bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Association of self‐reported alcohol use and hospitalization for an alcohol‐related cause in Scotland: a record‐linkage study of 23 183 individuals
Authors: McDonald Scott A. , Hutchinson Sharon J. , Bird Sheila M. , Graham Lesley , Robertson Chris , Mills Peter R. , Hayes Peter , Dillon John F. , Goldberg David J. 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTAims  To investigate the extent to which self‐reported alcohol consumption level in the Scottish population is associated with first‐time hospital admission for an alcohol‐related cause.Design  Observational record‐linkage study.Setting  Scotland, 1995–2005.Participants  A total of 23 183 respondents aged 16 and over who participated in the 1995, 1998 and 2003 Scottish Health Surveys, followed‐up via record‐linkage from interview date until 30 September 2005.Measurements  Rate of first‐time hospital admission with at least one alcohol‐related diagnosis. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was applied to estimate the relative risk of first‐time hospitalization with an alcohol‐related condition associated with usual alcohol consumption level (1–7, 8–14, 15–21, 22–35, 36–49, 50+ units/week and ex‐drinker, compared with <1 unit per week).Findings  Of the SHS participants, 527 were hospitalized for an alcohol‐related cause during 135 313 person‐years of follow‐up [39 first admissions per 10 000 person‐years, 95% confidence interval (CI) 36–42]. Alcohol‐related hospitalization rates were considerably higher for males (61/10 000 person‐years, 95% CI 54–67) than for females (22/10 000 person‐years, 95% CI 18–26). Compared with the lowest alcohol consumption category (<1 unit per week), the relative risk of first‐time alcohol‐related admission increased with reported consumption: age‐adjusted hazard ratios ranged from 3 (1–5) for 1–7 units/week to 19 (10–37) for 50+ units/week (males); and from 2 (1–3) for 1–7 units/week to 28 (14–56) for 50+ units/week (females). After adjusting for age and usual alcohol consumption, the relative risk of first‐time alcohol‐related admission remained significantly higher for males reporting binge drinking and for both males and females residing in the most deprived localities.Conclusions  Moderate and higher levels of usual alcohol consumption and binge drinking are serious risk factors for alcohol‐related hospitalization in the Scottish population. These findings contribute to our understanding of the relationship between alcohol intake and alcohol‐related morbidity.
A computerized harm minimization prevention program for alcohol misuse and related harms: randomized controlled trial
Authors: Vogl Laura , Teesson Maree , Andrews Gavin , Bird Kevin , Steadman Bronwyn , Dillon Paul 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTAims Hazardous alcohol use is a leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults world‐wide, yet few effective prevention interventions exist. This study was the first to examine a computerized harm minimization intervention to reduce alcohol misuse and related harms in adolescents.Design Cluster randomized controlled trial of a six‐session curriculum‐integrated harm minimization prevention program. The intervention was delivered by computer in the form of a teenage drama, which provided education through alcohol‐related scenarios to which young people could relate.Setting Schools in Australia.Participants A total of 1466 year 8 students (13 years) from 16 high schools in Australia were allocated randomly to a computerized prevention program (n = 611, eight schools) or usual classes (n = 855, eight schools).Measurements Change in knowledge, alcohol use, alcohol‐related harms and alcohol expectancies.Findings A computerized prevention program was more effective than usual classes in increasing alcohol‐related knowledge of facts that would inform safer drinking choices and decreasing the positive social expectations which students believed alcohol may afford. For females it was effective in decreasing average alcohol consumption, alcohol‐related harms and the frequency of drinking to excess (more than four standard drinks; 10 g ethanol). For males the behavioural effects were not significant.Conclusions A harm minimization approach is effective in educating young people about alcohol‐related risks and is effective in reducing risky drinking and harms among girls. Reduction of problems among boys remains a challenge.
Soluble human leucocyte antigen‐G and interleukin‐10 levels in isocyanate‐induced asthma
Authors: Mapp C. E. , Ferrazzoni S. , Rizzo R. , Miotto D. , Stignani M. , Boschetto P. , Maestrelli P. , Baricordi O. R. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryBackground
We previously reported that in moderate‐to‐severe asthma there is a deficit of IL‐10 secretion that could prevent the production of soluble HLA‐G (sHLA‐G), a non‐classical human leucocyte antigen class I molecule with tissue‐protective properties in inflammatory responses.Objective
Our objective was to investigate the production of sHLA‐G and the secretion of IL‐10 by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in asthma induced by isocyanates and to compare the results with those obtained in non‐occupational allergic asthma.Method
sHLA‐G and IL‐10 were measured by ELISA in the culture supernatants of unstimulated or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐stimulated PBMCs obtained from 20 subjects with isocyanate asthma, 16 asymptomatic subjects exposed to isocyanates, 18 subjects with non‐occupational allergic asthma, and 26 healthy control subjects.Results
Occupational exposure to isocyanates was associated with high baseline levels of secretion of IL‐10 by PBMCs, whether or not the exposed subjects had asthmatic symptoms. However, spontaneous production of sHLA‐G by PBMC was significantly higher in subjects with isocyanate asthma compared with asymptomatic‐exposed controls. In contrast, PBMCs from subjects with non‐occupational allergic asthma produced sHLA‐G only after LPS stimulation.Conclusions
sHLA‐G production and IL‐10 secretion are influenced by workplace exposure to isocyanates and by development of asthma. The different behaviour of both sHLA‐G and IL‐10 in asthma induced by isocyanates compared with non‐occupational allergic asthma suggests a heterogeneous biological role for HLA‐G molecules and for IL‐10, a key cytokine of immune and inflammatory responses.
Genetic and environmental contributions to allergen sensitization in a Chinese twin study
Authors: Liu X. , Zhang S. , Tsai H‐J , Hong X. , Wang B. , Fang Y. , Liu X. , Pongracic J. A. , Wang X. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryBackground
Allergic disease is on the rise worldwide. Effective prevention of allergic disease requires comprehensive understanding of the factors that contribute to its intermediate phenotypes, such as sensitization to common allergens.Objective
To estimate the degree of genetic and environmental contributions to sensitization to food and aeroallergens.Methods
Sensitization was defined as a positive skin prick test to an allergen. We calculated the zygosity‐specific concordance rates and odds ratios (ORs) for sensitization to food and aeroallergens in 826 Chinese twin pairs [472 monozygotic (MZ) and 354 dizygotic (DZ)] aged 12–28 years. We also applied structural equation modelling procedures to estimate genetic and environmental influences on sensitization.Results
The concordance rates and risk of sensitization in one twin given the presence vs. the absence of sensitization in the other twin were higher in MZ twins than those in DZ twins. However, a large number of MZ twins were discordant in sensitization to common allergens. These observations suggest both genetic and environmental factors influence sensitization. Consistently, the estimated heritability and individual environmental components of the liability to sensitization ranged from 0.51 to 0.68 and 0.32 to 0.49, respectively, based on the best‐fitted structural equation model. We also observed high phenotypic correlations between sensitization to two aeroallergens (cockroach and dust mite: 0.83) and two food allergens (peanut and shellfish: 0.58), but only moderate correlations for the pairs between sensitization to a food and an aeroallergen (0.31–0.46). The shared genetic and environmental factors between paired sensitizations contribute to the observed correlations.Conclusion
We demonstrated that sensitization to common food and aeroallergens were influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Moreover, we found that paired allergen sensitizations might share some common sets of genes and environmental factors. This study underscores the need to further delineate unique and/or pleiotropic genetic and environmental factors for allergen sensitization.
Tree mortality in the African Sahel indicates an anthropogenic ecosystem displaced by climate change
Authors: Maranz Steven 
Published: March 2009

AbstractAim Widespread reports of disappearing tree species and senescing savanna parklands in the Sahel have generated a vigorous debate over whether climate change or severe human and livestock pressure is principally responsible. Many of the tree taxa in decline are closely associated with human settlement and farming, suggesting that the parkland ecosystem may not be a natural vegetation assemblage. The aim of this study is to assess the possibility that human activities promoted the spread of taxa with edible fruit into dry Sudano‐Sahelian areas during high‐rainfall periods in the climate cycle.Location West African savannas (Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin).Methods Cultivated savanna parklands and adjacent forests and transitional landscapes were inventoried at 27 sites in five countries. All trees with basal diameters > 10 cm were counted within 500‐m2belt transects. Species composition and abundance were contrasted between three landscape classes to assess the degree of influence exerted by traditional human management. Twentieth century rainfall data were averaged for two sets of weather stations encompassing the north–south range of typical parkland tree species. Rainfall trends were used to evaluate the putative impact of climate change on edible and/or succulent fruit species at the northern limit of the parkland savanna zone.Results Species composition and spatial distribution data indicate that the parkland ecosystem is significantly shaped by human activities. Indigenous land management favours edible‐fruit‐yielding taxa from the wetter Sudanian and Guinean vegetation zones over Sahelian species. Rainfall isohyets at the northern range limits of parkland species shifted southwards in the late 20th century, crossing the critical 600‐mm mean annual rainfall threshold for Sudanian flora. Relict vegetation and historical records indicate that the Sudanian parkland system extended in the past to near 15° N latitude in middle West Africa, compared with 13.5° N today.Main conclusions The current loss of mesic trees in the Sudano‐Sahel zone appears to be driven by the sharp drop in rainfall since the 1960s, which has effectively stranded anthropogenically distributed species beyond their rainfall tolerance limits.
On the general dynamic model of oceanic island biogeography
Authors: Fattorini Simone 
Published: March 2009

AbstractAim  To investigate the biological meaning of equations used to apply the general dynamic model (GDM) of oceanic island biogeography proposed by R. J. Whittaker, K. A. Triantis and R. J. Ladle.Location  Analyses are presented for 17 animal groups living on the Aeolian Islands, a volcanic archipelago in the central Mediterranean, near Sicily.Methods  In addition to the mathematical implementation of the GDM proposed by Whittaker, Triantis and Ladle, and termed here logATT2 (, where S is species number or any other diversity metric, t is island age, A is island area, and a, b, c and d are fitted parameters), a new implementation based on the Arrhenius equation of the species–area relationship (SAR) is investigated. The new model (termed powerATT2) is: . For logATT2 and powerATT2 models, equations were developed to calculate (1) the expected number of species at equilibrium (i.e. when the island has reached maturity) per unit area (Seq), and (2) the time required to obtain this value (teq). Whereas the intercept in the Gleason model (S = C + z log A) or the coefficient of the Arrhenius power model (S = CAz) of the SAR can be considered measures of the expected number of species per unit area, this is not the case for the parameter a of the ATT2 models. However, values of Seq can be used for this purpose. The index of ‘colonization ability’ (CAB), calculated as the ratio , may provide a measure of the mean number of species added per unit area per unit time.Results  Both ATT2 models fitted most of the data well, but the powerATT2 model was in most cases superior. Equilibrial values of species richness (Seq) varied from c. 3 species km−2 (reptiles) to 100 species km−2 (mites). The fitted curves for the powerATT2 model showed large variations in d, from 0.03 to 3. However, most groups had values of d around 0.2–0.4, as commonly observed for the z‐values of SARs modelled by a power function. Equilibration times ranged from about 170,000 years to 400,000 years. Mites and springtails had very high values of CAB, thus adding many more species per unit area per unit time than others. Reptiles and phytophagous scarabs showed very low values, being the groups that added fewest species per unit area per unit time.Main conclusions  Values of equilibrial species richness per unit area are influenced by species biology (e.g. body size and ecological specialization). Theoretical and empirical evidence suggests that higher immigration rates should increase the z‐values of the Arrhenius model. Thus, in the same archipelago, groups with larger z‐values should be characterized by higher dispersal ability. Results obtained here for the parameter d conform to this prediction.
Canopy closure shapes clonal diversity and fine‐scale genetic structure in the dioecious understorey perennial Mercurialis perennis
Authors: Vandepitte Katrien , Roldán‐Ruiz Isabel , Leus Leen , Jacquemyn Hans , Honnay Olivier 
Published: March 2009

Summary

The degree of canopy closure can shape the dynamics of understorey plant populations that rely on clonal and sexual recruitment. Populations are expected to undergo declines in clonal diversity under conditions where recruitment from seed is temporally and spatially restricted. Localized seedling recruitment in clonal populations may also affect spatial genetic structure due to the clumping of genetically related genets.
Our major objective was to determine the effect of the degree of canopy closure on clonal diversity and spatial genetic structure in the rhizomatous, dioecious forest perennial Mercurialis perennis. As the distribution of the male and female shoots has been shown to be influenced by canopy openings, we paid special attention to the mediating role of the varying sex ratio.
We used genome‐wide AFLP markers to fingerprint six populations of M. perennis along a light penetration gradient.
The proportion of male shoots in a population increased from 0.51 to 0.81 and male genet diversity decreased from 0.72 to 0.21 with increasing site illumination, in agreement with earlier reports of superior male growth in canopy openings. The most illuminated population, with the highest proportion of male shoots, was dominated by a few outsized, largely aggregated male clones (largest clone spreading over 10 m).
Overall clonal diversity (G/N: 0.31–0.74; mean: 0.52) and evenness strongly declined in well‐lit sites, suggesting reduced sexual recruitment and the vast vegetative spread of a few locally well‐adapted male genets under canopy gaps.
Fine‐scale genetic structure among genets was significant within all populations, but its degree tended to increase with an increased proportion of male shoots and reduced clonal diversity. Very localized recruitment due to a low seed dispersal capacity combined with the aggregated distribution of large gender‐specific clones likely incurred this pattern.
Synthesis. Forest management practices such as the cutting and removal of trees and the establishment of paths decreased the degree of canopy closure. Many understorey herb populations flourish in these canopy gaps, reflected in a higher clonal diversity. We demonstrated, however, that increased illumination negatively affects genotypic and genetic diversity in the dioecious understorey herb M. perennis.
Neither genetic nor observational data alone are sufficient for understanding sex‐biased dispersal in a social‐group‐living species
Authors: HARRIS T. R. , CAILLAUD D. , CHAPMAN C. A. , VIGILANT L. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractComplex sex‐biased dispersal patterns often characterize social‐group‐living species and may ultimately drive patterns of cooperation and competition within and among groups. This study investigates whether observational data or genetic data alone can elucidate the potentially complex dispersal patterns of social‐group‐living black and white colobus monkeys (Colobus guereza, ‘guerezas’), or whether combining both data types provides novel insights. We employed long‐term observation of eight neighbouring guereza groups in Kibale National Park, Uganda, as well as microsatellite genotyping of these and two other neighbouring groups. We created a statistical model to examine the observational data and used dyadic relatedness values within and among groups to analyse the genetic data. Analyses of observational and genetic data both supported the conclusion that males typically disperse from their natal groups and often transfer into nearby groups and probably beyond. Both data types also supported the conclusion that females are more philopatric than males but provided somewhat conflicting evidence about the extent of female philopatry. Observational data suggested that female dispersal is rare or nonexistent and transfers into neighbouring groups do not occur, but genetic data revealed numerous pairs of closely related adult females among neighbouring groups. Only by combining both data types were we able to understand the complexity of sex‐biased dispersal patterns in guerezas and the processes that could explain our seemingly conflicting results. We suggest that the data are compatible with a scenario of group dissolution prior to the start of this study, followed by female transfers into different neighbouring groups.
Natural selection influences AFLP intraspecific genetic variability and introgression patterns in Atlantic eels
Authors: GAGNAIRE P. A. , ALBERT V. , JÓNSSON B. , BERNATCHEZ L. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractInvestigating patterns of genetic variation in hybridizing species provides an opportunity to understand the impact of natural selection on intraspecific genetic variability and interspecific gene exchange. The Atlantic eels Anguilla rostrata and A. anguilla each occupy a large heterogeneous habitat upon which natural selection could differentially shape genetic variation. They also produce viable hybrids only found in Iceland. However, the possible footprint of natural selection on patterns of genetic variation within species and introgressive hybridization in Icelandic eels has never been assessed. We revisited amplified fragment length polymorphism data collected previously using population genomics and admixture analyses to test if (i) genetic variation could be influenced by non‐neutral mechanisms at both the intra‐ and interspecific levels, and if (ii) selection could shape the spatio‐temporal distribution of Icelandic hybrids. We first found candidate loci for directional selection within both species. Spatial distributions of allelic frequencies displayed by some of these loci were possibly related with the geographical patterns of life‐history traits in A. rostrata, and could have been shaped by natural selection associated with an environmental gradient along European coasts in A. anguilla. Second, we identified outlier loci at the interspecific level. Non‐neutral introgression was strongly suggested for some of these loci. We detected a locus at which typical A. rostrata allele hardly crossed the species genetic barrier, whereas three other loci showed accelerated patterns of introgression into A. anguilla in Iceland. Moreover, the level of introgression at these three loci increased from the glass eel to the yellow eel stage, supporting the hypothesis that differential survival of admixed genotypes partly explains the spatio‐temporal pattern of hybrid abundance previously documented in Iceland.
Chloroplast DNA phylogeography suggests a West African centre of origin for the baobab,Adansonia digitataL. (Bombacoideae, Malvaceae)
Authors: POCK TSY JEAN‐MICHEL LEONG , LUMARET ROSELYNE , MAYNE DIANA , VALL ABDALLAHI OULD MOHAMED , ABUTABA YAHIA I. M. , SAGNA MAURICE , RAOSETA SOAHARIN’NY ONY RAKOTONDRALAMBO , DANTHU PASCAL 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe African baobab (Adansonia digitataL.) is an emblematic, culturally important, and physically huge tropical tree species whose natural geographical distribution comprises most of tropical Africa, but also small patches of southern Arabia, and several Atlantic and Indian Ocean islands surrounding the African continent, notably including Madagascar. We analysed the polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism of five chloroplast DNA fragments obtained from 344 individuals ofA. digitatacollected from 74 populations covering the entire extant distribution range of the species. Our goal was to reconstruct the phylogeographical history of the species and, if possible, to identify its centre of origin, which has been a subject of controversy for many decades. We identified five haplotypes whose distribution is clearly geographically structured. Using several species ofAdansoniaand of closely related genera as outgroups, the haplotypes showed a clear phylogeographical pattern of three groups. Two are phylogenetically related to the outgroup taxa, and are distributed in West Africa. The third group is substantially more differentiated genetically from outgroup species, and it corresponds to southern and eastern Africa, Arabia and the Indian Ocean islands, including Madagascar. According to our results, the tetraploidA. digitata, or its diploid progenitor, probably originated in West Africa and migrated subsequently throughout the tropical parts of that continent, and beyond, by natural and human‐mediated terrestrial and overseas dispersal.
Unwinding the structure and function of the archaeal MCM helicase
Authors: Sakakibara Nozomi , Kelman Lori M. , Kelman Zvi 
Published: March 2009

SummaryDuring chromosomal DNA replication, the replicative helicase unwinds the duplex DNA to provide the single‐stranded DNA substrate for the polymerase. In archaea, the replicative helicase is the minichromosome maintenance (MCM) complex. The enzyme utilizes the energy of ATP hydrolysis to translocate along one strand of the duplex and unwind the complementary strand. Much progress has been made in elucidating structure and function since the first report on the biochemical properties of an archaeal MCM protein in 1999. We now know the biochemical and structural properties of the enzyme from several archaeal species and some of the mechanisms by which the enzyme is regulated. This review summarizes recent studies on the archaeal MCM protein and discusses the implications for helicase function and DNA replication in archaea.