bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High Body Mass Index Is a Weak Predictor for Difficult and Failed Tracheal Intubation
Authors: Lundstrøm Lars H. , Møller Ann M. , Rosenstock Charlotte , Astrup Grethe , Wetterslev Jørn
Published: January 2009

Background

Previous studies have failed to detect high body mass index (BMI) as a risk factor for difficult tracheal intubation (DTI). BMI was investigated as a risk factor for DTI in patients planned for direct laryngoscopy.

Methods

A cohort of 91,332 consecutive patients planned for intubation by direct laryngoscopy was retrieved from the Danish Anesthesia Database. A four-point scale to grade the tracheal intubation was used. Age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification, priority of surgery, history of previous DTI, modified Mallampati-score, use of neuromuscular blocker, and BMI were retrieved. Logistic regression to assess whether BMI was associated with DTI was performed.

Results

The frequency of DTI was 5.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 5.0-5.3). In multivariate analyses adjusted for other significant covariates, BMI of 35 or more was a risk for DTI with an odds ratio of 1.34 (95% CI 1.19-1.51, P < 0.0001). As a stand alone test, BMI of 35 or more predicted DTI with a sensitivity of 7.5% (95% CI 7.3-7.7%) and with a predictive value of a positive test of 6.4% (95% CI 6.3-6.6%). BMI as a continuous covariate was a risk for failed intubation with an odds ratio of 1.031 (95% CI 1.002-1.061, P < 0.04).

Conclusions

High BMI is a weak but statistically significant predictor of difficult and failed intubation and may be more appropriate than weight in multivariate models of prediction of DTI.
Effects of Different Levels of Pressure Support Variability in Experimental Lung Injury
Authors: Spieth Peter M. , Carvalho Alysson R. , Güldner Andreas , Pelosi Paolo , Kirichuk Oleg , Koch Thea , de Abreu Marcelo Gama
Published: January 2009

Background

Noisy pressure support ventilation has been reported to improve respiratory function compared to conventional assisted mechanical ventilation. We aimed at determining the optimal level of pressure support variability during noisy pressure support ventilation.

Methods

Twelve pigs were anesthetized and mechanically ventilated. Acute lung injury was induced by surfactant depletion. At four levels of pressure support variability (coefficients of variation of pressure support equal to 7.5, 15, 30, and 45%, 30 min each, crossover design, special Latin squares sequence), we measured respiratory variables, gas exchange, hemodynamics, inspiratory effort, and comfort of breathing. The mean level of tidal volume was constant among variability levels.

Results

Compared to conventional pressure support ventilation, different levels of variability in pressure support improved the elastance of the respiratory system, peak airway pressure, oxygenation, and intrapulmonary shunt. Oxygenation and venous admixture benefited more from intermediate (30%) levels of variability, whereas elastance and peak airway pressure improved linearly with increasing variability. Heart rate as well as mean arterial and pulmonary arterial pressures decreased slightly at intermediate to high (30-45%) levels of variability in pressure support. Inspiratory effort and comfort of breathing were not importantly influenced by increased variability in pressure support.

Conclusion

In a surfactant depletion model of acute lung injury, variability of pressure support improves lung function. The variability level of 30% seems to represent a reasonable compromise to improve lung functional variables during noisy pressure support ventilation.
From coprophagy to predation: a dung beetle that kills millipedes
Authors: Larsen Trond H , Lopera Alejandro , Forsyth Adrian , Génier François
Published: January 2009

The dung beetle subfamily Scarabaeinae is a cosmopolitan group of insects that feed primarily on dung. We describe the first case of an obligate predatory dung beetle and contrast its behaviour and morphology with those of its coprophagous sympatric congeners.Deltochilum valgumBurmeister killed and consumed millipedes in lowland rainforest in Peru. Ancestral ball-rolling behaviour shared by other canthonine species is abandoned, and the head, hind tibiae and pygidium ofD. valgumare modified for novel functions during millipede predation. Millipedes were killed by disarticulation, often through decapitation, using the clypeus as a lever. Beetles killed millipedes much larger than themselves. In pitfall traps,D. valgumwas attracted exclusively to millipedes, and preferred injured over uninjured millipedes. Morphological similarities placingD. valgumin the same subgenus with non-predatory dung-feeding species suggest a major and potentially rapid behavioural shift from coprophagy to predation. Ecological transitions enabling the exploitation of dramatically atypical niches, which may be more likely to occur when competition is intense, may help explain the evolution of novel ecological guilds and the diversification of exceptionally species-rich groups such as insects.
Tropical deforestation alters hummingbird movement patterns
Authors: Hadley Adam S , Betts Matthew G
Published: January 2009

Reduced pollination success, as a function of habitat loss and fragmentation, appears to be a global phenomenon. Disruption of pollinator movement is one hypothesis put forward to explain this pattern in pollen limitation. However, the small size of pollinators makes them very difficult to track; thus, knowledge of their movements is largely speculative. Using tiny radio transmitters (0.25 g), we translocated a generalist tropical ‘trap-lining’ hummingbird, the green hermit (
Phaethornis guy
), across agricultural and forested landscapes to test the hypothesis that movement is influenced by patterns of deforestation. Although, we found no difference in homing times between landscape types, return paths were on average 459±144 m (±s.e.) more direct in forested than agricultural landscapes. In addition, movement paths in agricultural landscapes contained 36±4 per cent more forest than the most direct route. Our findings suggest that this species can circumvent agricultural matrix to move among forest patches. Nevertheless, it is clear that movement of even a highly mobile species is strongly influenced by landscape disturbance. Maintaining landscape connectivity with forest corridors may be important for enhancing movement, and thus in facilitating pollen transfer.
Interactions between background matching and motion during visual detection can explain why cryptic animals keep still
Authors: Ioannou Christos C , Krause Jens
Published: January 2009

A widespread example of coevolution between behaviour and morphology is that crypsis is associated with motionlessness. Surprisingly, however, the adaptive function of this association has never been investigated experimentally. We tested whether the risk of being detected by a predator is affected by crypsis, movement or an interaction between these two traits. We show that, to avoid being detected and attacked by three-spined sticklebacks (
Gasterosteus aculeatus
L.), chironomid larvae need both to match their background and to keep still. Additionally, relatively more active individuals were targeted from cryptic prey groups, but not from conspicuous ones. Therefore, rather than crypsis and keeping still both contributing to reducing detection, the two traits are synergistic in reducing detection rates. This interdependence has implications for the coevolution of background matching and motion, and also between anti-predator traits and predators' visual systems.
Chemometric analysis for comparison of heparan sulphate oligosaccharides
Authors: Puvirajesinghe T. M. , Guimond S. E. , Turnbull J. E. , Guenneau S.
Published: January 2009

Heparan sulphate (HS) is a glycosaminoglycan present in all metazoan organisms. It is an unbranched chain made up of repeating disaccharide units of uronic acid and glucosamine sugars, and is present in both cells and the extracellular matrix. It is one of the most structurally diverse biological molecules and its biosynthesis involves a variety of enzymic modification steps. Unlike the genome and the transcriptome, HS synthesis is not template driven. Nevertheless, the HS structure and function are highly regulated with modification steps occurring in discrete regions of the polysaccharide chain to give rise to diverse structures interacting with, and regulating, many different proteins. The resulting variation leads to diverse biological roles of HS. To study this structural diversity, rapid isolation and characterization of HS from small amounts of tissues, followed by digestion with bacterially derived enzymes (heparitinases) and chromatography techniques can be used to separate HS oligosaccharides of different size and charge. However, this leads to complex datasets where comparison of just a few samples leads to difficulties in data analysis. Using automatically integrated peak data obtained from chromatographic software, one can apply the effective disc technique to the data points to obtain the centre of mass in each dataset, for example from different murine tissues. This allows facile comparative analysis of different datasets. When the cloud of points displays some preferential direction (anisotropy), it is preferable to compute its effective ellipse. Analysis of the dynamics of the cloud of points for repeated experiments allows the quantification of their reproducibility through evaluation of an average Lyapunov exponent characterizing the area-preserving nature of a sequence of effective ellipses. These basic mathematical approaches allow a more systematic comparison of datasets derived from structural analysis using basic spreadsheet software calculations and contribute to the development of system biology strategies for tackling biocomplexity of HS polysaccharides.
HapMap methylation-associated SNPs, markers of germline DNA methylation, positively correlate with regional levels of human meiotic recombination
Authors: Sigurdsson Martin I. , Smith Albert V. , Bjornsson Hans T. , Jonsson Jon J.
Published: January 2009

Inter-individual and regional variability in recombination rates cannot be fully explained by the DNA sequence itself. Epigenetic mechanisms might be one additional factor affecting recombination. A biochemical approach to studying human germline methylation is difficult. We used the density of the 434,198 nonredundant methylation-associated SNPs (mSNPs) in the derived allele HapMap data set as a surrogate marker for germline DNA methylation. We validated our methodology by demonstrating that the mSNP density confirmed known patterns of genomic methylation, including the hypermutability of methylated cytosine and hypomethylation of CpG islands. Using this approach, we found a genome-wide positive correlation between germline methylation and regional recombination rate (500-kb windows: r = 0.622, P < 10−15). This remained significant with multiple correlations correcting for sequence features known to affect recombination, such as GC content and CpG dinucleotides (500-kb windows: r = 0.172, P < 10−15). Using the ENCODE data set for increased resolution, we found a positive correlation between germline DNA methylation and recombination rate (50-kb windows: r = 0.301, P = 0.002). This correlation was further strengthened when corrected for sequence features affecting recombination (50-kb windows: r = 0.445, P < 0.0001). In the Human Epigenome Project data set there was increased DNA methylation in regions within recombination hot spots in male germ cells (0.632 vs. 0.557, P = 0.007). The relationship we observed between germline DNA methylation and recombination could be explained in two ways that are not mutually exclusive: DNA methylation could indicate preferred sites for recombination, or methylation following recombination could inhibit further recombination, perhaps by being part of the enigmatic molecular pathway mediating crossover interference.
The level of urinary secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) of patients with IgA nephropathy is elevated and associated with pathological phenotypes
Authors: Tan Y , Zhang J-J , Liu G , Zhang H , Zhao M-H
Published: January 2009

Recent studies have demonstrated deposition of secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) in glomeruli of some patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN). The aim of this study is to investigate the levels of urinary sIgA in IgAN patients with different pathological phenotypes and whether it could be used as a non-invasive biomarker for assessment of kidney injury in IgAN. Urine samples from 202 patients with IgAN were collected on the day of renal biopsy. Forty-eight fulfilled the histopathological criteria of Haas-I or II (group 1), 60 fulfilled Haas-III (group 2) and 94 patients fulfilled Haas-IV or V (group 3). Urine samples from 60 healthy sex- and age-matched volunteers with negative urinalysis were collected as normal controls. Urinary sIgA was detected by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and was corrected by urinary creatinine. In comparison with normal controls, the levels of urinary sIgA were significantly higher in IgAN [2·22 (0–43·82) μg/mg Cr versus 1·08 (0–16·49) μg/mg Cr, P < 0·001]. The levels of urinary sIgA were significantly higher in group 3 than that in group 2 and group 1 [3·54 (0–43·82) μg/mg Cr versus 1·63 (0–15·88) μg/mg Cr versus 0·91 (0–11·79), P < 0·001], and group 2 than group 1 (P = 0·014). The levels of urinary sIgA were associated positively with proteinuria (r = 0·443, P < 0·001), serum creatinine (r = 0·376, P < 0·001) and histopathological parameters, such as ratio of global sclerosis (r = 0·356, P < 0·001), ratio of total crescents (r = 0·339, P < 0·001) and ratios of cellular crescents (r = 0·231, P < 0·001). The levels of urinary sIgA were associated closely with histopathological phenotypes of IgAN and might be used as a non-invasive biomarker to evaluate kidney injury in IgAN.
Differential cytokine secretion and early treatment response in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis
Authors: Djoba Siawaya J F , Beyers N , Van Helden P , Walzl G
Published: January 2009

Biomarkers for treatment response would facilitate the testing of urgently needed new anti-tuberculous drugs. The present study investigated the profiles of 30 proinflammatory, anti-inflammatory and angiogenic factors [epidermal growth factor, eotaxin, fractalkine, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-1ra, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p40, IL-12p70, IL-13, IL-15, IL-17, interferon-γ, interferon-inducible protein-10, Krebs von den Lungen-6, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, MIP-1β, sCD40L, transforming growth factor-α, tumour necrosis factor-α and vascular endothelial growth factor] in the plasma of 12 healthy tuberculin skin test-positive community controls and 20 human immunodeficiency virus-negative patients with active tuberculosis (TB) and identified potential biomarkers for early treatment response. We showed differences in the level of circulating cytokines between healthy controls and TB patients, but also between fast responders and slow responders to anti-tuberculosis treatment. The general discriminant analysis based on pre-treatment and week 1 measurements identified 10 sets of three-variable models that could classify fast and slow responders with up to 83% accuracy. Overall, this study shows the potential of cytokines as indicators of anti-tuberculosis treatment response.
Smad3 loss confers resistance to the development of trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid–induced colorectal fibrosis
Authors: Latella G. , Vetuschi A. , Sferra R. , Zanninelli G. , D’Angelo A. , Catitti V. , Caprilli R. , Flanders K. C. , Gaudio E.
Published: January 2009

Background  Transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β)/Smad3 signalling plays a central role in tissue fibrogenesis, acting as a potent stimulus of extracellular matrix (ECM) protein accumulation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential role of Smad3 in the pathogenesis of colonic fibrosis induced by trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) in Smad3 null mice.

Materials and methods  Chronic colitis‐associated fibrosis was induced in 15 Smad3 null and 13 wild‐type mice by intra‐rectal administration of TNBS. Each mouse received an incremental dose of TNBS (0·5–1·0 mg per week) over a 6‐week period. The colon was excised for macroscopic examination and histological, morphometric and immunohistochemical analyses. For immunohistochemistry, alpha‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA), collagen types I–III, TGF‐β1, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), Smad3, Smad7, and CD3 antibodies were used.

Results  At macroscopic examination, the colon of Smad3 wild‐type mice appeared significantly harder, thicker and shorter than that of the Smad3 null mice. Of the wild‐type mice, 50% presented colonic adhesions and strictures. Histological and morphometric evaluation revealed a significantly higher degree of colonic fibrosis and accumulation of collagen in the Smad3 wild‐type compared to null mice, whereas the degree of colonic inflammation did not differ between the two groups of mice. Immunohistochemical evaluation showed a marked increase in CTGF, collagen I–III, TGF‐β and Smad3 staining in the colon of Smad3 wild‐type compared to null mice, whereas Smad7 was increased only in null mice.

Conclusions  These results indicate that Smad3 loss confers resistance to the development of TNBS‐induced colonic fibrosis. The reduced fibrotic response appears to be due to a reduction in fibrogenic mesenchymal cell activation and ECM production and accumulation. Smad3 could be a novel target for potential treatment of intestinal fibrosis, especially in inflammatory bowel disease.
Elevated temperature reduces the respiratory scope of coral reef fishes
Authors: NILSSON GÖRAN E. , CRAWLEY NATALIE , LUNDE IDA G. , MUNDAY PHILIP L.
Published: January 2009

The capacity for marine fishes to perform aerobically (aerobic scope) is predicted to control their thermal tolerance and, thus, the impact that rapid climate change will have on their populations. We tested the effect of increased water temperatures on the resting and maximum rates of oxygen consumption in five common coral reef fishes at Lizard Island on the northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. All species exhibited a decline in aerobic capacity at elevated water temperatures (31, 32 or 33 °C) compared with controls (29 °C); however, the response was much stronger in two cardinalfishes, Ostorhinchus cyanosoma and O. doederleini, compared with three damselfishes, Dascyllus anuarus, Chromis atripectoralis and Acanthochromis polyacanthus. Aerobic scope of the two cardinalfishes was reduced by nearly half at 31 °C compared with 29 °C, and virtually all capacity for additional oxygen uptake was exhausted by 33 °C. In contrast, the three damselfishes retained over half their aerobic scope at 33 °C. Such differences in thermal tolerance between species, and possibly families, suggest that the community structure of reef fish assemblages might change significantly as ocean temperatures increase. Populations of thermally tolerant species are likely to persist at higher temperatures, but populations of thermally sensitive species could decline on low‐latitude reefs if individual performance falls below levels needed to sustain viable populations.
Control of Cell Number in the Sexually Dimorphic Brain and Spinal Cord
Authors: Forger N. G.
Published: January 2009

The hormonal control of cell death is currently the best‐established mechanism for creating sex differences in cell number in the brain and spinal cord. For example, males have more cells than do females in the principal nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTp) and spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB), whereas females have a cell number advantage in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV). In each case, the difference in cell number in adulthood correlates with a sex difference in the number of dying cells at some point in development. Mice with over‐ or under‐expression of cell death genes have been used to test more directly the contribution of cell death to neural sex differences, to identify molecular mechanisms involved, and to determine the behavioural consequences of suppressing developmental cell death. Bax is a pro‐death gene of the Bcl‐2 family that is singularly important for apoptosis in neural development. In mice lacking bax, the number of cells in the BNSTp, SNB and AVPV are significantly increased, and sex differences in total cell number in each of these regions are eliminated. Cells rescued by bax gene deletion in the BNSTp express markers of differentiated neurones and the androgen receptor. On the other hand, sex differences in other phenotypically identified populations, such as vasopressin‐expressing neurones in the BNSTp or dopaminergic neurones in AVPV, are not affected by either bax deletion or bcl‐2 over‐expression. Possible mechanisms by which testosterone may regulate cell death in the nervous system are discussed, as are the behavioural effects of eliminating sex differences in neuronal cell number.
Nuclear Receptor Coactivators: Essential Players for Steroid Hormone Action in the Brain and in Behaviour
Authors: Tetel M. J.
Published: January 2009

Steroid hormones act both in the brain and throughout the body to influence behaviour and physiology. Many of these effects of steroid hormones are elicited by transcriptional events mediated by their respective receptors. A variety of cell culture studies reveal that nuclear receptor coactivators are critical for modulating steroid receptor‐dependent transcription. Thus, in addition to the availability of the hormone and the expression of its receptor, nuclear receptor coactivators are essential for steroid‐dependent transactivation of genes. This review discusses the mounting evidence indicating that nuclear receptor coactivators are critical for modulating steroid hormone action in the brain and in the regulation of behaviour.
Sexual Differentiation of Behaviour in Monkeys: Role of Prenatal Hormones
Authors: Wallen K. , Hassett J. M.
Published: January 2009

The theoretical debate over the relative contributions of nature and nurture to the sexual differentiation of behaviour has increasingly moved towards an interactionist explanation that requires both influences. In practice, however, nature and nurture have often been seen as separable, influencing human clinical sex assignment decisions, sometimes with disastrous consequences. Decisions about the sex assignment of children born with intersex conditions have been based almost exclusively on the appearance of the genitals and how other’s reactions to the gender role of the assigned sex affect individual gender socialisation. Effects of the social environment and gender expectations in human cultures are ubiquitous, overshadowing the potential underlying biological contributions in favour of the more observable social influences. Recent work in nonhuman primates showing behavioural sex differences paralleling human sex differences, including toy preferences, suggests that less easily observed biological factors also influence behavioural sexual differentiation in both monkeys and humans. We review research, including Robert W. Goy’s pioneering work with rhesus monkeys, which manipulated prenatal hormones at different gestation times and demonstrated that genital anatomy and specific behaviours are independently sexually differentiated. Such studies demonstrate that, for a variety of behaviours, including juvenile mounting and rough play, individuals can have the genitals of one sex but show the behaviour more typical of the other sex. We describe another case, infant distress vocalisations, where maternal responsiveness is best accounted for by the mother’s response to the genital appearance of her offspring. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that sexual differentiation arises from complex interactions where anatomical and behavioural biases, produced by hormonal and other biological processes, are shaped by social experience into the behavioural sex differences that distinguish males and females.
Oestrogen, Kisspeptin, GPR54 and the Pre‐Ovulatory Luteinising Hormone Surge
Authors: Clarkson J. , Herbison A. E.
Published: January 2009

Ovulation is central to mammalian fertility, yet the precise mechanism through which oestrogen triggers the gonadotrophin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) surge that generates the pre‐ovulatory luteinising hormone (LH) surge has remained elusive. The recent discovery that kisspeptin‐GPR54 signalling is an essential regulator of the neuroendocrine axis at puberty has led investigators to evaluate the role of kisspeptin in the pre‐ovulatory GnRH surge mechanism. Kisspeptin neurones are known to express oestrogen and progesterone receptors and have their cell bodies located in brain regions implicated in the positive‐feedback mechanism in several mammalian species. In rodents, kisspeptin neurones located in the rostral periventricular area of the third ventricle (RP3V) are positively regulated by oestrogen and most likely are activated by oestrogen at the time of positive feedback. A similar scenario appears to exist for a sub‐population of kisspeptin neurones located in the mediobasal hypothalamus of sheep and primates. The majority of GnRH neurones express GPR54, and kisspeptin causes an intense electrical activation of these cells. In concordance with this, kisspeptin administration in vivo results in an abrupt and prolonged release of LH in all mammalian species examined to date. Functional evidence from immunoneutralisation and knockout studies suggests that RP3V kisspeptin neurones projecting to GnRH neurones are an essential component of the surge mechanism in rodents. Taken together, the studies undertaken to date provide substantial evidence in support of a key role of kisspeptin‐GPR54 signalling in the generation of the oestrogen‐induced pre‐ovulatory surge mechanism in mammals.
Behavioural and Neurochemical Consequences of Early Weaning in Rodents
Authors: Kikusui T. , Mori Y.
Published: January 2009

Among all mammalian species, pups are highly dependent on their mother not only for nutrition, but also for physical interaction. Therefore, disruption of the mother–pup interaction changes the physiology and behaviour of pups. We review how maternal separation in the early developmental period brings about changes in the behaviour and neuronal systems of the offspring of rats and mice. Early weaning in mice results in adulthood a persistent increase in anxiety‐like and aggressive behaviour. The early‐weaned mice also show higher hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal activity in response to novelty stress. Neurochemically, the early‐weaned male mice, but not female mice, show precocious myelination in the amygdala, decreased brain‐derived neurotrophic factor protein levels in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, and reduced bromodeoxyuridine immunoreactivity in the dentate gyrus. Because higher corticosterone levels are persistently observed up to 48 h when the mice are weaned on postnatal day 14, the exposure of the developing brain to higher corticosterone levels may be one of the effects of early weaning. These results suggest that deprivation of the mother–infant interaction during the late lactating period results in behavioural and neurochemical changes in adulthood and that these stress responses are sexually dimorphic (i.e. the male is more vulnerable to early weaning stress).
Response of Arginine Vasopressin‐Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein Fusion Gene in the Hypothalamus of Adjuvant‐Induced Arthritic Rats
Authors: Suzuki H. , Onaka T. , Kasai M. , Kawasaki M. , Ohnishi H. , Otsubo H. , Saito T. , Hashimoto H. , Yokoyama T. , Fujihara H. , Dayanithi G. , Murphy D. , Nakamura T. , Ueta Y.
Published: January 2009

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) and corticotrophin‐releasing hormone (CRH) in the parvocellular neurosecretory cells of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) play a major role in activating the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis, which is the main neuroendocrine response against the many kinds of stress. We examined the effects of chronic inflammatory/nociceptive stress on the expression of the AVP‐enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) fusion gene in the hypothalamus, using the adjuvant arthritis (AA) model. To induce AA, the AVP‐eGFP rats were intracutaneously injected heat‐killedMycobacterium butyricum(1 mg/rat) in paraffin liquid at the base of their tails. We measured AVP, oxytocin and corticosterone levels in plasma and changes in eGFP and CRH mRNA in the hypothalamus during the time course of AA development. Then, we examined eGFP fluorescence in the PVN, the supraoptic nucleus (SON), median eminence (ME) and posterior pituitary gland (PP) when AA was established. The plasma concentrations of AVP, oxytocin and corticosterone were significantly increased on days 15 and 22 in AA rats, without affecting the plasma osmolality and sodium. Although CRH mRNA levels in the PVN were significantly decreased, eGFP mRNA levels in the PVN and the SON were significantly increased on days 15 and 22 in AA rats. The eGFP fluorescence in the SON, the PVN, internal and external layers of the ME and PP was apparently increased in AA compared to control rats. These results suggest that the increases in the concentrations of ACTH and corticosterone in AA rats are induced by hypothalamic AVP, based on data from AVP‐eGFP transgenic rats.
The Association between health‐related quality of life and prosthetic status and prosthetic needs in Taiwanese adults
Authors: KUO H‐C. , YANG Y‐H. , LAI S‐K. , YAP S‐F. , HO P‐S.
Published: January 2009

Summary  The objective of this study was to describe aspects of prosthetic statuses and needs and to evaluate their relationship with health‐related quality of life in Taiwan. The study participants, aged 18 years and above, were recruited from a community survey, and each of the total 2469 participants received a dental examination and completed a questionnaire. Multivariable analysis was used to assess the adjusted means of health‐related quality of life (SF‐36) in both prosthetic status and need. The results showed that 12·6% of those aged 65 years and above were edentulous. The proportion of prosthetic need increased as age increased (39·7% to 61·3%). Multivariate analysis revealed that participants with ‘removable prosthesis’ had higher physical health scores than those with ‘non‐removable prosthesis’. The scores of mental health measurement decreased in people with need for full prostheses in relation to people without need for any prosthesis. Therefore, fulfilling prosthetic needs is not only about recovering oral masticatory function, but also concerns improvement of both physical and mental health‐related quality of life.
Selective SWS suppression does not affect the time course of core body temperature in men
Authors: BEERSMA DOMIEN G. M. , DIJK DERK‐JAN
Published: January 2009

SUMMARY  In eight healthy middle‐aged men, sleep and core body temperature were recorded under baseline conditions, during all‐night SWS suppression by acoustic stimulation, and during undisturbed recovery sleep. SWS suppression resulted in a marked reduction of sleep stages 3 and 4 but did not affect the time course of core body temperature. These data suggest that sleep stages 3 and 4 of nonREM sleep (i.e. SWS) do not play a major role in the regulation of core body temperature in humans.
Aging young sleep: a test of the phase advance hypothesis of sleep disturbance in the elderly
Authors: CAMPBELL SCOTT S. , DAWSON DREW
Published: January 2009

SUMMARY  With aging, the phase relationship between sleep and body core temperature is altered such that the temperature minimum occurs substantially earlier in the major nocturnal sleep period. The sleep maintenance difficulties that often accompany normal aging are generally assumed to be associated with this age‐related change in the phase angle between sleep and temperature. To test this notion, we used timed exposure to bright light to reproduce in healthy young adults a similar phase relationship between temperature and sleep, to determine if such a manipulation would induce the same fragmented nocturnal sleep commonly observed in individuals over 65 years of age. Seven young adults were exposed to morning bright light for 3 consecutive days following a baseline night. Bright light exposure caused a 97 min phase advance of the fitted temperature minimum when compared with baseline. Significant declines in several measures of sleep quality were associated with the phase advance, including wakefulness after initial sleep onset (WASO), sleep efficiency and number of stage changes. Yet, the severity of sleep disturbance exhibited by these subjects did not approach that exhibited by most elderly subjects. The findings suggest that while chronophysiological changes appear to be strongly associated with the tendency to awaken in the early morning, they cannot account entirely for the severity of sleep disturbance frequently observed in older subjects.
Periodic limb movements and sleep apnoea
Authors: WARNES H. , DINNER D. S. , KOTAGAL P. , BURGESS R. C.
Published: January 2009

SUMMARY  This study investigated the relationship of Periodic Leg Movements (PLMs) to the severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) in 52 patients. In addition the prevalence of PLMs in OSA was compared with two other patient populations: narcolepsy and idiopathic PLM disorder (n= 38). All patients were between 20 and 50 years in age and were compared with a control group of 88 asymptotic paid volunteers aged between 20 and 50.

PLMs were scored when tibialis anterior EMG activity lasted 0.5–5.0 s with an amplitude of at least half that of pre‐sleep voluntary ankle dorsiflexion and when they were part of 4 or more consecutive events separated by 20–90 s.

The prevalence of PLMs in OSA was 27.6%, which was similar to the prevalence in our normal controls of 20.5%. However, in the OSA group the majority of the PLMs occurred in the mild OSA patients (40.7%). This was similar to the prevalence of PLMs in narcoleptics (50%). The prevalence of PLMs in moderate OSA, was 24.5%; similar to that of normal controls. In severe OSA, PLMs were also low (12.5%).

There is an inverse relationship between PLMs and the severity of OSA. The greater number of arousals and awakenings associated with respiratory irregularities seen in the severe OSA group produced an equivocal manifestation of PLMs.
Power spectrum analysis and heart rate variability in Stage 4 and REM sleep: evidence for state‐specific changes in autonomic dominance
Authors: BERLAD I. , SHLITNER A. , BEN‐HAIM S. , LAVIE P.
Published: January 2009

SUMMARY  The present study investigated autonomic activity during NREM and REM sleep stages and wakefulness by spectral analysis of heart rate variability. The results demonstrated that NREM sleep in humans was characterized by a widely different autonomic activation pattern than REM sleep: high parasympathetic activity was found in NREM, while REM was characterized by attenuated vagal tone, and augmented sympathetic activity. The overall pattern during wakefulness showed an intermediate position between NREM and REM patterns; parasympathetic activity was lower than in NREM and higher than in REM, with an opposite trend for sympathetic activity.
On the ability to self‐monitor cognitive performance during sleep deprivation: a calibration study
Authors: BARANSKI JOSEPH V. , PIGEAU ROSS A. , ANGUS ROBERT G.
Published: January 2009

SUMMARY  The antagonistic effects of extensive sleep deprivation (SD) on human cognitive performance are well documented. However, one aspect of human performance that has not been investigated with respect to its susceptibility to SD is the ‘metacognitive’ ability to self‐monitor overt performance. In the present study, 16 male subjects participated in an experiment requiring sustained cognitive work during a three day period. One of the cognitive tasks required the mental addition of rapidly presented numbers. On each trial, subjects reported the sum and then provided a subjective confidence rating to indicate the degree of certainty in their response. As expected, performance on the sequential addition task deteriorated with increasing fatigue and returned to baseline following a recovery sleep. However, calibration analyses, which quantify a number of properties of the relationship between subjective and overt performance, revealed that the correlation between confidence and performance (calibration), the ability to differentiate correct from incorrect judgments (resolution), and validity of subjective ‘certainty’, were all unaffected by SD. Hence, in the absence of external feedback from the environment, people have access to fairly reliable internal feedback about their performance during periods of sustained and vigilant cognitive activity.
Sleep/wake patterns In Alzheimer's disease: relationships with cognition and function
Authors: MOE KAREN E. , VITIELLO MICHAEL V. , LARSEN LAWRENCE H. , PRINZ PATRICIA N.
Published: January 2009

SUMMARY  Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common dementing disorder of aging, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease of unknown etiology. Two of the common clinical features of AD are progressive cognitive and functional impairment, and disturbed sleep/wake patterns. We examined sleep/wake patterns and cognitive and functional status measures in a large sample of AD subjects ranging from mild to moderate‐severe in impairment. All subjects survived at least 2 years after initial diagnosis. Regression analyses revealed that sleep/wake variables were highly correlated with and explained significant variance in cognitive and functional measures. More wakefulness during the night and longer REM latencies were associated with impaired cognition and function while more REM and slow‐wave sleep were associated with preserved cognition and function. These results indicate that with advancing severity of the disease, sleep/wake patterns are disrupted in parallel with the disturbances in cognition and function that are the hallmarks of AD. Further, they suggest that the neural substrates underlying each process degenerate at somewhat comparable rates.
Somnogenic of deprivation andEscherichia coliInoculation in rabbits
Authors: TOTH L. A. , OPP M. R. , MAO L.
Published: January 2009

SUMMARY To evaluate the impact of sleep deprivation (SD) on microbially induced alterations in sleep, we used gentle handling to deprive rabbits of sleep for 4 h before or after intravenous inoculation withEscherichia coli(EC). Sleep was monitored for the next 20 h. EC inoculation alone increased slow‐wave sleep (SWS) time, delta‐wave amplitude (DWA) during sleep and SWS bout length during the initial 2–4 h after inoculation. During the following 8‐20h, DWA during SWS was reduced relative to control values. SD alone increased SWS time and SWS bout length for 2 h after the end of the SD period. Rabbits subjected to SD for 4h prior to EC inoculation demonstrated increases in SWS time, DWA during SWS and SWS bout length 2–4 h postinoculation. At some time points, these effects were greater in magnitude than those induced by either manipulation alone, but they were generally equivalent to the additive effects of the individual treatments. Rabbits subjected to SD after EC inoculation (i.e. during the period in which EC increases sleep) demonstrated increases in SWS time and DWA during SWS for only 2 h after the end of the SD period, suggesting that these animals maintained a sleep deficit as compared to rabbits inoculated with EC alone. SD alone elicited hyperthermia in rabbits, and EC‐inoculated rabbits subjected to SD developed fevers greater than those induced by either treatment alone. Other clinical indices were not significantly affected by the combined treatments. These data indicate that the sleep changes that occur subsequent to bacterial inoculation are altered in sleep‐deprived rabbits, but that SD does not exacerbate clinical illness in this model.
Puccinellia tenuiflora maintains a low Na+ level under salinity by limiting unidirectional Na+ influx resulting in a high selectivity for K+ over Na+
Authors: WANG CHUN‐MEI , ZHANG JIN‐LIN , LIU XUE‐SONG , LI ZHAN , WU GUO‐QIANG , CAI JIAN‐YI , FLOWERS TIMOTHY J. , WANG SUO‐MIN
Published: January 2009

Puccinellia tenuiflora is a useful monocotyledonous halophyte that might be used for improving salt tolerance of cereals. This current work has shown that P. tenuiflora has stronger selectivity for K+ over Na+ allowing it to maintain significantly lower tissue Na+ and higher K+ concentration than that of wheat under short‐ or long‐term NaCl treatments. To assess the relative contribution of Na+ efflux and influx to net Na+ accumulation, unidirectional 22Na+ fluxes in roots were carried out. It was firstly found that unidirectional 22Na+ influx into root of P. tenuiflora was significantly lower (by 31–37%) than in wheat under 100 and 150 mm NaCl. P. tenuiflora had lower unidirectional Na+ efflux than wheat; the ratio of efflux to influx was similar between the two species. Leaf secretion of P. tenuiflora was also estimated, and found the loss of Na+ content from leaves to account for only 0.0006% of the whole plant Na+ content over 33 d of NaCl treatments. Therefore, it is proposed that neither unidirectional Na+ efflux of roots nor salt secretion by leaves, but restricting unidirectional Na+ influx into roots with a strong selectivity for K+ over Na+ seems likely to contribute to the salt tolerance of P. tenuiflora.
Wound‐induced apoplastic peroxidase activities: their roles in the production and detoxification of reactive oxygen species
Authors: MINIBAYEVA F. , KOLESNIKOV O. , CHASOV A. , BECKETT R. P. , LÜTHJE S. , VYLEGZHANINA N. , BUCK F. , BÖTTGER M.
Published: January 2009

Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a widely reported response of plants to wounding. However, the nature of enzymes responsible for ROS production and metabolism in the apoplast is still an open question. We identified and characterized the proteins responsible for the wound‐induced production and detoxification of ROS in the apoplast of wheat roots (Triticum aestivum L.). Compared to intact roots, excised roots and leachates derived from them produced twice the amount of superoxide (O2•−). Wounding also induced extracellular peroxidase (ECPOX) activity mainly caused by the release of soluble peroxidases with molecular masses of 37, 40 and 136 kD. Peptide mass analysis by electrospray ionization–quadrupole time‐of‐flight–tandem mass spectrometry (ESI–QTOF–MS/MS) following lectin affinity chromatography of leachates showed the presence of peroxidases in unbound (37 kD) and bound (40 kD) fractions. High sensitivity of O2•−‐producing activity to peroxidase inhibitors and production of O2•− by purified peroxidases in vitro provided evidence for the involvement of ECPOXs in O2•− production in the apoplast. Our results present new insights into the rapid response of roots to wounding. An important component of this response is mediated by peroxidases that are released from the cell surface into the apoplast where they can display both oxidative and peroxidative activities.
Isoprene synthesis protects transgenic tobacco plants from oxidative stress
Authors: VICKERS CLAUDIA E. , POSSELL MALCOLM , COJOCARIU CRISTIAN I. , VELIKOVA VIOLETA B. , LAOTHAWORNKITKUL JULLADA , RYAN ANNETTE , MULLINEAUX PHILIP M. , NICHOLAS HEWITT C.
Published: January 2009

Isoprene emission represents a significant loss of carbon to those plant species that synthesize this highly volatile and reactive compound. As a tool for studying the role of isoprene in plant physiology and biochemistry, we developed transgenic tobacco plants capable of emitting isoprene in a similar manner to and at rates comparable to a naturally emitting species. Thermotolerance of photosynthesis against transient high‐temperature episodes could only be observed in lines emitting high levels of isoprene; the effect was very mild and could only be identified over repetitive stress events. However, isoprene‐emitting plants were highly resistant to ozone‐induced oxidative damage compared with their non‐emitting azygous controls. In ozone‐treated plants, accumulation of toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) was inhibited, and antioxidant levels were higher. Isoprene‐emitting plants showed remarkably decreased foliar damage and higher rates of photosynthesis compared to non‐emitting plants immediately following oxidative stress events. An inhibition of hydrogen peroxide accumulation in isoprene‐emitting plants may stall the programmed cell death response which would otherwise lead to foliar necrosis. These results demonstrate that endogenously produced isoprene provides protection from oxidative damage.
Constitutive and herbivore‐induced monoterpenes emitted by Populus × euroamericana leaves are key volatiles that orient Chrysomela populi beetles
Authors: BRILLI FEDERICO , CICCIOLI PAOLO , FRATTONI MASSIMILIANO , PRESTININZI MARCO , SPANEDDA ANTONIO FRANCO , LORETO FRANCESCO
Published: January 2009

Chrysomela populi beetles feed on poplar leaves and extensively damage plantations. We investigated whether olfactory cues orientate landing and feeding. Young, unexpanded leaves of hybrid poplar emit constitutively a blend of monoterpenes, primarily (E)‐β‐ocimene and linalool. This blend attracts inexperienced adults of C. populi that were not previously fed with poplar leaves. In mature leaves constitutively emitting isoprene, insect attack induces biosynthesis and emission of the same blend of monoterpenes, but in larger amount than in young leaves. The olfactometric test indicates that inexperienced beetles are more attracted by adult than by young attacked leaves, suggesting that attraction by induced monoterpenes is dose dependent. The blend does not attract adults that previously fed on poplar leaves. Insect‐induced emission of monoterpenes peaks 4 d after the attack, and is also detected in non‐attacked leaves. Induced monoterpene emission is associated in mature leaves with a larger decrease of isoprene emission. The reduction of isoprene emission is faster than photosynthesis reduction in attacked leaves, and also occurs in non‐attacked leaves. Insect‐induced monoterpenes are quickly and completely labelled by 13C. It is speculated that photosynthetic carbon preferentially allocated to constitutive isoprene in healthy leaves is in part diverted to induced monoterpenes after the insect attack.
Identification and genetic diversity of Mycosphaerella species on banana and plantain in Nigeria
Authors: Zandjanakou‐Tachin M. , Vroh‐Bi I. , Ojiambo P. S. , Tenkouano A. , Gumedzoe Y. M. , Bandyopadhyay R.
Published: January 2009

Ribosomal coding DNA was sequenced and compared in 95 isolates of Mycosphaerella spp. collected in Nigeria and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was used to identify the species and to determine the genetic structure of the sampled geographical populations. Using reference GenBank accessions with intercontinental distributions as controls, and shared species‐specific SNPs in these control accessions, 84 (88·4%) isolates that grouped into 14 SNP haplotypes were identified as M. fijiensis, while 11 (11·6%) isolates represented by seven SNP haplotypes were characterized as M. eumusae. None of the isolates were either M. musicola or M. musae. The presence of M. fijiensis and M. eumusae in the collection was further confirmed using previously published species‐specific probes designed on actin and β‐tubulin gene sequences. A pairwise comparison of the population genetic distances revealed significant genetic differentiation between most populations (P < 0·001), with an average FST of 0·126, and a population structure corresponding to the four sampled geographical zones. The intraspecific dissimilarity of M. eumusae was 4·6%, compared with 2% for M. fijiensis. Compared to all the GenBank reference accessions, three sequence variations were unique to some Nigerian M. fijiensis haplotypes. Twenty‐one sequence haplotypes were identified, geographically mapped and registered in GenBank. The results indicate that M. musicola has been replaced by more frequently occurring M. fijiensis and M. eumusae, against which disease management and resistance breeding efforts should be directed in Nigeria.