bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Flexibility in locomotor-feeding integration during prey capture in varanid lizards: effects of prey size and velocity
Authors: Montuelle Stéphane J , Herrel Anthony , Libourel Paul-Antoine , Daillie Sandra , Bels Vincent L 
Published: August 2012

SummaryFeeding movements are adjusted in response to food properties, and this flexibility is essential for omnivorous predators as food properties vary routinely. In most lizards, prey capture is no longer considered to solely rely on the movements of the feeding structures (jaws, hyolingual apparatus), but instead is understood to require the integration of the feeding system with the locomotor system (i.e., coordination of movements). Here, we investigate flexibility in the coordination pattern between jaw, neck and forelimb movements in omnivorous varanid lizards feeding on four prey types varying in length and mobility: grasshoppers, live newborn mice, adult mice and dead adult mice. We test for bivariate correlations between 3D locomotor and feeding kinematics, and compare the jaw-neck-forelimb coordination patterns across prey types. Our results reveal that locomotor-feeding integration is essential for the capture of evasive prey, and that different jaw-neck-forelimb coordination patterns are used to capture different prey types. Jaw-neck-forelimb coordination is indeed significantly altered by the length and speed of the prey, indicating that a similar coordination pattern can be finely tuned in response to prey stimuli. These results suggest feed-forward as well as feedback modulation of the control of locomotor-feeding integration. As varanids are considered to be specialized in the capture of evasive prey (although they retain their ability to feed on a wide variety of prey items), flexibility in locomotor-feeding integration in response to prey mobility is proposed to be a key component in their dietary specialization.
Disrupted flow sensing impairs hydrodynamic performance and increases the metabolic cost of swimming in the yellowtail kingfish,Seriola lalandi
Authors: Yanase Kazutaka , Herbert Neill , Montgomery John 
Published: August 2012

SummaryThe yellowtail kingfish, Seriola lalandi, shows a distribution of anaerobic and aerobic (red and pink) muscle fibres along the trunk that is characteristic of active pelagic fishes. The athletic capacity of S. lalandi is also shown by its relative high standard metabolic rate and optimal (i.e. least cost) swimming speed. To test the hypothesis that lateral line afferent information contributes to efficient locomotion in an active pelagic species, the swimming performance of S. lalandi was evaluated after unilateral disruption of trunk superficial neuromasts (SN). Unilaterally disrupting the superficial neuromasts (SN) of the lateral line impaired both swimming performance and energetic efficiency. The critical swimming speed (mean Ucrit±S.D., N=12) for unilaterally SN-disrupted fish was 2.11±0.96 L s-1, which was significantly slower than the 3.66±0.19 L s-1 Ucrit of sham SN-disrupted fish. The oxygen consumption (in mg O2 kg-1 min-1) of the unilaterally SN-disrupted fish in a speed range of 1.0–2.2 L s-1 was significantly greater than that of the sham SN-disrupted fish. The lowest gross cost of transport (GCOT) for SN-disrupted fish was 0.18±0.06 J N-1 m-1, which was significantly greater than the 0.11±0.03 J N-1 m-1 GCOT of sham SN-disrupted fish. The factorial metabolic scope (mean±S.D., N=6) of the unilaterally SN-disrupted fish (2.87±0.78) was significantly less than that of sham controls (4.14±0.37). These data show that an intact lateral line is important to the swimming performance and efficiency of carangiform swimmers, but the functional mechanism of this effect remains to be determined.
Parental hypoxic exposure confers offspring hypoxia resistance in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Authors: Ho Dao H. , Burggren Warren W. 
Published: August 2012

SummaryMaternal influences are a potentially important component of transgenerational transfer of phenotype in vertebrates. This study on zebrafish (Danio rerio) examined how chronic hypoxic exposure on adults affected the phenotype of their offspring. Separate adult populations were exposed to hypoxia (13.1 kPa O2) or normoxia (21.1 kPa O2) for periods ranging from 1 to 12 weeks. Adults were then returned to normoxia and bred within experimental groups. Adult fecundity and egg characteristics (volume of egg, yolk and perivitelline fluid) were assessed. Subsequently, larval body length, time to loss of equilibrium in severe hypoxia (~4 kPa O2), and critical thermal minima (CTMin) and maxima (CTMax) were measured at 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21 and 60 days post fertilization (dpf). Adult fecundity was depressed by hypoxic exposure. Egg component volumes were also depressed in adults exposed to 1-2 weeks of hypoxia, but returned to control levels following longer hypoxic exposure. Adult hypoxic exposures of &gt;1 week resulted in longer body lengths in their larval offspring. Time to loss of equilibrium in severe hypoxia (i.e. hypoxic resistance) in control larvae decreased from 6 to 12 dpf, remaining constant thereafter. Notably, hypoxic resistance from 6-18 dpf was ~15% lower in larvae whose parents were exposed to just 1 week of chronic hypoxia, but resistance was significantly increased by ~24-30% in 6-18 dpf in larvae from adults exposed to 2, 3 or 4 weeks of hypoxia. CTMin (~39.5°C) and CTMax (~10-12 °C) were unchanged by parental hypoxic exposure. This study demonstrates that parental hypoxic exposure in adult zebrafish has profound epigenetic effects on the morphological and physiological phenotype of their offspring.
Gill remodelling during terrestrial acclimation reduces aquatic respiratory function of the amphibious fishKryptolebias marmoratus
Authors: Turko Andrew J. , Cooper Chris A. , Wright Patricia A. 
Published: August 2012

SummaryThe skin-breathing amphibious fish Kryptolebias marmoratus experiences rapid environmental changes when moving between water- and air-breathing, but remodelling of respiratory morphology is slower (~1 week). We tested the hypotheses that (1) there is a trade-off in respiratory function of gills displaying aquatic versus terrestrial morphologies, and (2) rapidly increased gill ventilation is a mechanism to compensate for reduced aquatic respiratory function. Gill surface area, which varied inversely to the height of the interlamellar cell mass, was increased by acclimating fish for 1 week to air or low ion water, or decreased by acclimating fish for 1 week to hypoxia (~20% dissolved oxygen saturation). Fish were subsequently challenged with acute hypoxia and gill ventilation or oxygen uptake was measured. Fish with reduced gill surface area increased ventilation at higher dissolved oxygen levels, showed an increased critical partial pressure of oxygen, and suffered impaired recovery compared to brackish water control fish. These results indicate that hyperventilation, a rapid compensatory mechanism, was only able to maintain oxygen uptake during moderate hypoxia in fish that had remodelled their gills for land. Thus, fish moving between aquatic and terrestrial habitats may benefit from cutaneously breathing oxygen-rich air, but upon return to water must compensate for a less efficient branchial morphology (mild hypoxia) or suffer impaired respiratory function (severe hypoxia).
Mild desiccation rapidly increases freeze tolerance of the goldenrod gall fly, Eurosta solidaginis: evidence for drought-induced RCH
Authors: Levis Nicholas A. , Yi Shu-Xia , Lee Richard E. 
Published: August 2012

Summary
Overwintering insects may experience extreme cold and desiccation stress. Both freezing and desiccation require cells to tolerate osmotic challenge as solutes become concentrated in the hemolymph. Not surprisingly, physiological responses to low temperature and desiccation share common features and may confer cross-tolerance against these stresses. Freeze-tolerant larvae of the goldenrod gall fly, Eurosta solidaginis (Fitch) (Diptera: Tephritidae), experience extremely dry and cold conditions in winter. To determine whether mild desiccation can improve freeze tolerance at organismal and cellular levels, we assessed survival, hemolymph osmolality, and glycerol levels of control and desiccated larvae. Larvae that lost only 6-10% of their body mass, in as little as 6 h, had markedly higher levels of freeze tolerance. Mild, rapid desiccation increased freezing tolerance at -15°C in September- (33.3±6.7 to 73.3±12%) and at -20°C in October-collected (16.7±6.7 to 46.7±3.3%) larvae. Similarly, 6 h of desiccation improved in vivo survival by 17-43% in fat body, Malpighian tubule, salivary gland, and tracheal cells at -20°C. Desiccation, also, enhanced intrinsic levels of cold tolerance in midgut cells frozen ex vivo (38.7±4.6 to 89.2±5.5 %). Whereas hemolymph osmolality increased significantly with desiccation treatment from 544±16 to 720±26 mOsm, glycerol levels did not differ between control and desiccated groups. The rapidity with which a mild desiccation stress increased freeze tolerance closely resembles the rapid cold-hardening (RCH) response, which occurs during brief sub-lethal chilling, and suggests that drought stress can induce RCH.
Photosensitizer Dye Nanoparticle-coated Membranes for Singlet Oxygen Generation under Atmospheric Conditions
Authors: Ito Daiki , Takahashi Yukiko , Saito Hironobu , Nosaka Yoshio 
Published: August 2012

Abstract
A simple and easily controllable immobilization method for photosensitizer dyes and the resulting photosensitizer dye nanoparticle-coated membranes (PDNMs) that generate singlet oxygen (1O2) under atmospheric conditions were demonstrated. A 100% porphyrin nanoparticles layer that is less than 1 µm thick on a membrane filter caused quantitative 1O2 production under illumination. The thin layer promotes effective light absorption as well as significantly slowed deactivation of 1O2 by supporting materials. Moreover, the PDNMs were highly resistant to photobleaching of dye itself.
Conformational Regulation of Cyclophanes by Formation of Pseudorotaxane Based on a Charge-transfer Complex
Authors: Tsuge Akihiko , Nakamura Katsuji , Moriguchi Tetsuji , Araki Koji 
Published: August 2012

Abstract
Cyclophanes consisting of diethylene glycol-substituted oligothiophene units as a component have been synthesized. Formation of pseudorotaxane arising from complexation of the cyclophanes and the cyclobis(paraquat-p-phenylene) (CBPQT4+) has been confirmed. It has also been discovered that conformational properties of the cyclophanes are strongly affected by the formation of pseudorotaxane.
Web-based survey Contraception and attitudes to sexual behaviour’ completed by women accessing a UK menopause website
Authors: Cumming Grant P , Cochrane Rosemary , Currie Heather D , Moncur Rik , Lee Amanda J 
Published: August 2012

Background and methodology. Sociodemographic trends mean increasing numbers of new relationships in later life. These trends may not only have health consequences for women and health services but also impact on the targeting of sexual health messages. This study aimed to examine attitudes and knowledge surrounding contraception, sexual health and unwanted pregnancy among those accessing the website www.menopausematters.co.uk . A voluntary online survey was completed. Results. Survey was completed by 550 respondents. Three hundred and sixty-six women, 94% of whom self-classified as pre- or perimenopausal, had been sexually active with a male partner in the previous four weeks. Commonest contraceptive methods used by perimenopausal and postmenopausal women were condoms, combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP) and male sterilization. Up to 42% of women surveyed were unhappy with their contraception. A total of 27% premenopausal, 32% perimenopausal women and 40% postmenopausal used no contraception. One-third of women were unhappy about this and 19 unplanned pregnancies had occurred. The majority of women were informed regarding COCP use over 35 years, hormone replacement therapy, emergency contraception and ceasing contraception. The majority of women were unaware that more terminations of pregnancy are performed in women over 40 than any other age group per total pregnancies.Almost a third of women were unaware that chlamydia incidence is increasing in older women. Most would use condoms in new relationship. Discussion and conclusions. Women accessing www.menopausematters.co.uk are well informed about contraception and sexual health. The majority of those accessing the site are sexually active, but many use no contraception, or are unhappy with their chosen method, leaving them vulnerable to unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted infection.
Recombinant human endostatin combined with definitive chemoradiotherapy as primary treatment for patients with unresectable but without systemic metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus
Authors: Zhong Z , Gu X , Zhang Z , Wang D , Qing Y , Li M , Dai N 
Published: August 2012

Objective
The objective of this study was to review the outcomes of recombinant human endostatin combined with chemoradiotherapy (CRT) as primary treatment for patients with unresectable but without systemic metastatic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oesophagus.

Methods
A total of 38 patients with unresectable but without systemic metastatic SCC of the oesophagus (T4 or stage IVA) were retrospectively studied. 18 patients were treated with recombinant human endostatin combined with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)/cisplatin (CDDP)-based CRT and 20 were treated with 5-FU/CDDP-based CRT alone. Short- and long-term effects including initial treatment response, survival and treatment-related complications were assessed with a median follow-up period of 36.1 months.

Results
CRT combined with endostatin resulted in a marked improvement in complete response rates (44.4% vs 30% in the CRT-alone group), and an increase in the 1-year and 3-year overall survival rates (72% vs 50.0% and 32% vs 22.0%, respectively), while the median time to progression was extended to 11.3 months in the combination group vs 8.1 months in the CRT-alone group. There were no treatment-related toxicities that could be attributed specifically to the endostatin, and the toxicities observed across the two groups are probably due to the CRT itself.

Conclusions
The short- and long-term effects of CRT combined with endostatin were an improvement over that of CRT alone in this retrospective cohort study. This combined treatment modality may be a promising treatment modality for the patients with unresectable but without systemic metastatic oesophageal cancer. Further prospective randomised control studies are needed to confirm this finding.
Functional characterization of four novel PAX8 mutations causing congenital hypothyroidism: new evidence for haploinsufficiency as a disease mechanism
Authors: Narumi Satoshi , Araki Shunsuke , Hori Naoaki , Muroya Koji , Yamamoto Yukiyo , Asakura Yumi , Adachi Masanori , Hasegawa Tomonobu 
Published: August 2012

BackgroundIndividuals carrying a heterozygous inactivatingPAX8mutation are affected by congenital hypothyroidism (CH), although heterozygousPax8knockout mice are not. It has remained unclear whether CH inPAX8mutation carriers is caused by haploinsufficiency or a dominant negative mechanism.ObjectiveTo report clinical and molecular findings of four novelPAX8mutations, including one early-truncating frameshift mutation.Subjects and methodsFour probands were CH patients. Two had family history of congenital or childhood hypothyroidism. Three probands were diagnosed in the frame of newborn screening for CH, while one had a negative result in screening but was diagnosed subsequently. Three had thyroid hypoplasia and one had a slightly small thyroid with low echogenicity. For these probands and their family members, we sequencedPAX8using a standard PCR-based method. Pathogenicity of identified mutations was verifiedin vitro.ResultsWe found four novel heterozygousPAX8mutations in the four probands: L16P, F20S, D46SfsX24, and R133Q. Family studies showed four additional mutation carriers, who were confirmed to have high serum TSH levels. Expression experiments revealed that three mutations (L16P, F20S, and R133Q) had defects in target DNA binding, while D46fs had protein instability that was rescued by the proteasome inhibitor MG132. All four mutations had reduced transactivation on the thyroglobulin promoter, supporting that they were inactivating mutations.ConclusionD46fs is the firstPAX8mutation with confirmed protein instability. Our clinical andin vitrofindings together suggest that purePAX8haploinsufficiency can cause CH in humans.
Association of Dialysis Modality with Risk for Infection-Related Hospitalization
Authors: Lafrance Jean-Philippe , Rahme Elham , Iqbal Sameena , Elftouh Naoual , Vallée Michel , Laurin Louis-Philippe , Ouimet Denis 
Published: August 2012

Summary

Background and objectives
Peritonitis is a well known complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD), whereas in hemodialysis (HD), bacteremia can be life threatening. Whether patients undergoing PD have higher risk than HD patients for infection-related hospitalizations (IRH) remains unknown.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements
A propensity score–matched retrospective cohort of patients undergoing long-term dialysis between January 2001 and December 2007 was assembled. Propensity scores were calculated using multivariable (demographic characteristics, smoking, body mass index, comorbid conditions, and laboratory data) logistic regression to estimate probability of receiving PD versus HD. A comparison of IRH risk by dialysis modality was estimated using a counting-process survival model.

Results
A total of 910 pairs of patients were matched by propensity scores. During a median follow-up of 2.1 years (interquartile range, 1.1–3.5 years), 341 patients were hospitalized once for an infection, 123 twice, and 106 at least three times. PD was associated with an increased risk for IRH compared with HD (propensity-matched hazard ratio [HR], 1.52). PD was associated with a reduced risk for septicemia (HR, 0.31) and pneumonia (HR, 0.58) but also an increased risk for dialysis-related infectious hospitalizations (HR, 3.44), defined as all cases of peritonitis and vascular access-related bacteremia, but not all septicemia cases.

Conclusions
PD patients are at higher risk for IRH than are HD patients. This risk is mostly explained by dialysis-related infections. However, further studies are needed to evaluate whether the severity of those hospitalizations is similar and whether this increased risk for IRH is associated with worse outcomes.
Clinical Analysis of Perioperative Complement Activity during Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury following Renal Transplantation
Authors: Błogowski Wojciech , Dołęgowska Barbara , Sałata Daria , Budkowska Marta , Domański Leszek , Starzyńska Teresa 
Published: August 2012

Summary

Background and objectives
The complement cascade seems to be an important mediator modulating renal ischemia/reperfusion injury. This study analyzed whether significant changes occur in the levels of a terminal panel of complement molecules (C3a, C5a, and C5b-9/membrane attack complex) during the early phase of human kidney allograft reperfusion and evaluated the potential association of these changes with clinical post-transplant graft function in kidney transplant recipients.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements
Seventy-five renal transplant recipients undergoing transplantation between 2004 and 2006 were enrolled in the study and divided into early, slow, and delayed graft function groups. Blood samples were collected perioperatively during consecutive minutes of allograft reperfusion from the renal vein. Levels of complement molecules were measured using ELISA.

Results
Analysis revealed no significant changes in C3a and C5a levels throughout reperfusion. The main complement molecule that was significantly associated with post-transplant graft function was C5b-9/membrane attack complex; throughout the reperfusion period, perioperative levels of C5b-9/membrane attack complex were around two to three times higher in delayed graft function patients than early and slow graft function individuals (P<0.005). In addition, C5b-9/membrane attack complex levels had a relatively high clinical sensitivity and specificity (70%–87.5%) for the prediction of early and long-term (1 year) post-transplant allograft function.

Conclusions
This clinical study supports a role for the complement cascade in delayed graft function development. However, additional studies are needed to elucidate the exact mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon. In addition, perioperative measurements of C5b-9/membrane attack complex are highlighted as promising potential clinical markers of post-transplant renal allograft function.
Association of Depression and Antidepressant Use with Mortality in a Large Cohort of Patients with Nondialysis-Dependent CKD
Authors: Balogun Rasheed A. , Abdel-Rahman Emaad M. , Balogun Seki A. , Lott Evan H. , Lu Jun Ling , Malakauskas Sandra M. , Ma Jennie Z. , Kalantar-Zadeh Kamyar , Kovesdy Csaba P. 
Published: August 2012

Summary

Background and objectives
Depression is common and is associated with higher mortality in patients with ESRD or CKD (stage 5). Less information is available on earlier stages of CKD. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of depression and any association with all-cause mortality in patients with varying severity of nondialysis-dependent CKD.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements
This is a retrospective study of a national cohort of 598,153 US veterans with nondialysis-dependent CKD stages 1–5 followed for a median of 4.7 years in the US Department of Veterans Affairs Health System. Diagnosis of depression was established as a result of systematic screening and administration of antidepressants. Association of depression with all-cause mortality overall and stratified by CKD stages were examined with the Kaplan–Meier method and in Cox models.

Results
There were 179,441 patients (30%) with a diagnosis of depression. Over median follow-up of 4.7 years, depression was associated with significantly higher age-adjusted mortality overall (hazard ratio, 1.55; 95% confidence interval, 1.54–1.57; P<0.001). Sequential adjustments for sociodemographic characteristics and especially for comorbid conditions attenuated this association, which nevertheless remained significant (hazard ratio, 1.25; 95% confidence interval, 1.23–1.26).

Conclusions
In this large cohort of predominantly elderly male patients with CKD, prevalence of depression and antidepressant use is high (30%) and is associated with significantly higher all-cause mortality independent of comorbid conditions.