bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Shareholder-Initiated Class Action Lawsuits: Shareholder Wealth Effects and Industry Spillovers
Authors: Gande Amar , Lewis Craig M. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractThis paper documents significantly negative stock price reactions to shareholder-initiated class action lawsuits. We find that shareholders partially anticipate these lawsuits based on lawsuit filings against other firms in the same industry and capitalize part of these losses prior to a lawsuit filing date. We show that the more likely a firm is to be sued, the larger the partial anticipation effect (shareholder losses capitalized prior to a lawsuit filing date) and the smaller the filing date effect (shareholder losses measured on the lawsuit filing date). Our evidence suggests that previous research that typically focuses on the filing date effect understates the magnitude of shareholder losses, and that such an understatement is greater for firms with a higher likelihood of being sued.
Variation in faecal water content may confound estimates of gastro-intestinal parasite intensity in wild African herbivores
Authors: Turner W.C. , Cizauskas C.A. , Getz W.M. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractEstimates of parasite intensity within host populations are essential for many studies of host–parasite relationships. Here we evaluated the seasonal, age- and sex-related variability in faecal water content for two wild ungulate species, springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) and plains zebra (Equus quagga). We then assessed whether or not faecal water content biased conclusions regarding differences in strongyle infection rates by season, age or sex. There was evidence of significant variation in faecal water content by season and age for both species, and by sex in springbok. Analyses of faecal egg counts demonstrated that sex was a near-significant factor in explaining variation in strongyle parasite infection rates in zebra (P = 0.055) and springbok (P = 0.052) using wet-weight faecal samples. However, once these intensity estimates were re-scaled by the percent of dry matter in the faeces, sex was no longer a significant factor (zebra, P = 0.268; springbok, P = 0.234). These results demonstrate that variation in faecal water content may confound analyses and could produce spurious conclusions, as was the case with host sex as a factor in the analysis. We thus recommend that researchers assess whether water variation could be a confounding factor when designing and performing research using faecal indices of parasite intensity.
A wake up call for urinary schistosomiasis: reconciling research effort with public health importance
Authors: ROLLINSON D. 
Published: July 2009

SUMMARYThis review considers the current status of urinary schistosomiasis, caused by infection withSchistosoma haematobium, and argues that greater research effort and focus are needed to improve understanding of this neglected tropical disease (NTD). The inappropriateness of relying solely on data concerning the much more extensively studied intestinal form of schistosomiasis caused byS. mansoniis highlighted. The current lack of genome and transcriptome information forS. haematobiumis directly hindering further targeted research and must be quickly rectified. Recent molecular phylogenies caution the expectation of similarities between schistosome species and highlight the close relationships of species within theS. haematobiumgroup. Treatment, current and prospective drugs and vaccines, together with diagnosis are considered, highlighting the differences associated with urinary schistosomiasis. This infection has a significant and specific impact on the urino-genital system and has a strong association with bladder cancer, leading to severe and chronic morbidity. There is a clear need for new clinical initiatives in this area to better quantify the disease burden. Furthermore, emerging associations with HIV and other pathogens need to be closely monitored. Research is urgently needed to improve current knowledge in order to develop the next generation of control tools.
Cold tolerance in sealworm (Pseudoterranova decipiens) due to heat-shock adaptations
Authors: STORMO S. K. , PRÆBEL K. , ELVEVOLL E. O. 
Published: July 2009

SUMMARYThird-stage larvae ofPseudoterranova decipienscommonly infect whitefish such as cod, and the parasite can be transferred to humans through lightly prepared (sushi) meals. Because little is known about the nematode's cold tolerance capacity, we examined the nematode's ability to supercool, and whether or not cold acclimation could induce physiological changes that might increase its ability to tolerate freezing conditions. Even if third-stagePseudoterranova decipienslarvae have some supercooling ability, they show no potential for freezing avoidance because they are not able to withstand inoculative freezing. Still, they have the ability to survive freezing at high subzero temperatures, something which suggests that these nematodes have a moderate freeze tolerance. We also show that acclimation to high temperatures triggers trehalose accumulation to an even greater extent than cold acclimation. Trehalose is a potential cryoprotectant which has been shown to play a vital role in the freeze tolerance of nematodes. We suggest that the trehalose accumulation observed for the cold acclimation is a general response to thermal stress, and that the nematode's moderate freeze tolerance may be acquired through adaptation to heat rather than coldness.
Ligula intestinalis(Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidae) in Kenya: a field investigation into host specificity and behavioural alterations
Authors: BRITTON J. R. , JACKSON M. C. , HARPER D. M. 
Published: July 2009

SUMMARYWithin the distribution ofLigula intestinalis, a tapeworm affecting freshwater fishes, there are genetically distinct and well-separated phylogenetic clusters. East Africa is represented by a single monophyletic clade which is understudied compared with Euro-Mediterranean clades. The present field investigation in the Lake Baringo and Naivasha catchments, Kenya, revealed that thisL. intestinalisclade was highly host-specific, present in only 2 of 12 fishes examined;Barbus paludinosusin Naivasha andBarbus lineomaculatusin Baringo. In infected fish, cestodes comprised up to 20% of body weight. Only 1 parasite was recorded per fish, a contrast to infected fishes in Europe where mixed infections are commonplace. InB. lineomaculatusin Baringo, only fish of greater than 64 mm in length were parasitized. The highest parasite prevalence was recorded in fish of 70–77 mm in length, and reduced for lengths of 78–84 mm. Parasitized fish were significantly associated with a particular type of habitat, occurring most frequently in shallow littoral areas, and being absent from open water and rocky shore habitats. Uninfected fish were present in all habitats. This relationship between spatial occupancy and parasite prevalence is suggested to arise from behavioural alterations induced by the parasite that promotes completion of the parasite life cycle.
Cytotoxicity of quahog parasite unknown (QPX) toward hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria) haemocytes and interactions between different pathogen isolates and host strains
Authors: PERRIGAULT MICKAEL , ALLAM BASSEM 
Published: July 2009

SUMMARYThe ability of pathogens to neutralize host defence mechanisms represents a fundamental requisite in the successful establishment of an infection. Host-pathogen interactions between quahog parasite unknown (QPX) and its hard clam host are poorly understood. Our prior in vivo investigations have shown that different QPX isolates display varying levels of pathogenicity toward clams. Similarly, field investigations and laboratory transmission studies revealed some variations in the susceptibility of different hard clam stocks to QPX infection. An in vitro approach was developed in this study to evaluate the toxicity of QPX cells and extracellular products toward haemocytes using a neutral red uptake assay. Results demonstrated that QPX produces virulence factors that are cytotoxic to M. mercenaria haemocytes. This cytotoxicity appears to be induced by clam factors, suggesting that it may play an important role in supporting QPX infection and proliferation within the host. Moreover, application of this technique to different QPX isolates and clam broodstocks indicates variations of QPX cytotoxicity in agreement with previous in vivo experiments, strengthening the existence of different QPX strains.
Increased neural response to fear in patients recovered from depression: a 3T functional magnetic resonance imaging study
Authors: Norbury R. , Selvaraj S. , Taylor M. J. , Harmer C. , Cowen P. J. 
Published: July 2009

BackgroundPrevious imaging studies have revealed that acute major depression is characterized by altered neural responses to negative emotional stimuli. Typically, responses in limbic regions such as the amygdala are increased while activity in cortical regulatory regions such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is diminished. Whether these changes persist in unmedicated recovered patients is unclear.MethodWe used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine neural responses to emotional faces in a facial expression-matching task in 16 unmedicated recovered depressed patients and 21 healthy controls.ResultsCompared with controls, recovered depressed patients had increased responses bilaterally to fearful faces in the DLPFC and right caudate. Responses in the amygdala did not distinguish the groups.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that clinical recovery from depression is associated with increased activity in the DLPFC to negative emotional stimuli. We suggest that this increase may reflect a compensatory cortical control mechanism with the effect of limiting emotional dysregulation in limbic regions such as the amygdala.
Cognitive/personality pattern and triplet expansion size in adult myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1): CTG repeats, cognition and personality in DM1
Authors: Sistiaga A. , Urreta I. , Jodar M. , Cobo A. M. , Emparanza J. , Otaegui D. , Poza J. J. , Merino J. J. , Imaz H. , Martí-Massó J. F. , López de Munain A. 
Published: July 2009

BackgroundAlthough central nervous system (CNS) involvement in adult myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) was described long ago, the large number of variables affecting the cognitive and personality profile have made it difficult to determine the effect of DM1 on the brain. The aim of this study was to define the cognitive and personality patterns in adult DM1 patients, and to analyse the relationship between these clinical patterns and their association with the underlying molecular defect.MethodWe examined 121 adult DM1 patients with confirmed molecular CTG repeat expansion and 54 control subjects using comprehensive neuropsychological tests and personality assessments with the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI)-II. We used a multiple linear regression model to assess the effect of each variable on cognition and personality adjusted to the remainders.ResultsPatients performed significantly worse than controls in tests measuring executive function (principally cognitive inflexibility) and visuoconstructive ability. In the personality profile, some paranoid and aggressive traits were predominant. Furthermore, there was a significant negative correlation between the CTG expansion size and many of the neuropsychological and personality measures. The molecular defect also correlated with patients' daytime somnolence.ConclusionsBesides muscular symptomatology, there is significant CTG-dependent involvement of the CNS in adult DM1 patients. Our data indicate that the cognitive impairment predominantly affects the fronto-parietal lobe.
Combining dimensional and categorical representation of psychosis: the way forward for DSM-V and ICD-11?
Authors: Demjaha A. , Morgan K. , Morgan C. , Landau S. , Dean K. , Reichenberg A. , Sham P. , Fearon P. , Hutchinson G. , Jones P. B. , Murray R. M. , Dazzan P. 
Published: July 2009

BackgroundThere is good evidence that psychotic symptoms segregate into symptom dimensions. However, it is still unclear how these dimensions are associated with risk indicators and other clinical variables, and whether they have advantages over categorical diagnosis in clinical practice. We investigated symptom dimensions in a first-onset psychosis sample and examined their associations with risk indicators and clinical variables. We then examined the relationship of categorical diagnoses to the same variables.MethodWe recruited 536 patients as part of a population-based, incidence study of psychosis. Psychopathology was assessed using the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN). A principal axis factor analysis was performed on symptom scores. The relationship of dimension scores with risk indicators and with clinical variables was then examined employing regression analyses. Finally, regression models were compared to assess the contribution of dimensionsversusdiagnosis in explaining these variables.ResultsFactor analysis gave rise to a five-factor solution of manic, reality distortion, negative, depressive and disorganization symptom dimensions. The scores of identified dimensions were differentially associated with specific variables. The manic dimension had the highest number of significant associations; strong correlations were observed with shorter duration of untreated psychosis, acute mode of onset and compulsory admission. Adding dimensional scores to diagnostic categories significantly increased the amount of variability explained in predicting these variables; the reverse was also true but to a lesser extent.ConclusionsCategorical and dimensional representations of psychosis are complementary. Using both appears to be a promising strategy in conceptualising psychotic illnesses.
Neurology out-patients with symptoms unexplained by disease: illness beliefs and financial benefits predict 1-year outcome
Authors: Sharpe M. , Stone J. , Hibberd C. , Warlow C. , Duncan R. , Coleman R. , Roberts R. , Cull R. , Pelosi A. , Cavanagh J. , Matthews K. , Goldbeck R. , Smyth R. , Walker A. , Walker J. , MacMahon A. , Murray G. , Carson A. 
Published: July 2009

BackgroundPatients whose symptoms are ‘unexplained by disease’ often have a poor symptomatic outcome after specialist consultation, but we know little about which patient factors predict this. We therefore aimed to determine predictors of poor subjective outcome for new neurology out-patients with symptoms unexplained by disease 1 year after the initial consultation.MethodThe Scottish Neurological Symptom Study was a 1-year prospective cohort study of patients referred to secondary care National Health Service neurology clinics in Scotland (UK). Patients were included if the neurologist rated their symptoms as ‘not at all’ or only ‘somewhat explained’ by organic disease. Patient-rated change in health was rated on a five-point Clinical Global Improvement (CGI) scale (‘much better’ to ‘much worse’) 1 year later.ResultsThe 12-month outcome data were available on 716 of 1144 patients (63%). Poor outcome on the CGI (‘unchanged’, ‘worse’ or ‘much worse’) was reported by 482 (67%) out of 716 patients. The only strong independent baseline predictors were patients' beliefs [expectation of non-recovery (odds ratio [OR] 2.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.40–2.96), non-attribution of symptoms to psychological factors (OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.51–3.26)] and the receipt of illness-related financial benefits (OR 2.30, 95% CI 1.37–3.86). Together, these factors predicted 13% of the variance in outcome.ConclusionsOf the patients, two-thirds had a poor outcome at 1 year. Illness beliefs and financial benefits are more useful in predicting poor outcome than the number of symptoms, disability and distress.
Living like common people: emotion, will, and divine passibility
Authors: SCRUTTON ANASTASIA 
Published: July 2009

AbstractThis paper explores the perennial objection to passibilism (conceived as susceptibility to or capacity for emotion) that an omnipotent being could not experience emotions because emotions are essentially passive and outside the subject's control. Examining this claim through the lens of some recent philosophy of emotion, I highlight some of the ways in which emotions can be chosen and cultivated, suggesting that emotions are not incompatible with divine omnipotence. Having concluded that divine omnipotence does not exclude emotional experience in general, I go on to address an objection to the idea that God experiences the emotions involved in suffering in particular, suggesting one possible way of arguing that God's suffering is chosen while also maintaining the authenticity of divine suffering.
Note sur les opérations de Grothendieck et la réalisation de Betti
Authors: Ayoub Joseph 
Published: July 2009

RésuméLe but de cette note est de prouver que la réalisation de Betti des motifs est compatible avec les six opérations de Grothendieck et les foncteurs cycles proches qui, dans le monde motivique, ont été étudiés par l'auteur. On reprend d'abord la construction de la réalisation de Betti. On établit ensuite des critères abstraits qui, appliqués à la réalisation de Betti, fournissent les compatibilités souhaitées, sauf celle qui concerne les foncteurs cycles proches. Ces derniers seront traités dans une section à part.
Microbial community structure in the North Pacific ocean
Authors: Brown Mark V , Philip Gayle K , Bunge John A , Smith Matthew C , Bissett Andrew , Lauro Federico M , Fuhrman Jed A , Donachie Stuart P 
Published: July 2009

Abstract
We report a ribosomal tag pyrosequencing study of the phylogenetic diversity of Archaea, Bacteria and Eucarya over a depth profile at the Hawaii Ocean Time-Series Station, ALOHA. The V9 region of the SSU rRNA gene was amplified from samples representing the epi- (10 m), meso- (800 m) and bathy- (4400 m) pelagia. The primers used are expected to amplify representatives of ∼80% of known phylogenetic diversity across all three domains. Comparisons of unique sequences revealed a remarkably low degree of overlap between communities at each depth. The 444 147 sequence tags analyzed represented 62 975 unique sequences. Of these, 3707 (5.9%) occurred at two depths, and only 298 (0.5%) were observed at all three depths. At this level of phylogenetic resolution, Bacteria diversity decreased with depth but was still equivalent to that reported elsewhere for different soil types. Archaea diversity was highest in the two deeper samples. Eucarya observations and richness estimates are almost one order of magnitude higher than any previous marine microbial Eucarya richness estimates. The associations of many Eucarya sequences with putative parasitic organisms may have significant impacts on our understanding of the mechanisms controlling host population density and diversity, and point to a more significant role for microbial Eucarya in carbon flux through the microbial loop. We posit that the majority of sequences detected from the deep sea that have closest matches to sequences from non-pelagic sources are indeed native to the marine environment, and are possibly responsible for key metabolic processes in global biogeochemical cycles.
Structural integrity of β-sheet assembly
Authors: Marshall Karen E. , Serpell Louise C. 
Published: July 2009

The folding of a protein from a sequence of amino acids to a well-defined tertiary structure is one of the most studied and enigmatic events to take place in biological systems. Relatively recently, it has been established that some proteins and peptides are able to take on conformations other than their native fold to form long fibres known as amyloid. In vivo, these are associated with misfolding diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Type 2 diabetes and the amyloidoses. In vitro, peptide assembly leads to amyloid-like fibres that have high stability, resistance to degradation and high tensile strength. Remarkably, despite the lack of any obvious sequence similarity between these fibrillogenic proteins and peptides, all amyloid fibrils share common structural characteristics and their underlying structure is known as ‘cross-β’. Nature is rich in β-sheet protein assemblies such as spider silk and other ‘useful’ amyloids such as curli from Escherichia coli, where the strength of fibrils is fundamental to their function.
Differences in the SNARE evolution of fungi and metazoa
Authors: Kienle Nickias , Kloepper Tobias H. , Fasshauer Dirk 
Published: July 2009

Proteins of the SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor-attachment protein receptor) family are key factors in all vesicle-fusion steps in the endocytic and secretory pathways. SNAREs can assemble into a tight four-helix bundle complex between opposing membranes, a process that is thought to pull the two membranes into close proximity. The complex-forming domains are highly conserved, not only between different species, but also between different vesicular trafficking steps. SNARE protein sequences can be classified into four main types (Qa, Qb, Qc and R), each reflecting their position in the four-helix bundle. Further refinement of these main types resulted in the identification of 20 distinct conserved groups, which probably reflect the original repertoire of a proto-eukaryotic cell. We analysed the evolution of the SNARE repertoires in metazoa and fungi and unveiled remarkable differences in both lineages. In metazoa, the SNARE repertoire appears to have undergone a substantial expansion, particularly in the endosomal pathways. This expansion probably occurred during the transition from a unicellular to a multicellular lifestyle. We also observed another expansion that led to a major increase of the secretory SNAREs in the vertebrate lineage. Interestingly, fungi developed multicellularity independently, but in contrast with plants and metazoa, this change was not accompanied by an expansion of the SNARE set. Our findings suggest that the rise of multicellularity is not generally linked to an expansion of the SNARE set. The structural and functional diversity that exists between fungi and metazoa might offer a simple explanation for the distinct evolutionary history of their SNARE repertoires.
Novel regulatory mechanisms for theCFTRgene
Authors: Ott Christopher J. , Blackledge Neil P. , Leir Shih-Hsing , Harris Ann 
Published: July 2009

The CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) gene, which when mutated causes cystic fibrosis, encompasses nearly 200 kb of genomic DNA at chromosome 7q31.2. It is flanked by two genes ASZ1 [ankyrin repeat, SAM (sterile α-motif) and basic leucine zipper] and CTTNBP2 (cortactin-binding protein 2), which have very different expression profiles. CFTR is expressed primarily in specialized epithelial cells, whereas ASZ1 is transcribed exclusively in the testis and ovary, and CTTNBP2 is highly expressed in the brain, kidney and pancreas, with lower levels of expression in other tissues. Despite its highly regulated pattern of expression, the promoter of the CFTR gene apparently lacks the necessary elements to achieve this. We previously suggested that cis-acting regulatory elements elsewhere in the locus, both flanking the gene and within introns, were required to co-ordinate regulated, tissue-specific expression of CFTR. We identified a number of crucial elements, including enhancer-blocking insulators flanking the locus, intronic tissue-specific enhancers and also characterized some of the interacting proteins. We recently employed a high-resolution method of mapping DHS (DNase I-hypersensitive sites) using tiled microarrays. DHS are often associated with regulatory elements and use of this technique generated cell-specific profiles of potential regulatory sequences in primary cells and cell lines. We characterized a set of cis-acting elements within the CFTR locus and demonstrated direct physical interaction between them and the CFTR promoter, by chromosome conformation capture (3C). These results provide the first insight into the three-dimensional structure of the active CFTR gene.