bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Voltage‐gated potassium channel (Kv1) autoantibodies in patients with chagasic gut dysmotility and distribution of Kv1 channels in human enteric neuromusculature (autoantibodies in GI dysmotility)
Authors: Hubball A. W. , Lang B. , Souza M. A. N. , Curran O. D. , Martin J. E. , Knowles C. H. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractBackground  Autoantibodies directed against specific neuronal antigens are found in a significant number of patients with gastrointestinal neuromuscular diseases (GINMDs) secondary to neoplasia. This study examined the presence of antineuronal antibodies in idiopathic GINMD and GINMD secondary to South American Trypanosomiasis. The GI distribution of voltage‐gated potassium channels (VGKCs) was also investigated.Methods  Seventy‐three patients were included in the study with diagnoses of primary achalasia, enteric dysmotility, chronic intestinal pseudo‐obstruction, esophageal or colonic dysmotility secondary to Chagas’ disease. Sera were screened for specific antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase, voltage‐gated calcium channels (VGCCs; P/Q subtype), nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs; α3 subtype), and voltage‐gated potassium channels (VGKCs, KV1 subtype) using validated immunoprecipitation assays. The distribution of six VGKC subunits (KV1.1–1.6), including those known to be antigenic targets of anti‐VGKC antibodies was immunohistochemically investigated in all main human GI tract regions.Key Results  Three patients (14%) with chagasic GI dysmotility were found to have positive anti‐VGKC antibody titers. No antibodies were detected in patients with idiopathic GINMD. The VGKCs were found in enteric neurons at every level of the gut in unique yet overlapping distributions. The VGKC expression in GI smooth muscle was found to be limited to the esophagus.Conclusions & Inferences  A small proportion of patients with GI dysfunction secondary to Chagas’ disease have antibodies against VGKCs. The presence of these channels in the human enteric nervous system may have pathological relevance to the growing number of GINMDs with which anti‐VGKC antibodies have been associated.
Rectal hypersensitivity as hallmark for irritable bowel syndrome: defining the optimal cutoff
Authors: Ludidi S. , Conchillo J. M. , Keszthelyi D. , Van Avesaat M. , Kruimel J. W. , Jonkers D. M. , Masclee A. A. M. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractBackground  Visceral hypersensitivity is a frequently observed hallmark of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Studies have reported differently about the presence of visceral hypersensitivity in IBS resulting from lack of standardization of the barostat procedure and due to different criteria used to assess hypersensitivity. We aimed to calculate the optimal cutoff to detect visceral hypersensitivity in IBS.Methods  A total of 126 IBS patients and 30 healthy controls (HC) were included for assessment of visceroperception by barostat. Pain perception was assessed on a visual analogue scale (VAS). ROC‐curves were used to calculate optimal discriminative cutoff (pressure and VAS‐score) between IBS patients and HC to define hypersensitivity. Furthermore, pain perception to distension sequences below the pressure threshold for hypersensitivity was defined as allodynia.Key Results  Irritable bowel syndrome patients showed increased visceroperception compared to HC. Thresholds for first sensation and first pain were lower in IBS patients VS HC (P < 0.01). ROC‐curves showed optimal discrimination between IBS patients and HC at 26 mmHg with a VAS cutoff ≥20 mm. Using this criterion, hypersensitivity percentages were 63.5% and 6.6% in IBS patients and HC, respectively. No significant differences were observed between IBS subtypes. Allodynia was found in a small number of patients (11%).Conclusions & Inferences  Optimal cutoff for visceral hypersensitivity was found at pressure 26 mmHg with a VAS ≥20 mm, resulting in 63.5% of IBS patients being hypersensitive and 11% being allodynic. Standardization of barostat procedures and defining optimal cutoff values for hypersensitivity is warranted when employing rectal barostat measurements for research or clinical purposes.
Male quality, signal reliability and female choice: assessing the expectations of inter‐sexual selection
Authors: McLEAN M. J. , BISHOP P. J. , NAKAGAWA S. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractNumerous models have attempted to explain the evolution of extravagant male ornaments found in many species. Inter‐sexual indicator models postulate that male ornaments evolved as signals of quality, and that females use these signals to select the highest quality males. These models involve three traits – male quality, male signals and female preferences – and have specific expectations about the relative strengths of the phenotypic relationships between these traits. Using data from anuran species, we assessed the relative strengths of the phenotypic relationships using meta‐analysis. The relative strengths of these phenotypic correlations were as expected by indicator models, providing support for indicator models of inter‐sexual selection. We also found much variation in our data, suggesting that additional, untested factors may mediate inter‐sexual interactions in this taxon, such as differences in the importance of quality signalling between species. These factors require investigation, in order to improve our understanding of inter‐sexual selection.
Molecular Detection and Comparative Sequence Analysis of Viruses Infecting Fig Trees in Turkey
Authors: Elçi Eminur , Serçe Ç iğdem Ulubaş , Gazel Mona , Ç ağlayan Kadriye 
Published: May 2012

AbstractSeveral viruses infecting fig trees in Turkey have been identified recently. The samples were collected from the commonest fig cultivars showing typical mosaic symptoms and from symptomless plants from different fig growing regions of Turkey. They were tested for Fig leaf mottle‐associated virus 1‐2 (FLMaV1‐2), Fig mosaic virus (FMV), Fig latent virus‐1 (FLV‐1), Fig mild mottle‐associated virus (FMMaV), Arkansas fig closterovirus 1‐2 (AFCV1‐2), Fig badnavirus‐1 (FBV‐1) and Fig cryptic virus (FCV) by PCR and sequence analyses. One hundred fig trees were tested, and 83% of tested samples were found to be infected by at least one virus. Complex infections were detected in most of the samples, and the most common viruses were FBV‐1 and FMV with 82 and 79% infection ratios, respectively. The sequence analyses confirmed virus identity except for AFCV‐1 for which no sequence data are available in GenBank. Based on phylogenetic analysis, the sequences clustered into seven groups: FLV‐1, FMMaV, FBV‐1, FCV, FMV, AFCV‐1, FLMaV‐1, as expected, and no correlation was found between Turkish isolates depending on cultivars and provinces for these viruses.
Cigarette smoke augments the expression and responses of toll‐like receptor 3 in human macrophages
Authors: KOARAI AKIRA , YANAGISAWA SATORU , SUGIURA HISATOSHI , ICHIKAWA TOMOHIRO , AKAMATSU KEIICHIRO , HIRANO TSUNAHIKO , NAKANISHI MASANORI , MATSUNAGA KAZUTO , MINAKATA YOSHIAKI , ICHINOSE MASAKAZU 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACTBackground and objective:  Cigarette smoking is the main risk factor for the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Recently, toll‐like receptor 3 (TLR3) was shown to recognize pathogen‐associated molecular patterns, especially viral‐derived double‐stranded RNA, and to be involved in immune responses. However, the effects of cigarette smoke on TLR3 remain unclear. In this study, it was examined whether cigarette smoke affects the expression and responses of TLR3 in human macrophages.Methods:  The expression of TLR3 in alveolar macrophages from human lung tissues was analysed by immunohistochemistry, and the correlation of TLR3 expression with smoking history and lung function was evaluated. In addition, the effect of cigarette smoke on the expression and responses of TLR3 in macrophage lineage cells was investigated.Results:  TLR3‐positive alveolar macrophage numbers were significantly increased in smokers and COPD patients compared with non‐smoking control subjects, but there was no difference between smokers and COPD patients. TLR3‐positive macrophage numbers were positively correlated with smoking history and inversely correlated with corrected carbon monoxide diffusing capacity, but were not correlated with % predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s. Furthermore, cigarette smoke extract potentiated the expression of TLR3 in monocyte‐derived macrophages and significantly augmented the release of interleukin‐8, as well as total matrix metalloproteinase‐9 activity, in cells treated with TLR3 ligand.Conclusions:  These data suggest that cigarette smoke augments the expression and responses of TLR3 in human macrophages, and this may contribute to neutrophilic airway inflammation and parenchymal destruction in the lungs of smokers and patients with COPD.
A new genus of gall midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) from Australian Acacia
Authors: Kolesik Peter , Adair Robin J 
Published: May 2012

AbstractA new species of gall midge, Austroacacidiplosis botrycephalae Kolesik gen. et sp. n. induces conspicuous spherical, often red coloured, galls on leaves of Acacia deanei (R. T. Baker), Acacia decurrens Willd., Acacia baileyana F. Muell. and Acacia dealbata Link in south‐eastern Australia. A new genus is erected to contain the new species. Austroacacidiplosis belongs to the tribe Cecidomyiini and its closest relative is Acacidiplosis Gagné, an African genus containing species that induce galls on leaves and flower buds of acacias in Kenya.
Species distribution modelling in low‐interaction environments: Insights from a terrestrial Antarctic system
Authors: LEE JENNIFER E. , LE ROUX PETER C. , MEIKLEJOHN K. IAN , CHOWN STEVEN L. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractIt is widely acknowledged that in the terrestrial Antarctic, interspecific interactions are typically unimportant in determining species distributions and community structure. Therefore, correlative models should prove useful for predicting current and future spatial variation in species abundance patterns. However, this idea has not been formally tested, and the utility of such models, which have shown value for understanding the distribution of diversity elsewhere, for investigating biodiversity patterns in Antarctica remains unclear. Here we make a start at such tests by using generalized linear and simultaneous autoregressive models to demonstrate that simple environmental variables and information about the spatial structure of the environment can explain more than 90% of the variation in the abundance of Maudheimia wilsoni (Oribatida; Maudheimiidae), a representative of one of the most significant groups of Antarctic terrestrial arthropods, the mites. We show that a single environmental variable, maximum soil moisture content, can account for as much as 80% of the variance in the abundance of the mite, and that linear models with only a few environmental and spatial terms can be used to forecast the species abundance at the landscape scale. Given ongoing calls for better understanding of the distribution of Antarctic diversity and its likely future change, this initial test indicates that such modelling procedures, and more sophisticated versions thereof, hold much promise for the region and should be tested for other taxa with different life forms and habitat requirements.
Fungicide‐induced declines of freshwater biodiversity modify ecosystem functions and services
Authors: McMahon Taegan A. , Halstead Neal T. , Johnson Steven , Raffel Thomas R. , Romansic John M. , Crumrine Patrick W. , Rohr Jason R. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractAlthough studies on biodiversity and ecosystem function are often framed within the context of anthropogenic change, a central question that remains is how important are direct vs. indirect (via changes in biodiversity) effects of anthropogenic stressors on ecosystem functions in multitrophic‐level communities. Here, we quantify the effects of the fungicide chlorothalonil on 34 species‐, 2 community‐ and 11 ecosystem‐level responses in a multitrophic‐level system. At ecologically relevant concentrations, chlorothalonil increased mortality of amphibians, gastropods, zooplankton, algae and a macrophyte (reducing taxonomic richness), reduced decomposition and water clarity and elevated dissolved oxygen and net primary productivity. These ecosystem effects were indirect and predictable based on changes in taxonomic richness. A path analysis suggests that chlorothalonil‐induced reductions in biodiversity and top‐down and bottom‐up effects facilitated algal blooms that shifted ecosystem functions. This work emphasises the need to re‐evaluate the safety of chlorothalonil and to further link anthropogenic‐induced changes in biodiversity to altered ecosystem functions.
Phylogeny and systematics of Melanesia’s most diverse gecko lineage (Cyrtodactylus, Gekkonidae, Squamata)
Authors: Oliver Paul M. , Richards Stephen J. , Sistrom Mark 
Published: May 2012

Oliver, P.M., Richards, S.J. & Sistrom, M. (2012). Phylogeny and systematics of Melanesia’s most diverse gecko lineage (Cyrtodactylus, Gekkonidae, Squamata). —Zoologica Scripta, 41, 437–454.The systematics and biogeographical history of the diverse fauna of New Guinea and surrounding islands (Melanesia) remain poorly known. We present a phylogeny for 16 of the 21 recognised Melanesian bent‐toed geckos in the genus Cyrtodactylus based on mitochondrial sequence data. These analyses reveal two divergent lineages of Cyrtodactylus within Melanesia. One includes a single recognised species with clear affinities to sampled taxa from Asia. The other comprises a relatively diverse radiation (likely 30+ species), not closely related to sampled extralimital taxa and centred on the Melanesian region (including Australia). Many taxa within this second lineage are endemic to islands surrounding New Guinea, and dispersal and speciation on peripheral islands appears to have played an important role in the accumulation of species diversity within this clade. In contrast, little diversity is centred upon montane areas, although we do identify at least one lineage closely associated with hill and lower montane forest that probably dates to at least the late Miocene. Our phylogenetic analyses also reveal numerous divergent lineages that require taxonomic attention, including at least two widespread taxa that are likely to be composite, additional specimens of Cyrtodactylus capreoloides (until recently known only from the holotype) and several divergent and completely novel lineages, two of which we introduce herein: Cyrtodactylus arcanus sp. n. and Cyrtodactylus medioclivus sp. n.
Ramadan Prospective Diabetes Study: the role of drug dosage and timing alteration, active glucose monitoring and patient education
Authors: Ahmedani M. Y. , Haque M. S. , Basit A. , Fawwad A. , Alvi S. F. D. 
Published: May 2012

Diabet. Med. 29, 709–715 (2012)AbstractAims  To observe the effects of active glucose monitoring, alteration of drug dosage and timing, dietary counselling and patient education in the occurrence of acute diabetic complications in fasting individuals with diabetes during the month of Ramadan.Methods  This prospective study was conducted at the outpatient department of the Baqai Institute of Diabetology and Endocrinology. Two educational sessions, one about drug dosage and timing alteration and glucose monitoring, and the other about dietary and lifestyle modifications, were given to the patients by a doctor and a dietician, respectively. Patients who had been recruited were advised to note their blood glucose readings on a chart for at least 15 fasting days, twice a day with at least one reading in the fasting state.Results  A total of 3946 readings were obtained in 110 subjects; 82 readings were in the hypoglycaemic range, and there were 22 episodes of symptomatic hypoglycaemia and 60 episodes of biochemical hypoglycaemia observed in 27 patients. Seven patients experienced symptomatic hypoglycaemia, whereas 20 patients had biochemical hypoglycaemia. Symptomatic hypoglycaemic episodes showed a downward trend from weeks 1 to 4. The highest frequencies of hypo‐ and hyperglycaemic episodes were observed pre‐dawn. None of the patients developed diabetic ketoacidosis or hyperglycaemic hyperosmolar state.Conclusion  We observed that, with active glucose monitoring, alteration of drug dosage and timing, dietary counselling and patient education, the majority of the patients did not have any serious acute complications of diabetes during Ramadan.
Trait anxiety and glucose metabolism in people without diabetes: vulnerabilities among black women
Authors: Tsenkova V. K. , Albert M. A. , Georgiades A , Ryff C. D. 
Published: May 2012

Diabet. Med. 29, 803–806 (2012)AbstractAims  We examined whether the relationship between anxiety and indicators of glucose metabolism in people without diabetes varies by race and gender.Methods  Participants were 914 adults (777 white, 137 black) without diabetes in the MIDUS (Midlife in the USA) II study. Glucose metabolism was characterized by fasting glucose, insulin, HOMA‐IR (homeostasis model of assessment – insulin resistance), and HbA1c. Hierarchical linear regressions stratified by race and gender examined whether anxiety was associated with glucose metabolism.Results  After adjustment for potential confounders, positive relationships between anxiety and fasting glucose (P = 0.04), insulin (P = 0.01), and HOMA‐IR (P = 0.02) but not HbA1c, were observed in black women only.Conclusions  Our findings extend previous evidence for the links between psychosocial vulnerabilities and impaired glucose metabolism in black women, by documenting significant associations between anxiety and clinical indicators of glycaemic control among black women without diabetes. Thus, anxiety might constitute an intervention target in black women, a subgroup disproportionately affected by Type 2 diabetes, its complications, and premature mortality.
Is it good or bad to fish with FADs? What are the real impacts of the use of drifting FADs on pelagic marine ecosystems?
Authors: Dagorn Laurent , Holland Kim N. , Restrepo Victor , Moreno Gala 
Published: May 2012

AbstractThe use of fish aggregating devices (FADs) by purse seine fisheries has come under increasing criticism for its potential deleterious impacts on tuna stocks, for high levels of by‐catch and threats to the biodiversity of tropical pelagic ecosystems. Here, we review the current state of scientific knowledge of this fishing technique and current management strategies. Our intent is to encourage objective discussion of the topic and highlight areas worthy of future research. We show that catching juvenile tuna around FADs does not necessarily result in overfishing of stocks, although more selective fishing techniques would likely help obtain higher yield. Levels of non‐tuna by‐catch are comparable to or less than in other commercial tuna fisheries and are primarily comprised of species that are not considered threatened. Accordingly, to minimize impacts on ecosystem balance, there is merit in considering that all species captured in purse seine fisheries (excluding vulnerable species such as turtles and sharks) should be retained, but the consequences of such a measure should be carefully examined before implementation. The take of vulnerable species could be further reduced by introduction of additional mitigation measures, but their potential benefits would be limited without parallel efforts with other gears. Finally, there is no unequivocal empirical evidence that FADs represent an ‘ecological trap’ that inherently disrupts tuna biology although further research should focus on this issue. We encourage RFMOs to expand and improve their FAD management plans. Under appropriate management regimes, FAD fishing could be an ecologically and economically sensible fishing method.
Phylogeographic patterns of Buthus scorpions (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in the Maghreb and South‐Western Europe based on CO1 mtDNA sequences
Authors: Sousa P. , Harris D. J. , Froufe E. , van der Meijden A. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractThe genus Buthus is a medium diverse scorpion genus, with 35 species distributed from Portugal and Morocco ranging eastward to Yemen in the Arabic Peninsula. The bulk of the genus' known species diversity occurs in the Western Mediterranean area. A recent molecular study started to elucidate the patterns of diversity of this genus in the Iberian Peninsula and the Maghreb. Since then, the taxonomy of the genus has changed substantially, with several new species having been described, and with the elevation of former subspecies to species‐level. In this study, we assessed the patterns of diversity of Buthus scorpions from across the Maghreb region of North Africa using CO1 DNA sequence data. Based on our dataset of 147 sequences, including 67 new sequences, we recovered four well‐supported deep clades within Buthus scorpions from the Maghreb and Southern Europe. This further strengthens the support for cryptic diversity in the Maghreb region. The broader sampling of the Maghreb permitted a better understanding of the phylogeographic structure in this area. Three clades were restricted to Morocco and appear to have originated at the Atlantic Coast of this country, while the fourth was found throughout the region. We propose a model with two colonizing events to explain the distribution patterns across the Strait of Gibraltar, with an initial colonization from North Africa to Iberia followed by a reinvasion of the Rif Mountains region in Morocco.
Effect of duration of breastfeeding on neuropsychological development at 10 to 12 years of age in a cohort of healthy children
Authors: TOZZI ALBERTO EUGENIO , BISIACCHI PATRIZIA , TARANTINO VINCENZA , CHIAROTTI FLAVIA , D’ELIA LIDIA , DE MEI BARBARA , ROMANO MARIATERESA , GESUALDO FRANCESCO , SALMASO STEFANIA 
Published: May 2012

Aim  The aim of this article was to explore the effect of duration of breastfeeding on neurocognitive development.Method  The long‐term effect of breastfeeding on neurodevelopment was examined through a battery of neuropsychological tests in 1403 children (693 females, 710 males; mean age 11y 9mo [SD 6mo], range: 10y 3mo–12y 8mo) who were originally recruited at 6 to 12 weeks of age for a clinical trial on acellular pertussis vaccines. An estimated IQ was obtained from scores of the vocabulary, similarities, block design, and coding tests. Breastfeeding data had been prospectively collected throughout the first year of life. Duration of exclusive breastfeeding was defined as the time during which children received breast milk without receiving any supplemental formula or food. Children were assessed at 10 to 12 years of age. We adjusted the analysis on test scores for multiple potential confounders.Results  Multivariate analysis showed a significant association between exclusive breastfeeding duration and test scores in the vocabulary (odds ratio [OR] 0.05; confidence interval [CI] 0.00–0.10; p=0.04) and similarities (OR 0.06; CI 0.01–0.11; p=0.03) tests. These associations have a negligible effect size, however. Scores on one writing praxis test subcategory decreased with increasing duration of both exclusive breastfeeding (OR −0.06; CI −0.11 to −0.01; p=0.03) and breastfeeding irrespective of consumption of other foods (OR −0.06; CI −0.11 to −0.01; p=0.03). A negative association was also found between one subcategory of the California verbal learning test and breastfeeding duration longer than 6 months (OR −0.21; CI −0.42 to −0.01; p=0.04).Interpretation  Breastfed healthy children may perform better on neuropsychological tests in the language domain at 10 to 12 years of age. However, the effect of breast milk on neuropsychological performance in healthy children may have a limited clinical relevance and is confounded by parental education.