bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Optimizing the size of the area surveyed for monitoring a Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) population in the Swiss Alps by means of photographic capture–recapture
Authors: ZIMMERMANN Fridolin , BREITENMOSER‐WÜRSTEN Christine , MOLINARI‐JOBIN Anja , BREITENMOSER Urs 
Published: December 2012

AbstractWe studied the influence of surveyed area size on density estimates by means of camera‐trapping in a low‐density felid population (1–2 individuals/100 km2). We applied non‐spatial capture–recapture (CR) and spatial CR (SCR) models for Eurasian lynx during winter 2005/2006 in the northwestern Swiss Alps by sampling an area divided into 5 nested plots ranging from 65 to 760 km2. CR model density estimates (95% CI) for models M0 and Mh decreased from 2.61 (1.55–3.68) and 3.6 (1.62–5.57) independent lynx/100 km2, respectively, in the smallest to 1.20 (1.04–1.35) and 1.26 (0.89–1.63) independent lynx/100 km2, respectively, in the largest area surveyed. SCR model density estimates also decreased with increasing sampling area but not significantly. High individual range overlaps in relatively small areas (the edge effect) is the most plausible reason for this positive bias in the CR models. Our results confirm that SCR models are much more robust to changes in trap array size than CR models, thus avoiding overestimation of density in smaller areas. However, when a study is concerned with monitoring population changes, large spatial efforts (area surveyed ≥760 km2) are required to obtain reliable and precise density estimates with these population densities and recapture rates.
A method to study slug predation on seedlings in the field
Authors: Honek A. , Saska P. , Martinkova Z. , Koprdova S. 
Published: December 2012

AbstractDandelion is a commonAsteraceaespecies that populates disturbed sites and gaps within swards where it becomes an important competitor of grasses. The natural control against dandelion includes seedling predation, with slugs, particularlyArion lusitanicus, being the most important in the Czech Republic. However, the study of slug seedling consumption is difficult because naturally established seedlings are not always available. Therefore, we developed a method of exposing laboratory‐grown seedlings as bait for slug predation. Dandelion seeds were sown in plastic cups containing a bottom layer of moist substrate. The emerged seedlings were thinned to 20 and displayed in an open area. During 2008–2010, the seedling baits were placed at 15 sites at 1 month intervals throughout the dandelion vegetative season, in parallel with plasticine baits that monitored slug feeding activity. For each 1 month interval, seedling survival was observed for a period of 8 days, and the estimated time to death was calculated; the percentage of surviving seedlings was then recorded. This method of seedling presentation demonstrated that local and temporal variation in seedling survival is correlated with slug feeding activity. The advantage of this technique is that the seedlings in baits may be presented at any place and time, as required by the experimental design; however, we found that the estimated time to seedling death was shorter for the exposed baits than for the naturally established seedlings. The method is suitable for the study of plant species other than dandelion, and also for aims other than the study of spatiotemporal trends in seedling consumption by slugs.
The unconventional geminivirus Beet curly top Iran virus: satisfying Koch's postulates and determining vector and host range
Authors: Soleimani R. , Matic S. , Taheri H. , Behjatnia S. A. A. , Vecchiati M. , Izadpanah K. , Accotto G. P. 
Published: December 2012

AbstractBeet curly top Iran virus (BCTIRV) is a geminivirus with unusual genomic organisation, recently reported in Iran, infecting sugarbeet and a few other plant species. Although three BCTIRV sequences have been reported, demonstration that BCTIRV DNA is the causal agent of the disease was missing. A full‐length genomic DNA was obtained from symptomatic leaves of sugarbeet collected in the Sivand area of Iran, and its nucleotide sequence was determined (BCTIRV‐Siv, 2845 nt). To satisfy Koch's postulates, an infectivity assay was developed by inserting a 1.4‐mer of BCTIRV‐Siv DNA in Agrobacterium tumefaciens and using it in agroinoculation experiments. The cloned viral DNA was capable of infecting sugarbeets, reproducing the leaf curling and vein enations observed in the field. These results demonstrate that the single DNA component of BCTIRV is sufficient for infectivity. Host range studies indicated that some economically important crops can be affected, such as spinach, tomato and sweet pepper, as well as important laboratory plants including Nicotiana benthamiana, Arabidopsis thaliana and Jimson weed. Circulifer haematoceps, the dominant leafhopper species present in sugarbeet fields in Iran, was successfully used to transmit the disease. The availability of an infectious clone will facilitate extended host range studies, to determine the potential risks to other crops, as well as genetic studies on this unusual member of the family Geminiviridae.
Antagonistic effect of flumazenil after midazolam sedation on arterial‐cardiac baroreflex
Authors: UEDA K. , OGAWA Y. , AOKI K. , HIROSE N. , GOKAN D. , KATO J. , OGAWA S. , IWASAKI K. 
Published: December 2012

BackgroundFlumazenil is generally administered to antagonise the sedative effect of midazolam. However, although flumazenil completely antagonises the sedative effect of midazolam, a few effects remain unantagonised. Hence, it is unclear whether flumazenil restores the attenuation of the arterial‐cardiac baroreflex (i.e. arterial‐heart rate reflex) induced by midazolam. We investigated the antagonistic effect of flumazenil administered after midazolam on cardiac baroreflex, to reveal whether complete recovery from midazolam‐induced sedation by flumazenil administration is accompanied by restoration of midazolam's attenuating effects on the cardiac baroreflex.MethodTwelve healthy male subjects received midazolam followed by flumazenil until complete recovery from midazolam sedation. Before and during midazolam sedation, and after flumazenil administration, cardiac baroreflex function was assessed by sequence analysis and transfer function analysis between spontaneous oscillations in systolic arterial pressure and R‐R interval.ResultsDuring midazolam sedation, defined by an Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation scale score of 3, BIS value decreased significantly. Simultaneously, the baroreflex indices of the two analyses decreased significantly compared with baseline, suggesting attenuated cardiac baroreflex function. With complete recovery from midazolam sedation by flumazenil, indicated by an Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation scale score of 5, BIS values returned to the baseline level. Simultaneously, cardiac baroreflex indices also returned to baseline levels.ConclusionThe present results suggest that complete recovery from midazolam sedation by flumazenil is accompanied by restoration of the attenuated cardiac baroreflex function induced by midazolam.
Using citizen‐based survey data to determine densities of large mammals: a case study from Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe
Authors: Dunham Kevin M. , du Toit Andrew J. 
Published: December 2012

AbstractSince 1993, members of the national wildlife society have undertaken annual surveys of large mammals in the Zambezi alluvial woodlands of Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe. Data are collected along 36 systematically‐arranged transects. We provide the first thorough assessment of the data from any survey within this long‐term project. The transect data from 2011 were analysed withDISTANCEsoftware to assess if the data were suitable for determining the densities of large mammals using distance sampling techniques. Successful application of distance sampling depended on observers using printed, large‐scale, georeferenced satellite images onto which they mapped the location of animal groups detected. The assumptions of the distance sampling were well met and thus the 2011 survey provided reliable estimates of the densities of nine species of common large mammals on the Zambezi alluvium during the late dry season. Estimated density in this dry‐season concentration area varied from 3.6 km−2for kudu, to 204 km−2for impala. The precision of the estimates ranged from a coefficient of variation of 7.9% for elephant, to 25.5% for buffalo. For elephant, warthog and baboon, the morning and afternoon densities differed significantly.
Fetal Membrane Biomarker Network Diversity and Disease Functions Induced by Intra‐amniotic Pathogens
Authors: Bhat Geeta , Peltier Morgan R. , Syed Tariq Ali , Drobek Cayce O. , Saade George , Menon Ramkumar 
Published: December 2012

ProblemIntra‐amniotic pathogens and by‐products activate innate immune responses encompassing multitudes of signaling molecules and pathways that can result in spontaneous preterm birth (PTB). This study investigates fetal membrane response to bacterial stimulation using a bioinformatics approach.Method of studyDysregulated biomarker (IL1‐β, IL‐2, IL‐8, IL‐10, and TNF‐α) data from fetal membranes at term stimulated with Ureaplasma urealyticum, Ureaplasma parvum, Mycoplasma hominis, E. coli, Group B Streptococci, Polyporhans gingivalis, or Gardnerella vaginalis with 50% (v/v) amniotic fluid (AF) were analyzed by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis.ResultsIn racially stratified analysis, networks representing late‐stage immune inflammation were seen in African‐Americans in AF absence. Inflammation was dominant in AF presence as well. In Caucasians, late‐stage immune response was dominant with AF, but not in its absence.ConclusionsFetal membrane biofunctions in response to bacteria reflect early‐ and late‐stage innate immune defenses that vary based on the presence of AF and subject race.
Barriers to the 4‐h rule: What causes delays for gynaecology patients in the emergency department?
Authors: Pakmehr Sahar , Petersen Rodney W. , Quinlivan Julie A. 
Published: December 2012

ObjectivesTo explore factors that led to noncompliance with the 4‐h rule for gynaecology patients in a general emergency department.MethodsA cross‐sectional cohort study was performed at a general emergency department. The files of all female patients aged from birth to 100 years presenting from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2010 were screened. Those patient's files where a coded gynaecological diagnosis was made were reviewed. A time flow analysis was then undertaken of 580 consecutive files to evaluate barriers to admission or discharge of patients within the 4‐h period. A further 300 files were audited to determine whether suboptimal management by emergency department staff contributed towards delays.ResultsThere were 134 438 presentations to the emergency department, of which 2968 were gynaecology presentations (2.2%). The overall compliance with the 4‐h rule was 66%. Patients with acute triage status, who were pregnant or who were eventually admitted, were more likely to be managed in compliance with the 4‐h rule. The main barriers to compliance were incomplete examinations by emergency department staff; waiting for ultrasound examinations and blood test results; delays waiting for specialty review; and delays caused by initial review by surgical teams.ConclusionSpecific barriers to compliance with the 4‐h rule can be identified in gynaecology patients. Strategies specific to overcome these barriers can be developed to improve compliance.
Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli quantification in children stool samples using quantitative PCR
Authors: Lima Ila Fernanda Nunes , Quetz Josiane da Silva , Guerrant Richard Littleton , Nataro James P. , Houpt Eric R. , Lima Aldo Angelo Moreira , Havt Alexandre 
Published: December 2012

Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) is a common cause of infectious diarrhea, especially in children living in poor‐resource countries. In this article, we present a SYBR Green‐based real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method for quantitative detection of EAEC in DNA directly extracted from human stool samples. To test the proposed qPCR system, we examined specificity, sensitivity, repeatability, and also the degree of DNA extraction efficiency using EAEC strain 042 spiked into EAEC‐free stool sample. The specificity of this assay was proved using six strains of EAEC, seven strains of other E. coli types, and one strain of Shigella. The detection limit of qPCR was 67 CFU/reaction. In naturally infected stool samples, we found EAEC in quantities varying from 6.7 × 105 to 2 × 109 CFU/g of feces. We could not detect any reduction after stool DNA extraction for the amounts of 107 and 106 CFU/mL of spiked EAEC. This qPCR assay is simple, rapid, reproducible, sensitive, specific, and allows rapid EAEC quantification to be used in a variety of further EAEC studies. This new quantitative method provides a relatively simple means to quantify EAEC, which will likely be key to understanding the pathophysiology and impact of EAEC infection.
Increased leucocyte apoptosis in transfused β‐thalassaemia patients
Authors: Walter Patrick B. , Porter John , Evans Patricia , Kwiatkowski Janet L. , Neufeld Ellis J. , Coates Thomas , Giardina Patricia J. , Grady Robert W. , Vichinsky Elliott , Olivieri Nancy , Trachtenberg Felicia , Alberti Daniele , Fung Ellen , Ames Bruce , Higa Annie , Harmatz Paul ,   Thalassemia Clinical Research Network
Published: December 2012

SummaryThis exploratory study assessed apoptosis in peripheral blood leucocytes (PBL) from β‐thalassaemia patients receiving chronic transfusions and chelation therapy (deferasirox or deferoxamine) at baseline, 1, 6, and 12 months. At baseline, thalassaemic PBLs presented 50% greater levels of Bax (BAX), 75% higher caspase‐3/7, 48% higher caspase‐8 and 88% higher caspase‐9 activities and 428% more nucleosomal DNA fragmentation than control subjects. Only neutrophils correlated significantly with apoptotic markers. Previously, we showed that over the treatment year, hepatic iron declined; we now show that the ratio of Bax/Bcl‐2 (BCL2), (−27·3%/year), and caspase‐9 activity (−13·3%/year) declined in both treatment groups, suggesting that chelation decreases body iron and indicators of PBL apoptosis.
What happens to health professionals when the ill patient is the health care system? Understanding the experience of practising medicine in the Romanian socio‐cultural context
Authors: Spânu Florina , Băban Adriana , Bria Mara , Dumitrascu Dan L. 
Published: December 2012

ObjectivesOur aims were to investigate the sources of work strain and stress, and the way in which they are experienced by Romanian health professionals in a work context shaped by the ongoing 20 years long reform of the national health care system.DesignAn exploratory, qualitative design was used to investigate medical professionals’ perceptions of stress and work strain.MethodsTwenty eight interviews and two focus groups were conducted with 38 physicians, residents and nurses, between the age of 26 and 53. A semi‐structured interview guide was used for data gathering and the major themes were identified using thematic analysis of the transcripts.ResultsThree themes emerged in the analysis: governance and health system management, scarcity of resources, and health system reputation. Health professionals described the image of a suffering health system, exhausted by an inconsistent management plan, underfunded and understaffed; a system that is a constant source of discontent, bitterness and doubts for them and their patients.ConclusionsRomanian health professionals’ experiences reveal a health care system which after 20 years of reform managed to shape a learned helplessness culture within the medical community and drive a large proportion of its workforce across the borders.Statement of contributionWhat is already known on this subject? Cultural, political, and socio‐economic factors influence the work context and shape the employees’ working experience.What does this study add? We describe Romanian health professionals’ (HPs) relationship with the national health system, the work environment it creates, and its impact on the quality of their work experience. We draw on HPs’ experience to understand how the socio‐economic and political context shapes a culture of learned helplessness and blame against the health system, within the medical community, and the exodus of Romanian HPs searching for working opportunities abroad.
Protein phosphatase 1 coordinates CFTR‐dependent airway epithelial HCO3− secretion by reciprocal regulation of apical and basolateral membrane Cl−‐HCO3− exchangers
Authors: Garnett James P , Hickman Emma , Tunkamnerdthai Orathai , Cuthbert Alan W , Gray Michael A 
Published: December 2012

Background and PurposeOur recent studies on human airway serous‐like Calu‐3 cells showed that cAMP agonists stimulated a HCO3− rich secretion containing up to 80 mM HCO3−. This alkaline secretion relied on a coordinated switch in the activity of distinct Cl−‐HCO3− anion exchangers (AE) located at different regions of the cell. At the apical membrane, cAMP agonists activated the electroneutral AE pendrin (SLC26A4), together with cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), while at the basolateral membrane the agonists inhibited AE2 (SLC4A2). However, the underlying mechanism(s) that orchestrates this cAMP‐dependent switch in AE activity has not been elucidated.Experimental ApproachApical and basolateral Cl−‐HCO3− exchange was assessed by measuring Cl−‐dependent changes in intracellular pH (pHi).Key ResultsWe show that protein phosphatase 1 (PP1), together with CFTR, play central roles in this reciprocal regulation of AE activity. Activation of pendrin by cAMP agonists, but not inhibition of the basolateral exchanger, was protein kinase A‐dependent. Knocking down CFTR expression, or blocking its activity with GlyH‐101, led to incomplete inhibition of the basolateral AE by cAMP, supporting a role for CFTR in this process. Addition of the PP1/2A inhibitor, okadaic acid, but not the PP2A specific inhibitor fostreicin, mimicked the effect of cAMP stimulation. Furthermore, okadaic acid‐treated Calu‐3 monolayers produced a more alkaline fluid than untreated cells, which was comparable with that produced by cAMP stimulation.Conclusions and ImplicationsThese results identify PP1 as a novel regulator of AE activity which, in concert with CFTR, coordinates events at both apical and basolateral membranes, crucial for efficient HCO3− secretion from Calu‐3 cells.
Children's Social Relationships With Current and Near‐Future Robots
Authors: Kahn Peter H. , Gary Heather E. , Shen Solace 
Published: December 2012

abstractChildren will come of age with increasingly sophisticated social robots, which mimic both animal and human form. Will children develop social and even moral relationships with these robots? In this article, we review some of the research that suggests that the answer is yes. We propose that through the creation of social robots, a new ontological category is emerging, one that does not map onto humans, animals, or artifacts. We raise the concern that because these robots can be conceptualized as both social entities and objects, children might dominate them and reify a master–servant relationship, and that in such ways, this could lead to detrimental developmental outcomes, even as the robots benefit children in other ways. We also call on the developmental field to recognize the exponential growth of technological systems in children's lives, and to be future oriented to remain relevant.
Childhood Poverty, Chronic Stress, Self‐Regulation, and Coping
Authors: Evans Gary W. , Kim Pilyoung 
Published: December 2012

abstractPoverty is a powerful factor that can alter lifetime developmental trajectories in cognitive, socioemotional, and physical health outcomes. Most explanatory work on the underlying psychological processes of how poverty affects development has focused on parental investment and parenting practices, principally responsiveness. Our primary objective in this article was to describe a third, complementary pathway—chronic stress and coping—that may also prove helpful in understanding the developmental impacts of early childhood poverty throughout life. Disadvantaged children are more likely than their wealthier peers to confront a wide array of physical stressors (e.g., substandard housing, chaotic environments) and psychosocial stressors (e.g., family turmoil, separation from adult caregivers). As exposure to stressors accumulates, physiological response systems that are designed to handle relatively infrequent, acute environmental demands are overwhelmed. Chronic cumulative stressors also disrupt the self‐regulatory processes that help children cope with external demands.
Changes in cortical oscillations linked to multisensory modulation of nociception
Authors: Mancini Flavia , Longo Matthew R. , Canzoneri Elisa , Vallar Giuseppe , Haggard Patrick 
Published: December 2012

AbstractPain can be modulated by several contextual factors. For example, simply viewing one's own body can reduce pain, suggesting that the visual context may influence the processing of nociceptive stimuli. We studied changes in electroencephalographic (EEG) oscillatory activity related to visual modulation of nociception, comparing cortical oscillations during innocuous or noxious contact heat, while participants viewed either their own hand or a neutral object at the same location. Viewing the body compared with viewing the object reduced the intensity ratings of noxious stimuli, but not of innocuous heat. Time–frequency analysis of EEG data revealed that noxious, as opposed to warm, stimulation was associated with reduced beta (15–25 Hz) power. Classically, such decreases in oscillatory power indicate increases in sensory cortical activation. These event‐related oscillatory changes were moreover modulated by the visual context; viewing one's own body increased noxious stimulation‐induced beta oscillatory activity bilaterally, relative to viewing a neutral object, possibly indicating inhibition of cortical nociceptive processing. These results demonstrate that visual–nociceptive interactions involve changes in sensorimotor EEG rhythms.
Variability in life‐history and ecological traits is a buffer against extinction in mammals
Authors: González‐Suárez Manuela , Revilla Eloy 
Published: December 2012

AbstractAnthropogenic degradation of the world's ecosystems is leading to a widespread and accelerating loss of biodiversity. However, not all species respond equally to existing threats, raising the question: what makes a species more vulnerable to extinction? We propose that higher intraspecific variability may reduce the risk of extinction, as different individuals and populations within a species may respond differently to occurring threats. Supporting this prediction, our results show that mammalian species with more variable adult body masses, litter sizes, sexual maturity ages and population densities are less vulnerable to extinction. Our findings reveal the role of local variation among populations, particularly of large mammals, as a buffering mechanism against extinction, and emphasise the importance of considering trait variation in comparative analyses and conservation management.