bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Surgical options for patients with Lennox‐Gastaut syndrome
Authors: Douglass Laurie M. , Salpekar Jay 
Published: October 2014

SummaryDespite ongoing investigation into pharmacologic treatments for Lennox‐Gastaut syndrome (LGS), outcomes for chronic administration of medications remain disappointing. In many instances LGS is treatment refractory, resulting in poor prognoses that include intellectual disability, persisting seizures, and psychiatric conditions. For patients with treatment resistance to other modalities for LGS, a further option is surgical intervention. Evaluation for surgery should involve interictal electroencephalogram (EEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analysis, and age‐appropriate neuropsychological/developmental assessment. Resective surgery, where seizure foci are removed, successfully controls seizures in many cases, particularly where lesionectomy or lobar resections are appropriate. Recent studies of resective surgery on individuals with LGS show promising results, with a high percentage of patients having improved seizure control. Corpus callosotomy is a palliative surgical approach that aims at controlling potentially injurious seizures, for example, atonic or drop seizures, by preventing the bilateral spread of epileptic activity. Once associated with a high risk for morbidity and mortality, microsurgical techniques and surgery limited to the anterior region of the callosum have greatly diminished complications of corpus callosotomy surgery. Vagus nerve stimulation, another palliative procedure, offers rates of seizure improvement similar to those of corpus callosotomy, with the exception of atonic seizure for which corpus callosotomy may lead to a greater reduction. Recent advances in surgical techniques offer encouraging options for treatment of LGS.
Functional homogenization exceeds taxonomic homogenization among European fish assemblages
Authors: Villéger Sébastien , Grenouillet Gaël , Brosse Sébastien 
Published: October 2014

AbstractAimHuman activities and the consequent extirpations of native species and introductions of non‐native species have been modifying the composition of species assemblages throughout the world. These anthropogenic impacts have modified the richness of assemblages as well as the biological dissimilarity among them. However, while changes in taxonomic dissimilarity (i.e. accounting for species composition) have been assessed intensively during the last decade there are still few assessments of changes in functional dissimilarity (i.e. accounting for the diversity of biological traits). Here, we assess the temporal changes in both taxonomic and functional dissimilarities for freshwater fish assemblages across Europe.LocationWestern Palaearctic, 137 river basins.MethodsThe Jaccard index was used to quantify the changes in both taxonomic and functional dissimilarity. We then partitioned dissimilarity to extract its turnover component and measured the changes in the contribution of turnover to dissimilarity.ResultsFunctional homogenization exceeded taxonomic homogenization six‐fold. More importantly, we found only a moderate positive correlation between these changes. For instance, 40% of assemblages that experienced taxonomic differentiation were actually functionally homogenized. Taxonomic and functional homogenizations were stronger when the historical level of taxonomic dissimilarity among assemblages was high and when a high number of non‐native species were introduced in the assemblages. Moreover, translocated species (i.e. non‐native species originating from Europe) played a stronger role than exotic species (i.e. those coming from outside Europe) in this homogenization process, while extirpation did not play a significant role.Main conclusionsChange in taxonomic diversity cannot be used to predict changes in functional diversity. In addition, as functional diversity has been proven to be a better indicator of ecosystem functioning and stability than taxonomic diversity, further studies are required to test the potential effects of functional homogenization at the local scale.
Functional determinants of forest recruitment over broad scales
Authors: Godoy Oscar , Rueda Marta , Hawkins Bradford A. 
Published: October 2014

AbstractAimThe drivers of tree recruitment over large spatial scales remain unexplored. Here, we ask whether species potential for recruitment and the strength of density‐dependent processes, both inferred from species relative abundances, show emerging patterns that can be explained upon the basis of information about climate and functional traits.LocationEastern forests of the USA.MethodsWe document the geographical distributions and magnitudes of seedling recruitment and the strength of density dependence and conspecific density dependence for the forests of the eastern USA spanning > 1.2 million km2 across 88,854 local communities comprising 164 tree species. We also compiled climatic variables and 16 traits representing several important ecological axes of tree functional strategies to assess which factors were most strongly associated with the emerging broad‐scale spatial patterns.ResultsStrong geographical variation in the potential for seedling recruitment and a latitudinal change from negative to positive density dependence moving northward were associated with adaptation to seasonal freezing temperatures and seed size. Wood density and leaf nitrogen, in contrast, were related to the magnitude of the negative density dependence and conspecific density dependence, respectively, which were prevalent over most of the region.Main conclusionsOur results provide strong evidence that tree recruitment and the strength of density‐dependent processes have broad‐scale patterns that can be explained by a few key species functional traits.
Latitude, productivity and species richness
Authors: Gillman Len N. , Wright Shane D. , Cusens Jarrod , McBride Paul D. , Malhi Yadvinder , Whittaker Robert J. 
Published: October 2014

AbstractAimGlobal patterns in primary productivity in natural ecosystems are important for interpreting ecological processes and patterns of biodiversity. Net primary productivity (NPP) on land has long been thought to be greatest in tropical forests and to decrease towards the poles. However, it has recently been claimed that the NPP of mid‐latitude forests is as great as, or even greater than, that of tropical forests and that ecologically relevant productivity peaks at mid‐latitudes. Here we evaluate these hypotheses by testing for relationships between latitude and productivity using a range of forest productivity datasets.LocationGlobal.MethodsWe apply ordinary least squares regression and t‐test analyses to published latitude–productivity data for forests, specifically updated to include an expanded dataset for the previously data‐poor tropics, and we evaluate the relationship between the primary productivity of forests and modelled vascular plant species richness.ResultsContrary to the recent claims, we found strong support for a negative relationship between latitude and annual NPP of forests with all datasets, and NPP was significantly greater in tropical forests than in temperate forests. Vascular plant richness was positively correlated with NPP.Main conclusionsNPP of forests increases towards the equator. Given that species richness also increases towards the equator, and that vascular plant richness correlates with NPP, these results are consistent with recent meta‐analyses showing that the relationships between productivity and species richness of both plants and animals in natural ecosystems are predominantly positive. These results are congruent with ecological theories that predict a positive relationship between species richness and productivity, and they indicate that there is no need to explain peaked richness–productivity relationships over broad spatial extents, since they do not appear to exist.
Invasive lobular breast cancer: the prognostic impact of histopathological grade, E‐cadherin and molecular subtypes
Authors: Engstrøm Monica J , Opdahl Signe , Vatten Lars J , Haugen Olav A , Bofin Anna M 
Published: October 2014

AimsThe aim of this study was to compare breast cancer specific survival (BCSS) for invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and, further, to evaluate critically the prognostic value of histopathological grading of ILC and examine E‐cadherin as a prognostic marker in ILC.Methods and resultsThe study comprised 116 lobular and 611 ductal breast carcinomas occurring between 1961 and 2008. All cases had been classified previously according to histopathological type and grade, stained for oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), antigen Ki67 (Ki67), epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR), cytokeratin 5 (CK5) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and classified into molecular subtypes. For the present study, immunohistochemical staining for E‐cadherin was performed. The Kaplan–Meier method and Cox proportional hazards models were used in the analyses. Grade 2 tumours comprised 85.3% of the lobular tumours and 51.9% of the ductal tumours. BCSS in ILC grade 2 was comparable to that of IDC grade 3. E‐cadherin‐negative ILC had a poorer prognosis compared to E‐cadherin positive ILC and to IDC regardless of E‐cadherin status.ConclusionsThe implication of histopathological grading may differ in ILC compared to IDC. E‐cadherin may be useful in prognostication in ILC and thereby influence the determination of treatment strategies for this group of women.
Logging in boreal field‐forest ecotones promotes flower‐visiting insect diversity and modifies insect community composition
Authors: Korpela Eeva‐Liisa , Hyvönen Terho , Kuussaari Mikko 
Published: October 2014

Abstract

Mitigation tools aimed at counteracting the loss of farmland insect diversity and associated ecosystem services are usually conducted on cultivated fields. Possibilities of managing field‐forest ecotones for biodiversity have been rarely discussed, despite their importance for flower‐visiting insects.

The effectiveness of logging in enhancing three aspects of insect diversity (bumblebee abundance, total species richness, and habitat specialist butterfly abundance) and changes in insect community composition were studied in a three‐year field experiment. The study included 15 field‐forest ecotones, each with a 50 m long and 25 m wide treated area and a corresponding control. At forest edge, a 5 m wide strip was clear‐cut and behind this strip, a 20 m wide belt was thinned to a basal area of 8 m2 ha−1.

Logging simultaneously promoted all three aspects of insect diversity. Changes were more apparent at clear‐cut edge than in the thinned interior. Community composition changed via increased abundance of open habitat species, especially butterflies.

Logging promoted warm microclimates and flower availability at clear‐cut edges. All three aspects of insect diversity showed a positive response to flower coverage, which in turn was negatively correlated with the amount of logging residue.

Creating open field‐forest ecotones is beneficial for flower‐visiting insects and open habitat species in particular. This approach is expected to be most beneficial at sunny forest edges and sites which become overgrown slowly. In addition, we suggest logging residue to be removed when aiming to promote flower‐visitors.
Variation in protection of four divergent avian influenza virus vaccine seed strains against eight clade 2.2.1 and 2.2.1.1. Egyptian H5N1 high pathogenicity variants in poultry
Authors: Spackman Erica , Swayne David E. , Pantin‐Jackwood Mary J. , Wan Xiu‐Feng , Torchetti Mia K. , Hassan Mohammad , Suarez David L. , Sá e Silva Mariana 
Published: October 2014

BackgroundHighly pathogenic (HP) H5N1 avian influenza virus (AIV) was introduced to Egyptian poultry in 2006 and has since become enzootic. Vaccination has been utilized as a control tool combined with other control methods, but for a variety of reasons, the disease has not been eradicated. In 2007, an antigenically divergent hemagglutinin subclade, 2.2.1.1, emerged from the original clade 2.2.1 viruses.ObjectivesThe objective was to evaluate four diverse AIV isolates for use as vaccines in chickens, including two commercial vaccines and two additional contemporary isolates, against challenge with numerous clade 2.2.1 and clade 2.2.1.1 H5N1 HPAIV Egyptian isolates to assess the variation in protection among different vaccine and challenge virus combinations.MethodsVaccination‐challenge studies with four vaccines and up to eight challenge strains with each vaccine for a total of 25 vaccination‐challenge groups were conducted with chickens. An additional eight groups served as sham‐vaccinated controls. Mortality, mean death time, morbidity, virus, and pre‐challenge antibodies were evaluated as metrics of protection. Hemagglutination inhibition data were used to visualize the antigenic relatedness of the isolates.Results and conclusionsAlthough all but one vaccine‐challenge virus combination significantly reduced shed and mortality as compared to sham vaccinates, there were differences in protection among the vaccines relative to one another based on challenge virus. This emphasizes the difficulty in vaccinating against diverse, evolving virus populations, and the importance of selecting optimal vaccine seed strains for successful HPAIV control.
Analyses of intrinsic water‐use efficiency indicate performance differences of ponderosa pine and Douglas‐fir in response to CO2 enrichment
Authors: Soulé Peter T. , Knapp Paul A. 
Published: October 2014

AbstractAimIncreasing intrinsic water‐use efficiency (iWUE) in trees is a global‐scale response to increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (Ca). Our primary goal was to determine whether significant differences in either iWUE or radial growth exist between locally co‐occurring ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa; PIPO) and Douglas‐fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca; PSME) trees growing in minimally disturbed environments and exposed to gradually increasing levels of Ca.LocationNorthern Rocky Mountains, USA.MethodsWe developed 14 tree‐ring chronologies, calculated basal area increment (BAI) and examined stable carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) contained in the tree cores to determine: (1) the consistency of climate/BAI responses and iWUE between the two species and the magnitude of climate change for the primary drivers of BAI; (2) changes in iWUE and BAI values during ad 1850–present; and (3) the extent of pan‐regional consistency in iWUE, BAI and climatic responses.ResultsPIPO and PSME experienced exponentially increasing iWUE rates during ad 1850–present suggesting either increased net photosynthesis or decreased stomatal conductance, or both. There was pan‐regional consistency, with similar temporal trends in iWUE and climate/growth relationships between species. Both species experienced above‐average BAI in the latter half of the 20th century despite no favourable changes in climate. We found substantive differences between species as PIPO has experienced greater increases in iWUE and BAI relative to PSME. The trends in BAI and iWUE were significantly correlated for PIPO, but not for PSME.Main conclusionsDifferential radial growth and iWUE responses exist among co‐occurring species and are most pronounced during the period of highest Ca. As PIPO and PSME forests have extensive geographical ranges and are critical to North American forestry, any substantive change in forest dynamics related to water use and growth may have ecological and economic implications.
Attention regulates anger and fear to predict changes in adolescent risk‐taking behaviors
Authors: Kim‐Spoon Jungmeen , Holmes Christopher , Deater‐Deckard Kirby 
Published: October 2014

BackgroundRegulation of negative affect is critical to healthy development in childhood and adolescence. We conducted a longitudinal study examining the moderating role of attention control in the effects of anger and fear on changes in risk‐taking behaviors from early to middle adolescence.MethodThe sample involved participants from the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD), assessed at 9, 11, and 15 years of age. Composite scores for anger, fear, and attention control were computed using indicators from multiple informants, and risk‐taking behaviors were assessed based on adolescents’ self‐reports.ResultsLatent difference score analysis indicated significant moderating effects of attention control showing that increased anger between 9 and 11 years was related to increases in risk‐taking behaviors between 11 and 15 years only for adolescents with low attention control but not for adolescents with high attention control. In contrast, significant moderating effects of attention control for the link between fear and risk‐taking behaviors suggested increased fear between 9 and 11 years tended to be associated with decreases in risk‐taking behaviors between 11 and 15 years only for adolescents with high attention control, but not for adolescents with low attention control.ConclusionsAttention control regulates the connections between negative affect such as anger and fear with changes in adolescent risk‐taking behaviors. Our data suggest the protective role of strong attention control against the development of risk‐taking behaviors in adolescence as it demotes the effects of anger and promotes the effects of fear.
The spatial clustering of obesity: does the built environment matter?
Authors: Huang R. , Moudon A. V. , Cook A. J. , Drewnowski A. 
Published: October 2014

AbstractBackgroundObesity rates in the USA show distinct geographical patterns. The present study used spatial cluster detection methods and individual‐level data to locate obesity clusters and to analyse them in relation to the neighbourhood built environment.MethodsThe 2008–2009 Seattle Obesity Study provided data on the self‐reported height, weight, and sociodemographic characteristics of 1602 King County adults. Home addresses were geocoded. Clusters of high or low body mass index were identified using Anselin's Local Moran's I and a spatial scan statistic with regression models that searched for unmeasured neighbourhood‐level factors from residuals, adjusting for measured individual‐level covariates. Spatially continuous values of objectively measured features of the local neighbourhood built environment (SmartMaps) were constructed for seven variables obtained from tax rolls and commercial databases.ResultsBoth the Local Moran's I and a spatial scan statistic identified similar spatial concentrations of obesity. High and low obesity clusters were attenuated after adjusting for age, gender, race, education and income, and they disappeared once neighbourhood residential property values and residential density were included in the model.ConclusionsUsing individual‐level data to detect obesity clusters with two cluster detection methods, the present study showed that the spatial concentration of obesity was wholly explained by neighbourhood composition and socioeconomic characteristics. These characteristics may serve to more precisely locate obesity prevention and intervention programmes.
Understanding cadherin EGF LAG seven‐pass G‐type receptors
Authors: Wang Xiao‐Jing , Zhang Dao‐Lai , Xu Zhi‐Gang , Ma Ming‐Liang , Wang Wen‐Bo , Li Lin‐Lin , Han Xiao‐Lin , Huo Yuqing , Yu Xiao , Sun Jin‐Peng 
Published: October 2014

AbstractThe cadherin epidermal growth factor (EGF) laminin G (LAG) seven‐pass G‐type receptors (CELSRs) are a special subgroup of adhesion G protein‐coupled receptors, which are pivotal regulators of many biologic processes such as neuronal/endocrine cell differentiation, vessel valve formation, and the control of planar cell polarity during embryonic development. All three members of the CELSR family (CELSR1‐3) have large ecto‐domains that form homophilic interactions and encompass more than 2000 amino acids. Mutations in the ecto‐domain or other gene locations of CELSRs are associated with neural tube defects and other diseases in humans. Celsr knockout (KO) animals have many developmental defects. Therefore, specific agonists or antagonists of CELSR members may have therapeutic potential. Although significant progress has been made regarding the functions and biochemical properties of CELSRs, our knowledge of these receptors is still lacking, especially considering that they are broadly distributed but have few characterized functions in a limited number of tissues. The dynamic activation and inactivation of CELSRs and the presence of endogenous ligands beyond homophilic interactions remain elusive, as do the regulatory mechanisms and downstream signaling of these receptors. Given this motivation, future studies with more advanced cell biology or biochemical tools, such as conditional KO mice, may provide further insights into the mechanisms underlying CELSR function, laying the foundation for the design of new CELSR‐targeted therapeutic reagents.
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The cadherin EGF LAG seven‐pass G‐type receptors (CELSRs) are a special subgroup of adhesion G protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs), which have large ecto‐domains that form homophilic interactions and encompass more than 2000 amino acids. Recent studies have revealed that CELSRs are pivotal regulators of many biological processes, such as neuronal/endocrine cell differentiation, vessel valve formation and the control of planar cell polarity during embryonic development.
Peanut Resistance Gene Expression in Response to Aspergillus flavus Infection During Seed Germination
Authors: Zhang Huili , Scharfenstein Leslie , Zhang Dunhua , Chang Perng‐Kuang , Montalbano Beverly G. , Guo Baozhu , Meng Xianjun , Yu Jiujiang 
Published: October 2014

AbstractAspergillus flavus produces potent mutagenic and carcinogenic polyketide‐derived secondary metabolites known as aflatoxins. Development of host plant resistance in peanut and other crops is the most environmentally friendly and cost‐effective method to eliminate the serious problem of aflatoxin contamination in grains. To confirm that putative peanut genes identified in a previous microarray study were involved in peanut resistance to A. flavus infection, 14 genes were selected for further investigation through real‐time PCR. The results revealed diverse patterns of gene expression during seed germination after A. flavus inoculation. Based on the expression levels and the relative‐expression patterns over a 7‐day period, the 14 host genes could be classified into six different groups belonging to three main biochemical and genetic defence processes of lipid metabolism, oxidative signalling and cell‐wall synthesis during counter‐attack. A network of gene expression patterns was activated in sequential order in response to A. flavus invasion in both resistant and susceptible peanut lines during seed germination. Understanding gene expression patterns in peanut will be useful to breeders and other scientists interested in incorporating genetic resources of resistance against A. flavus into peanut germplasm and/or commercial cultivars via conventional and/or molecular methods.
Bougainvillea Shoot Proliferation, a New Disease Induced by Distinct Phytoplasmas
Authors: Silva Eliane Gonçalves , Flôres Daniela , Bedendo Ivan Paulo 
Published: October 2014

AbstractBougainvillea‐potted plants exhibiting typical phytoplasma‐induced symptoms, characterized by foliar chlorosis, shoot proliferation, leaf and bract deformations, and decline were observed in commercial nurseries, located in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. In this study, PCR assays using group‐specific primers revealed that phytoplasmas affiliated with the groups 16SrI and 16SrIII were associated with symptomatic plants. Molecular analysis based on conventional and virtual RFLP patterns and similarity coefficient calculations identified these phytoplasmas as belonging to subgroups 16SrI‐B and 16SrIII‐B. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that these phytoplasmas were closely related to representatives of both subgroups. Transmission assays using dodder supported the initial evidence that the symptoms were associated with phytoplasmas.