bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Patterns and trends in the diet of long‐finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) in the northeast Atlantic
Authors: Santos M. Begoña , Monteiro Silvia S. , Vingada José V. , Ferreira Marisa , López Alfredo , Martínez Cedeira José A. , Reid Robert J. , Brownlow Andrew , Pierce Graham J. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThere is little previous information on feeding habits of long‐finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) in the northeast Atlantic. The present study analyzed stomach contents of pilot whales stranded in Portugal (n = 6), Galicia (northwest Spain) (n = 32), and Scotland (United Kingdom) (n = 10), from 1990 to 2011. These animals ranged from 213 to 555 cm in length (24 females, 19 males and 5 of unknown sex). The main prey identified were cephalopods of the families Octopodidae and Ommastrephidae, the former being numerically more important in Iberia (Portugal and Galicia) and the latter more important in Scotland, with Iberian whales also showing a more diverse diet. Multivariate analysis revealed evidence of geographical and seasonal variation in diet. Generalized Additive Modeling results indicated that more octopus (Eledone cirrhosa) were eaten in Iberia than in Scotland, more in the first half of the year, and more in larger whales. Numbers of ommastrephid squids in the stomach decreased over the study period and varied with season and whale length. This study confirms cephalopods as the main prey of pilot whales, as previously reported, although our results also suggest that, in the northeast Atlantic, ommastrephid squid are largely replaced as the main prey by octopods at lower latitudes.
Factors Associated with Improvement in Utilization of Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Eligible Heart Failure Patients: Findings from IMPROVE HF
Authors: SHUKLA ASHISH , CURTIS ANNE B. , MEHRA MANDEEP R. , ALBERT NANCY M. , GHEORGHIADE MIHAI , HEYWOOD J. THOMAS , LIU YANG , O'CONNOR CHRISTOPHER M. , REYNOLDS DWIGHT , WALSH MARY NORINE , YANCY CLYDE W. , FONAROW GREGG C. 
Published: February 2013

BackgroundThere is a well‐recognized gap between the number of patients in whom cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is indicated based on current guidelines and its actual utilization. In the Registry to Improve the Use of Evidence‐Based Heart Failure Therapies in the Outpatient Setting (IMPROVE HF) study, there was a significant increase in the use of CRT at 24 months in patients with heart failure (HF) in comparison to baseline. This study evaluated patient, physician, and practice factors associated with this increase in CRT utilization.MethodsPatients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction and chronic HF who met the eligibility criteria for CRT at baseline and 24 months were analyzed. Multivariate analyses using patient, physician, and practice characteristics were performed to evaluate factors associated with increased CRT utilization at 24 months.ResultsThere were 440 patients eligible for CRT both at baseline and 24 months, with 217 (49.3%) treated at baseline and 374 (85%) treated at 24 months, leading to an absolute increase in use of CRT of 35.7%, P < 0.001. Although serum sodium and the absence of rales had modest associations, none of the patient, physician, or practice characteristics had any significant association with the extent of increase in CRT utilization. There was a significant reduction in the variation of CRT utilization across practice sites after the implementation of the performance improvement initiative.ConclusionsThe performance improvement initiative in IMPROVE HF was the most important factor associated with an increase in guideline‐recommended CRT utilization. This improvement in CRT utilization and reduced practice variability was found across a variety of cardiology and multispecialty practice sites.
Myotonic Dystrophies type 1 and 2: anesthetic care
Authors: Veyckemans Francis , Scholtes Jean‐Louis 
Published: February 2013

SummaryMyotonic dystrophy is classified as one of the myotonic syndromes although myotonia is only a minor characteristic of it. It is, in fact, also a multisystem disease with cardiac, digestive, ocular, and endocrine abnormalities. Two subgroups are currently identified with many similarities: DM1 refers to classic dystrophia myotonica (Steinert disease), while DM2, formerly called proximal myotonic myopathy has a later onset. The congenital form is present only in DM1. The genetic causes of DM1 and 2 are different but end up in a similar way of altering RNAm processing and splicing of other genes. The anesthetic risk is increased in case of DM1 type. This review summarizes current knowledge concerning the pathophysiology and anesthetic management of this disease in children and adults.
A new phenotyping technique for screening for drought tolerance in lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.)
Authors: Singh Dharmendra , Dikshit Harsh K. , Singh Rajendra 
Published: February 2013

AbstractScreening for drought tolerance is severely handicapped by the lack of a simple and reliable phenotyping technique. The objective of this study was to develop a new screening technique based on seedling survivability, drought tolerance score, root and shoot length, and fresh and dry weight of roots and shoots of lentil plants exposed to drought under hydroponic conditions. Its effectiveness was compared with two soil culture techniques. The hydroponic technique involved removing 15‐day‐old seedlings of 80 genotypes from the nutrient solution and exposing them to air for 5 h daily for 6 days. Three genotypes received from ICARDA, ‘ILL‐10700’, ‘ILL‐10823’ and ‘FLIP‐96‐51’, showed maximum seedling survivability and minimum reduction in the growth parameters with a drought score of 0.0–0.2 indicating higher tolerance to drought stress, while Indian genotypes ‘JL‐3’, ‘E‐153’ and ‘VL‐507’ showed no seedling survivability and maximum reduction in growth parameters with a drought score of 4.0 indicating low drought tolerance. The results suggest that this new phenotyping technique is effective, rapid and easy for screening a large number of genotypes.
Effect of early measles vaccination (AIK‐C strain) for preterm infants
Authors: Ichikawa Tomonori , Tsuji Atsutoshi , Fujino Motoko , Kusano Ryousuke , Sugiyama Ryusuke , Oomori Sayu , Mori Kazuhiro , Maeyama Katsuhiro , Nakayama Tetsuo 
Published: February 2013

AbstractBackgroundThe level of maternal antibodies decreases more quickly in preterm than term infants, leaving them unprotected against measles. To protect premature infants from measles, an early vaccination trial was investigated.MethodsChanges in the serum measles neutralization test (NT) antibody titer were examined in 152 infants (average gestational period, 29 weeks; average birthweight, 1203 g).ResultsThe average antibody titer (2n) was 23.5 at birth and 22.2 at 1–3 months of age, and in all cases, NT antibody titer decreased to <1:4 (150 IU/mL). The AIK‐C measles vaccine was given to 17 preterm infants at the age of 6 months, and induced sufficient serological responses without any serious adverse events. NT antibody level did not decay during 12 months after vaccination.ConclusionEarly immunization at 6 months of age is effective to protect preterm infants in the outbreak setting.
The spatiotemporal spread of esca disease in a Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard: a statistical analysis of field data
Authors: Zanzotto A. , Gardiman M. , Serra S. , Bellotto D. , Bruno F. , Greco F. , Trivisano C. 
Published: February 2013

The occurrence and spread of plants showing esca symptoms were assessed in a vineyard located on the plains of a northern Italian wine‐growing region. Esca disease symptoms were assessed over 16 consecutive years, beginning one year after planting. The number of plants with symptoms was recorded over time, considering both vines with foliar symptoms in the year of assessment (manifest esca) and vines with foliar symptoms in previous years (hidden esca). The sum of manifest and hidden esca was indicated as cumulative esca. The first symptoms of esca appeared in the sixth year of cultivation, with the incidence of manifest esca increasing to approximately 3% nine years after planting. The number of cumulative plants with symptoms increased exponentially in the final period of observation. The aim of this work was to investigate the spatiotemporal spread of esca infection throughout the vineyard and to assess the distribution pattern of plants with symptoms using Bayesian spatiotemporal models. The research results seem to support a higher probability of infection along rows rather than among adjacent rows. This observation may have implications for the technical management of the vineyard.
In vitro Release of Ovarian Progesterone is Decreased During the Oestrous Cycle and Pregnancy of Swine with Obesity/Leptin Resistance
Authors: Astiz S , Gonzalez‐Bulnes A , Perez‐Solana ML , Sanchez‐Sanchez R , Torres‐Rovira L 
Published: February 2013

ContentsPrevious studies indicate that reproductive prolificacy of obese swine breeds is markedly influenced by embryo losses in early pregnancy. In such period, adequate secretion of progesterone (P4) by the ovary is essential for pregnancy success. This study analyses the luteal functionality during the oestrous cycle and early pregnancy of Iberian sows and Large White x Landrace females, in terms of P4 secretion after in vitro culture of luteal tissue stimulated or not with luteinizing hormone (LH). The secretion of progesterone (expressed in ng/mg of luteal tissue or ng/mgLT) of the corpora lutea of obese Iberian swine was always hampered when compared to lean genotypes, either during early oestrous cycle (110.7 ± 37.8 vs 259.7 ± 10.2 ng/mgLT; p < 0.0001), late oestrous cycle (49.0 ± 3.5 vs 75.92 ± 7.14 ng/mgLT; p < 0.0001) or early pregnancy (38.4 ± 2.1 vs 70.7 ± 5.3 ng/mgLT; p < 0.0001). The differences in basal P4 secretion remained after stimulation with LH. Finally, P4 secretion during early pregnancy of Iberian sows decreased with age and, hence, with obesity features (46.6 ± 4.2 vs 65.5 ± 4.8 ng/mgLT; p < 0.001). In conclusion, the results of the present study provide convincing evidence of a reduced luteal function during oestrous cycle and early pregnancy of sows with obesity/leptin resistance like Iberian sows, which may contribute to the low reproductive efficiency reported in this breed.
The Nation of Islam and the Muslim World: Theologically Divorced and Politically United
Authors: Fishman Jason Eric , Soage Ana Belén 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThe Nation of Islam (NOI) is an African American religious movement that originated in Detroit, Michigan, during the 1930s based on a rather heterodox form of the Muslim religion. Founded by the enigmatic Wallace D. Fard and taken over by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad upon Fard’s disappearance in 1934, the NOI came to exert important economic, political, and cultural influence in the African American community with its program of economic independence and charismatic high profile members such as Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali. Advocating the complete separation of Black people from the White race of “blue‐eyed devils”, the NOI was a lightning rod for controversy. With Elijah Muhammad’s death in 1975, leadership of the organization passed into the hands of Warith Deen Mohammed, who dropped the name “Nation of Islam” and radically reorganized the group along quasi‐Sunni Islamic lines. However, in 1977, long time NOI member Minister Louis Farrakhan reestablished the Nation of Islam according to Elijah Muhammad’s doctrine, and subsequently propelled it back into America’s national consciousness with his controversial involvement in Jesse Jackson’s 1984 presidential campaign and the 1995 Million Man March in Washington D.C. Although the NOI has done much to popularize Islam in the U.S., the Nation’s religious beliefs bear little resemblance to traditional Islamic theology. While the Nation shares a common vocabulary with Muslims around the world, the NOI’s teachings concerning God, cosmology, Prophet Muhammad and the afterlife can be deemed heterodox, or even heretical, by Islamic standards. But despite its vast ideological differences from the international Muslim community, the NOI has come to be seen like a partner, even an ally, by many in the Arab and Muslim worlds. This paper explores the NOI’s trajectory and ideology, together with the reasons behind that apparent paradox, and shows it to be built on common interest rather than a common faith.
The Arabidopsis cer26 mutant, like the cer2 mutant, is specifically affected in the very long chain fatty acid elongation process
Authors: Pascal Stéphanie , Bernard Amélie , Sorel Maud , Pervent Marjorie , Vile Denis , Haslam Richard P. , Napier Johnathan A. , Lessire René , Domergue Frédéric , Joubès Jérôme 
Published: February 2013

SummaryPlant aerial organs are covered by cuticular waxes, which form a hydrophobic crystal layer that mainly serves as a waterproof barrier. Cuticular wax is a complex mixture of very long chain lipids deriving from fatty acids, predominantly of chain lengths from 26 to 34 carbons, which result from acyl‐CoA elongase activity. The biochemical mechanism of elongation is well characterized; however, little is known about the specific proteins involved in the elongation of compounds with more than 26 carbons available as precursors of wax synthesis. In this context, we characterized the three Arabidopsis genes of the CER2‐like family: CER2, CER26 and CER26‐like . Expression pattern analysis showed that the three genes are differentially expressed in an organ‐ and tissue‐specific manner. Using individual T–DNA insertion mutants, together with a cer2 cer26 double mutant, we characterized the specific impact of the inactivation of the different genes on cuticular waxes. In particular, whereas the cer2 mutation impaired the production of wax components longer than 28 carbons, the cer26 mutant was found to be affected in the production of wax components longer than 30 carbons. The analysis of the acyl‐CoA pool in the respective transgenic lines confirmed that inactivation of both genes specifically affects the fatty acid elongation process beyond 26 carbons. Furthermore, ectopic expression of CER26 in transgenic plants demonstrates that CER26 facilitates the elongation of the very long chain fatty acids of 30 carbons or more, with high tissular and substrate specificity.
Aminoglycoside Cross-Resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Due to Mutations in the 5′ Untranslated Region of
whiB7
Authors: Reeves Analise Z. , Campbell Patricia J. , Sultana Razvan , Malik Seidu , Murray Megan , Plikaytis Bonnie B. , Shinnick Thomas M. , Posey James E. 
Published: February 2013

ABSTRACT

Since the discovery of streptomycin's bactericidal activity against
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
, aminoglycosides have been utilized to treat tuberculosis (TB). Today, the aminoglycosides kanamycin and amikacin are used to treat multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB, and resistance to any of the second-line injectable antibiotics, including kanamycin, amikacin, or capreomycin, is a defining characteristic of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB. Resistance to kanamycin and streptomycin is thought to be due to the acquisition of unlinked chromosomal mutations. However, we identified eight independent mutations in the 5′ untranslated region of the transcriptional activator
whiB7
that confer low-level resistance to both aminoglycosides. The mutations lead to 23- to 145-fold increases in
whiB7
transcripts and subsequent increased expression of both
eis
(
Rv2416c
) and
tap
(
Rv1258c
). Increased expression of
eis
confers kanamycin resistance in these mutants, while increased expression of
tap
, which encodes an efflux pump, is a previously uncharacterized mechanism of low-level streptomycin resistance. Additionally, high-level resistance to streptomycin arose at a much higher frequency in
whiB7
mutants than in a wild-type (WT) strain. Although
whiB7
is typically associated with intrinsic antibiotic resistance in
M. tuberculosis
, these data suggest that mutations in an uncharacterized regulatory region of
whiB7
contribute to cross-resistance against clinically used second-line antibiotics. As drug resistance continues to develop and spread, understanding the mechanisms and molecular basis of antibiotic resistance is critical for the development of rapid molecular tests to diagnose drug-resistant TB strains and ultimately for designing regimens to treat drug-resistant cases of TB.
Experimental Evidence That Granulocyte Transfusions Are Efficacious in Treatment of Neutropenic Hosts with Pulmonary Aspergillosis
Authors: Martinez Marife , Chen Vicky , Tong Ann-Jay , Hamilton Kelsey , Clemons Karl V. , Stevens David A. 
Published: February 2013

ABSTRACT

Although polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) are powerfully anti-
Aspergillus
, transfusion therapy remains controversial, with conflicting results, and experimental support has been lacking. We devised a pulmonary infection model in neutropenic BALB/c mice, used an antibacterial regimen to prevent confounding sepsis, and optimized PMN induction, purifications, and dose. Mice were given 150 mg/kg cyclophosphamide every 4 days and a gentamicin-vancomycin-clindamycin-imipenem regimen daily beginning 4 days before intranasal challenge with 5 × 10
5
Aspergillus
conidia. This regimen produced leukopenia (∼10% of normal white blood cell [WBC] count; ≤10% PMNs) for 10 days, without bacterial superinfection. PMN donors given 100 μg/kg recombinant murine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) for 10 days yielded 11 × 10
7
to 13.6 × 10
7
WBC/ml (81 to 87% PMNs). Infected mice were given PMN transfusions intravenously. In 2 experiments with up to 70% mortality of neutropenic controls, transfusion of 10
7
PMNs 1 and 4 days after challenge had negligible effects on peripheral WBC counts but improved survival (
P
= 0.007, 0.02), decreased lung CFU (
P
= 0.03, 0.005), and cleared infection in 28 to 50% of survivors. Transfusion of 5 × 10
6
PMNs showed partial protection. Transfusions given every other day did not improve protection. Our present results provide an experimental basis for enthusiasm for PMN transfusions in the therapy of aspergillosis in humans.
The Contraceptive Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate Impairs Mycobacterial Control and Inhibits Cytokine Secretion in Mice Infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Kleynhans Léanie , Du Plessis Nelita , Allie Nasiema , Jacobs Muazzam , Kidd Martin , van Helden Paul D. , Walzl Gerhard , Ronacher Katharina 
Published: February 2013

ABSTRACT

The contraceptive depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), with progestin as the single active compound, possesses selective glucocorticoid activity and can alter the expression of glucocorticoid receptor-regulated genes. We therefore propose that pharmacological doses of DMPA used for endocrine therapy could have significant immune modulatory effects and impact on susceptibility to, as well as clinical manifestation and outcome of, infectious diseases. We investigated the effect of contraceptive doses of DMPA in two different murine
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
models. Multiplex bead array analysis revealed that DMPA altered serum cytokine levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), and interleukin 10 (IL-10) in C57BL/6 mice and gamma interferon (IFN-γ) in BALB/c mice. DMPA also suppressed antigen-specific production of TNF-α, G-CSF, IL-10, and IL-6 and induced the production of IP-10 in C57BL/6 mice. In BALB/c mice, DMPA altered the antigen-specific secretion of IFN-γ, IL-17, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), IL-6, and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1). Furthermore, we show that C57BL/6 mice treated with doses of DMPA, which result in serum concentrations similar to those observed in contraceptive users, have a significantly higher bacterial load in their lungs. Our data show for the first time that DMPA impacts tuberculosis (TB) disease severity in a mouse model and that the effects of this contraceptive are not confined to infections of the genital tract. This could have major implications for the contraceptive policies not only in developing countries like South Africa but also worldwide.
An Improved Recombination-Based
In Vivo
Expression Technology-Like Reporter System Reveals Differential
cyaA
Gene Activation in Bordetella Species
Authors: Byrd Matthew S. , Mason Eliza , Henderson Michael W. , Scheller Erich V. , Cotter Peggy A. 
Published: February 2013

ABSTRACT

Bordetella pertussis
and
Bordetella bronchiseptica
rely on the global two-component regulatory system BvgAS to control expression of distinct phenotypic phases. In the Bvg
−
phase, expression of
vrg
genes, including those required for motility in
B. bronchiseptica
, is activated and genes encoding virulence factors are not expressed. Conversely, in the Bvg
+
phase, genes encoding virulence factors are highly expressed while genes necessary for motility are repressed. Although several genetic analyses have demonstrated the importance of the Bvg
+
phase during respiratory infection, Bvg-regulated gene activation in
B. bronchiseptica
has not been investigated
in vivo
. To address this, we developed a plasmid, pGFLIP, that encodes a sensitive Flp recombinase-based fluorescent reporter system able to document gene activation both
in vitro
and
in vivo
. Using pGFLIP, we demonstrated that
cyaA
, considered to be a “late” Bvg
+
phase gene, is activated substantially earlier in
B. bronchiseptica
than
B. pertussis
following a switch from Bvg
−
to Bvg
+
phase conditions. We show that the altered activation of
cyaA
is not due to differences in the
cyaA
promoter or in the
bvgAS
alleles of
B. bronchiseptica
compared to
B. pertussis
, but appears to be species specific. Finally, we used pGFLIP to show that
flaA
remains repressed during infection, confirming that
B. bronchiseptica
does not modulate to the Bvg
−
phase
in vivo
.
Enriching Documents with Examples
Authors: Kim Jinhan , Lee Sanghoon , Hwang Seung-Won , Kim Sunghun 
Published: February 2013

Software developers increasingly rely on information from the Web, such as documents or code examples on application programming interfaces (APIs), to facilitate their development processes. However, API documents often do not include enough information for developers to fully understand how to use the APIs, and searching for good code examples requires considerable effort.
To address this problem, we propose a novel code example recommendation system that combines the strength of browsing documents and searching for code examples and returns API documents embedded with high-quality code example summaries mined from the Web. Our evaluation results show that our approach provides code examples with high precision and boosts programmer productivity.