bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fatty liver and insulin resistance in children with hypobetalipoproteinemia: the importance of aetiology
Authors: Della Corte Claudia , Fintini Danilo , Giordano Ugo , Cappa Marco , Brufani Claudia , Majo Fabio , Mennini Chiara , Nobili Valerio 
Published: July 2012

SummaryObjectiveHepatic steatosis is strongly associated with insulin resistance, but causative mechanisms that link these conditions are still largely unknown. Nowadays, it is difficult to establish whether fatty liver is the cause of insulin resistance or instead the complex metabolic derangements of insulin resistance determine hepatic steatosis and its progression to fibrosis. In patients with familial hypobetalipoproteinemia (FHBL), hepatic steatosis is because of the genetically determined defective form of apolipoprotein B, independently of metabolic derangements. Therefore patients with FHBL represent a good in vivo model to evaluate the relationships between fatty liver and insulin sensitivity.MethodsWe evaluated insulin resistance through HOMA‐IR in 60 children with echografic and histological features of steatosis; 30 of whom had nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and 30 had FHBL.ResultsAll patients had histological features of hepatic steatosis. Patients with FHBL were hypolipidemic, as expected. No significant differences between two groups were observed in liver function tests. IRI and HOMA‐IR were statistically higher in NAFLD subjects compared to the FHBL group.ConclusionIn our study, we demonstrated that in children with FHBL, hepatic steatosis is dissociated from insulin resistance. This finding suggests that fat accumulation per se may be not a sufficient causal factor leading to insulin resistance, and that other mediators may be involved in the development of alteration in glucose metabolism and metabolic syndrome in patients with NAFLD.
Sensory constraints on prey detection performance in an ensemble of vespertilionid understorey rain forest bats
Authors: Schmieder Daniela A. , Kingston Tigga , Hashim Rosli , Siemers Björn M. 
Published: July 2012

Summary1. Bats evolved different strategies to find prey close to vegetation. Previous studies on European bats of the genus Myotis (Vespertilionidae) revealed an association between echolocation call bandwidth and the ability to find and capture prey close to vegetation. Here, we investigated whether the role of call bandwidth in prey detection is a more general principle in bat sensory ecology. We focused on eight palaeotropical species of the vespertilionid subfamilies Kerivoulinae and Murininae, as they also achieve very broad bandwidths with the first harmonic of their echolocation calls.2. All species emitted calls of bandwidths broader than 90 kHz with extremely high start frequencies (max. 230 kHz), and all of five experimentally tested species were able to catch prey closer than 6 cm, occasionally even closer than 2·5 cm, to a standardized vegetation‐like background. The performance and call data corroborate the hypothesis that bats with very broadband calls and high‐frequency components have access to prey very close to vegetation and establish this as a more general principle in bat sensory ecology.3. In a second experiment, we questioned whether echolocation is the only sensory cue used by the bats to find prey. Echo‐acoustic prey dummies that did not smell or taste like arthropods and did not produce any sounds or movement were presented to all five species. In 80 of 83 cases, the bats caught or attempted to catch the dummy, indicating that the bats used only echo‐acoustic information for prey detection and recognition in our experiments.4. We then tested whether the sensory difficulty in finding prey close to clutter constrains the bats' attacks on prey – or whether flight manoeuvrability may be limiting – by manipulating the echo reflection properties of the background. The bats were able to find prey very slightly, but significantly closer to a background with lower echo reflection (an easier sensory task), which corroborates the limiting role of sensory performance.5. While silent, motionless prey close to and in vegetation will be accessible to these specialists, it will go undetected by other bats. This scenario supports the idea that sensory specialization mediates resource access and niche separation (‘sensory niche partitioning’).
Host manipulation revisited: no evidence for a causal link between altered photophobia and increased trophic transmission of amphipods infected with acanthocephalans
Authors: Perrot‐Minnot Marie‐Jeanne , Maddaleno Matthieu , Balourdet Aude , Cézilly Frank 
Published: July 2012

Summary1.Many parasites with complex life cycles critically rely on trophic transmission to pass from an intermediate host to a final host. Parasite‐induced behavioural alterations in intermediate hosts are often supposed to be adaptive through increasing the susceptibility of intermediate hosts to predation by final hosts. However, the evidence is so far only correlational, and direct evidence for a causal link between one single behavioural alteration and increased trophic transmission is still missing.2.Here, we addressed, for the first time, the relationship between increased vulnerability to fish predation and altered photophobia in an amphipod,Gammarus pulex, infected with a fish acanthocephalan,Pomphorhynchus tereticollis.3.In microcosms, naturally‐infected amphipods were significantly more vulnerable to fish predation than uninfected ones at two different light intensities. However, although variation in illumination significantly affected the extent of difference in photophobia between infected and uninfected individuals, it had no effect on predation bias towards infected amphipods.4.In addition, although an injection of a mixture of serotonin and fluoxetine in uninfected amphipods mimicked the parasite‐induced decreased photophobia, injected individuals were not more vulnerable to fish predation that uninfected ones injected with a control solution.5.Overall, our results indicate that the decreased photophobia in infected intermediate hosts does not play in itself a causal role in the trophic transmission of the parasite to its final host. The actual role a parasite‐induced behavioural alteration plays in trophic transmission should be carefully assessed before an adaptive interpretation is given.
The push and pull of climate change causes heterogeneous shifts in avian elevational ranges
Authors: Tingley Morgan W. , Koo Michelle S. , Moritz Craig , Rush Andrew C. , Beissinger Steven R. 
Published: July 2012

AbstractProjected effects of climate change on animal distributions primarily focus on consequences of temperature and largely ignore impacts of altered precipitation. While much evidence supports temperature‐driven range shifts, there is substantial heterogeneity in species' responses that remains poorly understood. We resampled breeding ranges of birds across three elevational transects in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, USA, that were extensively surveyed in the early 20th century. Presence–absence comparisons were made at 77 sites and occupancy models were used to separate significant range shifts from artifacts of false absences. Over the past century, rising temperature pushed species upslope while increased precipitation pulled them downslope, resulting in range shifts that were heterogeneous within species and among regions. While 84% of species shifted their elevational distribution, only 51% of upper or lower range boundary shifts were upslope. By comparison, 82% of range shifts were in a direction predicted by changes in either temperature or precipitation. Species were significantly more likely to shift elevational ranges than their ecological counterparts if they had small clutch sizes, defended all‐purpose territories, and were year‐round residents, results that were in opposition to a priori predictions from dispersal‐related hypotheses. Our results illustrate the complex interplay between species‐specific and region‐specific factors that structure patterns of breeding range change over long time periods. Future projections of increasing temperature and highly variable precipitation regimes create a strong potential for heterogeneous responses by species at range margins.
Sapling growth responses to warmer temperatures ‘cooled’ by browse pressure
Authors: Fisichelli Nicholas , Frelich Lee E. , Reich Peter B. 
Published: July 2012

AbstractRising temperatures are predicted to cause temperate tree species to expand north into currently boreal dominated forests. Other factors, such as overabundant deer, may hinder temperate expansion. We examined how interactions among temperature, browse pressure, light availability, and initial size impact height and radial growth of naturally regenerated, competing temperate and boreal saplings across their overlapping range limits in central North America. In 9 of 10 growth model comparisons, the inclusion of mean summer temperature and browse damage as explanatory variables strongly improved model performance over the base model with only initial size and light availability as parameters. Potential growth reductions due to browse damage and temperature limitation were similar in magnitude (up to ~50%). Temperate sapling growth increased and boreal growth decreased with temperature across a regional summer temperature gradient (2.3 °C), causing a rank reversal in growth rates, and suggesting that temperature is a key driver of sapling performance and range boundaries. However, under high browse pressure positive temperate responses to temperature were eliminated, essentially pushing the crossover point in growth between temperate and boreal species further south. These results highlight the importance of interactions among global change agents and potential impediments for tree species to track a rapidly changing climate.
The use of a rising plate meter to evaluate lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) height as an important agronomic trait enabling yield estimation
Authors: Hakl J. , Hrevušová Z. , Hejcman M. , Fuksa P. 
Published: July 2012

AbstractA rising plate meter (RPM) is an instrument used for the measurement of compressed sward height and estimation of yield on grasslands. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of an RPM to evaluate lucerne height as an agronomic trait enabling yield estimation. Compressed height (CH), stem length, plant and stem density and yield measurements were recorded from the late‐vegetative stage to flowering in the first cut and from the late‐bud stage to flowering in the second and third cuts, during three successive years. For lucerne maximal stem‐length prediction, CH could be used successfully (with R
2 over 0·90) in developmental stages before flowering and for stem lengths up to 80 cm, irrespective of stand density or order of cut. The dry‐matter yield of lucerne was better predicted using CH (R
2 = 0·72) than maximal stem length (MSL) (R
2 = 0·53). The recommended number of observations was 7–9 per treatment in the first cut and twice this in subsequent cuts because of higher variability in stand structure. The use of RPM to measure CH of lucerne is not recommended when MSL exceeds 80 cm, or in the case of lodging. RPM may also be suitable for similar forage crops with erect or semi‐erect stems, subject to consideration of disc weight and diameter. Heavy discs are unsuitable for lucerne height prediction but could be more suitable for yield prediction.
A technique for placement of apical MTA plugs using modified Thermafil carriers for the filling of canals with wide apices
Authors: Giovarruscio M. , Uccioli U. , Malentacca A. , Koller G. , Foschi F. , Mannocci F. 
Published: July 2012

AbstractAimTo describe a technique for the placement of apical Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) plugs in canals with wide apices.SummaryA novel technique to fill root canals with an apical diameter larger than 0.4 mm is presented. The technique includes three main stages; three Thermafil carriers of increasing size, previously de‐sheathed by removing the Gutta‐percha coating, are selected to engage 1, 2 and 3 mm short of the apex. Their use allows the negotiation of acute curvatures and ledged canals. Subsequently, an MTA plug matching the apical gauge is pre‐formed with a pellet block, placed and condensed using the modified carriers in sequence. The presented protocol for the management of teeth with apices of a diameter greater than 0.4 mm allows a favourable apical control of the MTA. Clinical cases completed using this methodology are presented.Key learning points

MTA placement in teeth with wide apices was facilitated by using de‐sheathed Thermafil carriers, to create an appropriate seal and stable platform for Gutta‐percha backfilling or subsequent fibre post placement.

The use of de‐sheathed Thermafil carriers of different sizes allows predictable placement of pre‐formed MTA plugs.

Gauging of Thermafil carriers enhances control of the condensation phase to limit the extrusion of MTA.
Loss of interactions with ants under cold climate in a regional myrmecophilous butterfly fauna
Authors: Pellissier Loïc , Litsios Glenn , Fiedler Konrad , Pottier Julien , Dubuis Anne , Pradervand Jean‐Nicolas , Salamin Nicolas , Guisan Antoine 
Published: July 2012

AbstractAim  Specialized mutualistic clades may revert and thus increase their autonomy and generalist characteristics. However, our understanding of the drivers that trigger reductions in mutualistic traits and of the consequences for the tolerance of these species to various environmental conditions remains limited. This study investigates the relationship between the environmental niche and the degree of myrmecophily (i.e. the ability to interact with ants) among members of the Lycaenidae.Location  The western Swiss Alps.Methods  We measured the tolerance of Lycaenidae species to low temperatures by comparing observations from a random stratified field sampling with climatic maps. We then compared the species‐specific degree of myrmecophily with the species range limits at colder temperatures while controlling for phylogenetic dependence. We further evaluated whether the community‐averaged degree of myrmecophily increases with temperature, as would be expected in the case of environmental filters acting on myrmecophilous species.Results  Twenty‐nine Lycaenidae species were found during sampling. Ancestral state reconstruction indicated that the 24 species of Polyommatinae displayed both strong myrmecophily and secondary loss of mutualism; these species were used in the subsequent statistical analyses. Species with a higher degree of ant interaction were, on average, more likely to inhabit warmer sites. Species inhabiting the coldest environments displayed little or no interaction with ants.Main conclusions  Colder climates at high elevations filter out species with a high degree of myrmecophily and may have been the direct evolutionary force that promoted the loss of mutualism. A larger taxon sampling across the Holarctic may help to distinguish between the ecological and evolutionary effects of climate.
From East Gondwana to Central America: historical biogeography of the Alstroemeriaceae
Authors: Chacón Juliana , de Assis Marta Camargo , Meerow Alan W. , Renner Susanne S. 
Published: July 2012

AbstractAim  The Alstroemeriaceae is among 28 angiosperm families shared between South America, New Zealand and/or Australia; here, we examine the biogeography of Alstroemeriaceae to better understand the climatic and geological settings for its diversification in the Neotropics. We also compare Alstroemeriaceae with the four other Southern Hemisphere families that expanded from Patagonia to the equator, to infer what factors may have permitted such expansions across biomes.Location  South America, Central America, Australia and New Zealand.Methods  Three chloroplast genes, one mitochondrial gene and one nuclear DNA region were sequenced for 153 accessions representing 125 of the 200 species of Alstroemeriaceae from throughout the distribution range; 25 outgroup taxa were included to securely infer evolutionary directions and be able to use both ingroup and outgroup fossil constraints. A relaxed‐clock model relied on up to three fossil calibrations, and ancestral ranges were inferred using statistical dispersal–vicariance analysis (S‐DIVA). Southern Hemisphere disjunctions in the flowering plants were reviewed for key biological traits, divergence times, migration directions and habitats occupied.Results  The obtained chronogram and ancestral area reconstruction imply that the most recent common ancestor of Colchicaceae and Alstroemeriaceae lived in the Late Cretaceous in southern South America/Australasia, the ancestral region of Alstroemeriaceae may have been South America/Antarctica, and a single New Zealand species is due to recent dispersal from South America. Chilean Alstroemeria diversified with the uplift of the Patagonian Andes c. 18 Ma, and a hummingbird‐pollinated clade (Bomarea) reached the northern Andes at 11–13 Ma. The South American Arid Diagonal (SAAD), a belt of arid vegetation caused by the onset of the Andean rain shadow 14–15 Ma, isolated a Brazilian clade of Alstroemeria from a basal Chilean/Argentinean grade.Main conclusions  Only Alstroemeriaceae, Calceolariaceae, Cunoniaceae, Escalloniaceae and Proteaceae have expanded and diversified from Patagonia far into tropical latitudes. All migrated northwards along the Andes, but also reached south‐eastern Brazil, in most cases after the origin of the SAAD. Our results from Alstroemeria now suggest that the SAAD may have been a major ecological barrier in southern South America.
Insular avian adaptations on two Neotropical continental islands
Authors: Wright Natalie A. , Steadman David W. 
Published: July 2012

AbstractAim Most studies of avian insular adaptations have focused on oceanic islands, which may not allow characters that are insular adaptations to be teased apart from those that benefit dispersal and colonization. Using birds on continental islands, we investigated characters that evolvedin situin response to insular environments created by late Pleistocene sea level rise.Location Trinidad and Tobago and continental South America.Methods We weighed fresh flight muscles and measured museum skeletal specimens of seven species of birds common to the continental islands of Trinidad and Tobago.Results When corrected for body size, study species exhibited significantly smaller flight muscles, sterna and sternal keels on Tobago than on larger Trinidad and continental South America. Tobago populations were more ‘insular’ in their morphologies than conspecifics on Trinidad or the continent in other ways as well, including having longer bills, longer wings, longer tails and longer legs.Main conclusions We hypothesize that the longer bills enhance foraging diversity, the longer wings and tails compensate for the smaller pectoral assemblage (allowing for retention of volancy, but with a probable reduction in flight power and speed), and the longer legs expand perching ability. Each of these differences is likely to be related to the lower diversity and fewer potential predators and competitors on Tobago compared with Trinidad. These patterns of smaller flight muscles and larger bills, legs, wings and tails in island birds are not the results of selection for island dispersal and colonization, but probably arose from selection pressures acting on populations already inhabiting these islands.
Gender differences in quality of life after stroke and TIA: a cross‐sectional survey of out‐patients
Authors: Franzén‐Dahlin Åsa , Laska Ann Charlotte 
Published: July 2012

Aims and objectives.  To explore how a stroke or a transient ischemic attack affects quality of life and to identify gender differences.Background.  The negative effect of a stroke on the patients’ quality of life has previously been studied, while the effect on patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) is more unknown, especially in relation to gender. As poor quality of life may have a negative effect on rehabilitation it is important to investigate quality of life in this group.Design.  A descriptive cross‐sectional survey.Methods.  All stroke and transient ischemic attack patients appointed to the out‐patient stroke clinic between May 2008–August 2009 were asked to complete the Nottingham Health Profile.Results.  Of 1048 patients, 379 (50%) of the stroke patients and 117 (40%) of the patients with transient ischemic attack completed the form within the first months after onset. Female stroke patients were significantly more negatively affected in all domains except the social domain than were male stroke patients. Female transient ischemic attack patients were significantly more negatively affected in all domains than were male transient ischemic attack patients. Male stroke patients had a significantly more negatively affected quality of life than male transient ischemic attack patients in the emotional, energy, social and total domains, while female stroke patients and female transient ischemic attack patients were equally negatively affected.Conclusions.  This study shows that female stroke patients are more negatively affected in their quality of life than male stroke patients and that female transient ischemic attack patients are as affected as female stroke patients. This indicates that female patients with both stroke and TIA need more attention concerning their life situation.Relevance to clinical practice.  Increased knowledge about how transient ischemic attack patients are affected, indicate that this group need support postdischarge to the same extension as stroke patients.
Quality of life of individuals with schizophrenia living in the community: relationship to socio‐demographic, clinical and psychosocial characteristics
Authors: Hsiao Chiu‐Yueh , Hsieh Ming‐Hong , Tseng Chiu‐Jung , Chien Shu‐Hui , Chang Ching‐Chi 
Published: July 2012

Aims and objectives.  To examine the level of quality of life in individuals with schizophrenia and to test its association with socio‐demographic, clinical and psychosocial characteristics.Background.  Quality of life has been a focus of concern in mental health care, yet the level of quality of life and its determinants for individuals with schizophrenia are not well known.Design.  Cross‐sectional, descriptive design.Methods.  A total of 148 individuals with schizophrenia participated in the study. A demographic information sheet, the 18‐item Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, the Chinese Health Questionnaires, the Mutuality Scale and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale, brief version, were used to collect data. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics, Pearson product–moment correlation and stepwise multiple linear regression.Results.  Most of participants were single, unemployed, had a low education level and were supported financially by family. Quality of life was positively correlated with age of mental illness onset, mutuality, employment status and monthly household income, whereas it was negatively associated with the length of mental illness, symptom severity and health status. Health status, mutuality, symptom severity, monthly household income and employment status were found to be key significant predictors with mutuality having the greatest effect on quality of life.Conclusions.  The findings increase our understanding of socio‐demographic, clinical and psychosocial characteristics influencing the degree of quality of life in individuals with schizophrenia. Incorporation of families and communities into the treatment programmes would enhance patients’ capabilities of social integration and satisfaction with their lives.Relevance to clinical practice.  Health care providers should make use of community‐oriented intervention programmes that aim to strengthen psychosocial functioning. Particularly, programmes that enhance health status and mutuality should be identified and developed for both individuals with schizophrenia and their families.