bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Association between birth outcomes and aflatoxin B1 biomarker blood levels in pregnant women in Kumasi, Ghana
Authors: Shuaib Faisal M. B. , Jolly Pauline E. , Ehiri John E. , Yatich Nelly , Jiang Yi , Funkhouser Ellen , Person Sharina D. , Wilson Craig , Ellis William O. , Wang Jia‐Sheng , Williams Jonathan H. 
Published: January 2010

SummaryObjective  To investigate the association between birth outcomes and blood levels of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)‐lysine adduct in pregnant women in Kumasi, Ghana.Method  A cross‐sectional study of 785 pregnant women attending antenatal clinic was conducted. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)‐lysine adduct levels were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on blood taken after delivery. The birth outcomes considered were small for gestation age, low birthweight, preterm delivery and stillbirth. Participants were divided into quartiles based on the distribution of aflatoxin B1‐lysine adducts in pg/mg albumin (‘low’: ≤2.67, ‘moderate’: >2.67 to ≤4.97, ‘high’: >4.97 to ≤11.34, ‘very high’: >11.34). Statistical analysis involved models that included socio‐demographic variables and other potential confounders.Results  The average AFB1‐lysine adduct level in maternal serum was 10.9 ± 19.00 pg/mg albumin (range = 0.44–268.73 pg/mg). After adjusting for socio‐demographic variables and potential confounding factors, participants in the highest AFB1‐lysine quartile with ‘very high’ AFB1‐lysine level (>11.34 pg/mg) were more likely to have low birthweight babies (OR, 2.09; 95% CI, 1.19–3.68), and showed a trend of increasing risk for low birthweight (Ptrend = 0.007) compared to participants in the lowest quartile.Conclusion  This study adds to the growing body of evidence that aflatoxins may increase the risk of adverse birth outcomes. The findings have implications for targeted nutritional education of pregnant women in areas with high levels of aflatoxin contamination of foods.
Spatial co‐distribution of neglected tropical diseases in the East African Great Lakes region: revisiting the justification for integrated control
Authors: Clements Archie C. A. , Deville Marie‐Alice , Ndayishimiye Onésime , Brooker Simon , Fenwick Alan 
Published: January 2010

SummaryObjective  To determine spatial patterns of co‐endemicity of schistosomiasis mansoni and the soil‐transmitted helminths (STHs) Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm in the Great Lakes region of East Africa, to help plan integrated neglected tropical disease programmes in this region.Method  Parasitological surveys were conducted in Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Burundi in 28 213 children in 404 schools. Bayesian geostatistical models were used to interpolate prevalence of these infections across the study area. Interpolated prevalence maps were overlaid to determine areas of co‐endemicity.Results  In the Great Lakes region, prevalence was 18.1% for Schistosoma mansoni, 50.0% for hookworm, 6.8% for A. lumbricoides and 6.8% for T. trichiura. Hookworm infection was ubiquitous, whereas S. mansoni, A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura were highly focal. Most areas were endemic (prevalence ≥10%) or hyperendemic (prevalence ≥50%) for one or more STHs, whereas endemic areas for schistosomiasis mansoni were restricted to foci adjacent large perennial water bodies.Conclusion  Because of the ubiquity of hookworm, treatment programmes are required for STH throughout the region but efficient schistosomiasis control should only be targeted at limited high‐risk areas. Therefore, integration of schistosomiasis with STH control is only indicated in limited foci in East Africa.
A new format of the CATT test for the detection of Human African Trypanosomiasis, designed for use in peripheral health facilities
Authors: Hasker E. , Mitashi P. , Baelmans R. , Lutumba P. , Jacquet D. , Lejon V. , Kande V. , Declercq J. , Van der Veken W. , Boelaert M. 
Published: January 2010

SummaryObjectives  To test the reproducibility and thermostability of a new format of the Card‐Agglutination Test for Trypanosomiasis (CATT) test for Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), designed for use at primary health care facility level in endemic countries.Methods  A population of 4217 from highly endemic villages was screened using the existing format of the CATT test (CATT‐R250) on whole blood. All those testing positive (220) and a random sample of negatives (555) were retested in the field with the new format (CATT‐D10). Inter‐format reproducibility was assessed by calculating kappa. All samples testing positive on whole blood with either method were further evaluated in Belgium by CATT titration of serum by two observers, using both old and new format. CATT‐D10 test kits were incubated under four temperature regimens (4, 37, 45 °C and fluctuating) with regular assessments of reactivity over 18 months.Results  Inter‐format reproducibility of CATT‐D10 vs. CATT‐R250 on whole blood performed by laboratory technicians in the field was excellent with kappa values of 0.83–0.89. Both inter‐ and intra‐format reproducibility assessed by CATT titration were excellent, with 96.5–100% of all differences observed falling within the limits of ±1 titration step. After 18 months, reactivity of test kits incubated under all four temperature regimens was still well above the minimum threshold considered acceptable.Conclusion  The CATT‐D10 is thermostable and can be used interchangeably with the old format of the CATT test. It is highly suitable for use in peripheral health facilities in HAT‐endemic countries.
GENETIC STUDY: Interaction of SLC6A4 and DRD2 polymorphisms is associated with a history of delirium tremens
Authors: Karpyak Victor M. , Biernacka Joanna M. , Weg Mark W. Vander , Stevens Susanna R. , Cunningham Julie M. , Mrazek David A. , Black John L. 
Published: January 2010

ABSTRACTSeveral genetic polymorphisms have been reported to be associated with alcohol withdrawal seizures (AWS) and delirium tremens (DT). To replicate and further explore these findings, we investigated the effects of 12 previously reported candidate genetic variations in two groups of alcohol‐dependent European Americans with a history of withdrawal, which differed according to the presence (n = 112) or absence (n = 92) of AWS and/or DT. Associations of AWS and/or DT with the genomic and clinical characteristics and gene–gene interaction effects were investigated using logistic regression models. None of the polymorphisms were significantly associated with AWS/DT after correction for multiple testing. However, we found a significant interaction effect of the SLC6A4 promoter polymorphism (5‐HTTLPR) and DRD2 exon 8 single nucleotide polymorphism rs6276 on AWS and/or DT history (P = 0.009), which became more significant after adjustment for lifetime maximum number of drinks consumed per 24 hours (P < 0.001). Subsequent analysis revealed an even stronger association of the SLC6A4–DRD2 interaction with DT (P < 0.0001), which remained significant after Bonferroni correction. Results reveal decreased likelihood of DT in alcoholics that carry the DRD2 rs6276 G allele and SLC6A4 LL genotype. This study provides the first evidence to implicate the interaction between serotonin and dopamine neurotransmission in the etiology of DT. Replication is necessary to verify this potentially important finding.
PRECLINICAL STUDY: Mechanisms of respiratory insufficiency induced by methadone overdose in rats
Authors: Chevillard Lucie , Mégarbane Bruno , Baud Frédéric J. , Risède Patricia , Declèves Xavier , Mager Donald , Milan Nathalie , Ricordel Ivan 
Published: January 2010

ABSTRACTMethadone may cause respiratory depression. We aimed to understand methadone‐related effects on ventilation as well as each opioid‐receptor (OR) role. We studied the respiratory effects of intraperitoneal methadone at 1.5, 5, and 15 mg/kg (corresponding to 80% of the lethal dose‐50%) in rats using arterial blood gases and plethysmography. OR antagonists, including intravenous 10 mg/kg‐naloxonazine at 5 minutes (mu‐OR antagonist), subcutaneous 30 mg/kg‐naloxonazine at 24 hours (mu1‐OR antagonist), 3 mg/kg‐naltrindole at 45 minutes (delta‐OR antagonist) and 5 mg/kg‐Nor‐binaltorphimine at 6 hours (kappa‐OR antagonist) were pre‐administered. Plasma concentrations of methadone enantiomers were measured using high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass‐spectrometry. Methadone dose‐dependent inspiratory time (TI) increase tended to be linear. Respiratory depression was observed only at 15 mg/kg and characterized by an increase in expiratory time (TE) resulting in hypoxemia and respiratory acidosis. Intravenous naloxonazine completely reversed all methadone‐related effects on ventilation, while subcutaneous naloxonazine reduced its effects on pH (P < 0.05), PaCO2(P < 0.01) and TE(P < 0.001) but only partially on TI(P < 0.001). Naltrindole reduced methadone‐related effects on TE(P < 0.001). Nor‐binaltorphimine increased methadone‐related effects on pH and PaO2(P < 0.05) Respiratory effects as a function of plasmaR‐methadone concentrations showed a decrease in PaO2(EC50: 1.14 µg/ml) at lower concentrations than those necessary for PaCO2increase (EC50: 3.35 µg/ml). Similarly, increased TI(EC50: 0.501 µg/ml) was obtained at lower concentrations than those for TE(EC50: 4.83 µg/ml). Methadone‐induced hypoxemia is caused by mu‐ORs and modulated by kappa‐ORs. Additionally, methadone‐induced increase in TEis caused by mu1‐ and delta‐opioid receptors while increase in TIis caused by mu‐ORs.
CLINICAL STUDY/BIOMARKER: Phosphatidylethanol: normalization during detoxification, gender aspects and correlation with other biomarkers and self‐reports
Authors: Wurst Friedrich Martin , Thon Natasha , Aradottir Steina , Hartmann Susanne , Wiesbeck Gerhard Adam , Lesch Otto , Skala Katrin , Wolfersdorf Manfred , Weinmann Wolfgang , Alling Christer 
Published: January 2010

ABSTRACTPhosphatidylethanol (PEth) is a direct ethanol metabolite, and has recently attracted attention as biomarker of ethanol intake. The aims of the current study are: (1) to characterize the normalization time of PEth in larger samples than previously conducted; (2) to elucidate potential gender differences; and (3) to report the correlation of PEth with other biomarkers and self‐reported alcohol consumption. Fifty‐seven alcohol‐dependent patients (ICD 10 F 10.25; 9 females, 48 males) entering medical detoxification at three study sites were enrolled. The study sample was comprised of 48 males and 9 females, with mean age 43.5. Mean gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) was 209.61 U/l, average mean corpuscular volume (MCV) was 97.35 fl, mean carbohydrate deficient transferrin (%CDT) was 8.68, and mean total ethanol intake in the last 7 days was 1653 g. PEth was measured in heparinized whole blood with a high‐pressure liquid chromatography method, while GGT, MCV and %CDT were measured using routine methods. PEth levels at day 1 of detoxification ranged between 0.63 and 26.95 µmol/l (6.22 mean, 4.70 median, SD 4.97). There were no false negatives at day 1. Sensitivities for the other biomarkers were 40.4% for MCV, 73.1% for GGT and 69.2% for %CDT, respectively. No gender differences were found for PEth levels at any time point. Our data suggest that PEth is (1) a suitable intermediate term marker of ethanol intake in both sexes; and (2) sensitivity is extraordinary high in alcohol dependent patients. The results add further evidence to the data that suggest that PEth has potential as a candidate for a sensitive and specific biomarker, which reflects longer‐lasting intake of higher amounts of alcohol and seemingly has the above mentioned certain advantages over traditional biomarkers.
PRECLINICAL STUDY: Mice lacking Gad2 show altered behavioral effects of ethanol, flurazepam and gabaxadol
Authors: Blednov Yuri A. , Walker Danielle L. , Iyer Sangeetha V. , Homanics Gregg , Harris Adron R. 
Published: January 2010

ABSTRACTγ‐Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is synthesized in brain by two isoforms of glutamic acid decarboxylase (Gad), Gad1 and Gad2. Gad1 provides most of the GABA in brain, but Gad2 can be rapidly activated in times of high GABA demand. Mice lackingGad2are viable whereas deletion ofGad1is lethal. We produced null mutant mice forGad2on three different genetic backgrounds: predominantly C57BL/6J and one or two generations of backcrossing to 129S1/SvimJ (129N1, 129N2). We used these mice to determine if actions of alcohol are regulated by synthesis of GABA from this isoform. We also studied behavioral responses to a benzodiazepine (flurazepam) and a GABAA receptor agonist (gabaxadol). Deletion ofGad2increased ethanol palatability and intake and slightly reduced the severity of ethanol‐induced withdrawal, but these effects depended strongly on genetic background. Mutant mice on the 129N2 background showed the above three ethanol behavioral phenotypes, but the C57BL/6J inbred background did not show any of these phenotypes. Effects on ethanol consumption also depended on the test as the mutation did not alter consumption in limited access models. Deletion ofGad2reduced the effect of flurazepam on motor incoordination and increased the effect of extrasynaptic GABAA receptor agonist gabaxadol without changing the duration of loss of righting reflex produced by these drugs. These results are consistent with earlier proposals that deletion ofGad2(on 129N2 background) reduces synaptic GABA but also suggest changes in extrasynaptic receptor function.
Physiological stress links parasites to carotenoid-based colour signals
Authors: Mougeot F. , Martínez-Padilla J. , Bortolotti G. R. , Webster L. M. I. , Piertney S. B. 
Published: January 2010

Abstract
Vertebrates commonly use carotenoid-based traits as social signals. These can reliably advertise current nutritional status and health because carotenoids must be acquired through the diet and their allocation to ornaments is traded-off against other self-maintenance needs. We propose that the coloration more generally reveals an individual’s ability to cope with stressful conditions. We tested this idea by manipulating the nematode parasite infection in free-living red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scoticus) and examining the effects on body mass, carotenoid-based coloration of a main social signal and the amount of corticosterone deposited in feathers grown during the experiment. We show that parasites increase stress and reduce carotenoid-based coloration, and that the impact of parasites on coloration was associated with changes in corticosterone, more than changes in body mass. Carotenoid-based coloration appears linked to physiological stress and could therefore reveal an individual’s ability to cope with stressors.
Trans-generational effects on ageing in a wild bird population
Authors: Bouwhuis S. , Charmantier A. , Verhulst S. , Sheldon B. C. 
Published: January 2010

Abstract
Ageing, long thought to be too infrequent to study effectively in natural populations, has recently been shown to be ubiquitous, even in the wild. A major challenge now is to explain variation in the rates of ageing within populations. Here, using 49 years of data from a population of great tits (Parus major), we show that offspring life-history trajectories vary with maternal age. Offspring hatched from older mothers perform better early in life, but suffer from an earlier onset, and stronger rate, of reproductive senescence later in life. Offspring reproductive lifespan is, however, unaffected by maternal age, and the different life-history trajectories result in a similar fitness payoff, measured as lifetime reproductive success. This study therefore identifies maternal age as a new factor underlying variation in rates of ageing, and, given the delayed trans-generational nature of this effect, poses the question as to proximate mechanisms linking age-effects across generations.
Role of 24‐Epibrassinolide in Wheat Production: Physiological Effects and Uptake
Authors: Janeczko A. , Biesaga‐Kościelniak J. , Oklešt'ková J. , Filek M. , Dziurka M. , Szarek‐Łukaszewska G. , Kościelniak J. 
Published: January 2010

AbstractBrassinosteroids are plant steroid hormones important for plant growth and development. They include more then 70 compounds. Their physiological effect and possibilities of practical use are still being investigated. In this study, we evaluated the effects of exogenously applied 24‐epibrassinolide, one of the brassinosteroids, on the grain yield and grain chemical composition (carbohydrates, proteins, fats and minerals) of wheat. Moreover, we analysed the presence of brassinosteroids in newly formed wheat grains after exogenous plant treatment with 24‐epibrassinolide. Experiments were performed in a vegetation hall (plants cultivated in pots) and in the field. The tested regulator was applied via 48 h seed soaking (1 mg·dm−3) or spraying plants at the heading stage (0.25 mg·dm−3). 24‐epibrassinolide increased grain yield in plants growing in the field (by about 20 %), but not in plants cultivated in vegetation hall. Grain chemical composition was altered by 24‐epibrassinolide in wheat growing in the vegetation hall; the content of soluble sugars was higher while that of total fats and calcium was lowered, whereas the starch and soluble protein content was not affected. The effect of the hormone was in these cases dependent on the method of its application. As for plants cultivated in the field, the hormone impact on the amount of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and minerals contained in the grains was rather negligible. In wheat grains, the presence of brassinolide, castasterone and 24‐epicastasterone was found. 24‐Epibrassinolide applied exogenously to plants was not accumulated in newly formed grains. Additionally, significance of ethanol as a hormone solvent is discussed.
Discovery and transmission of functional QTL in the pedigree of an elite soybean cultivar Suinong14
Authors: Qin J. , Yang R. Q. , Jiang C. X. , Li W. B. , Li Y. H. , Guan R. X. , Chang R. Z. , Qiu L. J. 
Published: January 2010

With 3 figures and 5 tables AbstractIn this study, we extended in silico mapping for single trait to analyse data from multiple environments by calculating intraclass correlations and to mapping pleiotropic QTL for multiple traits by defining new statistic to measure the correlation between multiple traits and the marker. Data sets include phenotypes of eight agronomic traits obtained from six different ecologic environments and years, and genotypic information from 477 polymorphic markers on 14 ancestral lines in the pedigree of ‘Suinong14’. With in silico mapping, a total of 39 markers distributed on 14 linkage groups are detected as QTL responsible for eight agronomic traits and 10 QTL are identified as having pleiotropic effects. Tracing transmission of functional QTL in the pedigree indicated that certain QTL, such as Sat_036 on linkage group D1a, Satt182 on linkage group L, and Satt726 on linkage group B2 may be responsible for the contribution of exotic germplasm to the improved cultivars.
Identification of a null allele at the Wx‐A1 locus in durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum Desf.)
Authors: Vanzetti L.S. , Pflüger L. , Bainotti C.T. , Jensen C. , Helguera M. 
Published: January 2010

With 3 figures and 1 table AbstractThis work describes a novel null Wx‐A1 allele detected in one cultivar and two breeding lines from a collection of 48 durum wheats from Argentina. The electrophoretic patterns of waxy proteins showed 45 accessions displaying Wx‐A1 and Wx‐B1 proteins and three accessions that lacked the Wx‐A1 protein. Partial sequence of the Wx‐A1 gene obtained from the three lines lacking the Wx‐A1 protein showed a 1‐bp deletion in exon 6 that produces a frameshift and a premature stop codon in the gene sequence. In addition, a PCR‐RFLP marker suitable to detect the null Wx‐A1 allele in segregating populations is described.
Dynamic stimulation evokes spatially focused receptive fields in bat auditory cortex
Authors: Hoffmann Susanne , Schuller Gerd , Firzlaff Uwe 
Published: January 2010

AbstractBats can orient and hunt for prey in complete darkness using echolocation. Due to the pulse‐like character of call emission they receive a stroboscopic view of their environment. During target approach, bats adjust their emitted echolocation calls to the specific requirements of the dynamically changing environmental and behavioral context. In addition to changes of the spectro‐temporal call features, the spatial focusing of the beam of the sonar emissions onto the target is a conspicuous feature during target tracking. The neural processes underlying the complex sensory‐motor interactions during target tracking are not well understood. In this study, we used a two‐tone‐pulse paradigm with 81 combinations of inter‐aural intensity differences and six inter‐pulse intervals in a passive hearing task to tackle the question of how transient changes in the azimuthal position of successive sounds are encoded by neurons in the auditory cortex of the bat Phyllostomus discolor. In a population of cortical neurons (11%, 24 of 217), spatial receptive fields were focused to a small region of frontal azimuthal positions during dynamic stimulation with tone‐pulse pairs at short inter‐pulse intervals. The response of these neurons might be important for the behaviorally observed locking of the sonar beam onto a selected target during the later stages of target tracking. Most interestingly, the majority of these neurons (88%, 21 of 24) were located in the posterior dorsal part of the auditory cortex. This cortical subfield might thus be specifically involved in the analysis of dynamic acoustic scenes.
Activation of neurons in the hypothalamic dorsomedial nucleus via hypothalamic projections of the nucleus of the solitary tract following refeeding of fasted rats
Authors: Renner Eva , Szabó‐Meltzer Kinga I. , Puskás Nela , Tóth Zsuzsanna E. , Dobolyi Arpád , Palkovits Miklós 
Published: January 2010

AbstractWe report that satiation evokes neuronal activity in the ventral subdivision of the hypothalamic dorsomedial nucleus (DMH) as indicated by increased c‐fos expression in response to refeeding in fasted rats. The absence of significant Fos activation following food presentation without consumption suggests that satiation but not craving for food elicits the activation of ventral DMH neurons. The distribution pattern of the prolactin‐releasing peptide (PrRP)‐immunoreactive (ir) network showed remarkable correlations with the distribution of activated neurons within the DMH. The PrRP‐ir fibers and terminals were immunolabeled with tyrosine hydroxylase, suggesting their origin in lower brainstem instead of local, hypothalamic PrRP cells. PrRP‐ir fibers arising from neurons of the nucleus of the solitary tract could be followed to the hypothalamus. Unilateral transections of these fibers at pontine and caudal hypothalamic levels resulted in a disappearance of the dense PrRP‐ir network in the ventral DMH while PrRP immunoreactivity was increased in transected fibers caudal to the knife cuts as well as in perikarya of the nucleus of the solitary tract ipsilateral to the transections. In accord with these changes, the number of Fos‐expressing neurons following refeeding declined in the ipsilateral but remained high in the contralateral DMH. However, the Fos response in the ventral DMH was not attenuated following chemical lesion (neonatal monosodium glutamate treatment) of the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus, another possible source of DMH inputs. These findings suggest that PrRP projections from the nucleus of the solitary tract contribute to the activation of ventral DMH neurons during refeeding, possibly by transferring information on cholecystokinin‐mediated satiation.