bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Life at the Extreme Limit: Phenotypic Characteristics of Supercentenarians in Okinawa
Authors: Willcox D. Craig , Willcox Bradley J. , Wang Nien-Chiang , He Qimei , Rosenbaum Matthew , Suzuki Makoto
Published: November 2011

Background. As elite representatives of the rapidly increasing “oldest-old” population, centenarians have become an important model population for understanding human aging. However, as we are beginning to understand more about this important phenotype, another demographic group of even more elite survivors is emerging—so-called “supercentenarians” or those who survive 110-plus years. Little is known about these exceptional survivors.

Methods. We assessed the Okinawa Centenarian Study (OCS) database for all information on supercentenarians. The database includes dates of birth and year of death for all residents of Okinawa 99 years old or older and a yearly geriatric assessment of all centenarians who consented, enabling prospective study of age-related traits. Of 20 potential supercentenarians identified, 15 had agreed to participate in the OCS interview, physical examination, and blood draw. Of these 15, 12 (3 men and 9 women) met our age validation criteria and were accepted as supercentenarians. Phenotypic variables studied include medical and social history, activities of daily living (ADLs), and clinical phenotypes (physiology, hematology, biochemistry, and immunology).

Results. Age at death ranged from 110 to 112 years. The majority of supercentenarians had minimal clinically apparent disease until late in life, with cataracts (42%) and fractures (33%) being common and coronary heart disease (8%), stroke (8%), cancer (0%), and diabetes (0%) rare or not evident on clinical examination. Functionally, most supercentenarians were independent in ADLs at age 100 years, and few were institutionalized before the age of 105 years. Most had normal clinical parameters at age 100 years, but by age 105 exhibited multiple clinical markers of frailty coincident with a rapid ADL decline.

Conclusion. Supercentenarians displayed an exceptionally healthy aging phenotype where clinically apparent major chronic diseases and disabilities were markedly delayed, often beyond age 100. They had little clinical history of cardiovascular disease and reported no history of cancer or diabetes. This phenotype is consistent with a more elite phenotype than has been observed in prior studies of centenarians. The genetic and environmental antecedents of this exceptionally healthy aging phenotype deserve further study.
Multidimensional Geriatric Assessment: Back to the Future Cost-Effectiveness of a Multidisciplinary Intervention Model for Community-Dwelling Frail Older People
Authors: Melis René J. F. , Adang Eddy , Teerenstra Steven , van Eijken Monique I. J. , Wimo Anders , Achterberg Theo van , Lisdonk Eloy H. van de , Rikkert Marcel G. M. Olde
Published: November 2011

Background.  There is growing interest in geriatric care for community-dwelling older people. There are, however, relatively few reports on the economics of this type of care. This article reports about the cost-effectiveness of the Dutch Geriatric Intervention Program (DGIP) compared to usual care in frail older people at 6-month follow-up from a health care system's point of view.

Methods.  We conducted this economic evaluation in an observer-blind randomized controlled trial (Dutch EASYcare Study: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT00105378). Difference in treatment effect was calculated as the difference in proportions of successfully treated patients (prevented functional decline accompanied by improved well-being). Incremental treatment costs were calculated as the difference in mean total care costs. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was expressed as total cost per successful treatment. Bootstrap methods were used to determine confidence intervals (CI) for these measures.

Results.  The average cost of the intervention under study (DGIP) was 998 euros (95% CI, 888–1108). The increment in total cost resulting from DGIP was a little over 761 euros (−3336 to 4687). Hospitalization and institutionalization costs were less; home care, adult day care, and meals-on-wheels costs were higher. There was a significant difference in proportions of successful treatments of 22.3% (4.3–41.4). The number needed to treat was approximately 4.7 (2.3–18.0). The ICER is 3418 euros per successful treatment (−21,458 to 45,362). The new treatment is cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay of 34,000 euros.

Conclusion. The results of this economic evaluation suggest that DGIP is an effective addition to primary care for frail older people at a reasonable cost.
Aging and Numerosity Estimation
Authors: Lemaire Patrick , Lecacheur Mireille
Published: November 2011

In two experiments, young and older participants were asked to find the approximate number of dots in collections including between 40 and 460 dots. Experiment 1 showed that both age groups had comparable performance and no age-related differences in the power-function exponents for numerosity. Experiment 2 found that these age-related similarities were not due to speed–accuracy trade-offs or to compensation by older adults for potential age-related decline in numerosity estimation processes. Furthermore, young and older participants' estimation performance was influenced by physical features of stimuli only for very large numerosities, presumably because these are poorly represented in long-term memory. Implications of these findings for the further understanding of how participants accomplish numerosity estimation tasks and effects of aging in this domain are discussed.
Improving management decisions by predicting fish bycatch in the Barents Sea shrimp fishery
Authors: Aldrin Magne , Mortensen Bjørnar , Storvik Geir , Nedreaas Kjell , Aglen Asgeir , Aanes Sondre
Published: November 2011

Aldrin, M., Mortensen, B., Storvik, G., Nedreaas, K., Aglen, A., and Aanes, S. 2012. Improving management decisions by predicting fish bycatch in the Barents Sea shrimp fishery. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 69: 64–74. When the bycatch of juvenile fish within the Barents Sea shrimp fishery is too large, the area is closed to fishing for a certain period. Bycatch is estimated from sampled trawl hauls, for which the shrimp yield is recorded, along with the total number of various bycatch fish species. At present, bycatch estimation is based on a simple estimator, the sum of the number of fish caught within the area of interest within a small time window, divided by the corresponding shrimp yield (in weight). No historical data are used. A model-based estimation is proposed in which spatio-temporal models are constructed for the variation in both the yield of shrimp and the amount of bycatch in space and time. The main effects are described through generalized additive models, and local dependence structures are specified through correlated random effects. Model estimation includes historical and recent data. Experiments with both simulated and real data show that the model-based estimator outperforms the present simple estimator when a low or moderate number of samples (e.g. <20) is available, whereas the two estimators are equally good when the number of samples is high.
The minimalist grammar of action
Authors: Pastra Katerina , Aloimonos Yiannis
Published: November 2011

Language and action have been found to share a common neural basis and in particular a common ‘syntax’, an analogous hierarchical and compositional organization. While language structure analysis has led to the formulation of different grammatical formalisms and associated discriminative or generative computational models, the structure of action is still elusive and so are the related computational models. However, structuring action has important implications on action learning and generalization, in both human cognition research and computation. In this study, we present a biologically inspired generative grammar of action, which employs the structure-building operations and principles of Chomsky's Minimalist Programme as a reference model. In this grammar, action terminals combine hierarchically into temporal sequences of actions of increasing complexity; the actions are bound with the involved tools and affected objects and are governed by certain goals. We show, how the
tool role
and
the affected-object role
of an entity within an action drives the derivation of the action syntax in this grammar and controls recursion, merge and move, the latter being mechanisms that manifest themselves not only in human language, but in human action too.
Individual and social learning processes involved in the acquisition and generalization of tool use in macaques
Authors: Macellini S. , Maranesi M. , Bonini L. , Simone L. , Rozzi S. , Ferrari P. F. , Fogassi L.
Published: November 2011

Macaques can efficiently use several tools, but their capacity to discriminate the relevant physical features of a tool and the social factors contributing to their acquisition are still poorly explored. In a series of studies, we investigated macaques' ability to generalize the use of a stick as a tool to new objects having different physical features (study 1), or to new contexts, requiring them to adapt the previously learned motor strategy (study 2). We then assessed whether the observation of a skilled model might facilitate tool-use learning by naive observer monkeys (study 3). Results of study 1 and study 2 showed that monkeys trained to use a tool generalize this ability to tools of different shape and length, and learn to adapt their motor strategy to a new task. Study 3 demonstrated that observing a skilled model increases the observers' manipulations of a stick, thus facilitating the individual discovery of the relevant properties of this object as a tool. These findings support the view that in macaques, the motor system can be modified through tool use and that it has a limited capacity to adjust the learnt motor skills to a new context. Social factors, although important to facilitate the interaction with tools, are not crucial for tool-use learning.
Functional mastery of percussive technology in nut-cracking and stone-flaking actions: experimental comparison and implications for the evolution of the human brain
Authors: Bril Blandine , Smaers Jeroen , Steele James , Rein Robert , Nonaka Tetsushi , Dietrich Gilles , Biryukova Elena , Hirata Satoshi , Roux Valentine
Published: November 2011

Various authors have suggested behavioural similarities between tool use in early hominins and chimpanzee nut cracking, where nut cracking might be interpreted as a precursor of more complex stone flaking. In this paper, we bring together and review two separate strands of research on chimpanzee and human tool use and cognitive abilities. Firstly, and in the greatest detail, we review our recent experimental work on behavioural organization and skill acquisition in nut-cracking and stone-knapping tasks, highlighting similarities and differences between the two tasks that may be informative for the interpretation of stone tools in the early archaeological record. Secondly, and more briefly, we outline a model of the comparative neuropsychology of primate tool use and discuss recent descriptive anatomical and statistical analyses of anthropoid primate brain evolution, focusing on cortico-cerebellar systems. By juxtaposing these two strands of research, we are able to identify unsolved problems that can usefully be addressed by future research in each of these two research areas.
A word in the hand: action, gesture and mental representation in humans and non-human primates
Authors: Cartmill Erica A. , Beilock Sian , Goldin-Meadow Susan
Published: November 2011

The movements we make with our hands both reflect our mental processes and help to shape them. Our actions and gestures can affect our mental representations of actions and objects. In this paper, we explore the relationship between action, gesture and thought in both humans and non-human primates and discuss its role in the evolution of language. Human gesture (specifically representational gesture) may provide a unique link between action and mental representation. It is kinaesthetically close to action and is, at the same time, symbolic. Non-human primates use gesture frequently to communicate, and do so flexibly. However, their gestures mainly resemble incomplete actions and lack the representational elements that characterize much of human gesture. Differences in the mirror neuron system provide a potential explanation for non-human primates' lack of representational gestures; the monkey mirror system does not respond to representational gestures, while the human system does. In humans, gesture grounds mental representation in action, but there is no evidence for this link in other primates. We argue that gesture played an important role in the transition to symbolic thought and language in human evolution, following a cognitive leap that allowed gesture to incorporate representational elements.
Articulatory capacity of Neanderthals, a very recent and human-like fossil hominin
Authors: Barney Anna , Martelli Sandra , Serrurier Antoine , Steele James
Published: November 2011

Scientists seek to use fossil and archaeological evidence to constrain models of the coevolution of human language and tool use. We focus on Neanderthals, for whom indirect evidence from tool use and ancient DNA appears consistent with an adaptation to complex vocal-auditory communication. We summarize existing arguments that the articulatory apparatus for speech had not yet come under intense positive selection pressure in Neanderthals, and we outline some recent evidence and analyses that challenge such arguments. We then provide new anatomical results from our own attempt to reconstruct vocal tract (VT) morphology in Neanderthals, and document our simulations of the acoustic and articulatory potential of this reconstructed Neanderthal VT. Our purpose in this paper is not to polarize debate about whether or not Neanderthals were human-like in all relevant respects, but to contribute to the development of methods that can be used to make further incremental advances in our understanding of the evolution of speech based on fossil and archaeological evidence.
Manifestation of diffuse yellowish keratoderma on the palms and soles in autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis patients may be indicative of mutations in NIPAL4
Authors: ALAVI Afagh , SHAHSHAHANI Mostafa M. , KLOTZLE Brandy , FAN Jian‐Bing , RONAGHI Mostafa , ELAHI Elahe
Published: November 2011

Ichthyosis is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by abnormal skin scaling over the whole body. Autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis (ARCI) comprises various forms, the most important of which are lamellar ichthyosis (LI) and congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma (CIE). Seven genes have been identified to be causative of ARCI, and these account for disease in 60–80% of the patients. There is notable phenotypic overlap between the major forms of ARCI, and a strong genotype–phenotype correlation has not been found. Here, we initially aimed to identify the causative gene in a large Iranian ARCI pedigree, and subsequently performed genetic analysis on four other affected pedigrees. A genotype–phenotype correlation was sought. Whole genome homozygosity mapping using high‐density single nucleotide polymorphism chips was performed on the large pedigree. Linkage to chromosome 5 and a mutation in NIPAL4 causing p.G297R were identified. The same mutation was also identified in two of the remaining four Iranian pedigrees. Two of the NIPAL4 mutation bearing pedigrees were classified as CIE and one as LI. Notably, all NIPAL4 mutation‐bearing patients manifested diffuse yellowish keratoderma on the palms and soles. We provide evidence suggesting presentation of this diffuse yellowish keratoderma may be indicative of mutations in NIPAL4, providing an easily assessable genotype–phenotype correlation.
Nestin‐positive hair follicle pluripotent stem cells can promote regeneration of impinged peripheral nerve injury
Authors: AMOH Yasuyuki , AKI Ryoichi , HAMADA Yuko , NIIYAMA Shiro , ESHIMA Koji , KAWAHARA Katsumasa , SATO Yuichi , TANI Yoichi , HOFFMAN Robert M. , KATSUOKA Kensei
Published: November 2011

Nestin‐positive, keratin 15 (K15)‐negative multipotent hair follicle stem cells are located above the hair follicle bulge. We have termed this location the hair follicle pluripotent stem cell area. We have previously shown that transplantation of nestin‐expressing hair follicle stem cells can regenerate peripheral nerve and spinal cord injuries. In the present study, we regenerated the impinged sciatic nerve by transplanting hair follicle pluripotent stem cells. Human hair follicle stem cells were transplanted around the impinged sciatic nerve of ICR nude (nu/nu) mice. The hair follicle stem cells were transplanted between impinged sciatic nerve fragments of the mouse where they differentiated into glial fibrillary acidic protein‐positive Schwann cells and promoted the recovery of pre‐existing axons. The regenerated sciatic nerve functionally recovered. These multipotent hair follicle stem cells thereby provide a potential accessible, autologous source of stem cells for regeneration therapy of nerves degenerated by compression between bony or other hard surfaces.
Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 RNAi suppresses gastric cancer metastasis in vivo
Authors: Nishioka Nobuaki , Matsuoka Tasuku , Yashiro Masakazu , Hirakawa Kosei , Olden Kenneth , Roberts John D.
Published: November 2011

Cancer metastasis remains the primary cause of pain, suffering, and death in cancer patients, and even the most current therapeutic strategies have not been highly successful in preventing or inhibiting metastasis. In most patients with scirrhous gastric cancer (one of the most aggressive of diffuse‐type gastric cancer), recurrence occurs even after potentially curative resection, most frequently in the form of peritoneal metastasis. Given that the occurrence of diffuse‐type gastric cancers has been increasing, the development of new strategies to combat metastasis of this disease is critically important. Plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 (PAI‐1) is a critical factor in cancer progression; thus, PAI‐1 RNAi may be an effective therapy against cancer metastasis. In the present study, we used an RNAi technique to reduce PAI‐1 expression in an in vivo model system for gastric cancer metastasis. Ex vivo plasmid transfection and adenovirus infection were tested as mechanisms to incorporate specific PAI‐1 RNAi vectors into human gastric carcinoma cells. Both approaches significantly decreased peritoneal tumor growth and the formation of bloody ascites in the mouse model, suggesting that this approach may provide a new, effective strategy for inhibiting cancer metastasis. (Cancer Sci 2012; 103: 228–232)
Mitochondrial transcription factor A regulates BCL2L1 gene expression and is a prognostic factor in serous ovarian cancer
Authors: Kurita Tomoko , Izumi Hiroto , Kagami Seiji , Kawagoe Toshinori , Toki Naoyuki , Matsuura Yusuke , Hachisuga Toru , Kohno Kimitoshi
Published: November 2011

Mitochondrial transcription factor A (mtTFA) is necessary for both transcription and maintenance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Recently, we reported that mtTFA is expressed not only in mitochondria, but also in nuclei. However, the function of mtTFA in the nucleus has not been clearly elucidated. In the present study, we examined nuclear mtTFA expression in 60 tissue samples of serous ovarian cancer using immunohistochemical analysis and found that 56.7% of serous ovarian cancer patients were positive for mtTFA, whereas 43.3% were negative. Univariate survival analysis showed that the overall 5‐year survival rate was significantly worse for patients with mtTFA‐positive cancer compared with mtTFA‐negative cancer (32%vs 42%, respectively; P = 0.021). To elucidate the function of mtTFA in the nucleus, we investigated BCL2L1, a target gene of mtTFA. There was a significant correlation between nuclear mtTFA expression and BCL2L1 expression in seven ovarian cancer cell lines and in specimens of clinical ovarian cancer. Cellular BCL2L1 was downregulated following transfection of siRNA against mtTFA. BCL2L1 promoter activity was increased after transfection of mtTFA expression plasmid, but decreased after siRNA knockdown of mtTFA. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays showed that mtTFA was bound to the BCL2L1 promoter region. These results suggest that mtTFA is a prognostic factor for a poor outcome of ovarian cancer and may function as an antiapoptotic factor, regulating genes such as BCL2L1. Furthermore, mtTFA may be a promising molecular target for novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of ovarian cancer. (Cancer Sci 2012; 103: 239–244)
Changes in blood vessel maturation in the fibrous cap of the tumor rim
Authors: Naito Hisamichi , Takara Kazuhiro , Wakabayashi Taku , Kawahara Hiroki , Kidoya Hiroyasu , Takakura Nobuyuki
Published: November 2011

It is widely accepted that blood vessels in the tumor microenvironment are immature because mural cell (MC) adhesion to endothelial cells (ECs) is broadly lacking. Hyperpermeability of the tumor vasculature then results in interstitial hypertension that mitigates against penetration of anticancer drugs into the depths of the tumor. It has been suggested that treatment with angiogenesis inhibitors normalizes blood vessels, resulting in restoration of normal permeability and improved drug delivery. However, recent reports suggest that cancer cell invasion is induced from the edge of the tumor into peripheral areas after treatment with angiogenesis inhibitors. Therefore, it is important to assess the status of blood vessels in the fibrous cap at the tumor rim after antiangiogenesis therapy. In the present study, we found that mature blood vessels in which ECs are covered with MCs are present in the fibrous cap. After treatment with angiogenesis inhibitors, immature blood vessels were destroyed and vascular function was significantly improved, but maturing blood vessels in which ECs were covered with MCs remained visible. These maturing blood vessels showed a less dilated character after treatment with the angiogenesis inhibitors. It is widely accepted that well‐matured blood vessels are sheathed in extracellular matrix (ECM) and that cancer cells migrate along tracks made of ECM collagen fibers. Therefore, our data indicate the importance of destroying maturing blood vessels outside the tumor parenchyma to prevent cancer cell invasion. (Cancer Sci 2012; 103: 433–438)
CD48 as a novel molecular target for antibody therapy in multiple myeloma
Authors: Hosen Naoki , Ichihara Hiroyoshi , Mugitani Atsuko , Aoyama Yasutaka , Fukuda Yuki , Kishida Satoshi , Matsuoka Yoshikazu , Nakajima Hiroko , Kawakami Manabu , Yamagami Tamotsu , Fuji Shigeo , Tamaki Hiroya , Nakao Takafumi , Nishida Sumiyuki , Tsuboi Akihiro , Iida Shinsuke , Hino Masayuki , Oka Yoshihiro , Oji Yusuke , Sugiyama Haruo
Published: November 2011

Monoclonal antibody (mAb) drugs are desirable for the improvement of multiple myeloma (MM) treatment. In this study, we found for the first time that CD48 was highly expressed on MM plasma cells. In 22 out of 24 MM patients, CD48 was expressed on more than 90% of MM plasma cells at significantly higher levels than it was on normal lymphocytes and monocytes. CD48 was only weakly expressed on some CD34+ haematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, and not expressed on erythrocytes or platelets. We next examined whether CD48 could serve as a target antigen for mAb therapy against MM. A newly generated in‐house anti‐CD48 mAb induced mild antibody‐dependent cell‐mediated cytotoxicity and marked complement‐dependent cytotoxicity against not only MM cell lines but also primary MM plasma cells in vitro. Administration of the anti‐CD48 mAb significantly inhibited tumour growth in severe combined immunodeficient mice inoculated subcutaneously with MM cells. Furthermore, anti‐CD48 mAb treatment inhibited growth of MM cells transplanted directly into murine bone marrow. Finally and importantly, we demonstrated that the anti‐CD48 mAb did not damage normal CD34+ haematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. These results suggest that the anti‐CD48 mAb has the potential to become an effective therapeutic mAb against MM.
The autoreactivity of B cells in hereditary angioedema due to C1 inhibitor deficiency
Authors: Kessel A , Peri R , Perricone R , Guarino M D , Vadasz Z , Novak R , Haj T , Kivity S , Toubi E
Published: November 2011

Patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE) tend to produce autoantibodies and have a propensity to develop immunoregulatory disorders. We characterize the profile of autoantibodies in a group of HAE patients and investigate their memory B cells' phenotype and activation status. We studied the activity status phenotype, Toll-like receptor (TLR)-9 expression and total phosphotyrosine in B cells isolated from HAE patients. Additionally, the following autoantibodies were assessed in the serum of 61 HAE patients: anti-nuclear, rheumatoid factor, anti-cardiolipin, anti-tissue transglutaminase, anti-endomysial, anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae, anti-thyroid and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies. In 47·5% of HAE patients we detected at least one of the tested autoantibodies. Expression of CD69, CD5 and CD21 was found to be significantly higher on memory B cells from HAE patients compared to healthy controls (4·59 ± 4·41 versus 2·06 ± 1·81, P = 0·04, 8·22 ± 7·17 versus 3·65 ± 3·78, P = 0·05, 2·43 ± 0·54 versus 1·92 ± 0·41, P = 0·01, respectively). Total phosphotyrosine in B cells from HAE patients was significantly higher compared to healthy controls (4·8 ± 1·1 versus 2·7 ± 1·3, P = 0·0003). Memory B cells isolated from the HAE group contained higher amounts of TLR-9 compared to healthy controls (8·17 ± 4·1 versus 4·56 ± 1·6, P = 0·0027). Furthermore, the expression of TLR-9 in memory B cells from HAE patients with autoantibodies was significantly higher than the control group (10 ± 4·7 versus 4·56 ± 1·6, P = 0·0002) and from that in HAE patients without autoantibodies (10 ± 4·7 versus 5·8 ± 0·9, P = 0·036). HAE patients have enhanced production of autoantibodies due most probably to the increased activation of B cells, which was found to be in association with a high expression of TLR-9.
Induction of elastin expression in vascular endothelial cells relates to hepatoportal sclerosis in idiopathic portal hypertension: possible link to serum anti-endothelial cell antibodies
Authors: Sato Y , Ren X S , Harada K , Sasaki M , Morikawa H , Shiomi S , Honda M , Kaneko S , Nakanuma Y
Published: November 2011

Hepatoportal sclerosis accompanied by dense elastic fibre deposition is generally regarded as the primary lesion in the development of idiopathic portal hypertension (IPH). This study was performed to clarify the mechanism of elastic fibre deposition in the peripheral portal tracts of IPH liver in relation to serum anti-endothelial cell antibodies (AECA). In-vitro experiments were performed using human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC) and patients' sera. The presence of serum AECA was assayed by a cell-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using HMVEC. Immunohistochemical analysis of elastin was performed using liver tissue sections of IPH patients. IPH sera contained one or more AECA that could bind to the vascular endothelial cells of the peripheral portal tracts of the liver. When the value of AECA greater than the mean ± 2 standard deviations of healthy controls was regarded as positive, the positive detection rate of either immunoglobulin (Ig)G, IgA or IgM AECA in IPH sera was 30% (10 of 33 cases). IPH sera induced the expression of elastin in HMVEC, which appeared to be associated with the presence of AECA. Apoptosis was also induced in HMVEC by the stimulation with IPH sera. In vivo, elastin expression was observed in the endothelial cells of the peripheral portal tracts of IPH livers in a proportion of cases. The disease pathogenesis of IPH seems to be heterogeneous, and this study elucidated a possible contribution of the induction of elastin expression in the portal vessels to hepatoportal sclerosis of IPH, which might be linked to serum AECA as a causative factor.
Discriminating soil crust type, development stage and degree of disturbance in semiarid environments from their spectral characteristics
Authors: Chamizo S. , Stevens A. , Cantón Y. , Miralles I. , Domingo F. , Van Wesemael B.
Published: November 2011

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are increasingly recognized as common features in arid and semiarid ecosystems and play an important role in the hydrological and ecological functioning of these ecosystems. However, BSCs are very vulnerable to, in particular, human disturbance. This results in a complex spatial pattern of BSCs in various stages of development. Such patterns, to a large extent, determine runoff and erosion processes in arid and semiarid ecosystems. In recent years, visible and near infrared (Vis‐NIR) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy has been used for large‐scale mapping of the distribution of BSCs. Our goals were (i) to demonstrate the efficiency of Vis‐NIR spectroscopy in discriminating vegetation, physical soil crusts, various developmental stages of BSCs, and various types of disturbance on BSCs and (ii) to develop a classification system for these types of ground cover based on Vis‐NIR spectroscopy. Spectral measurements were taken of vegetation, physical crusts and various types of BSCs prior to, and following, trampling or removal with a scraper in two semiarid areas in SE Spain. The main spectral differences were: (i) absorption by water at about 1450 nm, more intense in the spectra of vegetation than in those of physical crusts or BSCs, (ii) absorption features at about 500 and 680 nm for the BSCs, which were absent or very weak for physical crusts, (iii) a shallower slope between about 750 and 980 nm for physical crusts and early‐successional BSCs than for later‐successional BSCs and (iv) a steeper slope between about 680 and 750 nm for the most developed BSCs. A partial least squares regression‐linear discriminant analysis of the spectral data resulted in a reliable classification (Kappa coefficients over 0.90) of the various types of ground cover and types of BSC disturbance. The distinctive spectral features of vegetation, physical crusts and the various developmental stages of BSCs were used to develop a classification system. This will be a promising tool for mapping BSCs with hyperspectral remote sensing.
A comparative study on the polyphenolic content, antibacterial activity and antioxidant capacity of different solvent extracts of Brassica oleracea vegetables
Authors: Jaiswal Amit K. , Abu‐Ghannam Nissreen , Gupta Shilpi
Published: November 2011

Brassica vegetables are rich in polyphenols, flavonoids and glucosinolates. Investigation was undertaken to optimise the best solvents among 60% ethanol, acetone and methanol for the extraction of polyphenols from Brassica vegetables. Furthermore, different properties such as antibacterial activity and antioxidant capacity were also investigated. Results showed that a 60% methanolic extract showed the highest total phenolic content which was 23.6, 20.4 and 18.7 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE) g−1 extract for broccoli, Brussels sprouts and white cabbage, respectively. The hydroxybenzoic acid content of various solvent extracts ranged from 5.86 to 8.91 GAE g−1 extract for broccoli, 2.70 to 5.44 GAE g−1 extract for Brussels sprouts and 3.69 to 4.86 GAE g−1 extract for white cabbage, while the hydroxycinnamic acid content ranged from 0.78 to 1.26 chlorogenic acid equivalents (CAE) g−1 extract for broccoli, 1.41 to 3.45 CAE g−1 extract for Brussels sprouts and 0.49 to 1.14 CAE g−1 extract for white cabbage. A concentration‐dependent antioxidative capacity was confirmed for different reactive oxygen species, and moderate antibacterial activity was observed against a number of Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive food spoilage and food pathogenic bacteria. Solvents significantly affected polyphenolic content and its different properties, and the methanol was found to be the best solvent for the extraction of polyphenols from studied Brassica vegetables.
Mass transfer kinetics and regressional‐desirability optimisation during osmotic dehydration of pumpkin, kiwi and pear
Authors: Arballo Javier R. , Bambicha Ruth R. , Campañone Laura A. , Agnelli Miriam E. , Mascheroni Rodolfo H.
Published: November 2011

Mass transfer kinetics and optimisation of osmotic dehydration (OD) of fruits and vegetables with diverse structures were studied. Different concentrations of sucrose (20–60 °Brix) and process times (0–24 h) were used. Magee’s model was appropriate for predicting water loss (WL), while Azuara’s model fitted well solids gain (SG) data and represented more accurately the evolution of the complete process close to equilibrium. Polynomial equations for each kinetic variable [WL, SG and weight reduction (WR) – for pumpkin, kiwi and pear] using multiple linear regression were fitted for a selected range of experimental data (30–240 min, 20–60 °Brix). A complete solution algorithm for desirability function was coded in Matlab® 7.2 (Mathworks, Natick, MA, USA) with the aim to optimise osmotic dehydration process in terms of WL, SG and WR; optimal conditions were found for each fruit. Besides, an optimal common zone was identified for OD corresponding to process time from 114 to 240 min and sucrose concentration from 54 to 60 °Brix.
Effects of maltodextrin level, frying temperature and time on the moisture, oil and beta‐carotene contents of vacuum‐fried apricot slices
Authors: Diamante Lemuel M. , Savage Geoffrey P. , Vanhanen Leo , Ihns Reiner
Published: November 2011

Response surface methodology was used to investigate the effects of frying temperature, time and maltodextrin (MD) levels on the moisture, oil and beta‐carotene contents of the vacuum‐fried apricot slices. Based on the results, the moisture content of vacuum‐fried apricot slices decreases with increasing frying temperature and frying time. Generally, the oil content of vacuum‐fried apricot slices decreases with decreasing frying temperature and frying time. The beta‐carotene content of vacuum‐fried apricot slices increases with increasing frying temperature. But the trend of increase in the beta‐carotene content of the product with frying temperature was higher at lower MD level. When processing vacuum‐fried apricot slices, a frying temperature of 100 °C, frying time of 72.5 min and an MD level of 70% must be used to achieve a product of acceptable moisture, oil and beta‐carotene contents.
Comparative fruit quality parameters of several Japanese plum varieties in two newly established orchards, organic and conventionally managed
Authors: Daza Antonio , Camacho María , Galindo Irene , Arroyo Francisco T. , Casanova Laura , Santamaría Carmen
Published: November 2011

The fruit quality parameters of several Japanese plum cultivars (Prunus salicina Lindl) were studied in two experimental orchards under organic and conventional management. The study was performed during 2008–2010 in the province of Seville (SW Spain). Colour, weight, size, firmness, soluble solid concentration and acidity were measured for fruit quality evaluation. Yield was also determined. In general, the organic fruit was of smaller size and weight. There was little difference in the colour of most of the varieties, but some varieties such as ‘Friar’ and ‘Black Amber’ were more colourful in the organic orchard. The soluble solid concentration and acidity were similar in the fruit from both orchards. The organic plums showed firmness equal to or slightly greater than conventional ones. Dry matter and nitrites were analysed in 2010, and no significant differences were observed in most of the varieties. The accumulated fruit yield was significantly superior in the conventionally managed orchard.
Simple determination of formaldehyde in fermented foods by HS‐SPME‐GC/MS
Authors: Shin Ho‐Sang , Lim Hyun‐Hee
Published: November 2011

We describe an automatic method to detect formaldehyde (FA) in some fermented foods. This method is based on derivatisation with 2,2,2‐trifluoroethylhydrazine (TFEH) and consecutive headspace solid‐phase micro‐extraction and gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry. FA in food reacted for 30 min at 40 °C with 2,2,2‐TFEH in a headspace vial, and the formed FA‐TFEH derivative was simultaneously vaporised and adsorbed on 85‐μm carboxen–polydimethylsiloxane. Under the established condition, the limit of detection was 0.1 μg kg−1 by using 1.0‐g solid food and 1.0‐mL liquid food, and the relative standard deviation was less than 10% at FA concentrations between 0.050 and 0.500 mg kg−1. The concentrations of FA in several traditional Korean foods including gimchi, watery radish gimchi, soybean paste, red pepper paste, soy sauce and bean‐paste soup were measured. All food samples had detectable levels of FA (0.104–13.05 mg kg−1).
A preliminary study of monosaccharide composition and α‐glucosidase inhibitory effect of polysaccharides from pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) fruit
Authors: Song Yi , Zhang Yuyu , Zhou Tingting , Zhang Hua , Hu Xiaosong , Li Quanhong
Published: November 2011

In this work, crude polysaccharide extracts were extracted from pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) fruit by hot water. After removal of proteins and purification, polysaccharides of pumpkin fruit (PP1‐1) were subjected to structural identification. Gas chromatography analysis indicated that PP1‐1 comprised of galactose (86.4%), and glucose (13.6%). The molecular weight of PP1‐1 was measured to be 0.87 × 104 Da by gel permeation chromatography. The inhibitory kinetic evaluation showed that it was non‐competitive inhibition of PP1‐1 on the α‐glucosidase‐catalysed hydrolysis of PNPG. The Michaelis–Menten constant (Km) was 0.106 m, and the inhibitory constants (Ki), 0.435 mg.
Significance and extent of secondary seed dispersal by predatory birds on oceanic islands: the case of the Canary archipelago
Authors: Padilla David P. , González‐Castro Aarón , Nogales Manuel
Published: November 2011

1. Secondary seed dispersal is a multistep process with two or more phases, which involve different dispersers that usually extend the distance from the seed’s parent plant. This ecological process has been recorded in some subtropical oceanic islands, where predatory birds commonly consume frugivorous lizards and disperse seeds already consumed by the lizards.

2. We evaluated the overall importance of this type of secondary dispersal in the Canary Islands, the only place worldwide where it has been studied in depth. From an examination of all the islands and their suitable habitats, we found seeds from 78 plant species inside 2098 shrike pellets and 5304 kestrel pellets. A greater number of species were secondarily dispersed by kestrels (76; 97%) than by shrikes (26; 34%).

3. Forty‐four (56%) of the total species detected in pellets were identified at the species level, comprising 73% native and 27% introduced species. Seventy per cent of these identified species were fleshy fruit‐bearing plants and 84% of the interactions took place in open habitats, close to coastal areas.

4. Germination experiments showed that seeds of at least 32 plant species were viable after being removed from the bird pellets. A similar pattern of seed germination was detected for seeds from the droppings of lizards and pellets of shrikes, showing both to be effective dispersers. However, the seeds dispersed by kestrels had different levels of success depending on the number of gut passages experienced. Seeds that had undergone double gut treatment (lizard and secondary ingestion by kestrel) had reduced germination rates of many small‐ and medium‐sized seeds compared with seeds ingested by lizards and discarded inside the lizard guts by kestrels.

5. We also studied the relationship between body length and gape width of lizards in order to assess limitations on the sizes and quantities of seeds available for secondary dispersal. Kestrels can disperse a greater number and variety of seeds because they predate larger lizards that potentially carry greater seed loads.

6. Synthesis. The current results show how these non‐standard long‐distance dispersal events produced by predatory birds can be considered as a regular and generalized process on all islands of the Canary archipelago.
Clinicians' views of formats of performance comparisons
Authors: Allwood Dominique , Hildon Zoe , Black Nick
Published: November 2011

Rationale, aims and objectives  Comparisons of the performance of health care providers are increasingly being used. Despite one key audience being clinicians, there has been little research on the format and content of such comparisons. Our aim was to explore clinicians' comprehension and preferences of format and content in displaying provider outcomes using comparisons of patient reported outcome measures data.

Method  A qualitative study, based on seven meetings involving 107 clinicians (mostly consultant and junior doctors, and nurses), revealed their views on nine formats and five aspects of content.

Results  Key findings were the desire for data in more than one format, explicit display of comparative performance (rank order) and the need for explanations (e.g. of unfamiliar formats and of statistical uncertainty).

Conclusions  Several themes were identified that shaped clinicians' views. Results were sufficiently clear to permit recommendations for the form and content of standard reports for the National Health Service.
Rendering clinical psychology an evidence‐based scientific discipline: a case study
Authors: St. Stoyanov Drozdstoj , Machamer Peter K. , Schaffner Kenneth F.
Published: November 2011

Rationale, aims and objectives Both modern neuroscience and clinical psychology taken as separate fields have failed to reveal the explanatory mechanisms underlying mental disorders. The evidence acquired inside the mono‐disciplinary matrices of neurobiology, clinical psychology and psychopathology are deeply insufficient in terms of their validity, reliability and utility. Further, no effectivetrans‐disciplinary connections have been developed between them.

Argument

In this context, our case study aims at illustrating some specific facets of clinical psychology as a crucial discipline for explaining and understanding mental disorder. The methods employed in clinical psychology are scrutinized using the exemplar case of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). We demonstrate that a clinical interview and a clinical psychological rating scale consist of the same kind of cognitive content. The provisional difference can be described in terms of its having two comparable complementary cognitive structures. The test is composed of self‐evaluation reports (items) formulated as questions or statements. The psychopathological structured interview is formulated in terms of subjective experience indicated as symptoms (these are self‐reports recorded by the physician), complemented with the so‐called ‘signs’ or the presumably ‘objective’ observations of the overt behaviours of the patient. However, the cognitive content of clinical judgment is beyond any doubt as subjective as the narrative of the patient. None of the components of the structured psychopathological interview is independent of the inter‐subjective system created in the situation of clinical assessment.

Conclusion

Therefore, the protocols from various clinicians that serve to sustain the reliability claim of the ‘scientific’ Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders cannot be regarded as independent measurements of the cognitive content and value of the psychological rating scales or vice versa.
The pathology of ‘scale drop syndrome’ in Asian seabass, Lates calcarifer Bloch, a first description
Authors: Gibson‐Kueh S , Chee D , Chen J , Wang Y H , Tay S , Leong L N , Ng M L , Jones J B , Nicholls P K , Ferguson H W
Published: November 2011

This is the first pathological description of ‘scale drop syndrome’ (SDS) in Asian seabass, Lates calcarifer Bloch. Cumulative mortality was estimated at 40–50%. The vasculitis in all major organs including the skin and associated tissue necrosis was distinctive. The dermis overlying scale beds was often necrotic and associated with scale loss. Necrosis of splenic ellipsoids, renal glomeruli and choroid rete glands of eye were further hallmarks of a disease with systemic vascular involvement. The brain was not spared vascular damage, and the resulting multifocal encephalomalacia probably accounts for the spiral swimming behaviour in some affected fish. Other lesions included accentuated hepatic lobulation and gastric gland necrosis. Nuclear chromatin margination and karyolysis in hepatocytes, renal tubular epithelium and gastric and intestinal epithelium suggest specific targeting of cells. Basophilic cytoplasmic inclusions were present in spleen, kidney, liver, heart and choroid rete, but they were not prominent. Using transmission electron microscopy, two morphological forms of virions were observed: single‐ and double‐enveloped hexagonal virions. Based on size and morphology, these virions resemble iridovirus or herpesvirus. The cause of SDS is unknown, but the pathological changes, especially the vasculitis, suggest an infectious aetiology, possibly viral.
Linking genetic diversity and temporal fluctuations in population abundance of the introduced feral cat (Felis silvestris catus) on the Kerguelen archipelago
Authors: DEVILLARD S. , SANTIN‐JANIN H. , SAY L. , PONTIER D.
Published: November 2011

Linking temporal variations of genetic diversity, including allelic richness and heterozygosity, and spatio‐temporal fluctuations in population abundance has emerged as an important tool for understanding demographic and evolutionary processes in natural populations. This so‐called genetic monitoring was conducted across 12 consecutive years (1996–2007) at three sites for the feral cat, introduced onto the Kerguelen archipelago fifty years ago. Temporal changes in allelic richness and heterozygosity at 18 microsatellite DNA loci were compared with temporal changes in the adult population abundance index, obtained by typical demographic monitoring. No association was found at the island spatial scale, but we observed an association between genetic diversity and adult population indices from year to year within each study site. More particularly, the magnitude of successive increases or decreases in the adult population abundance index appeared to be the major factor linking the trajectories of genetic diversity and adult population abundance indices. Natal dispersal and/or local recruitment, both facilitated by high juvenile survival when the adult population size is small, is proposed as the major demographic processes contributing to such an observed pattern. Finally, we suggested avoiding the use of the harmonic mean as an estimator of long‐term population size to study the relationships between demographic fluctuations and heterozygosity in populations characterized by strong multiannual density fluctuations.