bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Predictors of stunting and thinness in post-menarcheal adolescent girls in rural Bangladesh
Authors: Rah Jee H , Christian Parul , Shamim Abu Ahmed , Arju Ummeh T , Labrique Alain B , Rashid Mahbubur 
Published: April 2009

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the nutritional status and risk factors of undernutrition in post-menarcheal girls in rural northern Bangladesh.DesignCross-sectional data on anthropometric measurements, dietary intake, work activity, morbidity and socio-economic status were collected from 12- to 19-year-old primigravidae (n 209) and never-pregnant adolescents (n 456) matched on age and time since menarche. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine predictors of stunting, thinness, upper-arm muscle (UAMZ) and fat area Z-scores (UAFZ) among the adolescent girls.ResultsA large proportion of adolescents (49 %) were stunted (height-for-age Z-score <−2) and underweight (40 %; weight-for-age Z-score <−2), but not thin (BMI-for-age <5th percentile; ∼10 %). The mean (sd) UAMZ and UAFZ of the adolescent girls was −0·3 (0·64) and −0·9 (0·40), respectively. Lean mass increased whereas fat mass declined with age. Both stunting and thinness were positively associated with age and time since menarche (P < 0·05). Young age (12–14 years) and literacy were protective against stunting among pregnant adolescents (OR = 0·29, 95 % CI 0·09, 0·88 and OR = 0·50, 95 % CI 0·26, 0·96, respectively). Having symptoms of diarrhoea or dysentery (OR = 7·40, 95 % CI 1·43, 38·29) predicted thinness and was associated with lower UAMZ and UAFZ among never-pregnant girls (both P < 0·05). Performing light-to-moderate activities was protective against thinness among never-pregnant girls (OR = 0·43, 95 % CI 0·22, 0·82), whereas pregnant adolescents who performed high levels of strenuous activities had greater UAMZ (P < 0·05).ConclusionUndernutrition was widespread among this post-menarcheal adolescent population. Younger and literate adolescents were less likely to be stunted, whereas thinness and body composition were associated with morbidity and work activity.
Disparities in fruit and vegetable supply: a potential health concern in the greater Québec City area
Authors: Pouliot Nathalie , Hamelin Anne-Marie 
Published: April 2009

AbstractObjectiveThe present study explores the spatial distribution and in-store availability of fresh fruits and vegetables from a socio-environmental perspective in terms of the type of food store, level of deprivation and the setting (urban/rural) where the food outlets are located.DesignSeven types of fresh fruit and vegetable stores (FVS) were identified then visited in six districts (urban setting) and seven communities (rural setting). The quantity and diversity of fresh fruits and vegetables (F&V) were also assessed.SettingQuébec City, Canada.ResultsThe FVS spatial distribution showed differences between the two settings, with accessibility to supermarkets being more limited in rural settings. The quantity and diversity of fresh F&V in-store availability were associated with the type of FVS, but not with setting or its level of deprivation. Greengrocers and supermarkets offered a greater quantity and diversity of fresh F&V than the other FVS.ConclusionsThe results suggest that inequalities in physical access to fresh F&V across the region could have an impact on public health planning considering that supermarkets, which are one of the excellent sources of F&V, are less prevalent in rural settings.
Factors influencing eating a varied diet in old age
Authors: Dean Moira , Raats Monique M , Grunert Klaus G , Lumbers Margaret ,   The Food in Later Life Team
Published: April 2009

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the influences of resources and food-related goals on the variety of food choice among older people.DesignA questionnaire-based survey in eight European countries: Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Italy and Spain.SubjectsParticipants (n3200) were above 65 years of age and living in their own homes. The samples were quota samples, eight groups of fifty in each country, based on gender, age and living circumstances, reflecting the diversity of each of the national populations based on education, income and urbanization of living environment.ResultsHierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that income, health status, access to a car and living arrangement affected the level of dietary variety. The perceived level of different food-related resources impacted the consumption of a varied diet over and above actual resource levels. Food-related goals contributed to variety of food intake that was not accounted for by the amount of material resources possessed or the social and other resources perceived to be possessed.ConclusionsOlder people’s variety of food intake depended on material resources (e.g. monthly income, access to a car, living arrangement, physical and mental health). However, in addition to these variables, the way older people perceived other resources, such as their level of appetite, their food knowledge, their perception of the distance to the shops, access to high-quality products, having better kitchen facilities, access to good service providers and support from friends and neighbours, all contributed to how varied a diet they ate.
Overexpression of the malate–aspartate NADH shuttle member Aralar1 in the clonal β-cell line BRIN-BD11 enhances amino-acid-stimulated insulin secretion and cell metabolism
Authors: Bender Katrin , Maechler Pierre , McClenaghan Neville H. , Flatt Peter R. , Newsholme Philip 
Published: April 2009

In the present study, we have investigated the effects of the transduction with recombinant adenovirus AdCA-Aralar1 (aspartate–glutamate carrier 1) on the metabolism, function and secretory properties of the glucose- and amino-acid-responsive clonal insulin-secreting cell line BRIN-BD11. Aralar1 overexpression increased long-term (24 h) and acute (20 min) glucose- and amino-acid-stimulated insulin secretion, cellular glucose metabolism, L-alanine and L-glutamine consumption, cellular ATP and glutamate concentrations, and stimulated glutamate release. However, cellular triacylglycerol and glycogen contents were decreased as was lactate production. These findings indicate that increased malate–aspartate shuttle activity positively shifted β-cell metabolism, thereby increasing glycolysis capacity, stimulus–secretion coupling and, ultimately, enhancing insulin secretion. We conclude that Aralar1 is a key metabolic control site in insulin-secreting cells.
ELISA-BASE: an integrated bioinformatics tool for analyzing and tracking ELISA microarray data
Authors: White Amanda M. , Collett James R. , Seurynck-Servoss Shannon L. , Daly Don S. , Zangar Richard C. 
Published: April 2009

Abstract
Summary:ELISA-BASE is an open source database for capturing, organizing and analyzing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) microarray data. ELISA-BASE is an extension of the BioArray Software Environment (BASE) database system.
Availability: http://www.pnl.gov/statistics/ProMAT/ELISA-BASE.stm.
Contact: amanda.white@pnl.gov
DnaSP v5: a software for comprehensive analysis of DNA polymorphism data
Authors: Librado P. , Rozas J. 
Published: April 2009

Abstract
Motivation: DnaSP is a software package for a comprehensive analysis of DNA polymorphism data. Version 5 implements a number of new features and analytical methods allowing extensive DNA polymorphism analyses on large datasets. Among other features, the newly implemented methods allow for: (i) analyses on multiple data files; (ii) haplotype phasing; (iii) analyses on insertion/deletion polymorphism data; (iv) visualizing sliding window results integrated with available genome annotations in the UCSC browser.
Availability: Freely available to academic users from: http://www.ub.edu/dnasp
Contact: jrozas@ub.edu
Functional diversity in a marine fish community
Authors: Gifford Dian J. , Collie Jeremy S. , Steele John H. 
Published: April 2009

Abstract
Gifford, D. J., Collie, J. S., and Steele, J. H. 2009. Functional diversity in a marine fish community. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 791–796. Calculations of fluxes in an end-to-end foodweb linear steady-state budget model are used to estimate constraints on the Georges Bank fish community that operate through decade-scale changes in nutrient input and fishing effort. The effects of these constraints are described in terms of fish functional groups and species diversity, and compensatory responses in fish community structure are considered. It is concluded that the overall fish community, rather than individual species, is resilient to external stresses imposed by combined fishing pressure and food limitation.
The average three-dimensional target strength of fish by spheroid model for sonar surveys
Authors: Tang Yong , Nishimori Yasushi , Furusawa Masahiko 
Published: April 2009

Abstract
Tang, Y., Nishimori, Y., and Furusawa, M. 2009. The average three-dimensional target strength of fish by spheroid model for sonar surveys. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 1176–1183. When surveying fish schools by sonar, the fish are insonified from various directions. Because the fish target strength (TS) has three-dimensional directivity, according to its orientation relative to the sonar beam, the TS must be appropriately averaged. By connecting the geometries of the sonar beam and the fish body, the relationship between the apparent orientation of fish, as viewed by the sonar, and the actual orientation in space is derived. Using this relationship, equations for calculating the three-dimensional-averaged TS (<TS>3D) are presented. A prolate-spheroid, modal-series, scattering model is then used to determine the characteristics of <TS>3D against various parameters, such as fish attitudes, fish length, sonar frequency, and method of beam scanning. The model is evaluated with two boundary conditions at the spheroid surface: a gas-fluid boundary relevant to fish with a swimbladder, and a fluid-fluid boundary relevant to fish without a swimbladder. The results reveal that <TS>3D varies greatly with the horizontal aspect (yaw angle), but only slightly with the vertical aspect (pitch angle) of the fish. The difference in <TS>3D between the side-on aspect and the end-on (head or tail) aspect increases with the ratio of the fish length to the acoustic wavelength.
First Report of Stem Blight on Perilla (Perilla frutescens) Caused by Corynespora cassiicola in Korea
Authors: Lee H. B. , Kim C. J. , Mun H. Y. 
Published: April 2009

Perilla or kkaennip (Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton), an annual herb of the mint family, Lamiaceae, is used in salads and kimchi and for wrapping sliced raw fish. In September 2007, a disease occurred on greenhouse-produced perilla (cv. Manchu) in Gwangyang and Jeonnam provinces, Korea. Symptoms included leaf blight and irregularly shaped stem lesions approximately 1 to 3 cm long. Plants eventually died. In some greenhouses, 10 to 30%, and occasionally as much as 70%, of the plants were affected. Isolations on potato dextrose agar yielded a fungus with single conidiophores (439 to 656 [average 524] μm long × 6.2 to 11.6 [average 9.2] μm wide) with three to eight septa. Conidia were fusiform, obclavate to subcylindrical, straight or curved, and 30.4 to 180.1 (average 98.2) μm long × 6.7 to 18.1 (average 10.5) μm wide with 5 to 16 (commonly 13) distosepta. On the basis of morphological data and ITS rDNA sequences, the fungus was identified as Corynespora cassiicola (Berk. & Curt.) Wei. (1,2). Sequences of one isolate, EML-COR1, were more than 99% identical to sequences of C. cassiicola ATCC64204 (GenBank Accession No. AY238606) and C. cassiicola (GenBank Accession No. EF490450). In pathogenicity tests, the stems and leaves of two 2-month-old wounded and nonwounded potted plants (cv. Manchu) were sprayed until runoff with a conidial suspension of 5 × 104 conidia per ml. The plants were maintained for 48 h in a humid chamber and then moved to a greenhouse. Symptoms similar to those observed in the commercial greenhouse developed on wounded stems within 10 days. On nonwounded plants, symptoms developed 3 to 4 weeks after inoculation. C. cassiicola was reisolated from these lesions. Control plants (sprayed with distilled water) remained symptomless. The experiment was repeated with similar results. Although C. cassiicola causes blight of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), and other crops, to our knowledge, this is the first report of C. cassiicola on perilla. References: (1) M. B. Ellis. Page 372 in: Dematiaceous Hyphomycetes. 1971. (2) J. L. D. Silva et al. Plant Pathol. 55:580, 2006.
Detection and Molecular Characterization of a ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’-Related Strain Infecting Sasa fortunei in China
Authors: Zhang C. P. , Min H. , Zheng X. , Yu X. Q. , Zhang H. , Wu Y. F. 
Published: April 2009

Bamboos are ecologically and economically valuable plants. Young shoots of almost all species are edible, either raw or cooked, and are major components of Asian cuisine while culms are used for furniture or handicrafts as well as fuel wood. Symptoms indicative of phytoplasma disease were observed on Sasa fortunei (van Houtte) Fiori during a survey in Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China during 2007. Symptoms included internode shortening, a mosaic pattern on leaves of diminished size, stunted growth, and death of entire plants. Total nucleic acids were extracted from leaf veins of 10 diseased plants and 6 symptomless plants with a modified cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide (CTAB) method (1). Phytoplasma infection of plants was demonstrated by a nested PCR assay employing primer pair R16mF2/R16mR1 followed by R16F2n/R16R2 (2), which generated a 16S rDNA product of approximately 1.2 kb from all symptomatic plants only. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis by digestion of nested PCR products with restriction enzymes AluI and MseI indicated that S. fortunei plants contained group 16SrI (aster yellows), subgroup B phytoplasmas. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of phytoplasma 16S rDNA from S. fortunei (GenBank Accession No. FJ501958) revealed this strain to be very similar (99.7 and 99.6%, respectively) to phytoplasmas previously associated with Henon bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra) witches'-broom (GenBank Accession No. AB242433) (4) and sasa (S. borealis) witches'-broom (GenBank Accession No. AB293421) in Korea but less so (98.6%) to bamboo (Phyllostachys spp.) witches'-broom (GenBank Accession No. AY635145) disease in China (3). To our knowledge, this is the first report of a ‘Ca. Phytoplasma asteris’-related strain infecting S. fortunei in China. References: (1) E. Angelini et al. Vitis 40:79, 2001. (2) D. E. Gundersen and I.-M. Lee. Phytopathol. Mediterr. 35:144, 1996. (3) C. Hong et al. Plant Prot. 31:39, 2005. (4) H. Jung et al. J. Gen. Plant Pathol. 72:261, 2006.
Multilevel Analysis of Primary Metabolism Provides New Insights into the Role of Potassium Nutrition for Glycolysis and Nitrogen Assimilation in Arabidopsis Roots
Authors: Armengaud Patrick , Sulpice Ronan , Miller Anthony J. , Stitt Mark , Amtmann Anna , Gibon Yves 
Published: April 2009

Abstract
Potassium (K) is required in large quantities by growing crops, but faced with high fertilizer prices, farmers often neglect K application in favor of nitrogen and phosphorus. As a result, large areas of farmland are now depleted of K. K deficiency affects the metabolite content of crops with negative consequences for nutritional quality, mechanical stability, and pathogen/pest resistance. Known functions of K in solute transport, protein synthesis, and enzyme activation point to a close relationship between K and metabolism, but it is unclear which of these are the most critical ones and should be targeted in biotechnological efforts to improve K usage efficiency. To identify metabolic targets and signaling components of K stress, we adopted a multilevel approach combining transcript profiles with enzyme activities and metabolite profiles of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants subjected to low K and K resupply. Roots and shoots were analyzed separately. Our results show that regulation of enzymes at the level of transcripts and proteins is likely to play an important role in plant adaptation to K deficiency by (1) maintaining carbon flux into amino acids and proteins, (2) decreasing negative metabolic charge, and (3) increasing the nitrogen-carbon ratio in amino acids. However, changes in transcripts and enzyme activities do not explain the strong and reversible depletion of pyruvate and accumulation of sugars observed in the roots of low-K plants. We propose that the primary cause of metabolic disorders in low-K plants resides in the direct inhibition of pyruvate kinase activity by low cytoplasmic K in root cells.
Exploring the Ultrastructural Localization and Biosynthesis of β(1,4)-Galactan in Pinus radiata Compression Wood
Authors: Mast Steven W. , Donaldson Lloyd , Torr Kirk , Phillips Lorelle , Flint Heather , West Mark , Strabala Timothy J. , Wagner Armin 
Published: April 2009

Abstract
Softwood species such as pines react to gravitropic stimuli by producing compression wood, which unlike normal wood contains significant amounts of β(1,4)-galactan. Currently, little is known regarding the biosynthesis or physiological function of this polymer or the regulation of its deposition. The subcellular location of β(1,4)-galactan in developing tracheids was investigated in Pinus radiata D. Don using anti-β(1,4)-galactan antibodies to gain insight into its possible physiological role in compression wood. β(1,4)-Galactan was prominent and evenly distributed throughout the S2 layer of developing tracheid cell walls in P. radiata compression wood. In contrast, β(1,4)-galactan was not detected in normal wood. Greatly reduced antibody labeling was observed in fully lignified compression wood tracheids, implying that lignification results in masking of the epitope. To begin to understand the biosynthesis of galactan and its regulation, an assay was developed to monitor the enzyme that elongates the β(1,4)-galactan backbone in pine. A β(1,4)-galactosyltransferase (GalT) activity capable of extending 2-aminopyridine-labeled galacto-oligosaccharides was found to be associated with microsomes. Digestion of the enzymatic products using a β(1,4)-specific endogalactanase confirmed the production of β(1,4)-galactan by this enzyme. This GalT activity was substantially higher in compression wood relative to normal wood. Characterization of the identified pine GalT enzyme activity revealed pH and temperature optima of 7.0 and 20°C, respectively. The β(1,4)-galactan produced by the pine GalT had a higher degree of polymerization than most pectic galactans found in angiosperms. This observation is consistent with the high degree of polymerization of the naturally occurring β(1,4)-galactan in pine.
Timing and Biosynthetic Potential for Carotenoid Accumulation in Genetically Diverse Germplasm of Maize
Authors: Vallabhaneni Ratnakar , Wurtzel Eleanore T. 
Published: April 2009

Abstract
Enhancement of the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway in food crops benefits human health and adds commercial value of natural food colorants. However, predictable metabolic engineering or breeding is limited by the incomplete understanding of endogenous pathway regulation, including rate-controlling steps and timing of expression in carotenogenic tissues. The grass family (Poaceae) contains major crop staples, including maize (Zea mays), wheat (Triticum aestivum), rice (Oryza sativa), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), and millet (Pennisetum glaucum). Maize carotenogenesis was investigated using a novel approach to discover genes encoding limiting biosynthetic steps in the nutritionally targeted seed endosperm. A combination of bioinformatics and cloning were first used to identify and map gene families encoding enzymes in maize and other grasses. These enzymes represented upstream pathways for isopentenyl diphosphate and geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthesis and the downstream carotenoid biosynthetic pathway, including conversion to abscisic acid. A maize germplasm collection was used for statistical testing of the correlation between carotenoid content and candidate gene transcript levels. Multiple pathway bottlenecks for isoprenoid biosynthesis and carotenoid biosynthesis were discovered in specific temporal windows of endosperm development. Transcript levels of paralogs encoding isoprenoid isopentenyl diphosphate and geranylgeranyl diphosphate-producing enzymes, DXS3, DXR, HDR, and GGPPS1, were found to positively correlate with endosperm carotenoid content. For carotenoid pathway enzymes, transcript levels for CrtISO inversely correlated with seed carotenoid content, as compared with positive correlation of PSY1 transcripts. Since zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP) depletes the carotenoid pool in subsequent conversion to abscisic acid, ZEP transcripts were examined. Carotenoid accumulation was found to be inversely associated with ZEP1 and ZEP2 transcript levels. Extension of the maize results using phylogenetic analysis identified orthologs in other grass species that may serve as potential metabolic engineering targets.
Two-Step Regulation ofLAX PANICLE1Protein Accumulation in Axillary Meristem Formation in Rice
Authors: Oikawa Tetsuo , Kyozuka Junko 
Published: April 2009

AbstractAxillary meristem (AM) formation is an important determinant of plant architecture. In rice (Oryza sativa), LAX PANICLE1 (LAX1) function is required for the generation of AM throughout the plant's lifespan. Here, we show a close relationship between AM initiation and leaf development; specifically, the plastochron 4 (P4) stage of leaf development is crucial for the proliferation of meristematic cells. Coincident with this, LAX1 expression starts in the axils of leaves at P4 stage. LAX1 mRNA accumulates in two to three layers of cells in the boundary region between the initiating AM and the shoot apical meristem. In lax1 mutants, the proliferation of meristematic cells is initiated but fails to progress into the formation of AM. The difference in sites of LAX1 mRNA expression and its action suggests non-cell-autonomous characteristics of LAX1 function. We found that LAX1 protein is trafficked to AM in a stage- and direction-specific manner. Furthermore, we present evidence that LAX1 protein movement is required for the full function of LAX1. Thus, we propose that LAX1 protein accumulates transiently in the initiating AM at P4 stage by a strict regulation of mRNA expression and a subsequent control of protein trafficking. This two-step regulation is crucial to the establishment of the new AM.
Controlled Enlargement of the Glycoprotein Vesicle Surrounding aVolvoxEmbryo Requires the InvB Nucleotide-Sugar Transporter and Is Required for Normal Morphogenesis
Authors: Ueki Noriko , Nishii Ichiro 
Published: April 2009

AbstractHere, we report our analysis of a mutant of Volvox carteri, InvB, whose embryos fail to execute inversion, the process in which each Volvox embryo normally turns itself inside-out at the end of embryogenesis, thereby achieving the adult configuration. The invB gene encodes a nucleotide-sugar transporter that exhibits GDP-mannose transport activity when expressed in yeast. In wild-type embryos, the invB transcript is maximally abundant before and during inversion. A mannoside probe (fluorescent concanavalin A) stains the glycoprotein-rich gonidial vesicle (GV) surrounding wild-type embryos much more strongly than it stains the GV surrounding InvB embryos. Direct measurements revealed that throughout embryogenesis the GV surrounding a wild-type embryo increases in size much more than the GV surrounding an InvB embryo does, and the fully cleaved InvB embryo is much more tightly packed within its GV than a wild-type embryo is. To test the hypothesis that the restraint imposed by a smaller than normal GV directly causes the inversion defect in the mutant, we released InvB embryos from their GVs microsurgically. The resulting embryos inverted normally, demonstrating that controlled enlargement of the GV, by a process in which requires the InvB nucleotide-sugar transporter, is essential to provide the embryo sufficient space to complete inversion.