bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Psychological therapies in bipolar disorder: the effect of illness history on relapse prevention – a systematic review
Authors: Lam Dominic H , Burbeck Rachel , Wright Kim , Pilling Steve 
Published: July 2009

Objectives:  Despite some encouraging outcomes and shared components of psychological therapies specific to bipolar disorders, not all studies found conclusively that the addition of a psychosocial intervention to pharmacological interventions improves outcomes. There was some tentative evidence from post hoc analyses that patients with more than 12 previous episodes did not benefit from psychoeducation or cognitive therapy. This paper presents a systematic review and meta‐analysis which examines the overall efficacy of bipolar disorder‐specific psychological therapies and the impact of the number of previous episodes on the efficacy of psychological therapies in relapse prevention.Methods:  Systematic literature searches of electronic databases and reference lists of existing reviews were carried out. The number of participants experiencing relapse in randomized, controlled studies was combined in a meta‐analysis to determine the overall treatment effect in relapse prevention. Metaregression modeling was used to examine whether the number of previous episodes confounded the number of relapses experienced by participants by the end of treatment.Results:  Meta‐analysis of relapse calculated an overall relative risk of 0.74 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.64–0.85] with some heterogeneity present (I2 = 43.3%). Metaregression of six studies showed no relationship between number of episodes and number of relapses by endpoint.Conclusion:  Psychological therapy specifically designed for bipolar disorder is effective in preventing or delaying relapses in bipolar disorders, and there is no clear evidence that the number of previous episodes moderated the effect.
How effective is recognition of siblings on the basis of genotype?
Authors: PATERSON S. , HURST J. L. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractThe ability to recognize kin based on genetic markers has been widely proposed as a mechanism to facilitate altruistic behaviour and inbreeding avoidance. Siblings are an important group of relatives to discriminate from unrelated individuals but present a problem, because siblings can share 0, 1 or 2 alleles at any single recognition locus. Here, we present a Bayesian model of kin recognition that defines the potential for genotypic information to convey kinship. Under the direct comparison model, where the signaller’s genotype is compared with that of the receiver, the odds ratio that a pair of individuals were siblings was substantially increased if they shared both alleles at a single locus, but only a minority of siblings were recognized; increasing the number of recognition loci used could not increase both the odds ratio and the proportion of siblings recognized. A maternal comparison model, where the signaller’s genotype is compared with that of the receiver’s mother, performed poorly when only a single recognition locus was considered, but became increasingly effective with more recognition loci. Nevertheless, incorporating partial‐matching information across multiple, independent loci are likely to be difficult. Further empirical work needs to establish the mechanistic basis of genetic kin recognition used by different taxa.
Functional replacement of a primary metabolic pathway via multiple independent eukaryote‐to‐eukaryote gene transfers and selective retention
Authors: NEDELCU A. M. , BLAKNEY A. J. C. , LOGUE K. D. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractAlthough lateral gene transfer (LGT) is now recognized as a major force in the evolution of prokaryotes, the contribution of LGT to the evolution and diversification of eukaryotes is less understood. Notably, transfers of complete pathways are believed to be less likely between eukaryotes, because the successful transfer of a pathway requires the physical clustering of functionally related genes. Here, we report that in one of the closest unicellular relatives of animals, the choanoflagellate, Monosiga, three genes whose products work together in the glutamate synthase cycle are of algal origin. The concerted retention of these three independently acquired genes is best explained as the consequence of a series of adaptive replacement events. More generally, this study argues that (i) eukaryote‐to‐eukaryote transfers of entire metabolic pathways are possible, (ii) adaptive functional replacements of primary pathways can occur, and (iii) functional replacements involving eukaryotic genes are likely to have also contributed to the evolution of eukaryotes. Lastly, these data underscore the potential contribution of algal genes to the evolution of nonphotosynthetic lineages.
Crows break off live camphor twigs: an avian disturbance effect on plants
Authors: Yamazaki K. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractBirds are usually considered beneficial partners for plants, acting as predators on herbivorous insects, pollinators and seed dispersal agents. However, in an urban area of central Japan, birds break off large quantities of live camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) twigs in winter. This loss of vegetative parts was examined quantitatively to estimate the impact on the trees. I also observed bird foraging behaviour to determine the species involved and the possible reasons underlying this destructive activity. Broken twigs on the forest floor were found to have numerous leaves and spring buds. The densities of leaves and buds in the litter were 288.5 and 54.4 m−2, respectively. The jungle crow (Corvus macrorhynchos) may have broken off the twigs either to peck the fruits while perching on stable branches, or possibly to remove twigs obstructing access to fruit. In contrast, brown‐eared bulbuls (Hypsipetes amaurotis), oriental turtle doves (Streptopelia orientalis) and rove doves (Columba livia) ate fruits without breaking twigs. The interaction between C. camphora and C. macrorhynchos only extends back for about 20 years in urban Japan, indicating that this is unlikely to be a stable, co‐evolved relationship.
Strain rate does not affect cortical microtubule orientation in the isolated epidermis of sunflower hypocotyls
Authors: Burian A. , Hejnowicz Z. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractA hypothesis exists that external and internal factors affect the orientation of cortical microtubules in as much as these lead to changes in cell elongation rate. Factors that stimulate elongation are proposed to lead to transverse microtubule orientation, whereas factors that inhibit elongation lead to longitudinal orientation. The elongation rate is equal to the rate of longitudinal irreversible strain in cell walls. Incubated epidermis peeled from sunflower hypocotyls does not extend unless it is stretched by loading and the pH of the incubation medium is appropriately low. Thus, peels provide a convenient model to investigate the relationship between longitudinal strain rate and cortical microtubule orientation. In the present study, it was found that peeling affects microtubule orientation. Peels were incubated for several hours in Murashige & Skoog medium (both unbuffered and buffered) to attain a steady state of microtubule orientation before loading. The effects of loading and pH on strain rate and orientation of microtubules under the outer epidermal walls were examined in three portions of peels positioned with respect to the cotyledonary node. Appropriate loading caused longitudinal strain of peels at pH 4.5 but not at pH 6.5. However, no clear effect of strain rate on microtubule orientation in the peels was observed. Independent of applied load and pH of the incubation medium, the microtubule orientation remained unchanged, i.e. orientation was mainly oblique. Our results show that strain rate does not affect cortical microtubule orientation in isolated epidermis of the sunflower hypocotyl model system, although orientation could be changed by white light.
Scanning Electron Microscopy of the Orbital Harderian Gland in the Male Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
Authors: Ortiz G. G. , Feria‐Velasco A. , Pacheco‐Moisés F. P. , Rodríguez‐Reinoso S. , Cruz‐Ramos J. A. , Rosales‐Corral S. A. , Reiter R. J. 
Published: July 2009

SummaryThe ultrastructure of the Harderian gland of Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We found the following surface features: the typical round appearance of the ascinar glandular unit with a finely granular surface, a thin cortex and immediately below two types of cells: type I cells (characterized by small lipid vacuoles) and type II cells (characterized by large lipid vacuoles). It has been suggested that different cells forms represent a single cell type in varying activity states. Additionally, a coalescent tubular complex, a small balloon‐like structures and large globular structures were observed. These structures may be reservoirs of secretion products.
Which components of malnutrition–inflammation–atherosclerosis syndrome are more common in haemodialysis patients with diabetic nephropathy?
Authors: JAKUSZEWSKI PIOTR , CZERWIEŃSKA BEATA , CHUDEK JERZY , WIĘCEK ANDRZEJ 
Published: July 2009

SUMMARY:Aim:  Malnutrition–inflammation–atherosclerosis syndrome (MIA) in haemodialysis (HD) patients is a common clinical condition characterized by increased mortality rate. The aim of this study was to analyze the frequency of MIA components in a selected population of HD patients with and without diabetic nephropathy.Methods:  The frequency of MIA components was analysed in 49 patients with an over 10‐year history of diabetes before initiation of HD (DM group) and 49 non‐diabetic HD patients (non‐DM group).Results:  The chance for occurrence of atherosclerosis (odds ratio = 3.26) was markedly higher in DM than non‐DM subjects. The most frequent MIA component in DM and non‐DM subjects was atherosclerosis (67.3% and 40.8%, respectively). Atherosclerosis frequently coexisted with inflammation in both groups (51.5% in DM and 20.0% in non‐DM) and less frequently with malnutrition. The frequency of inflammation was only slightly higher in DM, while of malnutrition was similar. Patients with atherosclerosis in the DM group had significantly higher serum concentrations of interleukin‐6 than the ones in the non‐DM group: 11 (6–24) versus 5 (2–9) pg/mL, respectively (P = 0.002).Conclusions:  We can conclude that: (i) atherosclerosis is more common in HD patients with diabetic nephropathy; and (ii) this fact may explain the poor outcome of these patients and indicates the challenge in diagnostic and therapeutic management.
Obesity does not increase the risk of lymph node metastases in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy and extended pelvic lymph node dissection
Authors: Briganti Alberto , Karakiewicz Pierre I , Chun Felix K‐H , Suardi Nazareno , Gallina Andrea , Abdollah Firas , Freschi Massimo , Doglioni Claudio , Rigatti Patrizio , Montorsi Francesco 
Published: July 2009

Objectives:  Several studies have shown that obesity is associated with more aggressive prostate cancer (PCa) variants. We hypothesized that obesity, quantified as body mass index (BMI), is associated with a higher risk of lymph node invasion (LNI) in patients undergoing extended pelvic lymph node dissection (ePLND).Methods:  Clinical and pathological data were available for 994 consecutive men with PCa treated with radical prostatectomy (RP) and ePLND at a single European tertiary academic centre. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses addressed the rate of LNI. Covariates consisted of pre‐treatment prostate specific antigen (PSA), biopsy Gleason sum, clinical stage history of diabetes mellitus as well as BMI coded as either continuous or categorized (<25, 25.0–29.9, 30 kg/m2 or more) variable. Predictive accuracy was assessed with area under curve estimates.Results:  Overall LNI was diagnosed in 105 patients (10.6%). Mean number of removed lymph nodes was 18.3 (range 7–60). Of all 994 patients, 372 (37.4%) were normal weight, 518 (52.1%) overweight, and 104 (10.5%) were clinically obese. Prevalence of LNI did not significantly differ across different BMI categories (<25, 25.0–29.9 and 30 kg/m2 or more; 9.9, 10.6 and 12.5%, respectively; P = 0.75). In logistic regression models, neither continuously coded nor categorized BMI was a significant predictor of LNI at univariable or multivariable analyses (all P‐values ≥0.1). Moreover, inclusion of BMI with PSA, clinical stage, biopsy Gleason sum and presence of DM did not increase the ability of these variables to predict LNI (82.2% without BMI vs 82.5% and 82.9% with BMI coded as continuous and categorized variable, respectively; all P ≥ 0.4).Conclusions:  In men undergoing RP and ePLND, increased BMI was not associated with increased risk of lymph node metastases. Therefore, routinely considering patient BMI in risk stratification schemes or prognostic LNI models may not be warranted.
Between a rock and a hard place: exploring the conflict between respecting the privacy of patients and informing their carers
Authors: Gold M. , Philip J. , McIver S. , Komesaroff P. A. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractBackground: A patient's right to privacy is considered fundamental to medical care, with physicians assuming the role of guardian of the clinical information which is conveyed to the patient. However, as a patient's health declines, physicians are often challenged by the need to protect patient privacy while addressing the expectations of the patient's carers, who seek medical information to provide appropriate care at home.Aims: This study sought to explore the expectations of patients, their carers and physicians regarding the communication of clinical information to carers.Methods: Surveys were distributed in outpatient clinics at a metropolitan quaternary hospital, with responses from 102 patients and carers, as well as 219 medical staff.Results: The expectations of patients and carers differed from those of medical staff. Physicians typically believed discussions with carers should begin following the patient's permission and at the patient's request. Patients and carers, however, believed information should be automatically offered or provided when questioned. Further, carers generally felt information updates should occur regularly and routinely, whereas physicians indicated updates should occur with prompting either by a major clinical change or in response to a carer's concern.Conclusion: Physicians should be aware that the expectations of patients and carers regarding information communication to carers may not match their own. Meanwhile, patients and carers should be made aware of the constraints upon physicians and should be encouraged to convey their preferences for information sharing. These tasks could be facilitated by the development of a prompt sheet to assist the clinical encounter.
Evidence for change in current–flux coupling of GLT1 at high glutamate concentrations in rat primary forebrain neurons and GLT1a‐expressing COS‐7 cells
Authors: Kabakov Anatoli Y. , Rosenberg Paul A. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractGlutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter of the central nervous system and is toxic to neurons even at low concentrations. GLT1, the rodent analog of human EAAT2, is primarily responsible for glutamate clearance in the cerebrum. GLT1 was thought to be expressed exclusively in astrocytes in the mature brain. Recently, however, GLT1a was demonstrated in excitatory axon terminals where synaptic glutamate concentration rises above 1 mm during excitatory transmission. GLT1 function in neurons with accurate control of both intracellular and extracellular solutions mimicking synaptic concentration gradients has never been studied. Here we characterized the kinetics of coupled glutamate transporter current in whole‐cell configuration and [3H]‐l‐glutamate uptake in cultured rat cerebral neurons across the entire range of synaptic glutamate concentrations. In both neurons and GLT1a‐transfected COS‐7 cells, the kinetics were similar and revealed two specific components: a high‐affinity component with glutamate kD value around 15 μm and a low‐affinity component with kD value around 0.2 mm. The specific low‐affinity component was discovered as a result of significant deviation of the transporter current from Michaelis–Menten kinetics in the 100–300 μm concentration range. Activation of the specific low‐affinity component led to a two‐fold decrease in the current/flux ratio, implying a change in the transport coupling. Our data indicate that GLT1 endogenously expressed in cultured rat forebrain neurons displays high and low glutamate affinity uptake components that are different in current–flux coupling ratios. This property is intrinsic to the protein because it was also observed in GLT1a‐transfected COS‐7 cells.
A small population of planktonic Flavobacteria with disproportionally high growth during the spring phytoplankton bloom in a prealpine lake
Authors: Zeder Michael , Peter Simone , Shabarova Tatiana , Pernthaler Jakob 
Published: July 2009

SummaryBacterioplankton growth in temperate Lake Zurich (Switzerland) was studied during the spring phytoplankton bloom by in situ techniques and short‐term dilution bioassays. A peak of chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentrations was followed by a rise of bacterial cell numbers and leucine assimilation rates, of the proportions of cells incorporating 5‐bromo‐2‐deoxyuridine (BrdU), and of community net growth rates in dilution cultures. Incorporation of BrdU was low in Betaproteobacteria (2 ± 1%), indicating that these bacteria did not incorporate the tracer. Pronounced growth of Betaproteobacteria in the enrichments was only observed after the decline of the phytoplankton bloom. An initial peak in the proportions of BrdU‐positive Actinobacteria (30%) preceded a distinct rise of their cell numbers during the period of the Chl a maximum. Cytophaga–Flavobacteria (CF) changed little in numbers, but featured high proportions of BrdU‐positive cells (28 ± 12%). Moreover, CF represented > 90% of all newly formed cells in dilution cultures before and during the phytoplankton bloom. One phylogenetic lineage of cultivable Flavobacteria (FLAV2) represented a small (0.5–1%) but highly active population in lake plankton. The growth rates of FLAV2 in dilution cultures doubled during the period of the Chl a maximum, indicating stimulation by phytoplankton exudates. Thus, CF, and specifically Flavobacteria, appeared to be substantially more important for carbon transfer in Lake Zurich spring bacterioplankton than was suggested by their standing stocks. The high in situ growth potential of these bacteria might have been counterbalanced by top‐down control.
Improved cardiovascular health following a progressive walking and dietary intervention for type 2 diabetes
Authors: Johnson S. T. , Bell G. J. , McCargar L. J. , Welsh R. S. , Bell R. C. 
Published: July 2009

Aim: To examine the impact of two different lifestyle programmes on cardiovascular health and glycaemic control among people with type 2 diabetes.Methods: A two‐phase 24‐week randomized trial. During the first phase, participants were to increase daily steps using a pedometer. At week 12, participants were randomly allocated to either an enhanced lifestyle programme (ELP) targeting walking speed or a basic lifestyle programme (BLP) targeting total daily steps. Both programmes focused on increasing the intake of low glycaemic index foods but utilized different goal setting strategies. Clinical measurements were completed at baseline, week 12 and week 24. Principal outcomes were change in resting pulse rate (PR) and glycated haemoglobin A1c (A1c) between week 12 and week 24 compared between groups using analysis of covariance.Results: Forty‐one participants [mean ± s.d. : age = 56.5 ± 7.2 years, body mass index (BMI) = 32.7 ± 6.1 kg/m2] were randomized. After 12 weeks, we observed an increase in average total daily steps of 1562 (95% confidence interval: 303–2821, p = 0.02). Weight, BMI and systolic and diastolic blood pressure improved (p < 0.01 for all). No changes were observed for energy intake. At week 24, those in the ELP had a lower resting PR (71 ± 12 b.p.m.) compared with those in the BLP (78 ± 12 b.p.m.) (adjusted p = 0.03), while no group differences for total daily steps or glycaemic control were observed.Conclusions: Improvements in cardiovascular health can be expected following a pedometer‐based lifestyle modification programme that progresses from walking more to walking faster.
Did the Maastricht treaty matter for macroeconomic performance? A difference‐in‐difference investigation
Authors: Baskaran Thushyanthan 
Published: July 2009

SUMMARYWe explore the impact of the Maastricht treaty on fiscal and macroeconomic outcomes in the EU with the difference‐in‐difference methodology. Our dataset covers 23 OECD countries over the 1975–2006 period. EU 15 countries are classified as the treatment and eight non‐EU OECD countries as the control group. The results indicate that the provisions in the Maastricht treaty have been either irrelevant or even harmful for fiscal and macroeconomic developments in the EU. Evidence for a detrimental impact of the Maastricht criteria is particularly strong for the period after the start of the third stage of EMU.
What Determines Rule of Law? An Empirical Investigation of Rival Models
Authors: Hansson Gustav 
Published: July 2009

SUMMARYIn the growing literature on the creation of institutions, the theories emphasizing colonial origin (Mauro, 1995), legal origin and religious affiliation (La Porta et al., 1999), Western European influence (Hall and Jones, 1999), and settler mortality (Acemoglu et al., 2001), have been especially influential. The validity and influence of these studies rests heavily on empirical modeling, which, since the theories are obviously closely related, might actually capture the same primary mechanism. It is therefore unclear whether the empirical relationships found are the same or if they are different. Therefore, this paper takes the empirical models seriously in order to discriminate among the existing models and to identify the model and variables that best explain the variation in institutional quality. The aim of this paper is thus to provide answers to the following questions: (i) Is there one model which explains more of the variation in institutional quality than the other models? (ii) Do these models capture the same information? And (iii), if we let the information in the data decide, which combination of variables would be selected?