bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Liver gene expression in relation to hepatic steatosis and lipid secretion in two duck species
Authors: Hérault F. , Saez G. , Robert E. , Al Mohammad A. , Davail S. , Chartrin P. , Baéza E. , Diot C. 
Published: September 2009

SummaryThe susceptibility to development of hepatic steatosis is known to differ between Muscovy and Pekin ducks. Although some experiments were conducted to decipher these differences, few data have been produced to analyse the role of specific genes in this process. For this purpose, expression levels of genes involved in lipid (ATP citrate lyase, malic enzyme 1, fatty acid synthase, stearoyl‐CoA desaturase 1, diacylglycerol O‐acyl transferase 2, microsomal triglyceride transfer protein, apolipoprotein A1, apolipoprotein B, sterol regulatory element binding factor 1, hepatocyte nuclear factor 4, choline/ethanolamine phosphotransferase 1, carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1A, peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor alpha and sterol O‐acyltransferase) and carbohydrate (activating transcription factor 4 or cAMP‐response element binding protein, mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase 2 and carbohydrate responsive element binding protein) metabolism and in other functions were analysed in the liver of Pekin and Muscovy ducks fed ad libitum or overfed. A specific positive effect of feeding was observed on the expression of genes involved mainly in fatty acids and TG synthesis and glycolysis, and negative effect on genes involved in β‐oxidation. Interestingly, a strong species effect was also observed on stearoyl‐CoA desaturase 1 and to a lesser extent on diacylglycerol O‐acyl transferase 2 expression, leading to large differences in expression levels between Pekin and Muscovy overfed ducks, which could explain the difference in lipid metabolism and steatosis ability observed between the two duck species. These results should shed light on gene expression that might underlie susceptibility to hepatic steatosis in humans.
Partnership and the limits of procedure: prospects for relationships between parents and professionals under the new Public Law Outline
Authors: Broadhurst Karen , Holt Kim 
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACTApril 2008 saw the introduction of a new Public Law Outline (PLO) that aims to improve judicial case management of Public Law Children Act cases. The PLO is a response to concerns about the rising number of care proceedings, associated costs, and the difficulties of achieving case resolution given this volume. Based on an ethos that care proceedings should be avoided wherever possible, the new approach to case management, which places significant emphasis on pre‐proceedings work and the effective engagement of parents, can be seen to reinforce the ‘no order principle’ enshrined in the Children Act (CA) 1989. Focusing specifically on relationships between parents and professionals, this paper provides a critical discussion of the potential of the PLO to further promote consensual practices with parents. Discussion traces the introduction of the concept of partnership within the CA 1989, provides a review of the evidence to‐date of effective partnership working, before considering the prospects for the PLO with respect to parental engagement. A number of key contextual obstacles are highlighted that will inevitably undermine the aspirations of the new outline, and a more general observation is drawn about the limits of procedure in effecting change in complex social issues.
Neuroendocrine response to supine posture in healthy children and patients with nocturnal enuresis
Authors: Rittig Søren 
Published: September 2009

SummaryObjective  To elucidate the background behind the attenuated circadian rhythm of vasoactive hormones in patients with nocturnal enuresis, we tested the hypothesis that enuretic children exhibit an abnormal neuroendocrine response to a baroreflex stimulus during daytime.Design and patients  In fifteen children and adolescents (aged 13·4 ± 0·9 years) with severe nocturnal enuresis and 10 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls, we performed a ‘daytime supine posture’ (DSP) study at 10:00 h.Measurements  Blood was sampled for measurements of plasma vasopressin (PAVP), angiotensin II (PANGII), atrial natriuretic peptide (PANP) and serum aldosterone (SALDO), and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were measured during the study.Results  In both controls and patients with enuresis, DSP at 10:00 h resulted in a marked fall in MAP and HR, a rise in pulse pressure (PP) and estimated plasma volume (PV) and a significant suppression of PAVP, PANGII and SALDO, whereas PANP increased. There were no significant differences between groups in haemodynamic or neuroendocrine responses to DSP.Conclusions  The study showed that children with nocturnal enuresis exhibit a normal neuroendocrine response to supine posture during daytime indicating that baroregulatory mechanisms per se are not playing a significant pathogenic role. Interestingly, the normal neuroendocrine response to supine posture seems to undergo marked circadian changes, as supine posture at night‐time is associated with increased levels of vasoactive hormones.
Altered microbial community structure and organic matter composition under elevated CO2and N fertilization in the duke forest
Authors: FENG XIAOJUAN , SIMPSON ANDRÉ J. , SCHLESINGER WILLIAM H. , SIMPSON MYRNA J. 
Published: September 2009

AbstractThe dynamics and fate of terrestrial organic matter (OM) under elevated atmospheric CO2and nitrogen (N) fertilization are important aspects of long‐term carbon sequestration. Despite numerous studies, questions still remain as to whether the chemical composition of OM may alter with these environmental changes. In this study, we employed molecular‐level methods to investigate the composition and degradation of various OM components in the forest floor (O horizon) and mineral soil (0–15 cm) from the Duke forest free air CO2enrichment (FACE) experiment. We measured microbial responses to elevated CO2and N fertilization in the mineral soil using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles. Increased fresh carbon inputs into the forest floor under elevated CO2were observed at the molecular‐level by two degradation parameters of plant‐derived steroids and cutin‐derived compounds. The ratios of fungal to bacterial PLFAs and Gram‐negative to Gram‐positive bacterial PLFAs decreased in the mineral soil with N fertilization, indicating an altered soil microbial community composition. Moreover, the acid to aldehyde ratios of lignin‐derived phenols increased with N fertilization, suggesting enhanced lignin degradation in the mineral soil.1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of soil humic substances revealed an enrichment of leaf‐derived alkyl structures with both elevated CO2and N fertilization. We suggest that microbial decomposition of SOM constituents such as lignin and hydrolysable lipids was promoted under both elevated CO2and N fertilization, which led to the enrichment of plant‐derived recalcitrant structures (such as alkyl carbon) in the soil.
Diurnal and seasonal variation in methane emissions in a northern Canadian peatland measured by eddy covariance
Authors: LONG KEVIN D. , FLANAGAN LAWRENCE B. , CAI TIEBO 
Published: September 2009

AbstractEddy covariance measurements of methane (CH4) net flux were made in a boreal fen, typical of the most abundant peatlands in western Canada during May–September 2007. The objectives of this study were to determine: (i) the magnitude of diurnal and seasonal variation in CH4 net flux, (ii) the relationship between the temporally varying flux rates and associated changes in controlling biotic and abiotic factors, and (iii) the contribution of CH4 emission to the ecosystem growing season carbon budget. There was significant diurnal variation in CH4 emission during the peak of the growing season that was strongly correlated with associated changes in solar radiation, latent heat flux, air temperature and ecosystem conductance to water vapor. During days 181–215, nighttime average CH4 efflux was only 47% of the average midday values. The peak value for daily average CH4 emission rate was approximately 80 nmol m−2 s−1 (4.6 mg CH4 m−2 h−1), and seasonal variation in CH4 flux was strongly correlated with changes in soil temperature. Integrated over the entire measurement period [days 144–269 (late May–late September)], the total CH4 emission was 3.2 g CH4 m−2, which was quite low relative to other wetland ecosystems and to the simultaneous high rate of ecosystem net CO2 sequestration that was measured (18.1 mol CO2 m−2 or 217 g C m−2). We estimate that the negative radiative forcing (cooling) associated with net carbon storage over the life of the peatland (approximately 2200 years) was at least twice the value of positive radiative forcing (warming) caused by net CH4 emission over the last 50 years.
The distribution of breeding birds around upland wind farms
Authors: Pearce‐Higgins James W. , Stephen Leigh , Langston Rowena H. W. , Bainbridge Ian P. , Bullman Rhys 
Published: September 2009

Summary 1. There is an urgent need for climate change mitigation, of which the promotion of renewable energy, such as from wind farms, is an important component. Birds are expected to be sensitive to wind farms, although effects vary between sites and species. Using data from 12 upland wind farms in the UK, we examine whether there is reduced occurrence of breeding birds close to wind farm infrastructure (turbines, access tracks and overhead transmission lines). To our knowledge, this is the first such multi‐site comparison examining wind farm effects on the distribution of breeding birds. 2. Bird distribution was assessed using regular surveys during the breeding season. We took a conservative analytical approach, with bird occurrence modelled as a function of habitat, before examining the additional effects of wind farm proximity. 3. Seven of the 12 species studied exhibited significantly lower frequencies of occurrence close to the turbines, after accounting for habitat variation, with equivocal evidence of turbine avoidance in a further two. No species were more likely to occur close to the turbines. There was no evidence that raptors altered flight height close to turbines. Turbines were avoided more strongly than tracks, whilst there was no evidence for consistent avoidance of overhead transmission lines connecting sites to the national grid. 4. Levels of turbine avoidance suggest breeding bird densities may be reduced within a 500‐m buffer of the turbines by 15–53%, with buzzard Buteo buteo, hen harrier Circus cyaneus, golden plover Pluvialis apricaria, snipe Gallinago gallinago, curlew Numenius arquata and wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe most affected. 5. Despite being a correlative study, with potential for Type I error, we failed to detect any systematic bias in our likelihood of detecting significant effects. 6.
Synthesis and applications. This provides the first evidence for consistent and significant effects of wind farms on a range of upland bird species, emphasizing the need for a strategic approach to ensure such development avoids areas with high densities of potentially vulnerable species. Our results reduce the uncertainty over the magnitude of such effects, and will improve future environmental impacts assessments.
Phylogeography of the world’s tallest angiosperm, Eucalyptus regnans: evidence for multiple isolated Quaternary refugia
Authors: Nevill Paul G. , Bossinger Gerd , Ades Peter K. 
Published: September 2009

AbstractAim  There is a need for more Southern Hemisphere phylogeography studies, particularly in Australia, where, unlike much of Europe and North America, ice sheet cover was not extensive during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). This study examines the phylogeography of the south‐east Australian montane tree species Eucalyptus regnans. The work aimed to identify any major evolutionary divergences or disjunctions across the species’ range and to examine genetic signatures of past range contraction and expansion events.Location  South‐eastern mainland Australia and the large island of Tasmania.Methods  We determined the chloroplast DNA haplotypes of 410 E. regnans individuals (41 locations) based on five chloroplast microsatellites. Genetic structure was examined using analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), and a statistical parsimony tree was constructed showing the number of nucleotide differences between haplotypes. Geographic structure in population genetic diversity was examined with the calculation of diversity parameters for the mainland and Tasmania, and for 10 regions. Regional analysis was conducted to test hypotheses that some areas within the species’ current distribution were refugia during the LGM and that other areas have been recolonized by E. regnans since the LGM.Results  Among the 410 E. regnans individuals analysed, 31 haplotypes were identified. The statistical parsimony tree shows that haplotypes divided into two distinct groups corresponding to mainland Australia and Tasmania. The distribution of haplotypes across the range of E. regnans shows strong geographic patterns, with many populations and even certain regions in which a particular haplotype is fixed. Many locations had unique haplotypes, particularly those in East Gippsland in south‐eastern mainland Australia, north‐eastern Tasmania and south‐eastern Tasmania. Higher haplotype diversity was found in putative refugia, and lower haplotype diversity in areas likely to have been recolonized since the LGM.Main conclusions  The data are consistent with the long‐term persistence of E. regnans in many regions and the recent recolonization of other regions, such as the Central Highlands of south‐eastern mainland Australia. This suggests that, in spite of the narrow ecological tolerances of the species and the harsh environmental conditions during the LGM, E. regnans was able to persist locally or contracted to many near‐coastal refugia, maintaining a diverse genetic structure.
Diversification of Chionochloa (Poaceae) and biogeography of the New Zealand Southern Alps
Authors: Pirie Michael D. , Lloyd Kelvin M. , Lee William G. , Linder H. Peter 
Published: September 2009

AbstractAim  We test hypotheses regarding the origin of diversity and patterns of species richness in and around the New Zealand Southern Alps with 25 species of Chionochloa (Poaceae, Danthonioideae).Location  New Zealand.Methods  We inferred a well‐resolved and mostly robustly supported chloroplast phylogeny based on multiple DNA sequence markers (trnT–L–F, rpl16, trnD–psbM, atpB–rbcL, matK and ndhF), sampling 92% of the recognized species and 82% of the subspecific taxa. Nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer sequences were also sampled, but proved uninformative. Biogeographic reconstruction and character optimization were done using both parsimony and likelihood approaches, and molecular dating used relaxed clock approaches.Results  Most of the species diversity in Chionochloa stemmed from a common ancestor in the southern South Island with subsequent dispersal between areas. One clade of apparently cryptic taxa diversified within the central South Island ‘endemism gap’, persisting there throughout at least the latter half of the Pleistocene. Exclusively alpine and other habitat specialist species originated independently, the former relatively recently (between 7.6 Ma and the present).Main conclusions  The phylogeny of Chionochloa and other published phylogenies of New Zealand plant groups demonstrate that the higher degree of endemism in the north and south of the New Zealand South Island relative to a central endemism gap cannot be explained by Alpine Fault displacement. Furthermore, our results suggest that if extinctions resulting from glaciations played a role in the origin of the central endemism gap, their impact was less than might be presumed on the basis of the distribution of taxa as they are currently defined. The diversification of Chionochloa and a number of New Zealand plant groups, such as Ranunculus, was contemporaneous with the initiation of the uplift of the Southern Alps. In contrast to patterns of diversifications within the alpine regions typical of the hyperdiverse Andes, exclusively alpine species in New Zealand arose independently from ancestors distributed in more lowland areas. Similarly, habitat specialists in Chionochloa arose independently from more generalist ancestors. Thus, although diversification in these groups may have been stimulated by mountain building and Pleistocene climatic oscillations, cladogenesis did not occur within the high alpine habitat itself.
Non‐invasive risk stratification of coronary artery disease: an evaluation of some commonly used statistical classifiers in terms of predictive accuracy and clinical usefulness
Authors: Gregori Dario , Bigi Riccardo , Cortigiani Lauro , Bovenzi Francesco , Fiorentini Cesare , Picano Eugenio 
Published: September 2009

AbstractObjective  To compare different prediction models for assessing outcome of patients undergoing non‐invasive risk stratification of suspected or known coronary artery disease.Methods  Six statistical classifiers and data mining models were applied to the prospective data bank of two different institutions. Of these, one represented the training (n = 2777) and the other one the test (n = 2679) set, each set consisting of usual clinical and stress echo information of patients followed‐up for the combined endpoint of all‐cause mortality and non‐fatal acute coronary syndromes. The following models were used: Logistic regression, Generalized Additive Model, Projection Pursuit Regression, Linear Discriminant Analysis, Quadratic Discriminant Analysis and Artificial Neural Networks. Models were selected using the Akaike Information Criterion and compared in terms of accuracy and Negative Predictive Value, overall Misclassification Rate and ROC Area Under Curve.Results  During a median follow‐up of 31 months, 573 events occurred: 271 in the training and 302 in the test set respectively. All models selected the same subset of covariates as significantly associated with the outcome. The comparison of model performance showed that: (1) Quadratic Discriminant Analysis and Artificial Neural Networks provided a worse prediction of outcome than models more closely bonded to the hypothesis of linearity of the covariates effect; (2) overall predictive capability of the best performing models was excellent (>90% and >85% for training and test set respectively); and (3) there was a substantial lack of agreement among model indications in the individual patient.Conclusions  The selection of variables and predictive models are not independent processes and may affect the performance of risk scoring systems or algorithms designed to transfer general prognostic rules into clinical practice. Thus, caution must be used in translating model prediction into strict clinical indications.
Misleading one detail: a preventable mode of diagnostic error?
Authors: Arzy Shahar , Brezis Mayer , Khoury Salim , Simon Steven R. , Ben‐Hur Tamir 
Published: September 2009

AbstractRationale, aims and objectives  Despite advances in our understanding of cognitive biases in clinical practice, little is known about correction or prevention of diagnostic errors. The presence of a single misleading detail may lead clinicians down a cognitive and actual path toward an incorrect diagnosis.Methods  In a large teaching hospital, we surveyed 51 attending doctors in internal medicine, presenting each with 10 clinical vignettes and soliciting their diagnosis of the condition leading to the presentation. Each of the 10 clinical cases included a single misleading detail.Results  This survey elicited a wrong diagnosis in 90% of cases, which was reduced to 30% when omitting the misleading detail from the vignette. Diagnostic accuracy did not improve by warning doctors about potentially misleading information. Asking doctors to identify a leading diagnostic detail and then to formulate an alternative diagnosis after omission of the detail, significantly reduced diagnostic error rate by nearly 50%.Conclusion  Systematic re‐examination of leading diagnostic clues may help to reduce errors in diagnosis.
A RCT evaluating the effectiveness and cost‐effectiveness of academic detailing versus postal prescribing feedback in changing GP antibiotic prescribing
Authors: Naughton Corina , Feely John , Bennett Kathleen 
Published: September 2009

AbstractPurpose The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of academic detailing (AD) plus postal prescribing feedback versus postal prescribing feedback alone in reducing: (i) the overall rate of antibiotic; and (ii) proportion of second‐line antibiotic prescribing. In addition, the cost‐effectiveness of an outreach prescriber adviser service versus a postal prescribing feedback service was evaluated.Methods Volunteer general practitioner practices (n = 98) were randomized to receive prescribing feedback via postal bulletin (PB) (n = 50) or academic detailing plus postal bulletin (AD) (n = 48). Data analysis was based on the HSE‐primary care reimbursement service (HSE‐PCRS) prescribing database. Regression (β) coefficients, indicating proportion change in prescribing per month, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) are presented. The cost‐effectiveness ratio was calculated from the total cost of the intervention divided by percentage change in antiobiotic prescribing in AD versus PB group.Results Immediately post intervention PB (β = −0.02, 95% CI −0.04, −0.001) and AD (β = −0.02, 95% CI −0.03, −0.001) practices significantly decreased overall antibiotic prescribing. Second‐line antibiotic prescribing was also significantly decreased by 2–3% in both groups. However, there were no significant differences in antibiotic prescribing between the randomized groups in the immediate or long‐term post‐intervention period. In the cost‐effectiveness analysis a postal prescribing feedback service would cost €88 per percentage change in prescribing practice compared with €778 for a prescriber adviser service.Conclusion Prescribing feedback significantly reduced overall and second‐line antibiotic prescribing, but academic detailing was not significantly more effective than postal bulletin in changing antibiotic prescribing practice.