bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Convergence of leaf‐out towards minimum risk of freezing damage in temperate trees
Authors: Lenz Armando , Hoch Günter , Körner Christian , Vitasse Yann 
Published: December 2015

Summary

Within the same forest stand, temperate deciduous trees generally exhibit a distinct pattern in leaf‐out timing, with some species flushing earlier than other species. This study aimed to explain the timing of leaf‐out of various temperate tree species in relation to the risk of freezing damage to leaves.

We combined long‐term series of leaf‐out date (14–32 years) of five temperate tree species located in both low and high elevations in Switzerland, daily minimum temperatures recorded at the same sites and species‐specific freezing resistance (LT50) of emerging leaves. We calculated temperature safety margins (the temperature difference between absolute minimum temperature during leaf‐out and species‐specific LT50 values), and date safety margins (time lag between the last day when temperature falls below species‐specific LT50 values and the date of leaf‐out).

Leaf‐out occurred when the probability to encounter freezing damage approaches zero, irrespective of climatic conditions (low vs. high elevation) and species (early‐ and late‐flushing species). In other words, trees leaf out precisely at the beginning of the probabilistically safe period. Interestingly, the temperature safety margins did not differ significantly between low and high elevation. Yet, the date safety margin was smaller at high elevation, presumably due to a faster increase in temperature during the leaf‐out period at high elevation.

When species‐specific freezing resistance is taken into account, the time of leaf‐out converges among species towards a marginal risk of freezing damage. Thus, leaf‐out time has likely evolved in a way that the risk of freezing damage is minimized over a large spectrum of climatic conditions. Species with a small safety margin against freezing temperature, like Fagus sylvatica, appear to employ photoperiod co‐control of spring phenology, whereas species with a large safety margin depend largely on temperature for the right timing of leaf‐out.

Our results offer a new avenue to explain the differences in leaf‐out timing among co‐occurring tree species. They further suggest that in a warming climate, tree species can expand their distribution range to the extent their phenology matches the stochasticity of freezing temperatures in spring.
Fatigue and mental health in Australian rural and regional ambulance personnel
Authors: Pyper Zoe , Paterson Jessica L 
Published: December 2015

AbstractObjectiveAustralian ambulance personnel experience stress, fatigue and exposure to traumatic events. These risks have been extensively researched in metropolitan paramedics. However, there has been limited research in rural and regional personnel. Rural and regional ambulance personnel make up a significant proportion of the Australian ambulance workforce and may be exposed to unique stressors. The aim of the current study was to investigate levels of fatigue, stress, and emotional trauma in rural and regional ambulance personnel.MethodsA sample of 134 (103 male, 31 female) rural and regional ambulance personnel completed a mixed methods survey assessing fatigue, stress and emotional trauma. Data were analysed using a combination of descriptive analysis and qualitative, deductive analysis that involved data immersion, coding, and categorisation.ResultsParticipants reported high levels of fatigue and emotional trauma. Qualitative data revealed stressors including community expectations and ‘office politics’. Participants also reported negative effects of fatigue including errors in drug administration and falling asleep while driving. The majority of participants reported normal levels of stress. It may be the case that working with known individuals in a community offers some degree of ‘protective’ impact for stress in rural and regional ambulance personnel.ConclusionsThis is one of the first studies to investigate fatigue, stress, and emotional trauma in a rural and regional ambulance population. Results indicate a complex and unique profile of risks and challenges for this critical and understudied community resource.
Kinetic Analysis of the Digestion of Bovine Type I Collagen Telopeptides with Porcine Pepsin
Authors: Qian Jun , Okada Yukari , Ogura Takayuki , Tanaka Keisuke , Hattori Shunji , Ito Shinji , Satoh Junko , Takita Teisuke , Yasukawa Kiyoshi 
Published: December 2015

AbstractCollagen is frequently digested using pepsin in industries to produce a triple helical collagen without the N‐ and C‐terminal telopeptides. However, kinetic analysis of this reaction is difficult because several Lys residues in the N‐ and in the C‐terminal telopeptides form covalent bonds, leading to multiple substrates species, and pepsin cleaves collagen at various sites in the N‐terminal and in the C‐terminal telopeptides, yielding different products. Here we performed kinetic analysis of the digestion of bovine type I collagen with porcine pepsin. The reaction could be monitored by SDS‐PAGE by measuring the intensity of the protein bands corresponding to the variant β11 chain. We obtained kinetic parameters relative to the decrease in the variant β11 chain upon digestion. At pH 4.0, the Km and kcat values increased with increasing temperature (30 to 65 °C), although the kcat/Km values were stable. Additional cleavage at the helical region was detected at 45 to 65 °C. At 37 °C, the Km and kcat values increased with decreasing pH, and the kcat/Km values at pH 2.1 to 4.5 were stable and higher than those at pH 5.0 and 5.5. No additional cleavage was detected at the examined pH. Thus, the optimal pH and temperatures for selective digestion of collagen telopeptides with pepsin are 2.1 to 4.5 and 30 to 40 °C, respectively. These results suggest that the method might be useful for the kinetic analysis of the digestion of collagen telopeptides with pepsin.
Effect of Various Food Additives on the Levels of 4(5)‐Methylimidazole in a Soy Sauce Model System
Authors: Lee Sumin , Lee Jung‐Bin , Hwang Junho , Lee Kwang‐Geun 
Published: December 2015

AbstractIn this study, the effect of food additives such as iron sulfate, magnesium sulfate, zinc sulfate, citric acid, gallic acid, and ascorbic acid on the reduction of 4(5)‐methylimidazole (4(5)‐MI) was investigated using a soy sauce model system. The concentration of 4(5)‐MI in the soy sauce model system with 5% (v/v) caramel colorant III was 1404.13 μg/L. The reduction rate of 4(5)‐MI level with the addition of 0.1M additives followed in order: iron sulfate (81%) > zinc sulfate (61%) > citric acid (40%) > gallic acid (38%) > ascorbic acid (24%) > magnesium sulfate (13%). Correlations between 4(5)‐MI levels and the physicochemical properties of soy sauce, including the amount of caramel colorant, pH value, and color differences, were determined. The highest correlations were found between 4(5)‐MI levels and the amount of caramel colorant and pH values (r2 = 0.9712, r2 = 0.9378). The concentration of caramel colorants in 8 commercial soy sauces were estimated, and ranged from 0.01 to 1.34% (v/v).
Prevalence of dysglycaemia in rural Andhra Pradesh: 2005, 2010, and 2014
Authors: Affan Eshan T. , Praveen Devarsetty , Wu Jason H.Y. , Chow Clara K. , Peiris David , Patel Anushka , Neal Bruce C. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractBackgroundCommunities in rural Andhra Pradesh may be at increasing risk of diabetes. In the present study we analyzed three cross‐sectional studies over 9 years to estimate the changing prevalence of dysglycemia (diabetes and prediabetes).MethodsThe 2005 study sampled 4535 individuals from 20 villages, the 2010 study sampled 4024 individuals from 14 villages, and the 2014 project of 62 254 individuals sought to include all adults aged 40–85 years from 54 villages. Blood glucose levels were estimated using a hand‐held device in 2005 and 2014 and using HbA1c dried blood spots in 2010.ResultsIn primary analyses restricted to assays based on fasting samples (2005, n = 3243; 2014, n = 749), the prevalence estimates for dysglycemia were 53.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 51.8%–55.7%) in 2005 and 62.0% (95% CI 58.5%–65.4%) in 2014 (P < 0.001). Over the same period, mean body mass index (BMI) increased from 22.2 to 24.3 kg/m2 (mean difference 2.1 kg/m2; 95% CI 2.0–2.2 kg/m2; P < 0.001). In secondary analyses using data from all participants (2005, n = 4535; 2010, n = 4024; 2014, n = 62 254), regardless of measurement technique, the estimated prevalence of dysglycemia was 53.9% (95% CI 52.0%–55.9%) in 2005, 50.5% (95% CI 46.1%–54.9%) in 2010, and 41.3% (95% CI 40.9%–41.7%) in 2014 (P < 0.001).ConclusionsThe prevalence of dysglycemia was high at every assessment using every measurement method. Dysglycemia in this population is most likely to have risen with the rise in BMI. The decline in prevalence suggested by the secondary analyses was likely due to confounding from the different assessment methods.
Climate change, species range shifts and dispersal corridors: an evaluation of spatial conservation models
Authors: Alagador Diogo , Cerdeira Jorge Orestes , Araújo Miguel Bastos 
Published: December 2015

SummaryThe notion that conservation areas are static geographical units for biodiversity conservation should be revised when planning for climate‐change adaptation. Since species are expected to respond to climate change by shifting their distributions, conservation areas can lose the very same species that justified their designation. Methods exist to take into account the potential effects of climate on spatial priorities for conservation. One of such methods involves the identification of time‐ordered linkages between conservation areas (hereafter termed climate‐change corridors), thus enabling species tracking their suitable changing climates.We critically review and synthesise existing quantitative approaches for spatial conservation planning under climate change. We extend these approaches focusing on the identification of climate‐change corridors, using three alternative models that vary on the objective function (minimum cost or maximum benefit sought) and on the nature of conservation targets (area‐based or persistence probabilities).The three models for establishing climate‐change corridors are illustrated with a case study involving two species distributed across the Iberian Peninsula. The species were modelled in relation to climate‐change scenarios using ensembles of bioclimatic models and theoretical dispersal kernels. The corridors obtained are compared for their location, the temporal sequence of priorities, and the effectiveness with which solutions attain persistence and cost objectives.By clearly framing the climate‐change corridors problem as three alternative models and providing the corresponding mathematical descriptions and solving tools, we offer planners a wide spectrum of models that can be easily adapted to a variety of conservation goals and constraints.
Understanding auditory verbal hallucinations: a systematic review of current evidence
Authors: Upthegrove R. , Broome M. R. , Caldwell K. , Ives J. , Oyebode F. , Wood S. J. 
Published: December 2015

ObjectiveAuditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) are core features of psychotic illness and remain significant in predicting poor outcome and risk. There has been a wide range of approaches to understanding these experiences.MethodA systematic literature review summarizing different methods of investigation and their results; phenomenology, descriptive psychopathology, psychological, cognitive neurobiology, and neuroimaging.ResultsA number of 764 papers and texts were screened and 113 reviewed. Phenomenological studies are comparably few in number, and psychopathology remains based on concepts defined in the early 20th century. Psychological models focus on voice content and emotional reaction, and suggest a continuum ofAVHs from normal experience. Neuropsychological models includeAVHs as misattribution of inner speech, whilst functional neuroimaging studies focus on the spontaneous activity and connectivity of auditory networks.ConclusionThere has been a large growth in research onAVHs in recent decades dominated by neurobiological and neuroimaging studies. Future research should include focus on phenomenological aspects andAVHs change over the course of developing illness. Integration between branches of enquiry is needed, and the risk is that without this, models are proposed and investigated that bear scant relevance to the symptom itself.
Association between trajectories of buprenorphine treatment and emergency department and in‐patient utilization
Authors: Lo‐Ciganic Wei‐Hsuan , Gellad Walid F. , Gordon Adam J. , Cochran Gerald , Zemaitis Michael A. , Cathers Terri , Kelley David , Donohue Julie M. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractBackground and aimsUncertainty about optimal treatment duration for buprenorphine opioid agonist therapy may lead to substantial variation in provider and payer decision‐making regarding treatment course. We aimed to identify distinct trajectories of buprenorphine use and examine outcomes associated with these trajectories to guide health system interventions regarding treatment length.DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingUS Pennsylvania Medicaid.PatientsA total of 10 945 enrollees aged 18–64 years initiating buprenorphine treatment between 2007 and 2012.MeasurementsGroup‐based trajectory models were used to identify trajectories based on monthly proportion of days covered with buprenorphine in the 12 months post‐treatment initiation. We used separate multivariable Cox proportional hazard models to examine associations between trajectories and time to first all‐cause hospitalization and emergency department (ED) visit within 12 months after the first‐year treatment.FindingsSix trajectories [Bayesian information criterion (BIC) = −86 246.70] were identified: 24.9% discontinued buprenorphine < 3 months, 18.7% discontinued between 3 and 5 months, 12.4% discontinued between 5 and 8 months, 13.3% discontinued > 8 months, 9.5% refilled intermittently and 21.2% refilled persistently for 12 months. Persistent refill trajectories were associated with an 18% lower risk of all‐cause hospitalizations [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.82, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.70–0.95] and 14% lower risk of ED visits (HR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.78–0.95) in the subsequent year, compared with those discontinuing between 3 and 5 months.ConclusionsSix distinct buprenorphine treatment trajectories were identified in this population‐based low‐income Medicaid cohort in Pennsylvania, USA. There appears to be an association between persistent use of buprenorphine for 12 months and lower risk of all‐cause hospitalizations/emergency department visits.
Prevalence of male secondary hypogonadism in moderate to severe obesity and its relationship with insulin resistance and excess body weight
Authors: Calderón Berniza , Gómez‐Martín Jesús M. , Vega‐Piñero Belén , Martín‐Hidalgo Antonia , Galindo Julio , Luque‐Ramírez Manuel , Escobar‐Morreale Héctor F. , Botella‐Carretero José I. 
Published: December 2015

SummaryTo study the prevalence of male obesity‐secondary hypogonadism (MOSH) in patients with moderate to severe obesity, we performed a prospective prevalence study including 100 male patients with moderate to severe obesity at a university tertiary hospital. Total testosterone (TT) and sex hormone‐binding globulin (SHBG) concentrations among others were assayed in all patients. Serum‐free testosterone (FT) concentration was calculated from TT and SHBG levels. Semen analysis was conducted in 31 patients. We found a prevalence of 45% (95% CI: 35–55%) when considering decreased TT and/or FT concentrations. Serum concentrations of TT were correlated negatively with glucose (r = −0.328, p < 0.001) and insulin resistance (r = −0.261, p = 0.011). The same occurred with FT and glucose (r = −0.340, p < 0.001) and insulin resistance (r = −0.246, p = 0.016). Sixty‐two percent (95% CI: 39–85%) of the patients with seminogram also presented abnormal results in semen analysis. The frequencies of low TT or low FT values were similar in patients with abnormal or normal semen analysis (p = 0.646 and p = 0.346, respectively). Ejaculate volume inversely correlated with BMI (ρ = −0.400, p = 0.029) and with excess body weight (ρ = −0.464, p = 0.010). Our data show the prevalence of MOSH in patients with moderate to severe obesity is high. Low circulating testosterone is associated with insulin resistance and low ejaculate volume with higher BMI and excess body weight. Semen analysis must be performed in these patients when considering fertility whether or not presenting low circulating testosterone.
Pre‐operative risk factors associated with need for vasoepididymostomy at the time of vasectomy reversal
Authors: Fuchs M. E. , Anderson R. E. , Ostrowski K. A. , Brant W. O. , Fuchs E. F. 
Published: December 2015

SummaryThe absence of sperm in the ejaculate after vasectomy reversal is commonly caused by failure to recognize and subsequently bypass epididymal or proximal vasal obstruction at the time of vasectomy reversal. If intra‐operative proximal obstruction is suspected, vasoepididymostomy (VE) is recommended rather than vasovasostomy (VV). We sought to calculate the associated risk of needing VE, rather than VV with time from original vasectomy (obstructive interval) using a large cohort of vasectomy reversal patients. We reviewed the electronic and paper vasectomy reversal database by a single surgeon from 1978 through 2012. We performed univariate analysis to identify variables that predicted the need for VE rather than VV, and then combined only significant univariates into our multi‐variable analysis. 2697 total men underwent vasectomy reversal, and 239 were repeat procedures. Of the 5296 individual testes operated on, 1029 were VE. Significant variables that predicted the need for VE on univariate analysis included: age, obstructive time interval, vasectomy reversal after previous VV (repeat vasectomy reversal), and year the procedure was performed. On multi‐variable analysis significant risk factors for VE were age above 50 (OR 1.36), repeat vasectomy reversal (OR 5.78), and greater obstructive time interval (OR 1.56). For every 3 years since original vasectomy, the risk of needing VE increases by 56%. There is a linear relationship between obstructive interval and need for VE. Men undergoing repeat vasectomy reversal have five times greater risk of requiring VE and men greater than 50 years of age are also at higher risk. Using these pre‐operative predictors is helpful in identifying patients who will benefit from referral to an experienced surgeon who can perform VE.
Milk kinship is not an obstacle to using donor human milk to feed preterm infants in Muslim countries
Authors: Khalil Aliaa , Buffin Rachel , Sanlaville Damien , Picaud Jean‐Charles 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThe development of human milk banks in Muslim countries is challenging because of the tradition of milk kinship. In other countries, this tradition imposes restrictions on Muslim mothers with regard to donating their milk or receiving donor milk for their preterm baby. However, Muslim law does allow the use of donated human milk under certain conditions, for example if it comes from a single known donor or is pooled from the milk of at least three donors.ConclusionMuslim parents need to be made aware that human milk banks can be used for preterm babies if strict conditions are met.
The Valsalva manoeuvre: physiology and clinical examples
Authors: Pstras L. , Thomaseth K. , Waniewski J. , Balzani I. , Bellavere F. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThe Valsalva manoeuvre (VM), a forced expiratory effort against a closed airway, has a wide range of applications in several medical disciplines, including diagnosing heart problems or autonomic nervous system deficiencies. The changes of the intrathoracic and intra‐abdominal pressure associated with the manoeuvre result in a complex cardiovascular response with a concomitant action of several regulatory mechanisms. As the main aim of the reflex mechanisms is to control the arterial blood pressure (BP), their action is based primarily on signals from baroreceptors, although they also reflect the activity of pulmonary stretch receptors and, to a lower degree, chemoreceptors, with different mechanisms acting either in synergism or in antagonism depending on the phase of the manoeuvre. A variety of abnormal responses to the VM can be seen in patients with different conditions. Based on the arterial BP and heart rate changes during and after the manoeuvre several dysfunctions can be hence diagnosed or confirmed. The nature of the cardiovascular response to the manoeuvre depends, however, not only on the shape of the cardiovascular system and the autonomic function of the given patient, but also on a number of technical factors related to the execution of the manoeuvre including the duration and level of strain, the body position or breathing pattern. This review of the literature provides a comprehensive analysis of the physiology and pathophysiology of the VM and an overview of its applications. A number of clinical examples of normal and abnormal haemodynamic response to the manoeuvre have been also provided.
Gastric bypass surgery is protective from high‐fat diet‐induced non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease and hepatic endoplasmic reticulum stress
Authors: Mosinski J. D. , Pagadala M. R. , Mulya A. , Huang H. , Dan O. , Shimizu H. , Batayyah E. , Pai R. K. , Schauer P. R. , Brethauer S. A. , Kirwan J. P. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractAimHigh‐fat diets are known to contribute to the development of obesity and related co‐morbidities including non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The accumulation of hepatic lipid may increase endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and contribute to non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis and metabolic disease. We hypothesized that bariatric surgery would counter the effects of a high‐fat diet (HFD) on obesity‐associated NAFLD.MethodsSixteen of 24 male Sprague Dawley rats were randomized to Sham (N = 8) or Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery (N = 8) and compared to Lean controls (N = 8). Obese rats were maintained on a HFD throughout the study. Insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR), and hepatic steatosis, triglyceride accumulation, ER stress and apoptosis were assessed at 90 days post‐surgery.ResultsDespite eating a HFD for 90 days post‐surgery, the RYGB group lost weight (−20.7 ± 6%, P < 0.01) and improved insulin sensitivity (P < 0.05) compared to Sham. These results occurred with no change in food intake between groups. Hepatic steatosis and ER stress, specifically glucose‐regulated protein‐78 (Grp78, P < 0.001), X‐box binding protein‐1 (XBP‐1) and spliced XBP‐1 (P < 0.01), and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) gene expression, were normalized in the RYGB group compared to both Sham and Lean controls. Significant TUNEL staining in liver sections from the Obese Sham group, indicative of accelerated cell death, was absent in the RYGB and Lean control groups. Additionally, fasting plasma glucagon like peptide‐1 was increased in RYGB compared to Sham (P < 0.02).ConclusionThese data suggest that in obese rats, RYGB surgery protects the liver against HFD‐induced fatty liver disease by attenuating ER stress and excess apoptosis.