase activity and concentration relative to their total protein concentration.

Conclusion.  Saliva flow and composition may be used as part of a comprehensive clinical examination to identify potential female carriers of HED.
Vitamin D status and parathyroid hormone levels in relation to blood pressure: a population‐based study in older men and women
Authors: Snijder M. B. , Lips P. , Seidell J. C. , Visser M. , Deeg D. J. H. , Dekker J. M. , Van Dam R. M.
Published: February 2007

Background.  Evidence is accumulating that the vitamin D endocrine system has physiological functions beyond bone health including a role in the regulation of blood pressure. Effects of poor vitamin D status on blood pressure may be mediated by elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels.

Aim.  To evaluate whether serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and PTH levels are independently associated with blood pressure in a population‐based study of older men and women.

Methods.  Subjects were participants of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, aged 65 years and older. In 1205 participants, serum 25(OH)D and PTH levels were determined and diastolic and systolic blood pressure were measured. Linear and logistic regression analyses were performed with adjustments for age, sex, region, season, lifestyle factors (physical activity, smoking, alcohol intake), and waist circumference.

Results.  Serum 25(OH)D was not significantly associated with diastolic (beta 0.00, P = 0.98) or systolic (beta 0.06, P = 0.11) blood pressure. In contrast, higher ln‐PTH levels were significantly associated with higher diastolic (beta 1.93, P = 0.03) and systolic (beta 4.67, P = 0.01) blood pressure. Higher PTH levels were associated with a substantially higher prevalence of hypertension (OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.31–3.06 for the highest versus the lowest quartile), whereas 25(OH)D showed no significant association (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.47–1.69 for the lowest versus the highest 25(OH)D category).

Conclusion.  These results indicate that PTH is a potentially modifiable determinant of blood pressure in the general elderly population. Serum 25(OH)D, however, was not associated with blood pressure, possibly due to the relatively high levels in our population.
Secular trends in cardiovascular risk factors: an age‐period cohort analysis of 6 98 954 health examinations in 1 81 350 Austrian men and women
Authors: Ulmer H. , Kelleher C. C. , Fitz‐Simon N. , Diem G. , Concin H.
Published: February 2007

Objectives.  It is well established that morbidity and mortality patterns in cardiovascular diseases vary strongly over time, yet the determinants of such trends remain poorly understood. To assess the potential contribution of secular or cross‐generation patterns, we evaluated birth cohort‐related trends across the 20th century of risk factors in a large database of Austrian men and women.

Subjects and setting.  Trends in risk factors were investigated for 1 81 350 adults aged 20–79 years born between 1905 and 1975 undergoing 6 98 954 health examinations between 1985 and 2005 as participants of the Vorarlberg Health Monitoring and Promotion Programme.

Results.  There was clear evidence of cohort‐related shifts in all risk factors. Total serum cholesterol and triglyceride declined markedly, particularly in the youngest cohorts, as did systolic and diastolic blood pressure in both men and women. By contrast, fasting glucose showed a strong rising tendency in both sexes and at all ages, most markedly in young males. Average glucose levels were between 4 and 15 mg dL−1 higher in individuals at the same age born 20 years later. In males, body weight expressed in kg m−2 (body mass index) was increasing as well; however, in women, patterns were most marked at the 90th percentile.

Conclusion.  These findings provide strong evidence of population wide secular shifts and suggest that in addition to period influences, most probably through treatment intervention and lifestyle change, determinants across the life‐course are programming shifts from childhood onwards.
Train driving efficiency and safety: examining the cost of fatigue
Authors: DORRIAN JILLIAN , HUSSEY FRANK , DAWSON DREW
Published: February 2007

This study investigated the effects of fatigue on train driving using data loggers on 50 locomotives operated by pairs of male train drivers (24–56 years) on an Adelaide–Melbourne corridor. Drivers’ work history was used to calculate a fatigue score using Fatigue Audit Interdyne Software. Trains were assigned to one of three groups, based on drivers’ maximum fatigue score: low (n = 15), moderate (n = 22) or high (n = 13) fatigue. Changes in driving parameters at different fatigue levels were investigated. A significant (P < 0.05) increase in fuel use was observed. Drivers in the moderate fatigue group used 4% more, and drivers in the high group used 9% more fuel than drivers in the low group. As these trains run daily, taking horsepower into account, this represents an approximate extra weekly cost of AUD$3512 using high compared with low fatigue drivers. High fatigue‐group drivers used less throttle and dynamic brake and engaged in more heavy brake and maximum speed violations. Comparison of three, 100 km track sub‐sections with undulating, flat, and hilly grade indicated that fuel use increases occurred primarily during the undulating sub‐section, and heavy brake and maximum speed violations occurred primarily in the flat sub‐section. Fatigued driving becomes less well‐planned, resulting in reduced efficiency (e.g. increased fuel consumption) and safety (e.g. braking and speeding violations). Fatigue may manifest differentially depending on track grade. In certain areas, fatigue will cause increased fuel use and economic cost, and in others, reduced safety through driving violations. These factors should be carefully examined in future railway operator research.
Meta‐analysis of sleep changes in control groups of insomnia treatment trials
Authors: BÉLANGER LYNDA , VALLIÈRES ANNIE , IVERS HANS , MOREAU VINCENT , LAVIGNE GILLES , MORIN CHARLES M.
Published: February 2007

A meta‐analysis assessing the magnitude of sleep changes from baseline in placebo‐treated (psychological and pharmacological placebo) and untreated groups issued from independent trials was conducted. Comparisons were then performed to assess if the magnitude of sleep changes in the placebo control groups were significantly different than those of the untreated group. Medline, PsychInfo and Current Contents databases (1990–2004) were searched for primary insomnia treatment studies using a randomized controlled parallel‐group design. Effect sizes were computed for each end‐point variable based on subjective (patient‐reported) and polysomnographic measures. Thirty‐four studies (n = 1392 subjects) met inclusion criteria; twenty‐three used a pharmacological placebo (n = 1163), four used a psychological placebo (n = 81), and seven used a waitlist condition (n = 148). Between‐group comparisons were performed using a random effects model analysis. Significant pre–post changes were observed in the pharmacological placebo condition on several sleep parameters, both on objectively and subjectively measured outcomes [objective and subjective sleep onset latency (SOL) and total sleep time (TST) and subjective wake after sleep onset]. Although a tendency was observed for objective SOL, only the changes on subjective SOL and TST in the pharmacological placebo condition were significantly different from the corresponding changes in the untreated group. No differences were significant for the psychological placebo groups. Although the present findings suggest that sleep may significantly change in response to a pharmacological placebo, conclusions remain tentative because of possible confounds that may arise when comparing groups issued from different trials. Further research directly comparing placebo groups and untreated groups from the same randomized trials remains necessary.
The nature of spontaneous sleep across adulthood
Authors: CAMPBELL SCOTT S. , MURPHY PATRICIA J.
Published: February 2007

The decline in sleep quality that often accompanies aging is thought to be the consequence of alterations in both circadian and homeostatic processes widely assumed to be responsible for sleep/wake regulation. A number of experimental approaches have been used to examine various aspects of age‐related sleep changes, but none has examined spontaneous sleep across the entire 24‐h day. Using the ‘disentrainment’ protocol, we studied such sleep in young, middle‐aged and older adults. All subjects exhibited polyphasic sleep patterns, characterized by relatively short intervals of both sleep and waking. Whereas, the average duration of major nighttime sleep was significantly shorter in middle‐aged and older subjects than in young adults, daytime napping was essentially unaffected by age. Comparisons of sleep and circadian variables between age groups suggest differential effects on sleep of the two regulatory processes, with changes in homeostatic drive preceding those of the circadian component. These findings add to a surprisingly scant literature on the longitudinal decline in sleep quality associated with aging.
Lowering dialysate temperature improves sleep and alters nocturnal skin temperature in patients on chronic hemodialysis
Authors: PARKER KATHY P. , BAILEY JAMES L. , RYE DAVID B. , BLIWISE DONALD L. , VAN SOMEREN EUS J. W.
Published: February 2007

Hemodialysis (HD) induces physiological changes that may affect the ability to dissipate heat and adversely affect sleep. We studied the effects of altering dialysate temperature on polysomnographic measures of nocturnal sleep and the time course of proximal skin temperature. The sample included seven stable HD patients. The three‐phase randomized trial was conducted in a research facility. After one acclimatization night, subjects were readmitted in the evening on two additional occasions for 42 h and received HD the next morning in the warm condition (dialysate 37 °C) and cool condition (dialysate 35 °C) in random order. Continuous proximal skin temperature (axillary, Tax) and polysomnographic measures of sleep were recorded the nights before and after HD was administered. Highly significant findings included that the time course of Tax was markedly affected by dialysis temperature. There was a greater drop of Tax in the early morning following the warm condition than during the baseline nights or in the cool condition. Logistic regression indicated that the odds for the occurrence of sleep and its deeper stages were strongly and positively associated with Tax. Time of sleep onset was earlier in the cool condition (P = 0.03) with trends toward longer total sleep times (P = 0.09) and shorter rapid‐eye‐movement latencies (P = 0.09). These observations suggest that the use of cool dialysate during HD may improve nocturnal sleep by decreasing sympathetic activation and sustaining the normally elevated nocturnal skin temperature until later into the morning hours.
The association between sleep duration, body mass index and metabolic measures in the Hordaland Health Study
Authors: BJORVATN BJØRN , SAGEN INA MARIE , ØYANE NICOLAS , WAAGE SIRI , FETVEIT ARNE , PALLESEN STÅLE , URSIN REIDUN
Published: February 2007

Several studies show that short self‐reported sleep duration is associated with elevated body mass index (BMI). Short sleep duration may change appetite hormones, but whether this also influences metabolic measures like cholesterol and triglycerides is less clear. Furthermore, obesity is linked to increases in blood pressure, and recently, short sleep duration has been shown to be an independent risk factor for hypertension. This is a population‐based cross‐sectional study (The Hordaland Health Study). A subgroup of 8860 subjects, aged 40–45 years, answered a sleep questionnaire. Body weight, height and blood pressure were measured, and non‐fasting blood samples were collected and analyzed for total cholesterol, HDL‐cholesterol and triglycerides. Sleep duration was divided into the following subgroups: <5, 5–5.99, 6–6.99, 7–7.99, 8–8.99 and ≥9 h. The results show that short sleep duration was associated with elevated BMI and increased prevalence of obesity. Similar to BMI, levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were higher in subjects with short sleep duration. This co‐variation seemed to be attributed to variables like gender, smoking and BMI. In conclusion, our study confirms a clear association between short sleep duration and elevated BMI and obesity. Furthermore, levels of total cholesterol, HDL‐cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure were associated with sleep duration.
Measurement properties and hierarchical item structure of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale in Parkinson's disease
Authors: HAGELL PETER , BROMAN JAN‐ERIK
Published: February 2007

The aim of this work was to evaluate the measurement properties and hierarchical item structure of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Data were taken from a cross‐sectional study regarding fatigue and sleep‐related aspects of PD. One hundred and eighteen consecutive patients with neurologist‐diagnosed PD without significant co‐morbidities (54% men; mean age, 64 years; mean PD duration, 8.4 years) from four Swedish neurological outpatient clinics participated. The ESS displayed good data quality with few missing items (0–2.5%): good reliability (Cronbach's alpha, 0.84), marginal floor and no ceiling effects (1.7% and 0% respectively), and differentiated between those reporting problems staying awake during the past month and those who did not. Item–total correlations, factor and Rasch analyses indicated that items tap a single underlying construct. Rasch analysis supported basic rating scale assumptions and demonstrated an item hierarchy similar to that previously found in patients with other sleep disorders. Gaps in the levels of sleep propensity covered by ESS items and their response options were identified at the higher and lower ends of the underlying sleepiness continuum. This study provides an evidence base for using the ESS in PD by demonstrating good psychometric properties and a stable hierarchical item structure. However, addition of new items and use of Rasch scoring has potential to further enhance the clinical usefulness of the ESS.
Prevalence and correlates of clinical insomnia co‐occurring with chronic back pain
Authors: TANG NICOLE K. Y. , WRIGHT KELLY J. , SALKOVSKIS PAUL M.
Published: February 2007

Given the suggestion of a reciprocal relationship between sleep and pain and the recognition of sleep as an important parameter in determining quality of life, there is increasing research interest in sleep disturbance linked to chronic pain. The present study aimed to provide an estimate of the prevalence of ‘clinical insomnia’ in patients attending a specialist pain clinic and identify factors associated with it. Seventy chronic back pain patients and 70 gender‐ and age‐matched pain‐free controls completed a set of questionnaires measuring sleep (Insomnia Severity Index; ISI), pain (Short‐Form McGill Pain Questionnaire) and a selection of general and specific psychological variables (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Short Health Anxiety Inventory). Scores suggestive of clinical insomnia (ISI ≥ 15) were noted in 53% of chronic pain patients, when compared with only 3% in pain‐free controls. Significant positive correlations with insomnia severity were detected for all six variables of interest (pain intensity, sensory pain ratings, affective pain ratings, general anxiety, general depression and health anxiety). Affective pain ratings and health anxiety were the best predictors of insomnia severity in this sample, accounting for 30% of the total variance, even when present pain intensity was controlled for. Affective pain remained as a significant predictor of insomnia severity when both the effect of pain intensity and the effects of anxiety and depression were controlled for. Future research should consider investigating the role of pain appraisal and health anxiety in the development and manifestation of insomnia concomitant to chronic pain.
Sleep related rhythmic movement disorder revisited
Authors: MAYER GEERT , WILDE‐FRENZ JOHANNA , KURELLA BRIGITTE
Published: February 2007

To classify sleep related rhythmic movement disorder (SRMD) based on clinical, polysomnographic and videometric evaluation in a predominantly adult population, twenty‐four patients (four females) aged 11–67 years identified by polysomnography and videometry were classified for type of SRMD, its duration and frequency during wakefulness and in the different sleep stages. SRMD persisted unto child‐ and adulthood in all patients. SRMD is not restricted to sleep‐wake transition, occurs most frequently in wake, stages NREM 1 and 2, but also in REM and slow wave sleep. Most patients have one form of SRMD, few have two forms in one night. Longest duration is in wakefulness. Duration does not differ from one sleep cycle to another. Sleep is not fragmented by SRMD, and sleep stages generally do not change when SRMD occurs. Only few patients have short awakenings after SRMD. In four patients with sleep apnea SRMD coincided frequently with the onset of the apnea related arousal. Two patients had a family history of SRMD. In contrast to the ICSD‐2 SRMD seems to persist into adulthood frequently with male preponderance. Familial forms are rare. SRMD in the investigated population is always occurring during sleep, even if patients reported it to occur strictly at wake‐sleep transition. Polysomnography is a useful method to uncover SRMD aggravated by other sleep disorders and allows insight in some aspects of the pathology of this disorder, which is not well understood. In the adult patients it is not associated with mental pathologies and can be triggered by sleep apnea.
Cospeciation in the triplex symbiosis of termite gut protists (Pseudotrichonympha spp.), their hosts, and their bacterial endosymbionts
Authors: NODA S. , KITADE O. , INOUE T. , KAWAI M. , KANUKA M. , HIROSHIMA K. , HONGOH Y. , CONSTANTINO R. , UYS V. , ZHONG J. , KUDO T. , OHKUMA M.
Published: February 2007

A number of cophylogenetic relationships between two organisms namely a host and a symbiont or parasite have been studied to date; however, organismal interactions in nature usually involve multiple members. Here, we investigated the cospeciation of a triplex symbiotic system comprising a hierarchy of three organisms — termites of the family Rhinotermitidae, cellulolytic protists of the genus Pseudotrichonympha in the guts of these termites, and intracellular bacterial symbionts of the protists. The molecular phylogeny was inferred based on two mitochondrial genes for the termites and nuclear small‐subunit rRNA genes for the protists and their endosymbionts, and these were compared. Although intestinal microorganisms are generally considered to have looser associations with the host than intracellular symbionts, the Pseudotrichonympha protists showed almost complete codivergence with the host termites, probably due to strict transmissions by proctodeal trophallaxis or coprophagy based on the social behaviour of the termites. Except for one case, the endosymbiotic bacteria of the protists formed a monophyletic lineage in the order Bacteroidales, and the branching pattern was almost identical to those of the protists and the termites. However, some non‐codivergent evolutionary events were evident. The members of this triplex symbiotic system appear to have cospeciated during their evolution with minor exceptions; the evolutionary relationships were probably established by termite sociality and the complex microbial community in the gut.
Genetic population structure of the endemic fourline wrasse (Larabicus quadrilineatus) suggests limited larval dispersal distances in the Red Sea
Authors: FROUKH TAWFIQ , KOCHZIUS MARC
Published: February 2007

The connectivity among marine populations is determined by the dispersal capabilities of adults as well as their eggs and larvae. Dispersal distances and directions have a profound effect on gene flow and genetic differentiation within species. Genetic homogeneity over large areas is a common feature of coral reef fishes and can reflect high dispersal capability resulting in high levels of gene flow. If fish larvae return to their parental reef, gene flow would be restricted and genetic differentiation could occur. Larabicus quadrilineatus (Labridae) is considered as an endemic fish species of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The juveniles of this species are cleaner fish that feed on ectoparasites of other fishes. Here, we investigated the genetic population structure and gene flow in L. quadrilineatus among five locations in the Red Sea to infer connectivity among them. To estimate genetic diversity, we analysed 369 bp of 237 mitochondrial DNA control region sequences. Haplotype and nucleotide diversities were higher in the southern than in the northern Red Sea. Analysis of molecular variance (amova) detected the highest significant genetic variation between northern and central/southern populations (ΦCT = 0.01; P < 0.001). Migration analysis revealed a several fold higher northward than southward migration, which could be explained by oceanographic conditions and spawning season. Even though the ΦST value of 0.01 is rather low and implies a long larval dispersal distance, estimates based on the isolation‐by‐distance model show a very low mean larval dispersal distance (0.44–5.1 km) compared to other studies. In order to enable a sustainable ornamental fishery on the fourline wrasse, the results of this study suggest that populations in the northern and southern Red Sea should be managed separately as two different stocks. The rather low larval dispersal distance of about 5 km needs to be considered in the design of marine protected areas to enable connectivity and self‐seeding.
Revealing species‐specific trophic links in soil food webs: molecular identification of scarab predators
Authors: JUEN A. , TRAUGOTT M.
Published: February 2007

Soil food webs are particularly important in terrestrial systems, but studying them is difficult. Here we report on the first study to apply a molecular approach to identify species‐specific trophic interactions in below‐ground food webs. To identify the invertebrate predator guild of the garden chaferPhyllopertha horticola(Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) whose root‐feeding larvae can be highly abundant in grasslands, a specific DNA marker was developed. It allowed detection ofP. horticolaegg and white grub meals within the gut content ofPoecilus versicolor(Coleoptera, Carabidae) larvae for up to 24 h post‐feeding. Soil samples from an alpine grassland revealed a diverse below‐ground macro‐invertebrate community with earthworms,P. horticolalarvae, and centipedes as well as beetle larvae as the most abundant detritivores, herbivores, and predators, respectively. Garden chafer DNA was detected in 18.6%, 4.1%, and 4.4% of field‐collected Geophilidae (n = 124), beetle larvae (n = 159), and Lithobiidae (n = 49), respectively. We conclude that most of the investigated predators actively preyed onP. horticola, as secondary predation is unlikely to be detected in below‐ground systems. Moreover, scavenging most likely contributes only to a small percentage of the revealed trophic links due to the low availability of carrion. Sampling date did not influence prey detection rates, indicating that bothP. horticolaeggs and larvae were preyed on. Only 2.7% of the below‐ground predators tested positive for earthworms, an alternative, highly abundant prey, suggesting thatP. horticolarepresents an important prey source for centipedes and predatory beetle larvae during summer within the soil food web.
Coding sequence polymorphism in avian mitochondrial genomes reflects population histories
Authors: HUGHES AUSTIN L. , HUGHES MARY ANN K.
Published: February 2007

Nucleotide sequence diversity at mitochondrial protein‐coding loci from 72 species of birds from different geographical regions was analysed in order to test the hypothesis that temperate zone species show population genetic effects of past glaciation. Temperate zone species showed reduced nucleotide diversity in comparison to tropical mainland species, suggesting that the latter have long‐term effective population sizes due to population bottleneck effects during the most recent glaciation. This hypothesis was further supported by evidence of an unusually high estimated rate of population growth in species breeding in North America and wintering in the New World tropics (Nearctic migrants), consistent with population expansion after a bottleneck. Nearctic migrants also showed evidence of an abundance of rare nonsynonymous (amino acid‐altering) polymorphisms, a pattern suggesting that slightly deleterious polymorphisms drifted to high frequencies during a bottleneck and are now being eliminated by selection. Because the shape of the North American land mass limited the area available for refugia during glaciation, the bottleneck effects are predicted to have been particularly strong in Nearctic migrants, and this prediction was supported. The reduced genetic diversity of Nearctic migrants provides an additional basis for concern for the survival of these species, which are threatened by loss of habitat in the winter range and by introduced disease.
Radiation and speciation of pelagic organisms during periods of global warming: the case of the common minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata
Authors: PASTENE LUIS A. , GOTO MUTSUO , KANDA NAOHISA , ZERBINI ALEXANDRE N. , KEREM DAN , WATANABE KAZUO , BESSHO YOSHITAKA , HASEGAWA MASAMI , NIELSEN RASMUS , LARSEN FINN , PALSBØLL PER J.
Published: February 2007

How do populations of highly mobile species inhabiting open environments become reproductively isolated and evolve into new species? We test the hypothesis that elevated ocean‐surface temperatures can facilitate allopatry among pelagic populations and thus promote speciation. Oceanographic modelling has shown that increasing surface temperatures cause localization and reduction of upwelling, leading to fragmentation of feeding areas critical to pelagic species. We test our hypothesis by genetic analyses of populations of two closely related baleen whales, the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) and common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) whose current distributions and migration patterns extent are largely determined by areas of consistent upwelling with high primary production. Phylogeographic and population genetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA control‐region nucleotide sequences collected from 467 whales sampled in four different ocean basins were employed to infer the evolutionary relationship among populations of B. acutorostrata by rooting an intraspecific phylogeny with a population of B. bonaerensis. Our findings suggest that the two species diverged in the Southern Hemisphere less than 5 million years ago (Ma). This estimate places the speciation event during a period of extended global warming in the Pliocene. We propose that elevated ocean temperatures in the period facilitated allopatric speciation by disrupting the continuous belt of upwelling maintained by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Our analyses revealed that the current populations of B. acutorostrata likely diverged after the Pliocene some 1.5 Ma when global temperatures had decreased and presumably coinciding with the re‐establishment of the polar–equatorial temperature gradient that ultimately drives upwelling. In most population samples, we detected genetic signatures of exponential population expansions, consistent with the notion of increasing carrying capacity after the Pliocene. Our hypothesis that prolonged periods of global warming facilitate speciation in pelagic marine species that depend on upwelling should be tested by comparative analyses in other pelagic species.
Population structure and intraspecific aggression in the invasive ant species Anoplolepis gracilipes in Malaysian Borneo
Authors: DRESCHER JOCHEN , BLÜTHGEN NICO , FELDHAAR HEIKE
Published: February 2007

Invasive species are one of the main sources of the ongoing global loss of biodiversity. Invasive ants are known as particularly damaging invaders and their introductions are often accompanied by population‐level behavioural and genetic changes that may contribute to their success. Anoplolepis gracilipes is an invasive ant that has just recently received increased attention due to its negative impact on native ecosystems. We examined the behaviour and population structure of A. gracilipes in Sabah, Malaysia. A total of 475 individuals from 24 colonies were genotyped with eight microsatellite markers. Intracolonial relatedness was high, ranging from 0.37 to 1 (mean ± SD: 0.82 ± 0.04), while intercolonial relatedness was low (0.0 ± 0.02, range −0.5–0.76). We compared five distinct sampling regions in Sabah and Brunei. A three‐level hierarchical F‐analysis revealed high genetic differentiation among colonies within the same region, but low genetic differentiation within colonies or across regions. Overall levels of heterozygosity were unusually high (mean HO = 0.95, mean HE = 0.71) with two loci being entirely heterozygous, indicating an unusual reproductive system in this species. Bioassays revealed a negative correlation between relatedness and aggression, suggesting kinship as one factor facilitating supercolony formation in this species. Furthermore, we genotyped one individual per nest from Sabah (22 nests), Sarawak (one nest), Brunei (three nests) and the Philippines (two nests) using two mitochondrial DNA markers. We found six haplotypes, two of which included 82.1% of all sequences. Our study shows that the sampled area in Sabah consists of a mosaic of differently interrelated nests in different stages of colony establishment. While some of the sampled colonies may belong to large supercolonies, others are more likely to represent recently introduced or dispersed propagules that are just beginning to expand.
Subterranean archipelago in the Australian arid zone: mitochondrial DNA phylogeography of amphipods from central Western Australia
Authors: COOPER STEVEN J. B. , BRADBURY JOHN H. , SAINT KATHLEEN M. , LEYS REMKO , AUSTIN ANDREW D. , HUMPHREYS WILLIAM F.
Published: February 2007

In 1998, a unique subterranean ecosystem was discovered in numerous isolated calcrete (carbonate) aquifers in the arid Yilgarn region of Western Australia. Previous morphological and genetic analyses of a subterranean water beetle fauna suggest that calcrete aquifers are equivalent to closed island habitats that have been isolated for millions of years. We tested this hypothesis further by phylogeographic analyses of subterranean amphipods (Crangonyctoidea: Paramelitidae and Hyalidae) using mitochondrial DNA sequence data derived from the cytochrome oxidase I gene. Phylogenetic analyses and population genetic analyses (samova) provided strong evidence for the existence of at least 16 crangonyctoid and six hyalid divergent mitochondrial lineages, each restricted in their distribution to a single calcrete aquifer, in support of the ‘subterranean island (archipelago) hypothesis’ and extending its scope to include entirely water respiring invertebrates. Sequence divergence estimates between proximate calcrete populations suggest that calcretes have been isolated at least since the Pliocene, coinciding with a major aridity phase that led to the intermittent drying of surface water. The distribution of calcretes along palaeodrainage channels and on either side of drainage divides, have had less influence on the overall phylogeographic structure of populations, with evidence that ancestral crangonyctoid and hyalid species moved between catchments multiple times prior to their isolation within calcretes. At least two potential modes of evolution may account for the diversity of subterranean amphipod populations: dispersal/vicariance of stygobitic species or colonization of calcretes by surface species and independent evolution of stygobitic characteristics.
Demonstration of secondary infection by Pythium violae in epidemics of carrot cavity spot using root transplantation as a method of soil infestation
Authors: Suffert F. , Montfort F.
Published: February 2007

Cavity spot of carrot (CCS), one of the most important soilborne diseases of this crop worldwide, is characterized by small sunken elliptical lesions on the taproot caused by a complex of pathogens belonging to the genus Pythium, notably P. violae. In most soilborne diseases the soil is the source of inoculum for primary infections, with diseased plants then providing inoculum for secondary infections (both auto‐ and alloinfection). Using fragments of CCS lesions to infest soil, it was demonstrated that CCS lesions on carrot residues can cause primary infection of healthy roots. Using a novel soil infestation method, in which an artificially infected carrot root (the donor plant) was placed close to healthy roots (receptor plants) the formation of typical CCS lesions were induced more efficiently than the use of classical soil inoculum and showed that CCS can spread from root to root by alloinfection from transplanted diseased roots. The method also demonstrated the polycyclic nature of a CCS epidemic caused by P. violae in controlled conditions. Secondary infections caused symptoms and reduced root weight as early as two weeks after transplantation of the diseased carrot. This reproducible method may be used for delayed inoculation and for studying the effect of cropping factors and the efficacy of treatments against primary and secondary cavity spot infections.
Mitochondrial GTPase mitofusin 2 mutations in Korean patients with Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth neuropathy type 2
Authors: Cho H‐J , Sung DH , Kim BJ , Ki C‐S
Published: February 2007

Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease (CMT) is classified into two types, the demyelinating (CMT1) and axonal forms (CMT2). CMT2 is further subdivided by linkage analysis into eight subgroups. Recently, mutations in the MFN2 gene, which encodes the mitochondrial GTPase mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) that regulates the mitochondrial network architecture by fusing the mitochondria, were identified in CMT2A patients. This study carried out mutation analysis of the MFN2 gene in 12 unrelated Korean patients suspected of having CMT2 and identified four mutations (Arg94Trp, His165Arg, Ser263Pro, and Ser350Pro). Three mutations were found within the highly conserved GTPase domain that is essential for the function of Mfn2, and one mutation (Ser350Pro) was observed between the GTPase domain and the downstream coiled‐coil domain. This suggests that mutations in the MFN2 gene are an important causative gene underlying Korean patients with CMT2, and screening for a mutation in the MFN2 gene is strongly recommended for making a molecular diagnosis of CMT2.