bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Androgens modulate osteocalcin release by human visceral adipose tissue
Authors: Foresta Carlo , Strapazzon Giacomo , De Toni Luca , Gianesello Lisa , Bruttocao Andrea , Scarda Alessandro , Plebani Mario , Garolla Andrea 
Published: February 2011

AbstractObjective  Androgens inhibit adipogenic differentiation through an androgen receptor (AR)‐mediated pathway, increase lipolysis and reduce lipid accumulation in adipocytes. Undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOCN) regulates insulin and adiponectin secretion and is released by adipose tissue (AT). Our objective was to investigate, ex vivo and in vivo, the role of androgens on osteocalcin (OCN) modulation in human AT.Design, Patients, Setting  Omental AT (OAT) for in vitro study and blood samples from 91 male patients of Padova University Hospital were used.Measurements  Omental AT was treated with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in presence and in absence of flutamide. cOCN and ucOCN release by AT in a simple growth medium was evaluated by ELISA. OCN, both undercarboxylated (ucOCN) and carboxylated (cOCN) forms, was measured in serum by ELISA.Results  After 24‐h DHT stimulation, the release of both cOCN and ucOCN by OAT was statistically increased (P < 0·05). Co‐incubation with flutamide blunted OCN production. Overweight and obese patients had lower total and free testosterone (T), associated with lower ucOCN and ucOCN/OCN ratio. Free T was negatively correlated to BMI (ρ = −0·706, P < 0·05) and positively correlated to ucOCN/OCN ratio (ρ = 0·223, P < 0·05).Conclusions  Our data suggest that androgens modulate OCN release by OAT in vitro. In addition to the anti‐adipogenic role of androgens, they support a novel mechanism by which androgens could exert a protective effect in energy metabolism. This hypothesis appears even more significant considering that sexual hormones’ levels are greatly altered in obesity and that AT is both highly involved in their clearance and able to produce OCN.
Predictors of neonatal hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis activity at delivery
Authors: Smith Alicia K. , Newport D. Jeffrey , Ashe Morgan P. , Brennan Patricia A. , LaPrairie Jamie L. , Calamaras Martha , Nemeroff Charles B. , Ritchie James C. , Cubells Joseph F. , Stowe Zachary N. 
Published: February 2011

SummaryObjective  Clinical and preclinical studies indicate that maternal stress during pregnancy may exert long‐lasting adverse effects on offspring. This investigation sought to identify factors mediating the relationship between maternal and neonatal hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axes in pregnant women with past or family psychiatric history.Patients  Two hundred and five pairs of maternal and umbilical cord blood samples from a clinical population were collected at delivery.Measurements  Maternal and neonatal HPA axis activity measures were plasma adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), total cortisol, free cortisol and cortisol‐binding globulin concentrations. The effects of maternal race, age, body mass index, psychiatric diagnosis (DSM‐IV), birth weight, delivery method and estimated gestational age (EGA) at delivery on both maternal and neonatal HPA axis measures were also examined. Incorporating these independent predictors as covariates where necessary, we evaluated whether neonatal HPA axis activity measures could be predicted by the same maternal measure using linear regression.Results  Delivery method was associated with umbilical cord plasma ACTH and both total and free cord cortisol concentrations (T = 10·53–4·21; P < 0·0001–0·010). After accounting for method of delivery and EGA, we found that maternal plasma ACTH concentrations predicted 23·9% of the variance in foetal plasma ACTH concentrations (T = 6·76; P < 0·0001), and maternal free and total plasma cortisol concentrations predicted 39·8% and 32·3% of the variance in foetal plasma free and total cortisol concentrations (T = 5·37–6·90; P < 0·0001), respectively.Conclusion  These data suggest that neonatal response is coupled with maternal HPA axis activity at delivery. Future investigations will scrutinize the potential long‐term sequelae for the offspring.
Limits to exploitation: dynamic food web models predict the impact of livestock grazing on Ethiopian wolves Canis simensis and their prey
Authors: Vial Flavie , Macdonald David W. , Haydon Daniel T. 
Published: February 2011

Summary 1. Anticipating the consequences of, and sustainable limits to, human exploitation of ecosystem resources requires a quantitative understanding of food web dynamics. While dynamic food web models are commonly used to investigate the impact of human exploitation on marine ecosystem structure and dynamics, they are less commonly applied to human‐induced disturbances in terrestrial food webs. 2. The intensifying and expanding use of rangelands for domestic livestock production creates a potential conflict with the conservation of extensive populations of wildlife. The Bale Mountains National Park (BMNP) is an example of an area that increasingly has been used as an open‐access resource by pastoralists and their herds. Livestock grazing, through its impact on herbivorous rodents, is suspected to negatively affect the critically endangered Ethiopian wolf Canis simensis, a rodent specialist. 3. We developed a series of simple dynamic food chain models to explore the interactions between these trophic levels and how they might be affected by livestock grazing. We also explored how predictions made about these trophic dynamics are affected by the type of functional response linking the different trophic levels. 4. If rodent and/or wolf populations exhibit extreme type 2 responses to resource availability, they can both remain at densities close to their ungrazed equilibrium as livestock density increases, but will rapidly crash once vegetation biomass collapses as a result of the increased grazing pressure. The model predicts the maximum sustainable livestock density to lie between 32 and 117 TLU·km−2, above which populations of wolves are expected to become locally extinct. 5. Synthesis and applications. We show that dynamic trophic modelling is an informative approach when investigating the response of terrestrial ecosystems to human‐induced disturbance. In particular, the models described in this paper provide a first step towards enabling managers to predict the implications of changing patterns of human impact on rangelands and support the identification of sustainable grazing grounds for livestock. The models also reveal that monitoring primary productivity alone may be a simple and effective way to detect stresses on food chains and predict the impact of increased livestock grazing on higher trophic levels. In the context of the BMNP, the models predict that some areas of high conservation value appear to be exploited unsustainably, thereby possibly affecting long‐term conservation goals for the Park’s flagship species.
Litter inputs and plant interactions affect nectar sugar content
Authors: Baude Mathilde , Leloup Julie , Suchail Séverine , Allard Béatrice , Benest Danielle , Mériguet Jacques , Nunan Naoise , Dajoz Isabelle , Raynaud Xavier 
Published: February 2011

Summary 1. Declines in availability of plant resources to pollinators are a major cause of pollinator loss. The management of plant communities to enhance floral resources is often proposed as a way to sustain pollinator populations. Nectar, the main energetic resource for pollinators, plays a central role in behaviour and composition of pollinator communities. Abiotic and biotic factors are known to influence nectar traits at both the species and community levels, but the impact of plant community composition itself has never been investigated. 2. Below‐ground interactions in plant communities can induce changes in plant development through (i) plant‐derived litter amendment of the soil and (ii) competition for soil resources between plants. We tested how plant below‐ground interactions affect above‐ground nectar traits involved in plant attractiveness to pollinators. 3. A short‐term pot experiment was carried out with three temperate grassland species Mimulus guttatus, Lamium amplexicaule, and Medicago sativa, showing distinct litter stoichiometry and competitive abilities for soil resources. Litter amendment (none, mono and tri‐specific litter) and plant interaction treatments (monocultures, two‐ and three‐species mixtures) were crossed in a factorial design. 4. Litter amendment to the soil led to an increase in total nectar sugar content in L. amplexicaule plants but not in the two other species. We also found that the presence of M. guttatus, a competitive species, reduced the total nectar sugar content in L. amplexicaule through a concomitant decrease in nectar volume per flower and in floral display size, but not in other species. Species‐specific responses of nectar traits to variation in soil nitrogen availability were thus observed, suggesting consequences for plant species and community attractiveness to pollinators. However, we did not find evidence that the legume M. sativa affected nectar traits of any neighbouring plants. 5. Synthesis. Our results demonstrate that litter inputs and competition between plants for soil resources can alter nectar traits linked to plant attractiveness to pollinators. This supports the idea that below‐ground plant–plant interactions for soil resources can influence above‐ground plant–plant interactions for pollination services. This offers promising perspectives in studying the role of below‐ground–above‐ground interactions on higher trophic levels.
Ecology’s cruel dilemma, phylogenetic trait evolution and the assembly of Serengeti plant communities
Authors: Anderson T. Michael , Shaw Joey , Olff Han 
Published: February 2011

Summary 1. Ecologists debate the importance of neutral versus niche‐based explanations for patterns of species coexistence and whether small‐scale data can inform ecological understanding of communities, referred to by McNaughton [Ecological Monographs, 1983, 53, 291] as ‘ecology’s cruel dilemma.’ Research on phylogenetic relationships, traits and species co‐occurrence has attempted to address this topic, with results considerably mixed. 2. We address the hypothesis that plant community assembly is influenced by trait similarity across ecological gradients and this affects mean phylogenetic distance (MPD) of species within sites. We analysed specific leaf area (SLA), maximum plant height and phylogenetic relationships among Serengeti grasses, a system ideally suited to study community assembly because of an ecological gradient in which the dominant plant stress shifts from drought to light competition. 3. Phylogenetic community assembly theory predicts that MPD would be lowest (under‐dispersed) at dry sites and greatest (over‐dispersed) at sites with higher rainfall. Similarly, theory predicts that low soil nutrient concentrations should filter intolerant species, so that MPD is expected to be under‐dispersed at infertile, low‐elevation sites and over‐dispersed at fertile, higher‐elevation sites. However, as gradients of rainfall and soil fertility run counter to one another across the Serengeti, it was unclear how this covariation would influence MPD. 4. Surprisingly, traits showed different evolutionary patterns: SLA displayed convergent evolution while maximum plant height displayed Brownian evolution across the phylogeny. As predicted, statistically under‐dispersed assemblages occurred at lower rainfall, infertile sites while statistically over‐dispersed assemblages occurred at higher rainfall, fertile sites. However, the pattern across all plots was weak, with most plots showing no statistical pattern of MPD. 5. Multivariate analyses using structural equation modelling, which statistically controlled for covariation among environmental effects, revealed complex direct and indirect effects of environmental variation on MPD, including offsetting direct effects of SLA and maximum plant height due to their different patterns of trait evolution. 6. Synthesis. Spatially counteracting gradients of moisture and soil fertility across the Serengeti, combined with contrasting patterns of trait evolution, obscured the relationship between MPD and any single environmental variable. Our study shows that integrating trait and phylogenetic relationships across ecological gradients yields considerable insight into the ecological mechanisms that determine community composition, but that multivariate techniques may be required to appropriately reveal such patterns.
Role of aromatic aldehyde synthase in wounding/herbivory response and flower scent production in different Arabidopsis ecotypes
Authors: Gutensohn Michael , Klempien Antje , Kaminaga Yasuhisa , Nagegowda Dinesh A. , Negre‐Zakharov Florence , Huh Jung‐Hyun , Luo Hongli , Weizbauer Renate , Mengiste Tesfaye , Tholl Dorothea , Dudareva Natalia 
Published: February 2011

SummaryAromatic l‐amino acid decarboxylases (AADCs) are key enzymes operating at the interface between primary and secondary metabolism. The Arabidopsis thaliana genome contains two genes, At2g20340 and At4g28680, encoding pyridoxal 5′‐phosphate‐dependent AADCs with high homology to the recently identified Petunia hybrida phenylacetaldehyde synthase involved in floral scent production. The At4g28680 gene product was recently biochemically characterized as an l‐tyrosine decarboxylase (AtTYDC), whereas the function of the other gene product remains unknown. The biochemical and functional characterization of the At2g20340 gene product revealed that it is an aromatic aldehyde synthase (AtAAS), which catalyzes the conversion of phenylalanine and 3,4‐dihydroxy‐l‐phenylalanine to phenylacetaldehyde and dopaldehyde, respectively. AtAAS knock‐down and transgenic AtAAS RNA interference (RNAi) lines show significant reduction in phenylacetaldehyde levels and an increase in phenylalanine, indicating that AtAAS is responsible for phenylacetaldehyde formation in planta. In A. thaliana ecotype Columbia (Col‐0), AtAAS expression was highest in leaves, and was induced by methyl jasmonate treatment and wounding. Pieris rapae larvae feeding on Col‐0 leaves resulted in increased phenylacetaldehyde emission, suggesting that the emitted aldehyde has a defensive activity against attacking herbivores. In the ecotypes Sei‐0 and Di‐G, which emit phenylacetaldehyde as a predominant flower volatile, the highest expression of AtAAS was found in flowers and RNAi AtAAS silencing led to a reduction of phenylacetaldehyde formation in this organ. In contrast to ecotype Col‐0, no phenylacetaldehyde accumulation was observed in Sei‐0 upon wounding, suggesting that AtAAS and subsequently phenylacetaldehyde contribute to pollinator attraction in this ecotype.
Ehd3, encoding a plant homeodomain finger‐containing protein, is a critical promoter of rice flowering
Authors: Matsubara Kazuki , Yamanouchi Utako , Nonoue Yasunori , Sugimoto Kazuhiko , Wang Zi‐Xuan , Minobe Yuzo , Yano Masahiro 
Published: February 2011

Summary Oryza sativa (rice) flowers in response to photoperiod, and is a facultative short‐day (SD) plant. Under SD conditions, flowering is promoted through the activation of FT‐like genes (rice florigens) by Heading date 1 (Hd1, a rice CONSTANS homolog) and Early heading date 1 (Ehd1, with no ortholog in the Arabidopsis genome). On the other hand, under long‐day (LD) conditions, flowering is delayed by the repressive function of Hd1 on FT‐like genes and by downregulation of Ehd1 by the flowering repressor Ghd7 – a unique pathway in rice. We report here that an early heading date 3 (ehd3) mutant flowered later than wild‐type plants, particularly under LD conditions, regardless of the Hd1‐deficient background. Map‐based cloning revealed that Ehd3 encodes a nuclear protein that contains a putative transcriptional regulator with two plant homeodomain (PHD) finger motifs. To identify the role of Ehd3 within the gene regulatory network for rice flowering, we compared the transcript levels of genes related to rice flowering in wild‐type plants and ehd3 mutants. Increased transcription of Ghd7 under LD conditions and reduced transcription of downstream Ehd1 and FT‐like genes in the ehd3 mutants suggested that Ehd3 normally functions as an LD downregulator of Ghd7 in floral induction. Furthermore, Ehd3 ghd7 plants flowered earlier and show higher Ehd1 transcript levels than ehd3 ghd7 plants, suggesting a Ghd7‐independent role of Ehd3 in the upregulation of Ehd1. Our results demonstrate that the PHD‐finger gene Ehd3 acts as a promoter in the unique genetic pathway responsible for photoperiodic flowering in rice.
Trichuris and hookworm infections associated with anaemia during pregnancy
Authors: Gyorkos Theresa W. , Gilbert Nicolas L. , Larocque Renée , Casapía Martín 
Published: February 2011

SummaryObjective  To assess the following associations between the second and third trimesters of pregnancy: (i) the intensity of soil‐transmitted helminth (STH) infection and haemoglobin/anaemia, (ii) the effect of mebendazole treatment on the occurrence of STH infection, and (iii) the effect of mebendazole treatment on haemoglobin/anaemia.Methods  Data originated from a trial of 1042 pregnant women recruited in their second trimester and followed to delivery. Baseline assessments included socio‐demographic/health information from questionnaires, haemoglobin/anaemia from HemoCue ascertainment of fingerprick blood, and the presence and intensity of STH (Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworms and Trichuris trichiura) infections from Kato–Katz examination. All women were given iron supplements; half were randomly allocated to receive single dose 500 mg mebendazole, and half, placebo. Haemoglobin/anaemia and STH infection status were determined again in the third trimester of pregnancy.Results  Complete information was available from 935 (89.7%) women. Mebendazole significantly reduced the prevalence and intensity of all three STH infections. Higher intensities of hookworm and Trichuris infections in the second trimester were associated with a higher risk of anaemia in the third trimester. Overall, women with moderate/heavy Trichuris infection were found to be at a higher risk of anaemia; the highest risk was observed among those with moderate/heavy hookworm co‐infection (adjusted OR = 2.77; 95% CI: 1.26, 6.11). Mebendazole treatment did not reduce the risk of anaemia.Conclusion  Higher intensities of both Trichuris and hookworm infections are associated with anaemia in pregnancy. The importance of Trichuris infections during pregnancy requires renewed attention.
Expecting a good quality of life in health: assessing people with diverse diseases and conditions using the WHOQOL‐BREF
Authors: Skevington Suzanne M. , McCrate Farah M. 
Published: February 2011

AbstractBackground and objectives  Fulfilling patient expectations is central to defining a good quality of life (QoL) in health. The WHOQOL‐BREF was developed using novel, person‐centred methods and is a generic patient‐reported outcomes measure (PROM). However, without robust psychometric performance, PROMs cannot be relied upon to assess individuals. This study investigated the WHOQOL‐BREF (UK), with this use in mind.Design  Cross sectional with nested repeated measures.Setting and participants  Twenty‐seven disease groups or health conditions and healthy people were recruited at 38 UK sites, in a wide range of settings (n = 4628).Interventions  ‘Treatment as usual’; new and alternative interventions.Outcome measures  WHOQOL‐BREF (UK); SF‐36.Results  Respondent burden was low, as acceptability and feasibility were high. Internal consistency was excellent (0.92) and test–retest reliability good. Distinctive QoL profiles were found for diverse conditions. Musculoskeletal, psychiatric and cardiovascular patients reported the poorest QoL and also improved most during treatment. Overall, QoL was good, and best for healthy groups, supporting discriminant validity. Compared with the SF‐36, WHOQOL physical and psychological domains showed good concurrent validity, although social was weak. Small or moderate effect sizes confirmed responsiveness to change in specified domains for certain conditions and interventions. Age had a small impact on reporting QoL.Discussion and conclusion  The WHOQOL‐BREF is found to be a high quality patient‐centred generic tool suited to individual assessment in clinics, for research, and audit.
Innovation and participation for healthy public policy: the first National Health Assembly in Thailand
Authors: Rasanathan Kumanan , Posayanonda Tipicha , Birmingham Maureen , Tangcharoensathien Viroj 
Published: February 2011

AbstractAim  This paper aims to describe and disseminate the process and initial outcomes of the first National Health Assembly (NHA) in Thailand, as an innovative example of health policy making.Setting  The first NHA, held in December 2008 in Bangkok, brought together over 1500 people from government agencies, academia, civil society, health professionals and the private sector to discuss key health issues and produce resolutions to guide policy making. It adapted the approach used at the World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization.Method  Findings are derived from a literature review, document analysis, and the views and experiences of the authors, two of whom contributed to the organization of the NHA and two of whom were invited external observers.Results  Fourteen agenda items were discussed and resolutions passed. Potential early impacts on policy making have included an increase in the 2010 public budget for Thailand’s universal health coverage scheme as total public expenditure has decreased; cabinet endorsement of proposed Strategies for Universal Access to Medicines for Thai People; and establishment of National Commissions on Health Impact Assessment and Trade and Health.Discussion  The NHA was successful in bringing together various actors and sectors involved in the social production of health, including groups often marginalized in policy making. It provides an innovative model of how governments may be able to increase public participation and intersectoral collaboration that could be adapted in other contexts. Significant challenges remain in ensuring full participation of interested groups and in implementing, and monitoring the impact of, the resolutions passed.
Donor transmission of pineoblastoma in a two‐yr‐old male recipient of a multivisceral transplant: A case report
Authors: Zhao Po , Strohl Alexis , Gonzalez Corina , Fishbein Thomas , Rosen‐Bronson Sandra , Kallakury Bhaskar , Ozdemirli Metin 
Published: February 2011

Zhao P, Strohl A, Gonzalez C, Fishbein T, Rosen‐Bronson S, Kallakury B, Ozdemirli M. Donor transmission of pineoblastoma in a two‐yr‐old male recipient of a multivisceral transplant: a case report.Abstract: Transplant‐transmitted malignances are rare but devastating events. Primary brain tumors are the least common among reported donor‐derived malignancies. We report a case of donor‐transmitted pineoblastoma, a PNET, in a two‐yr‐old male recipient, who presented with a rapidly growing mass in the right mandible, four months after multiple visceral organ transplantation. The recipient had liver, pancreas, and small bowel transplants because of end‐stage liver failure and short gut syndrome, which was secondary to large bowel resection for management of gastroschisis complicated by intestinal volvulus. The donor autopsy results became available seven wk after transplantation, which found a pineoblastoma with meningeal spread. Evaluation of eyes, adrenal glands, bone marrow, and other organs did not identify metastasis outside the CNS. A biopsy of the recipient’s right mandibular mass revealed a malignant small round blue cell tumor with the immunohistochemistry profile of a PNET. Staging evaluation revealed the tumor in the right mandible with bone marrow involvement. Further investigation showed that recipient’s tumor and donor’s pineoblastoma shared the same immunophenotype and HLA type, suggesting the recipient’s tumor is a donor‐transmitted pineoblastoma. This is the first case report of donor‐transmitted pineoblastoma post‐organ transplant.