bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Metabolic rate, evaporative water loss and field activity in response to temperature in an ichneumonid wasp
Authors: Tomlinson S. , Phillips R. D. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractHigh ambient temperatures can adversely affect insects through high evaporative water loss (EWL) and reduction of metabolic activity through enzyme denaturation. Establishing the relationship between the temperature at which these processes become detrimental and regulatory behaviour is critical in resolving the mechanisms by which insects cope with physiologically stressful environments. Here, we compare levels of metabolic rate and EWL measured by flow‐through respirometry with field activity in the ichneumonid wasp Lissopimpla excelsa. Metabolic rate increased to a maximum of 10.8 ± 0.4 mLCO
2.g−1.h−1 at 35°C before decreasing to 8.4 ± 0.4 mLCO2.g−1.h−1 at T
a = 40°C. EWL showed an exponential pattern of increase, with a significant increase in EWL from T
a = 12°C to T
a = 35 and 40°C. Male wasps were active in the field from T
a = 20.1 to 36.8°C (peak activity T
a = 26.5°C and relative humidity = 44.4%), though activity levels were most strongly correlated with time of day. Being active in the mornings may be advantageous in that temperatures are warm enough to maintain activity but avoid excess energy expenditure and EWL. Furthermore, food or calling females may be most abundant during this period. Based on a consensus allometric scaling relationship derived for insect resting metabolic rates, the metabolic rate of L. excelsa at T
a = 25°C was higher than predicted, as was EWL. Since the present study is the first describing the metabolic physiology of an ichneumonid wasp, it remains unclear whether this pattern is characteristic of ichneumonids in general of L. excelsa in particular.
Darkening coat colour reveals life history and life expectancy of male Thornicroft's giraffes
Authors: Berry P. S. M. , Bercovitch F. B. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractMuch of the information available about the life history of the giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis, is derived from captive studies or short‐term field studies. The coat colour of male giraffes, especially the blotches, darkens with age, but no studies have systematically mapped the colour transition with chronological age based on long‐term data. We examine the value of using darkening coat colour as a biomarker of male age. We analyzed 33 years of data from 36 male Thornicroft's giraffes, G. c. thornicroftii, living in Zambia in order to document key milestones in male development. We found that the change in male pelage colouration takes an average of 1.8 years and that males are completely covered with coal‐black blotches at an average age of 9.4 years. Using lifetime data on male deaths and disappearances, combined with cross‐sectional records on coat‐colour transformation, we conclude that the average age of death among male giraffes is about 16 years old. The maximum lifespan of male giraffes is about 22 years compared with a maximum lifespan of about 28 years for female giraffes. We conclude that the possible proximate mechanisms and adaptive significance of male coat‐colour changes should be studied in more detail.
Amyloid neurotoxicity is attenuated by metallothionein: dual mechanisms at work
Authors: Kim Jong‐Heon , Nam Young‐Pyo , Jeon Sang‐Min , Han Hyung‐Soo , Suk Kyoungho 
Published: March 2012

J. Neurochem. (2012) 121, 751–762.AbstractAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a progressive loss of memory and cognition. One of the hallmarks of AD is the accumulation of beta‐amyloid (Aβ). Although endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress have been implicated in Aβ toxicity, the molecular mechanism(s) of Aβ‐induced neurotoxicity are not fully understood. In this study, we present evidence that the glia‐derived stress protein metallothionein (MT) attenuates Aβ‐induced neurotoxicity by unique mechanisms. MT expression was increased in brain astrocytes of a NSE‐APPsw transgenic mouse model of AD. Astrocyte‐derived MT protected N2a neuroblastoma cells and primary cortical neurons against Aβ toxicity with concurrent reduction of reactive oxygen species levels. MT reversed Aβ‐induced down‐regulation of Bcl‐2 and survival signaling in neuroblastoma cells. Moreover, MT inhibited Aβ‐induced proinflammatory cytokine production from microglia. The neurotoxicity of Aβ‐stimulated microglia was significantly attenuated by MT‐I. The results indicate that MT released from reactive astrocytes may antagonize Aβ neurotoxicity by direct inhibition of Aβ neurotoxicity and indirect suppression of neurotoxic microglial activation. These findings broaden the understanding of neurotoxic mechanisms of Aβ and the crosstalk between Aβ and MT in AD.
Cyanobacterial life at low O2: community genomics and function reveal metabolic versatility and extremely low diversity in a Great Lakes sinkhole mat
Authors: VOORHIES A. A. , BIDDANDA B. A. , KENDALL S. T. , JAIN S. , MARCUS D. N. , NOLD S. C. , SHELDON N. D. , DICK G. J. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractCyanobacteria are renowned as the mediators of Earth’s oxygenation. However, little is known about the cyanobacterial communities that flourished under the low‐O2 conditions that characterized most of their evolutionary history. Microbial mats in the submerged Middle Island Sinkhole of Lake Huron provide opportunities to investigate cyanobacteria under such persistent low‐O2 conditions. Here, venting groundwater rich in sulfate and low in O2 supports a unique benthic ecosystem of purple‐colored cyanobacterial mats. Beneath the mat is a layer of carbonate that is enriched in calcite and to a lesser extent dolomite. In situ benthic metabolism chambers revealed that the mats are net sinks for O2, suggesting primary production mechanisms other than oxygenic photosynthesis. Indeed, 14C‐bicarbonate uptake studies of autotrophic production show variable contributions from oxygenic and anoxygenic photosynthesis and chemosynthesis, presumably because of supply of sulfide. These results suggest the presence of either facultatively anoxygenic cyanobacteria or a mix of oxygenic/anoxygenic types of cyanobacteria. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing revealed a remarkably low‐diversity mat community dominated by just one genotype most closely related to the cyanobacterium Phormidium autumnale, for which an essentially complete genome was reconstructed. Also recovered were partial genomes from a second genotype of Phormidium and several Oscillatoria. Despite the taxonomic simplicity, diverse cyanobacterial genes putatively involved in sulfur oxidation were identified, suggesting a diversity of sulfide physiologies. The dominant Phormidium genome reflects versatile metabolism and physiology that is specialized for a communal lifestyle under fluctuating redox conditions and light availability. Overall, this study provides genomic and physiologic insights into low‐O2 cyanobacterial mat ecosystems that played crucial geobiological roles over long stretches of Earth history.
Aging brain microenvironment decreases hippocampal neurogenesis through Wnt‐mediated survivin signaling
Authors: Miranda Carlos J. , Braun Lyndsey , Jiang Yuying , Hester Mark E. , Zhang Ling , Riolo Matthew , Wang Haijuan , Rao Meghan , Altura Rachel A. , Kaspar Brian K. 
Published: March 2012

SummaryAccumulating evidence suggests that adult hippocampal neurogenesis relies on the controlled and continued proliferation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs). With age, neurogenesis decreases through mechanisms that remain unclear but are believed to involve changes in the NPC microenvironment. Here, we provide evidence that NPC proliferation in the adult brain is in part regulated by astrocytes via Wnt signaling and that this cellular cross‐talk is modified in the aging brain, leading to decreased proliferation of NPCs. Furthermore, we show that astrocytes regulate the NPC cell cycle by acting on the expression levels of survivin, a known mitotic regulator. Among cell cycle genes found down‐regulated in aged NPCs, survivin was the only one that restored NPC proliferation in the aged brain. Our results provide a mechanism for the gradual loss of neurogenesis in the brain associated with aging and suggest that targeted modulation of survivin expression directly or through Wnt signaling could be used to stimulate adult neurogenesis.
Health‐related quality of life: cross‐informant agreement of father, mother, and self‐report for children and adolescents in outpatient psychotherapy treatment
Authors: Weitkamp Katharina , Daniels Judith , Rosenthal Sandra , Romer Georg , Wiegand‐Grefe Silke 
Published: March 2012

BackgroundTo study the cross‐informant agreement between father, mother harm avoidance and child rating of health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in a psychiatric sample.MethodsData were obtained from 127 children and adolescents (aged 6–18) commencing outpatient psychotherapy treatment, mainly for anxiety, depressive, and externalising disorders. A total of 100 mothers, 69 fathers harm avoidance and 76 children (aged 11 years and older) filled out questionnaires. HRQoL was measured with the KIDSCREEN‐27.ResultsCross‐informant agreement was moderate to high between parents and moderate to low between father–child and mother–child pairs. Both parents reported lower HRQoL than the children themselves. Standardised discrepancies correlated with gender, overall and internalising pathology, as well as harm avoidance to a small degree.ConclusionsAlthough there was moderate‐to‐high correspondence, mother and father reports were not interchangeable. When collecting a single‐parent proxy rating on the child's HRQoL, researchers should be aware of the additional potential source of variance due to differing concordance of father and mother with the child's self‐report especially for peer relations.
A role for neuropeptide Y in the gender‐specific gastrointestinal, corticosterone and feeding responses to stress
Authors: Forbes S , Herzog H , Cox HM 
Published: March 2012

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Exposure to an acute stress inhibits gastric emptying and stimulates colonic transit via central neuropeptide Y (NPY) pathways; however, peripheral involvement is uncertain. The anxiogenic phenotype of NPY−/− mice is gender‐dependent, raising the possibility that stress‐induced gastrointestinal (GI) responses are female‐dominant through NPY. The aim of this study was to determine GI transit rates, corticosterone levels and food intake after acute restraint (AR) or novel environment (NE) stress in male and female NPY−/− and WT mice.EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Upper gastrointestinal transit (UGIT) (established 30 min after oral gavage) and corticosterone levels were determined under basal or restrained conditions (30 min) and after treatment i.p. with Y1 antagonist BIBO3304 or Y2 antagonist BIIE0246. Faecal pellet output (FPO) was established after AR and treatment i.p. with NPY in the NE, as were colonic bead expulsion rates.KEY RESULTS UGIT and FPO were similar in unrestrained male and female mice. NPY−/− females displayed significantly slower UGIT than NPY−/− males after AR, but both genders displayed significantly higher FPO and reduced food intake relative to WT counterparts. Peripheral NPY treatment increased bead expulsion time in WT mice. AR male NPY−/− mice had higher levels of corticosterone than male WT mice; whilst in AR WT mice, after peripheral Y1 and Y2 receptor antagonism in males, and Y2 antagonism in females, corticosterone was significantly elevated.CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS NPY possesses a role in the gender‐dependent susceptibility to stress‐induced GI responses. Furthermore, NPY inhibits GI motility through Y2 receptors and corticosterone release via peripheral Y1 and Y2 receptors.
Accuracy of Diagnostic Tests for Helicobacter pylori in Patients with Peptic Ulcer Bleeding
Authors: Choi Yoon J. , Kim Nayoung , Lim Jihwan , Jo So Y. , Shin Cheol M. , Lee Hye S. , Lee Sang H. , Park Young S. , Hwang Jin‐Hyeok , Kim Jin‐Wook , Jeong Sook‐Hyang , Lee Dong H. , Jung Hyun C. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractBackground and Aims:  To assess the validity of biopsy‐based tests (histology, culture, and urease test) and serology in detecting current H. pylori infection for the peptic ulcer patients who had gastric bleeding.Methods:  A total of 398 peptic ulcer patients were enrolled and divided into two groups, according to the presence or absence of bleeding. The diagnosis for current H. pylori infection was verified using the gold standard combining individual H. pylori tests. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the culture, Campylobacter‐like organism (CLO) test (urease test), histology, and serology were compared.Results:  Of the total study population (N = 398), 157 (39.4%) patients were categorized into the bleeding group. The sensitivities of the culture (40.0%) and CLO (85.0%) in the bleeding group were significantly lower than culture (58.1%) and CLO (96.4%) in the nonbleeding group (p = .012 and p < .001, respectively). In the bleeding group, the sensitivity of CLO (85.0%) was significantly lower than histology (92.5%) and serology (97.4%) (p = .013 and p = .002, respectively), which was not found in the nonbleeding group. The specificity of serology in the bleeding group (56.3%) was significantly lower than that of nonbleeding group (74.2%) (p = .038). Similarly, the specificity of serology was significantly lower than the other H. pylori tests in the bleeders.Conclusions:  Bleeding decreased the sensitivity of H. pylori tests in patients with peptic ulcer, especially in urease test or culture. In contrast, histology was found to be a quite reliable test, regardless of the presence of bleeding.
Non‐invasive Genotyping of Helicobacter pylori cagA, vacA, and hopQ from Asymptomatic Children
Authors: Sicinschi Liviu A. , Correa Pelayo , Bravo Luis E. , Peek Richard M. , Wilson Keith T. , Loh John T. , Yepez Maria C. , Gold Benjamin D. , Thompson Dexter T. , Cover Timothy L. , Schneider Barbara G. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractBackground:  Helicobacter pylori infection is usually acquired in childhood, but little is known about its natural history in asymptomatic children, primarily due to the paucity of non‐invasive diagnostic methods. H. pylori strains harboring cagA and specific alleles of hopQ and vacA are associated with increased risk for gastric cancer. Many studies of H. pylori virulence markers in children have the bias that symptomatic subjects are selected for endoscopy, and these children may harbor the most virulent strains. Our aim is to genotype cagA, hopQ, and vacA alleles in stool DNA samples of healthy Colombian children residing in an area with high incidence of gastric cancer, to avoid selection bias resulting from endoscopy.Methods:  H. pylori status of 86 asymptomatic children was assessed by 13C‐urea breath test (UBT) and PCR. H. pylori 16S rRNA, cagA, hopQ, and vacA genes were amplified from stool DNA samples and sequenced.Results:  UBT was positive in 69 (80.2%) of 86 children; in stool DNA analysis, 78.3% were positive by 16S rRNA PCR. cagA, vacA, and hopQ were detected in 66.1%, 84.6%, and 72.3% of stool DNA samples from 16S rRNA‐positive children. Of the children’s DNA samples, which revealed vacA and hopQ alleles, 91.7% showed vacA s1 and 73.7% showed type I hopQ. Type I hopQ alleles were associated with cagA positivity and vacA s1 genotypes (p < 0.0001).Conclusions:  Using stool DNA samples, virulence markers of H. pylori were successfully genotyped in a high percentage of the asymptomatic infected children, revealing a high prevalence of genotypes associated with virulence. Type I hopQ alleles were associated with the presence of cagA and the vacA s1 genotype.
Association of Inflammation and Cytotoxin‐Associated Gene A Positive Strains of Helicobacter Pylori in Cardiac Syndrome X
Authors: Rasmi Yousef , Raeisi Sina , Seyyed Mohammadzad Mir H. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractBackground:  Cardiac syndrome X (CSX) is a condition in which patients have the pain of angina despite normal coronary angiogram. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection causes chronic inflammation which may play a pathogenic role in CSX. We surveyed the association of inflammation with H. pylori and its virulent strain (cytotoxin‐associated gene A positive; CagA+) infections with CSX.Material and Methods:  Sixty patients with CSX (38 women/22 men; mean age: 51.8 ± 12.3) and 60 age‐ and gender‐matched healthy controls (39 women/21 men; mean age: 48.9 ± 6.3) were enrolled.Plasma samples were tested for the presence of IgG antibody to H. pylori using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. IgG‐ positive patients were determined by the presence of IgG antibody to CagA, also by ELISA method. Also, plasma levels of interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) were measured by ELISA method.Results:  Patients with CSX were detected to have significantly higher plasma IL‐6 and TNF‐α level in comparison with normal controls (33.6 ± 3.5 vs 3.2 ± 0.4 and 24.2 ± 2.3 vs 3.1 ± 0.4, respectively; p < 0.01). The plasma levels of these inflammatory factors in CgA+ were significantly higher than those in CagA− (CSX: IL‐6: 43.05 ± 5.04 vs 23.97 ± 4.58 and TNF‐α: 31.43 ± 3.13 vs 16.47 ± 2.93, Controls: IL‐6: 3.52 ± 1.39 vs 2.90 ± 0.67 and TNF‐α: 5.39 ± 1.17 vs 2.22 ± 0.43, respectively; p < 0.05).Conclusion:  The CagA+ strain of H. pylori, can not only be a trigger, and may also have a role via chronic inflammation in the pathogenesis of CSX.
Comparison of Demographic Characteristics and Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Findings in HIV‐Positive, Antiretroviral‐Treated Patients With and Without Helicobacter pylori Coinfection
Authors: Nkuize Marcel , De Wit Stephane , Muls Vinciane , Ntounda Ruffin , Gomez‐Galdon Maria , Buset Michel 
Published: March 2012

AbstractObjectives:  We evaluated demographic characteristics in HIV‐positive patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) who had upper gastrointestinal (UGI) symptoms requiring UGI endoscopy and compared the findings in patients with and without H. Pylori coinfection.Methods:  We prospectively observed all HIV‐infected patients treated with antiretroviral therapy who underwent UGI endoscopy for the first time and were tested for H. pylori from January 2004 to December 2008. Data collected included the following: demographics (age, gender, ethnicity, body mass index [BMI], tobacco use, alcohol intake, and HIV risk behavior); comorbidity (viral hepatitis B or C, any organ dysfunction, or opportunistic disease); medication, including antibiotics, H2 blockers, proton pump inhibitors, and NSAIDs; CD4 cell counts, viral load; symptoms; and endoscopic and histologic diagnoses (H. pylori determined by Giemsa staining). Patients were compared according to H. pylori status (presence vs absence).Results:  One hundred and forty‐five patients were evaluated. Compared to patients without H. pylori infection (n = 97), those with H. pylori infection (n = 48) had a significantly higher CD4 cell count (p = .008), were more likely to be heterosexual (p = .047), had a higher BMI (p = .027), had a greater incidence of duodenal ulcers (p = .005), had lower viral loads (p < .01), were less likely to have received macrolide antibiotics in the last 3 months (p = .00), and had less comorbidity (p = .03). They were also more frequently of Black African than Caucasians. In multivariate analysis, being heterosexual and having a low viral load were independently associated with an increased risk of having H. Pylori coinfection.Conclusion:  In the antiretroviral therapy era, HIV–H. pylori coinfection is associated with a greater incidence of duodenal ulcers and higher CD4 counts, higher BMI, less comorbidity, and less frequent use of macrolides.
Particle Flow Analysis
Authors: Arvidsson Rickard , Molander Sverker , Sandén Björn A. 
Published: March 2012

SummarySeveral authors have highlighted the potential risks of nanoparticles (NPs). Still, little is known about the magnitude of emissions of NPs from society. Here, the method of explorative particle flow analysis (PFA), a modification of the more well‐known substance flow analysis (SFA), is suggested. In explorative PFA, particle number instead of mass is used as flow and stock metric and explorative scenarios are used to account for potential technology diffusion and, consequently, potentially higher emissions. The method has been applied in a case study of the use phase of titanium dioxide (TiO2) NPs in paint, sunscreen and self‐cleaning cement. The results indicate that the current largest emissions of TiO2 NPs originate from the use of sunscreen. One scenario implies that, in the future, the largest flows and stocks of TiO2 NPs could be related to self‐cleaning cement. Gaps in current knowledge are identified and suggestions for future research are given.
Splenectomy and/or cyclophosphamide as salvage therapies in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: the French TMA Reference Center experience
Authors: Beloncle François , Buffet Marc , Coindre Jean‐Philippe , Munoz‐Bongrand Nicolas , Malot Sandrine , Pène Frédéric , Mira Jean‐Paul , Galicier Lionel , Guidet Bertrand , Baudel Jean‐Luc , Subra Jean‐François , Tanguy‐Schmidt Aline , Pourrat Jacques , Azoulay Elie , Veyradier Agnès , Coppo Paul ,   for the Thrombotic Microangiopathies Reference Center
Published: March 2012

BACKGROUND: The objective was to assess the efficacy and safety of splenectomy and cyclophosphamide as salvage therapies in severe thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: During a 10‐year period, patients who did not improve with plasma exchanges, steroids, vincristine, and/or rituximab were considered for splenectomy or cyclophosphamide. Patients with a documented severe (<10% of normal value) acquired ADAMTS13 deficiency are reported here.RESULTS: Eighteen patients with a severe acquired ADAMTS13 deficiency required a salvage therapy. Thirteen patients had a splenectomy 19 (interquartile range [IQR], 10‐51) days after TTP diagnosis. One patient died the day after splenectomy. The remaining patients improved platelets (PLTs) until Day 6, along with a rapid and major lactate dehydrogenase improvement. Six patients, however, subsequently experienced a transient worsening. Durable PLT count recovery in survivors was observed within 13 (IQR, 11.5‐25.5) days. Postoperative complications included thromboembolic events (two cases) and infections (five cases). Five patients received pulses of cyclophosphamide 12 (IQR, 12‐15) days after TTP diagnosis. All patients recovered PLTs 10 (IQR, 9‐24) days after the first pulse and two experienced a transient worsening. Three patients experienced infections. Three relapses occurred 5 months, 2.5 years, and 4.5 years after splenectomy and one relapse occurred 3.5 years after cyclophosphamide. After a 2.5 (IQR, 0.75‐6.2)‐year follow‐up, the overall survival was 94%.CONCLUSION: Cyclophosphamide and splenectomy provide comparable high remission rates in severe TTP with acceptable side effects and should be considered in the more severe patients who do not improve with other therapies.
The Inextricable Link between Sovereign Debt and Pensions in Argentina, 1993–2010
Authors: Datz Giselle 
Published: March 2012

AbstractEstablished with the reform of 1993, Argentina’s private pension funds became crucial sources of credit for the national government. They purchased large amounts of sovereign bonds defaulted on in 2001 and hence were key to the success of the debt restructuring of 2005. The private pillar was always vulnerable to political maneuvering; the nationalization of private pension funds in 2008 was only the last stage in an iterated process of state intervention, a function of public debt dynamics. This article argues that the financial pressures associated with Argentina’s sovereign debt burden systematically shortened the temporality of pension policy decisions, taking those away from long-term concerns about the stability of the social security system and toward the immediacy of debt-financing imperatives. Therefore, the politics of pension reform reversal in Argentina were determined by the increasingly strong and inextricable link between debt and pensions.