bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Abundance and exploitation of loggerhead turtles nesting in Boa Vista island, Cape Verde: the only substantial rookery in the eastern Atlantic
Authors: Marco A. , Abella E. , Liria‐Loza A. , Martins S. , López O. , Jiménez‐Bordón S. , Medina M. , Oujo C. , Gaona P. , Godley B. J. , López‐Jurado L. F. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractThe main nesting area for loggerhead turtles in the eastern Atlantic is in the Cape Verde Islands, largely restricted to the island of Boa Vista. Extensive monitoring demonstrated a globally significant population for the species despite a sustained high level of anthropogenic take of nesting females for local consumption. Through an extensive stratified monitoring program across the island in the seasons 2007–2009, we estimated a total of 13 955, 12 028 and 19 950 clutches in the 3 years, respectively. These values indicate that the mean number of nesting females averaged 3700. Considering that a female breed, on average, every 2.4 years, we estimate that the overall number of adult females in the population during these three seasons was 8900. These levels are much higher than those suggested in previous studies which were more constrained in spatial coverage. Our findings indicate that Cape Verde hosts the third largest nesting aggregation for this species in the world after the south‐eastern US and Oman, with some sites having a particularly high density of nests, facilitating targeted monitoring and conservation. Consumption of sea turtle meat is a traditional practice in Cape Verde that continues despite national sea turtle protection laws. We estimated that 36, 18 and 5% of nesting females were harvested in the 3 years of the study, respectively. Increasing beach protection and monitoring, ongoing educational programs and cooperative projects with local communities are urgently needed to further safeguard the only major loggerhead nesting aggregation in the eastern Atlantic.
Interspecific divergence of ionoregulatory physiology in killifish: insight into adaptation and speciation
Authors: Berdan E. L. , Fuller R. C. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractAdaptation to salinity is potentially a critical driving force of speciation in fishes. Here, we tested for differences in ion/osmoregulatory gene expression between two species of killifish Lucania goodei and L. parva that differ in salinity tolerance. Expression patterns of several genes encoding ion transport proteins were quantified for animals taken directly from populations that varied in salinity, as well as animals from a salinity transfer experiment. We found that L. parva, a euryhaline species, expressed higher levels of the genes involved in saltwater ion/osmoregulatory regulation than its stenohaline counterpart L. goodei (Na+/K+‐ATPase 1a and 1b, Na+‐K+‐2Cl‐ cotransporter 1 and glucocorticoid receptor) when exposed to a change in salinity in the laboratory. However, both species expressed similar levels for two of the three genes involved in freshwater osmoregulation (14‐3‐3a and V‐type H+‐ATPase). Surprisingly, we found little evidence for differential plasticity between L. parva and L. goodei in our salinity transfer experiment. Lucania parva expressed high levels of genes involved in both freshwater and saltwater ion/osmoregulation, while L. goodei only expressed high levels of genes involved in freshwater osmoregulation. These results indicate that L. parva may increase their transcript levels of osmoregulatory genes when faced with any type of salinity challenge. Thus, changes in ion/osmoregulatory physiology may be occurring post‐transcriptionally via differential RNA processing or enzyme activity. These findings provide unique insight into the ion/osmoregulatory physiology that underlies species and population differences in salinity tolerance.
Ancient microbial activity recorded in fracture fillings from granitic rocks (Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory, Sweden)
Authors: HEIM C. , LAUSMAA J. , SJÖVALL P. , TOPORSKI J. , DIEING T. , SIMON K. , HANSEN B. T. , KRONZ A. , ARP G. , REITNER J. , THIEL V. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractFracture minerals within the 1.8‐Ga‐old Äspö Diorite (Sweden) were investigated for fossil traces of subterranean microbial activity. To track the potential organic and inorganic biosignatures, an approach combining complementary analytical techniques of high lateral resolution was applied to drill core material obtained at −450 m depth in the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory. This approach included polarization microscopy, time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS), confocal Raman microscopy, electron microprobe (EMP) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS). The fracture mineral succession, consisting of fluorite and low‐temperature calcite, showed a thin (20–100 μm), dark amorphous layer lining the boundary between the two phases. Microscopic investigations of the amorphous layer revealed corrosion marks and, in places, branched tubular structures within the fluorite. Geochemical analysis showed significant accumulations of Si, Al, Mg, Fe and the light rare earth elements (REE) in the amorphous layer. In the same area, ToF‐SIMS imaging revealed abundant, partly functionalized organic moieties, for example, CxHy+, CxHyN+, CxHyO+. The presence of such functionalized organic compounds was corroborated by Raman imaging showing bands characteristic of C‐C, C‐N and C‐O bonds. According to its organic nature and the abundance of relatively unstable N‐ and O‐ heterocompounds, the organic‐rich amorphous layer is interpreted to represent the remains of a microbial biofilm that established much later than the initial cooling of the Precambrian host rock. Indeed, δ13C, δ18O and 87Sr/86Sr isotope data of the fracture minerals and the host rock point to an association with a fracture reactivation event in the most recent geological past.
Oral salmon calcitonin attenuates hyperglycaemia and preserves pancreatic beta‐cell area and function in Zucker diabetic fatty rats
Authors: Feigh M , Andreassen KV , Neutzsky‐Wulff AV , Petersen ST , Hansen C , Bay‐Jensen AC , Henriksen JE , Beck‐Nielsen H , Christiansen C , Henriksen K , Karsdal MA 
Published: April 2012

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSEOral salmon calcitonin (sCT), a dual‐action amylin and calcitonin receptor agonist, improved glucose homeostasis in diet‐induced obese rats. Here, we have evaluated the anti‐diabetic efficacy of oral sCT using parameters of glycaemic control and beta‐cell morphology in male Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats, a model of type 2 diabetes.EXPERIMENTAL APPROACHMale ZDF rats were treated with oral sCT (0.5, 1.0 or 2 mg·kg−1) or oral vehicle twice daily from age 8 to 18 weeks. Zucker lean rats served as control group. Fasting and non‐fasted blood glucose, glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and levels of pancreas and incretin hormones were determined. Oral glucose tolerance test and i.p. glucose tolerance test were compared, and beta‐cell area and function were evaluated.KEY RESULTSOral sCT treatment dose‐dependently attenuated fasting and non‐fasted hyperglycaemia during the intervention period. At the end of the study period, oral sCT treatment by dose decreased diabetic hyperglycaemia by ∼9 mM and reduced HbA1c levels by 1.7%. Furthermore, a pronounced reduction in glucose excursions was dose‐dependently observed for oral sCT treatment during oral glucose tolerance test. In addition, oral sCT treatment sustained hyperinsulinaemia and attenuated hyperglucagonaemia and hypersecretion of total glucagon‐like peptide‐1 predominantly in the basal state. Lastly, oral sCT treatment dose‐dependently improved pancreatic beta‐cell function and beta‐cell area at study end.CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONSOral sCT attenuated diabetic hyperglycaemia in male ZDF rats by improving postprandial glycaemic control, exerting an insulinotropic and glucagonostatic action in the basal state and by preserving pancreatic beta‐cell function and beta‐cell area.
Activation of endothelial and epithelial KCa2.3 calcium‐activated potassium channels by NS309 relaxes human small pulmonary arteries and bronchioles
Authors: Kroigaard Christel , Dalsgaard Thomas , Nielsen Gorm , Laursen Britt E , Pilegaard Hans , Köhler Ralf , Simonsen Ulf 
Published: April 2012

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSESmall (KCa2) and intermediate (KCa3.1) conductance calcium‐activated potassium channels (KCa) may contribute to both epithelium‐ and endothelium‐dependent relaxations, but this has not been established in human pulmonary arteries and bronchioles. Therefore, we investigated the expression of KCa2.3 and KCa3.1 channels, and hypothesized that activation of these channels would produce relaxation of human bronchioles and pulmonary arteries.EXPERIMENTAL APPROACHChannel expression and functional studies were conducted in human isolated small pulmonary arteries and bronchioles. KCa2 and KCa3.1 currents were examined in human small airways epithelial (HSAEpi) cells by whole‐cell patch clamp techniques.RESULTSWhile KCa2.3 expression was similar, KCa3.1 protein was more highly expressed in pulmonary arteries than bronchioles. Immunoreactive KCa2.3 and KCa3.1 proteins were found in both endothelium and epithelium. KCa currents were present in HSAEpi cells and sensitive to the KCa2.3 blocker UCL1684 and the KCa3.1 blocker TRAM‐34. In pulmonary arteries contracted by U46619 and in bronchioles contracted by histamine, the KCa2.3/ KCa3.1 activator, NS309, induced concentration‐dependent relaxations. NS309 was equally potent in relaxing pulmonary arteries, but less potent in bronchioles, than salbutamol. NS309 relaxations were blocked by the KCa2 channel blocker apamin, while the KCa3.1 channel blocker, charybdotoxin failed to reduce relaxation to NS309 (0.01–1 µM).CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONSKCa2.3 and KCa3.1 channels are expressed in the endothelium of human pulmonary arteries and epithelium of bronchioles. KCa2.3 channels contributed to endo‐ and epithelium‐dependent relaxations suggesting that these channels are potential targets for treatment of pulmonary hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Contractile, but not endothelial, dysfunction in early inflammatory arthritis: a possible role for matrix metalloproteinase‐9
Authors: Reynolds SL , Williams AS , Williams H , Smale S , Stephenson HJ , Amos N , George SJ , O'Donnell VB , Lang D 
Published: April 2012

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Excess morbidity/mortality in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with increased incidence of cardiovascular disease. In this ‘proof‐of‐concept’ study, vascular function was characterized in the murine collagen‐induced arthritis (mCIA) model, the benchmark choice for evaluation of the pathological processes and assessment of new therapies.EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Mice in the very early stages of arthritis development [and appropriate naïve (non‐immunized) age‐matched controls] were used in the study. Blood pressure was measured using tail cuff plethysmography. Vascular function in rings of isolated aorta was studied with isometric tension myography. Levels of NO metabolites (NOx), MMP‐9 protein and IL‐1β in plasma and MMP‐9 protein in aortic homogenates were quantified.KEY RESULTS Impaired vascular contractile responses in arthritis were unaffected by ex vivo inhibition of NOS (endothelial/neuronal and inducible) or COX activities. Endothelium‐dependent and ‐independent relaxation, plasma NOx and blood pressure were unaffected by arthritis. Plasma and aortic homogenate MMP‐9 protein levels were increased significantly in arthritis. Incubation of aortic tissues from naïve control animals with exogenous MMP‐9 impaired subsequent contractile responses, mirroring that observed in arthritis. A role for IL‐1β in perpetuating contractile dysfunction and increasing aortic MMP‐9 was excluded.CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS These data identify for the first time a relationship between early arthritis and contractile dysfunction and a possible role for MMP‐9 therein, in the absence of overt endothelial dysfunction or increased NO production. As such, MMP‐9 may constitute a significant target for early intervention in RA patients with a view to decreasing risk of cardiovascular disease.
Selective block of KATP channels: why the anti‐diabetic sulphonylureas and rosiglitazone have more in common than we thought
Authors: Dart Caroline 
Published: April 2012

Rosiglitazone, the thiazolidinedione class anti‐diabetic withdrawn from Europe in 2010 amid reports of adverse cardiovascular effects, is revealed by Yu et al. in this issue of the British Journal of Pharmacology to be a selective blocker of ATP‐sensitive potassium (KATP) channels. This seems little cause for excitement given that the closure of pancreatic KATP channels is integral to insulin secretion; and sulphonylureas, which inhibit KATP channels, are widely used to treat type II diabetes. However, rosiglitazone, whose primary targets are nuclear transcription factors that regulate genes involved in lipid metabolism, blocks KATP channels by a novel mechanism different to that of the sulphonylureas and has a worrying preference for blood flow–regulating vascular KATP channels. Identification of a new molecule that modulates KATP channel gating will not only tell us more about how these complex metabolic sensors work but also raises questions as to whether rosiglitazone suppresses the cardiovascular system's ability to cope with metabolic stress – a claim that has dogged the sulphonylureas for many years.LINKED ARTICLEThis article is a commentary on Yu et al., pp. 26–36 of this issue. To view this paper visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1476‐5381.2012.01934.x
The Strange Case of Dr. Bucaille: Notes for a Re‐examination
Authors: Bigliardi Stefano 
Published: April 2012

AbstractThe present essay focuses on the figure of Maurice Bucaille and on his contribution to the discourse on Islam and science. Its purpose is twofold. First of all, it aims to provide the reader with a concise map of the ideas of the French author, reconstructing their core and their interrelations. Furthermore, it aims to question what I define as “the apparent naivety” of Bucaille's work, a reason why he can sometimes be too easily dismissed, by pinpointing a number of original features of his intellectual activity. My argument is that Bucaille deserves more attention for two good reasons: firstly, because of the influence that he de facto exerts on Muslim societies, secondly, because of some highly specific characteristics of his discourse. Such features not only distinguish his contribution from analogous ones, but also give rise to interpretative questions, which have as yet been either overlooked or unsatisfactorily addressed. Closely connected to this thesis is the idea that Bucaille's work constitutes a good starting point for a discussion amongst scholars of different disciplines and from different cultural backgrounds. The first section reconstructs Bucaille's life and works. The second section focuses on his method and ideas regarding science. The third section is devoted to Bucaille's conclusions following his study of the Bible and the Qur'an, and therefore deals more closely with the core of his ideas. The fourth section covers Bucaille's complementary criticism of the theory of evolution. In the fifth section I examine the possible reasons behind the scant scholarly attention concerning Bucaille. In the final section I propose an interpretative model of Bucaille's figure conceived as a system of concentric spheres and I raise, for each one of them, several questions, which have so far been, in my view, insufficiently investigated, thus setting an agenda for further scholarly work.
Current limits and future challenges in the management of renal dysfunction in patients with cirrhosis: report from the International Club of Ascites
Authors: Angeli Paolo , Sanyal Arun , Moller Soren , Alessandria Carlo , Gadano Adrian , Kim Ray , Sarin Shiv K. , Bernardi Mauro 
Published: April 2012

AbstractAdvanced cirrhosis is often complicated by a multi organ failure syndrome which involves many different organs besides the liver. The high morbidity and mortality secondary to this clinical setting is often related to renal dysfunction, either alone or, more frequently, in combination with other organ dysfunction. A clear defintion of renal dysfunction, an accurate differential diagnostic process of its different phenotypes as well as of full understanding of its pathophysiological mechanisms are crucial to the development of strategies for the management of this complication. This article is based either on the more recent knowledge on renal dysfunction in advanced cirrhosis or current opinions among the members of the International Club of Ascites (ICA) on the management of this complication, obtained through a survey and discussed during the EASL‐ICA Joint Meeting in Berlin in March 2011. It reviews critically our current knowledge and it outlines future perspectives, on the management of renal dysfunction in patients with cirrhosis.
Asymmetric cortical surface area and morphology changes in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis
Authors: Alhusaini Saud , Doherty Colin P. , Palaniyappan Lena , Scanlon Cathy , Maguire Sinead , Brennan Paul , Delanty Norman , Fitzsimons Mary , Cavalleri Gianpiero L. 
Published: April 2012

SummaryPurpose:  To date, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)–based studies of the cerebral cortex in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) have focused primarily on investigating cortical volume and thickness. However, volume is a composite of surface area and thickness, each reflecting distinct neurobiologic and genetic processes. The goal of this study was to investigate cerebral cortex (1) surface area, (2) surface geometric distortion, and (3) thickness in MTLE with hippocampal sclerosis (HS).Methods:  Seventy patients with “sporadic” unilateral MTLE + HS and 40 healthy controls underwent T1‐weighted MRI. Processing MR images using an automated cortical surface reconstruction method (FreeSurfer), we quantified cortical surface area, surface geometric distortion (metric distortion), and thickness at each vertex across the entire cortex. Differences between patients and controls were determined using generalized linear models. Separate linear regression models were employed to assess the relationship between cortical surface area and hippocampal volume as well as a series of important clinical features of the condition.Key Findings:  We detected an asymmetric reduction in cortical surface area, predominantly in ipsilateral mesial and anterior temporal lobe subregions, of patients with MTLE + HS. Changes in surface geometric features were also evident and closely mirrored surface area patterns. In contrast, cortical thinning appeared dispersed across the cortex bilaterally. The regression models revealed that ipsilateral hippocampal volume was a significant predictor of temporal lobe surface area changes.Significance:  Our findings indicate that contraction in surface area, rather than cortical thinning, explains ipsilateral mesial and anterior temporal lobe atrophy in patients with MTLE with HS. Furthermore, the alterations in surface geometry indicate folding abnormality involving the same regions. Cortical surface changes may represent sequelae of the disease or deviant cortical development.
Choline Supplementation and DNA Methylation in the Hippocampus and Prefrontal Cortex of Rats Exposed to Alcohol During Development
Authors: Otero Nicha K. H. , Thomas Jennifer D. , Saski Christopher A. , Xia Xiaoxia , Kelly Sandra J. 
Published: April 2012

BackgroundSome of the most frequent deficits seen in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and in animal models of FASD are spatial memory impairments and impaired executive functioning, which are likely related to alcohol‐induced alterations of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC), respectively. Choline, a nutrient supplement, has been shown in a rat model to ameliorate some of alcohol's teratogenic effects, and this effect may be mediated through choline's effects on DNA methylation.MethodsAlcohol was given by intragastric intubation to rat pups during the neonatal period (postnatal days 2 to 10) (ET group), which is equivalent to the third trimester in humans and a period of heightened vulnerability of the brain to alcohol exposure. Control groups included an intubated control group given the intubation procedure without alcohol (IC) and a nontreated control group (NC). Choline or saline was administered subcutaneously to each subject from postnatal days 2 to 20. On postnatal day 21, the brains of the subjects were removed and assayed for global DNA methylation patterning as measured by chemiluminescence using the cpGlobal assay in both the hippocampal region and PFC.ResultsAlcohol exposure caused hypermethylation in the hippocampus and PFC, which was significantly reduced after choline supplementation. In contrast, control animals showed increases in DNA methylation in both regions after choline supplementation, suggesting that choline supplementation has different effects depending upon the initial state of the brain.ConclusionsThis study is the first to show changes in global DNA methylation of the hippocampal region and PFC after neonatal alcohol exposure. Choline supplementation impacts global DNA methylation in these 2 brain regions in alcohol‐exposed and control animals in a differential manner. The current findings suggest that both alcohol and choline have substantial impact on the epigenome in the PFC and hippocampus, and future studies will be needed to describe which gene families are impacted in such a way that function of the nervous system is changed.
Economic Allocation in Life Cycle Assessment
Authors: Ardente Fulvio , Cellura Maurizio 
Published: April 2012

SummaryThis article examines methods for analyzing allocation in life cycle assessment (LCA); it focuses on comparisons of economic allocation with other feasible alternatives. The International Organization for Standardization's (ISO) guideline 14044 indicates that economic allocation should only be used as a last resort, when other methods are not suitable. However, the LCA literature reports several examples of the use of economic allocation. This is due partly to its simplicity and partly to its ability to illustrate the properties of complex systems. Sometimes a price summarizes complex attributes of product or service quality that cannot be easily measured by physical criteria. On the other hand, economic allocation does have limitations arising, for example, from the variability of prices and the low correlation between prices and physical flows. This article presents the state of the debate on the topic and some hypothetical examples for illustration. A general conclusion is that it is not possible to determine one “best” allocation method. The allocation procedure has to be selected on a case‐by‐case basis and no single approach is suitable for every situation. Despite its limitations, economic allocation has certain qualities that make it flexible and potentially suitable for different contexts. In some situations, economic allocation should not be the last methodological resort. The option of economic allocation should be considered, for example, whenever the prices of coproducts and coservices differ widely.