bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Conservation Strategies for Species Affected by Apparent Competition
Authors: WITTMER HEIKO U. , SERROUYA ROBERT , ELBROCH L. MARK , MARSHALL ANDREW J. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractApparent competition is an indirect interaction between 2 or more prey species through a shared predator, and it is increasingly recognized as a mechanism of the decline and extinction of many species. Through case studies, we evaluated the effectiveness of 4 management strategies for species affected by apparent competition: predator control, reduction in the abundances of alternate prey, simultaneous control of predators and alternate prey, and no active management of predators or alternate prey. Solely reducing predator abundances rapidly increased abundances of alternate and rare prey, but observed increases are likely short‐lived due to fast increases in predator abundance following the cessation of control efforts. Substantial reductions of an abundant alternate prey resulted in increased predation on endangered huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus) deer in Chilean Patagonia, which highlights potential risks associated with solely reducing alternate prey species. Simultaneous removal of predators and alternate prey increased survival of island foxes (Urocyon littoralis) in California (U.S.A.) above a threshold required for population recovery. In the absence of active management, populations of rare woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) continued to decline in British Columbia, Canada. On the basis of the cases we examined, we suggest the simultaneous control of predators and alternate prey is the management strategy most likely to increase abundances and probabilities of persistence of rare prey over the long term. Knowing the mechanisms driving changes in species’ abundances before implementing any management intervention is critical. We suggest scientists can best contribute to the conservation of species affected by apparent competition by clearly communicating the biological and demographic forces at play to policy makers responsible for the implementation of proposed management actions.Estrategias de Conservación para Especies Afectadas por Competencia Aparente
Corporate Governance and Accounting Conservatism: Evidence from the Banking Industry
Authors: Leventis Stergios , Dimitropoulos Panagiotis , Owusu‐Ansah Stephen 
Published: January 2013

AbstractManuscript TypeEmpiricalResearch Question/IssueIn this paper, we empirically investigate whether US listed commercial banks with effective corporate governance structures engage in higher levels of conservative financial accounting and reporting.Research Findings/InsightsUsing both market‐ and accrual‐based measures of conservatism and both composite and disaggregated governance indices, we document convincing evidence that well‐governed banks engage in significantly higher levels of conditional conservatism in their financial reporting practices. For example, we find that banks with effective governance structures, particularly those with effective board and audit governance structures, recognize loan loss provisions that are larger relative to changes in nonperforming loans compared to their counterparts with ineffective governance structures.Theoretical/Academic ImplicationsWe contribute to the extant literature on the relationship between corporate governance and quality of accounting information by providing evidence that banks with effective governance structures practice higher levels of accounting conservatism.Practitioner/Policy ImplicationsThe findings of this study would be useful to US bank regulators/supervisors in improving the existing regulatory framework by focusing on accounting conservatism as a complement to corporate governance in mitigating the opaqueness and intense information asymmetry that plague banks.
Gait performance in relation to aortic pulse wave velocity, carotid artery elasticity and peripheral perfusion in healthy older adults
Authors: Gonzales Joaquin U. 
Published: January 2013

SummaryArterial stiffening is a widely known physiological change that occurs with ageing, but the functional consequences of vascular ageing are unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine whether carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), mechanical properties of the carotid and femoral arteries and/or peripheral perfusion was associated with gait performance measured using a 400‐m walk test. Twenty‐one healthy older (68 ± 5 years) adults without cardiovascular disease participated in this study. Applanation tonometry was used to measure PWV, and Doppler ultrasound was used to measure arterial wall properties of the left common carotid and common femoral artery along with femoral blood flow. The median walk distance in the first 2 min of the test was 585 ft, and the overall gait speed was 1·5 m s−1. Gait performance was inversely correlated with PWV (distance: r = ‐0·51; speed: r = −0·48; P<0·05) and carotid artery stiffness index β (distance: r = −0·56; speed: r = −0·51; P<0·05) after adjustment for age, body mass index, waist circumference and systolic blood pressure. No significant correlations were found between gait performance and femoral artery stiffness index β or femoral artery blood flow. These results found higher central arterial stiffness, as assessed by segmental arterial stiffness or local arterial wall properties, is associated with lower gait performance in older adults independent of other confounders.
Some viral microRNAs were up‐regulated in megakaryocytes incubated with immune thrombocytopenia plasma
Authors: Wang Ya , Huang Rui , Song Chaoyang , Hu Haiyan , Zhang Meixia 
Published: January 2013

AbstractObjectivesMicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to play important roles in hematopoiesis, such as megakaryocytopoiesis. Although immature megakaryocytes in bone marrow are one of the most typical characteristics of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) which is often preceded by viral infection, there has been so far no report on the relationship between viral miRNAs, maturity of megakaryocytes, and ITP. This study aims to investigate whether viral miRNAs are involved in the pathogenesis of ITP, for example, by modulating the production of megakaryocytes.MethodsPlasma samples from adult patients with acute ITP or healthy volunteers were added to the culture system wherein umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells were proliferating into megakaryocytes. Flow cytometry and electron microscope were used to identify the differences between the two groups of megakaryocytes. Microarray analysis and real‐time quantitative PCR (qRT‐PCR) were used to quantify the expression levels of viral miRNAs. Bioinformatics analysis of the microarray results was performed.ResultsThe yield and maturity of megakaryocytes were significantly repressed in the presence of ITP plasma compared with the control: (11.89 ± 1.62)% vs. (33.61 ± 3.24)% (P < 0.001). The expression levels of 14 viral miRNAs were significantly up‐regulated in the ITP group, five of which were further verified using qRT‐PCR (P < 0.05). Bioinformatics analysis to the 14 up‐regulated viral miRNAs indicated that most of the predicted target genes of viral miRNAs were related to cell development, metabolic process, and biosynthesis, which might be related to mechanism of maturation defect of megakaryocytes.ConclusionExpression levels of certain viral miRNAs can be up‐regulated by the treatment with plasma from ITP patients, indicating viral mRNAs may be involved in the pathogenesis of ITP, possibly by regulating megakaryocytopoiesis.
Leukocytosis in polycythemia vera and splenomegaly in essential thrombocythemia are independent risk factors for hemorrhage
Authors: Chou Yi‐Sheng , Gau Jyh‐Pyng , Yu Yuan‐Bin , Pai Jih‐Tung , Hsiao Liang‐Tsai , Liu Jin‐Hwang , Hong Ying‐Chung , Liu Chun‐Yu , Yang Ching‐Fen , Chen Po‐Min , Chiou Tzeon‐Jye , Tzeng Cheng‐Hwai 
Published: January 2013

AbstractBackgroundLong‐term outcomes are favorable for patients with polycythemia vera (PV) and for patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET). However, hemorrhage is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in those patients.MethodsWe retrospectively recruited 247 patients who had received a diagnosis of PV (n = 101) or ET (n = 146) during the period 2001–2010.ResultsAfter a median follow‐up period of 36.2 months, the cumulative incidence of hemorrhage was 39.6% in patients with PV (6.2% per person‐year) and 29.7% in patients with ET (5.9% person‐years). Episodes of major bleeding occurred in 9.9% of patients with PV and in 14.4% of patients with ET. Overall survival was significantly shorter among patients with hemorrhage than among those without said complication (P < 0.001 for overall patients; P = 0.002 for patients with PV; P = 0.026 for patients with ET). In the univariate analysis, age ≥60 yr (OR: 4.77, P = 0.046) and WBC ≥ 16 × 109/L (OR: 4.15, P = 0.010) were predictors of hemorrhage in patients with PV, and age ≥60 yr (OR: 3.25, P = 0.040), WBC ≥ 16 × 109/L (OR: 2.89, P = 0.024), albumin <4.0 g/dL (OR: 4.10, P = 0.002), and splenomegaly (OR: 5.19, P = 0.002) were predictors of hemorrhage in patients with ET. Multivariate analysis showed that WBC ≥ 16 × 109/L was the only significant risk factor for hemorrhage in patients with PV (OR: 3.51, P = 0.026) and that splenomegaly was the only risk factor for hemorrhage in patients with ET (OR: 3.00, P = 0.048).ConclusionLeukocytosis in PV and splenomegaly in ET are independent risk factors for hemorrhage.
Distinct neuroendocrine mechanisms control neural activity underlying sex differences in sexual motivation and performance
Authors: Balthazart Jacques , de Meaultsart Céline Corbisier , Ball Gregory F. , Cornil Charlotte A. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractSexual behavior can be usefully parsed into an appetitive and a consummatory component. Both appetitive and consummatory male‐typical sexual behaviors (respectively,ASBandCSB) are activated in male Japanese quail by testosterone (T) acting in the medial preoptic nucleus (POM), but never observed in females. This sex difference is based on a demasculinization (= organizational effect) by estradiol during embryonic life forCSB, but a differential activation by T in adulthood forASB. Males expressing rhythmic cloacal sphincter movements (RCSMs; a form ofASB) or allowed to copulate display increased Fos expression inPOM. We investigated Fos brain responses in females exposed to behavioral tests after various endocrine treatments. T‐treated females displayedRCSM, but never copulated when exposed to another female. Accordingly they showed an increased Fos expression inPOMafterASBbut notCSBtests. Females treated with the aromatase inhibitor Vorozolein ovoand T in adulthood displayed both male‐typicalASBandCSB, and Fos expression inPOMwas increased after both types of tests. Thus, the neural circuit mediatingASBis present or can develop in both sexes, but is inactive in females unless they are exposed to exogenous T. In contrast, the neural mechanism mediatingCSBis not normally present in females, but can be preserved by blocking the embryonic production of estrogens. Overall these data confirm the difference in endocrine controls and probably neural mechanisms supportingASBandCSBin quail, and highlight the complexity of mechanisms underlying sexual differentiation of behavior.
The association between BsmI polymorphism and bone mineral density in young patients with epilepsy who are taking phenytoin
Authors: Phabphal Kanitpong , Geater Alan , Limapichart Kitti , Sathirapanya Pornchai , Setthawatcharawanich Suwanna , Witeerungrot Natthawan , Thammakumpee Natawan , Leelawattana Ratana 
Published: January 2013

SummaryPurpose:  This study sought to determine the association between BsmI polymorphism and bone mineral density, 25‐hydroxyvitamin D, and parathyroid hormone levels in patients with epilepsy.Methods:  We recruited ambulatory young adults with epilepsy who were taking phenytoin. Data regarding demographics, basic laboratory studies, history of clinical epilepsy, parathyroid hormone, and vitamin D levels, as well as BsmI polymorphism of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene, were obtained. The bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine and left femur were measured using dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry.Key Findings:  Ninety‐four patients were included in the study. BsmI polymorphism had a statistically significant lower T‐score of the lumbar spine and left femoral neck than patients with wild‐type VDR gene (p < 0.01 and p < 0.01, respectively). In addition, patients with BsmI polymorphism had a statistically significant lower z‐score of the lumbar spine and left femoral neck than patients with wild‐type VDR gene (p < 0.01 and p < 0.01, respectively). The 25‐hydroxyvitamin D level in patients with wild‐type genes was higher than in epileptic patients with BsmI polymorphism (p < 0.01 and p < 0.01, respectively). Parathyroid hormone level in patients with wild‐type VDR gene or patients having BsmI polymorphism was not correlated with BMD at either site.Significance:  In patients with epilepsy taking phenytoin, having BsmI polymorphism was associated with lower BMD.
Strong natural selection during plant restoration favors an unexpected suite of plant traits
Authors: Kulpa Sarah M. , Leger Elizabeth A. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractRestoration is an opportunity to study natural selection: One can measure the distribution of traits in source propagules used to found populations, compare this with the distribution of traits in successful recruits, and determine the strength and direction of selection on potentially adaptive traits. We investigated whether natural selection influenced seedling establishment during postfire restoration in the Great Basin, an area where large‐scale restoration occurs with a few widely available cultivars planted over a large range of environmental conditions. We collected seeds from established plants of the perennial grass Elymus elymoides ssp. californicus (squirreltail) at two restoration sites and compared the distribution of phenotypic traits of surviving plants with the original pool of restoration seeds. Seeds were planted in common gardens for two generations. Plants grown from seeds that established in the field were a nonrandom subset of the original seeds, with directional selection consistently favoring a correlated suite of traits in both field sites: small plant and seed size, and earlier flowering phenology. These results demonstrate that natural selection can affect restoration establishment in strong and predictable ways and that adaptive traits in these sites were opposite of the current criteria used for selection of restoration material in this system.
Structural and biochemical characterization of the N‐terminal domain of flocculin Lg‐Flo1p from Saccharomyces pastorianus reveals a unique specificity for phosphorylated mannose
Authors: Sim Lyann , Groes Magnus , Olesen Kjeld , Henriksen Anette 
Published: January 2013

The mechanism of yeast flocculation is generally considered to be mediated through the interaction of cell surface flocculins and mannan carbohydrates. In the present study, the crystal structure of the soluble 25‐kDa lectin domain of flocculin 1 from brewer's yeast (Lg‐Flo1p) was resolved to 2.5 Å, and its binding specificity towards oligosaccharides was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy. Lg‐Flo1p displays broad specificity towards sugars and has a 14‐fold higher affinity for mannose 1‐phosphate and glucose 1‐phosphate compared to their unphosphorylated counterparts. Based on the results of a structural analysis, we propose that this higher affinity is the result of a charge interaction with a lysine residue in a carbohydrate‐binding loop region, NAKAL, unique to NewFlo type flocculins. This raises the possibility of a unique mechanism of flocculation in NewFlo type yeast, which recognizes phosphorylated cell surface mannans.DatabaseStructural data have been deposited in the Protein Data Bank under accession number 4GQ7.
Kinetic mechanism and inhibition of Mycobacterium tuberculosis d‐alanine:d‐alanine ligase by the antibiotic d‐cycloserine
Authors: Prosser Gareth A. , de Carvalho Luiz Pedro S. 
Published: January 2013

d‐cycloserine (DCS) is an antibiotic that is currently used in second‐line treatment of tuberculosis. DCS is a structural analogue of d‐alanine, and targets two enzymes involved in the cytosolic stages of peptidoglycan synthesis: alanine racemase (Alr) and d‐alanine:d‐alanine ligase (Ddl). The mechanisms of inhibition of DCS have been well‐assessed using Alr and Ddl enzymes from various bacterial species, but little is known regarding the interactions of DCS with the mycobacterial orthologues of these enzymes. We have over‐expressed and purified recombinant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Ddl (MtDdl; Rv2981c), and report a kinetic examination of the enzyme with both its native substrate and DCS. MtDdl is activated by K+, follows an ordered ter ter mechanism and displays distinct affinities for d‐Ala at each d‐Ala binding site (Km,d‐Ala1 = 0.075 mm, Km,d‐Ala2 = 3.6 mm). ATP is the first substrate to bind and is necessary for subsequent binding of d‐alanine or DCS. The pH dependence of MtDdl kinetic parameters indicate that general base chemistry is involved in the catalytic step. DCS was found to competitively inhibit d‐Ala binding at both MtDdl d‐Ala sites with equal affinity (Ki,DCS1 = 14 μm, Ki,DCS2 = 25 μm); however, each enzyme active site can only accommodate a single DCS molecule at a given time. The pH dependence of Ki,DCS2 revealed a loss of DCS binding affinity at high pH (pKa = 7.5), suggesting that DCS binds optimally in the zwitterionic form. The results of this study may assist in the design and development of novel Ddl‐specific inhibitors for use as anti‐mycobacterial agents.
Time‐Elevation Head Sections: Improved Visualization of Data from Multilevels
Authors: Pehme Peeter , Parker Beth L. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractHydrogeologic investigations of fractured rock are evolving toward increasing spatial and temporal resolution with increasing use of multilevel systems with 10 or more intervals in a single borehole, each with auto‐sampling sensors monitoring pressure, temperature or chemistry for weeks or months, creating large quantities of densely sampled data (time and space). These data are typically displayed as hydrographs for analysis of site‐specific controls on groundwater flow. We present a method for presentation of high density pressure head data from multilevel installations referred to as time‐elevation head (TEH) sections that improves visualization of spatial and temporal responses of the hydrogeologic system to external stresses. Data collected from two multilevel installations, each with 13 functioning pressure transducers monitoring the upper 40 m of a dolostone aquifer, over a period of 83 d, prior to, during and after a pumping test are used to present TEH sections and examples of data processing. TEH sections are produced using commercially available software designed for geophysical data collected at closely spaced intervals along sub‐parallel lines. These algorithms perform calculations orthogonally either in time (“X” axis) or elevation (“Y” axis) to interpolate a regular grid of head and subsequently when filtering is used to identify subtle trends within the data. The base and filtered TEH sections are used to interpret response of the system to transients and infer hydrogeologic characteristics of the site. The utility of the process is dependent on the precision and accuracy of the head data as well as an informed user to avoid introducing spurious features into the sections.
Left ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony in patients with different stages of chronic kidney disease and the effects of hemodialysis
Authors: Hayashi Shirley Yumi , Nowak Jacek , Lindholm Bengt , Nascimento Marcelo Mazza do , Lind Britta , Bjällmark Anna , Larsson Matilda , Pachaly Maria Aparecida , Seeberger Astrid , Riella Miguel C. , Brodin Lars‐Åke 
Published: January 2013

AbstractLeft ventricular (LV) dyssynchrony is a known cause of mortality in patients with heart failure and may possibly play a similar role in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in whom sudden death is one of the most common and as yet not fully explained cause of death. LV synchronicity and its relationship with increased volume load and various biomarkers was analyzed in 145 patients including 53 patients with CKD stages 3 and 4 and in 92 CKD stage 5 patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) or peritoneal dialysis (PD) using color tissue Doppler imaging and tissue synchronization imaging. The HD patients were evaluated both before and after a single HD session. LV dyssynchrony was defined as a regional difference in time to peak systolic myocardial velocity, between 12 LV segments > 105 milliseconds. LV dyssynchrony was present in 54% of the patients with no difference between CKD 3 and 4 (58%), HD (48%), and PD (51%). LV dyssynchrony was independently associated with LV mass index and increased estimation of LV end‐diastolic pressure. A single HD session resulted in significant changes in LV synchronicity variables—with improvement in 50% of the patients—especially in patients with higher myocardial systolic velocities and lower LV mass index. Abnormalities in LV synchronicity are highly prevalent in CKD patients already prior to dialysis treatment and are associated with LV hypertrophy, LV dysfunction and load conditions, underlining the importance of volume status for LV synchronicity in CKD patients.
A comparative study of flow cytometric T cell receptor Vβ repertoire and T cell receptor gene rearrangement in the diagnosis of large granular lymphocytic lymphoproliferation
Authors: Hsieh Y.‐C. , Chang S.‐T. , Huang W.‐T. , Kuo S.‐Y. , Chiang T.‐A. , Chuang S.‐S. 
Published: January 2013

SummaryIntroductionLarge granular lymphocytes (LGLs) are medium‐ to large‐sized lymphocytes with azurophilic cytoplasmic granules. Reactive vs. neoplastic LGLs are usually morphologically indistinguishable.MethodsWe investigated 25 consecutive cases of LGL lymphoproliferation using flow cytometric T cell receptor Vβ (FC‐Vβ) repertoire and T cell receptor gene rearrangement (TCR‐GR) in detecting clonality.ResultsSeventeen patients (68%) were T‐LGL leukemia (T‐LGLL) with a male predominance, a median age of 67, and a median absolute LGL count of 2.592 × 109/L. All cases were clonal using the FC‐Vβ analysis, and all but one (94%) was clonal by TCR‐GR. Eight patients (32%) had reactive LGL lymphoproliferation. Two had EBV‐associated infectious mononucleosis; one was clonal by both FC‐Vβ and TCR‐GR; and the other was clonal only by TCR‐GR. The remaining six cases were polyclonal by both assays. Patients with reactive LGL lymphoproliferation were more frequently associated with an underlying/concurrent malignancy than those with T‐LGLL (4/8 cases vs. 1/17; P = 0.023, Fisher's exact test). We compared the demographic, hemogram, and clonality data between these two groups and found that the only significant difference was the lower median platelet count in the LGL lymphocytosis group (201 × 109/L vs. 223 × 109/L; P = 0.031; Student's t‐test). A literature review including the current study showed a high sensitivity of FC‐Vβ analysis for T‐LGLL (97.2%; 107/110 cases).ConclusionsFC‐Vβ analysis was slightly more sensitive than TCR‐GR for the detection of clonal T cell lymphoproliferation. However, we must interpret the laboratory findings with clinical context as clonal T cell lymphoproliferation may occur in patients with viral infection.