bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Carbon isotope evidence for recent climate‐related enhancement of CO2 assimilation and peat accumulation rates in Antarctica
Authors: Royles Jessica , Ogée Jérôme , Wingate Lisa , Hodgson Dominic A. , Convey Peter , Griffiths Howard 
Published: May 2012

AbstractSigny Island, maritime Antarctic, lies within the region of the Southern Hemisphere that is currently experiencing the most rapid rates of environmental change. In this study, peat cores up to 2 m in depth from four moss banks on Signy Island were used to reconstruct changes in moss growth and climatic characteristics over the late Holocene. Measurements included radiocarbon dating (to determine peat accumulation rates) and stable carbon isotope composition of moss cellulose (to estimate photosynthetic limitation by CO
2 supply and model CO
2 assimilation rate). For at least one intensively 14C‐dated Chorisodontium aciphyllum moss peat bank, the vertical accumulation rate of peat was 3.9 mm yr−1 over the last 30 years. Before the industrial revolution, rates of peat accumulation in all cores were much lower, at around 0.6–1 mm yr−1. Carbon‐13 discrimination (Δ), corrected for background and anthropogenic source inputs, was used to develop a predictive model for CO
2 assimilation. Between 1680 and 1900, there had been a gradual increase in Δ, and hence assimilation rate. Since 1800, assimilation has also been stimulated by the changes in atmospheric CO
2 concentration, but a recent decline in Δ (over the past 50–100 years) can perhaps be attributed to documented changes in temperature and/or precipitation. The overall increase in CO
2 assimilation rate (13C proxy) and enhanced C accumulation (14C proxy) are consistent with warmer and wetter conditions currently generating higher growth rates than at any time in the past three millennia, with the decline in Δ perhaps compensated by a longer growing season.
Immunophenotyping of male breast cancer
Authors: Kornegoor Robert , Verschuur‐Maes Anoek H J , Buerger Horst , Hogenes Marieke C , de Bruin Peter C , Oudejans Joost J , Hinrichs Bernd , van Diest Paul J 
Published: May 2012

Kornegoor R, Verschuur‐Maes A H J, Buerger H, Hogenes M C, de Bruin P C, Oudejans J J, Hinrichs B & van Diest P J  (2012) Histopathology Immunophenotyping of male breast cancerAims:  Male breast cancer is a rare disease, and knowledge of carcinogenesis is limited. Conflicting results, based on small series, have been reported for clinically relevant biomarkers.Methods and results:  One hundred and thirty‐four cases of male breast cancer were immunohistochemically stained on tissue microarrays for oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), androgen receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), BRST2, cyclin D1, bcl‐2, p53, p16, p21, Ki67, cytokeratin (CK) 5/6, CK14, and epidermal growth factor receptor. Data were correlated with clinicopathological features and patient outcome. High mitotic count and high grade were correlated with high Ki67, HER2 amplification/overexpression, p53 accumulation, high p21 expression, low PR expression, and low bcl‐2 expression. PR negativity (P = 0.009) and p53 accumulation (P = 0.042) were correlated with decreased 5‐year survival and were independent markers for patient outcome in Cox regression. In unsupervised hierarchical clustering, four groups were identified that were correlated with distinctive clinicopathological features. The hormone negative/ER‐positive/high‐grade cluster was significantly associated with decreased survival (P = 0.011) and was an independent prognostic factor in Cox regression.Conclusions:  Several tissue biomarkers are associated with an aggressive phenotype in male breast cancer. PR and p53 are the most promising individual prognostic markers. On the basis of immunophenotype, four distinctive and prognostically relevant male breast cancer groups were identified, indicating that protein expression profiling may be clinically useful in male breast cancer.
Evidence for an adaptation in ROS scavenging systems in human testicular peritubular cells from infertility patients
Authors: Kampfer C. , Spillner S. , Spinnler K. , Schwarzer J. U. , Terradas C. , Ponzio R. , Puigdomenech E. , Levalle O. , Köhn F. M. , Matzkin M. E. , Calandra R. S. , Frungieri M. B. , Mayerhofer A. 
Published: May 2012

SummaryFibrosis, increased amounts of immune cells and expression of COX‐2 in the testes of infertility patients provide circumstantial evidence for a specific testicular milieu, in which reactive oxygen species (ROS) could be increased. If ROS level increase and/or ROS scavengers decrease, the resulting testicular oxidative stress may contribute to human male infertility. Primary peritubular cells of the human testis, from men with normal spermatogenesis (HTPCs) and infertile patients (HTPC‐Fs), previously allowed us to identify an end product of COX‐2 action, a prostaglandin derivative (15dPGJ2), which acts via ROS to alter the phenotype of peritubular cells, at least in vitro. Using testicular biopsies we now found 15dPGJ2 in patients and hence we started exploring the ROS scavenger systems of the human testis. This system includes catalase, DJ‐1, peroxiredoxin 1, SOD 1 and 2, glutathione‐S‐transferase and HMOX‐1, which were identified by RT‐PCR/sequencing in HTPCs and HTPC‐Fs and whole testes. Catalase, DJ‐1, peroxiredoxin 1 and SOD 2 were also detected by Western blots and in part by immunohistochemistry in testicular samples. Western blots of cultured cells further revealed that catalase levels, but not peroxiredoxin 1, SOD 2 or DJ‐1 levels, are significantly higher in HTPC‐Fs than in HTPCs. This particular difference is correlated with the improved ability of HTPC‐Fs to handle ROS, which became evident when cells were exposed to 100 μm H2O2. H2O2 induced stronger responses in HTPCs than in HTPC‐Fs, which correlates with the lower level of the H2O2‐degrading defence enzyme catalase in HTPCs. The results provide evidence for an adaptation to elevated ROS levels, which must have occurred in vivo and which persist in vitro in HTPC‐Fs. Thus, in infertile men with impaired spermatogenesis elevated ROS levels likely exist, at least in the tubular wall.
Clinical correlates of sex steroids and gonadotropins in men over the late adulthood: the Framingham Heart Study
Authors: Haring R. , Xanthakis V. , Coviello A. , Sullivan L. , Bhasin S. , Wallaschofski H. , Murabito J. M. , Vasan R. S. 
Published: May 2012

SummaryLow serum concentrations of sex steroids and gonadotropins in men have been associated with increased cardiometabolic risk and mortality, but the clinical correlates of these hormones in men over late adulthood are less clearly understood. We analysed up to five serial measurements of total testosterone (TT), dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and total estradiol (EST) in older men in the original cohort of the Framingham Heart Study to determine the short‐ (2‐years; 1,165 person‐observations in 528 individuals) and long‐term (up to 10‐years follow‐up; 2520 person‐observations in 835 individuals with mean baseline age: 71.2 years) clinical correlates of these sex steroids and gonadotropins using multilevel modelling and Generalized Estimating Equations. Age, body mass index and pre‐existing type 2 diabetes were inversely related to long‐term TT concentrations, whereas higher systolic blood pressure showed a positive association. Furthermore, age and pre‐existing cardiovascular disease (CVD) were inversely associated and HDL cholesterol concentrations positively associated with long‐term DHEAS concentrations respectively. Analyses of short‐term changes revealed age was inversely related to DHEAS, but positively related to FSH and LH concentrations. Our community‐based study identified modifiable correlates of decreasing TT and DHEAS concentrations in elderly men, suggesting that maintenance of a low CVD risk factor burden may mitigate the age‐related decline of these hormones over the late adulthood.
Why are there more arboreal ant species in primary than in secondary tropical forests?
Authors: Klimes Petr , Idigel Cliffson , Rimandai Maling , Fayle Tom M. , Janda Milan , Weiblen George D. , Novotny Vojtech 
Published: May 2012

Summary1. Species diversity of arboreal arthropods tends to increase during rainforest succession so that primary forest communities comprise more species than those from secondary vegetation, but it is not well understood why. Primary forests differ from secondary forests in a wide array of factors whose relative impacts on arthropod diversity have not yet been quantified.2. We assessed the effects of succession‐related determinants on a keystone ecological group, arboreal ants, by conducting a complete census of 1332 ant nests from all trees with diameter at breast height ≥ 5 cm occurring within two (unreplicated) 0·32‐ha plots, one in primary and one in secondary lowland forest in New Guinea. Specifically, we used a novel rarefaction‐based approach to match number, size distribution and taxonomic structure of trees in primary forest communities to those in secondary forest and compared the resulting numbers of ant species.3. In total, we recorded 80 nesting ant species from 389 trees in primary forest but only 42 species from 295 trees in secondary forest. The two habitats did not differ in the mean number of ant species per tree or in the relationship between ant diversity and tree size. However, the between‐tree similarity of ant communities was higher in secondary forest than in primary forest, as was the between‐tree nest site similarity, suggesting that secondary trees were more uniform in providing nesting microhabitats.4. Using our rarefaction method, the difference in ant species richness between two forest types was partitioned according to the effects of higher tree density (22·6%), larger tree size (15·5%) and higher taxonomic diversity of trees (14·3%) in primary than in secondary forest. The remaining difference (47·6%) was because of higher beta diversity of ant communities between primary forest trees. In contrast, difference in nest density was explained solely by difference in tree density.5. Our study shows that reduction in plant taxonomic diversity in secondary forests is not the main driver of the reduction in canopy ant species richness. We suggest that the majority of arboreal species losses in secondary tropical forests are attributable to simpler vegetation structure, combined with lower turnover of nesting microhabitats between trees.
A vignette study to examine health care professionals' attitudes towards patient involvement in error prevention
Authors: Schwappach David L. B. , Frank Olga , Davis Rachel E. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractBackground  Various authorities recommend the participation of patients in promoting patient safety, but little is known about health care professionals' (HCPs') attitudes towards patients' involvement in safety‐related behaviours.Objective  To investigate how HCPs evaluate patients' behaviours and HCP responses to patient involvement in the behaviour, relative to different aspects of the patient, the involved HCP and the potential error.Design  Cross‐sectional fractional factorial survey with seven factors embedded in two error scenarios (missed hand hygiene, medication error). Each survey included two randomized vignettes that described the potential error, a patient's reaction to that error and the HCP response to the patient.Setting  Twelve hospitals in Switzerland.Participants  A total of 1141 HCPs (response rate 45%).Measurements  Approval of patients' behaviour, HCP response to the patient, anticipated effects on the patient–HCP relationship, HCPs' support for being asked the question, affective response to the vignettes. Outcomes were measured on 7‐point scales.Results  Approval of patients' safety‐related interventions was generally high and largely affected by patients' behaviour and correct identification of error. Anticipated effects on the patient–HCP relationship were much less positive, little correlated with approval of patients' behaviour and were mainly determined by the HCP response to intervening patients. HCPs expressed more favourable attitudes towards patients intervening about a medication error than about hand sanitation.Conclusions  This study provides the first insights into predictors of HCPs' attitudes towards patient engagement in safety. Future research is however required to assess the generalizability of the findings into practice before training can be designed to address critical issues.
Trends and variations in infant mortality among 47 prefectures in Japan
Authors: Mishina Hiroki , Hilton Joan F. , Takayama John I. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractObjectives  To determine IMR trends and regional variations among 47 prefectures in Japan and to identify associated population‐based factors.Methods  We conducted an ecological study of infant mortality rate (IMR) by analyzing publicly available data from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan. Outcome measure for trend is the IMR for each of 47 prefectures from 1999 to 2007; for variation, IMRs for 2006 and 2007 in each prefecture were averaged. We considered as covariates prefecture‐level variables related to public health, socio‐economic status, clinical services and health care facilities. We conducted multivariate statistical analyses to determine covariates most strongly associated with both 1999–2007 IMR trends and 2006–2007 IMR.Results  The mean IMR decreased from 3.42 deaths per 1000 live births (range 2.1 to 5.1) in 1999 to 2.54 (range 1.5 to 4.4) in 2007; reductions were greater in prefectures with higher concentrations of public health nurses (PHNs) and nurses. In 2006–2007, nine prefectures had IMRs ≤ 2.25; eight had IMRs ≥ 3.0. When low‐, moderate‐ and high‐IMR prefectures were compared, per capita PHNs, maternal education, centralized water supply and household income were identified as significant covariates.Conclusions  Both national and prefecture‐level IMR in Japan decreased from 1999 to 2007; however, the degree of reduction varied by prefecture. Given that more nurses and PHNs per capita were associated with greater IMR reductions from 1999 to 2007 and more PHNs with lower 2006–2007 IMRs, distribution of preventive health services may play a major role in reducing regional disparities in IMR.
Is it time to abandon paper? The use of emails and the Internet for health services research – a cost‐effectiveness and qualitative study
Authors: Hunter Jennifer , Corcoran Katherine , Leeder Stephen , Phelps Kerryn 
Published: May 2012

AbstractRationale  A multidisciplinary primary care clinic in Sydney, Australia, was planning to use electronic questionnaires to measure patient‐reported outcomes.Methods  Semi‐structured interviews with 20 patients were undertaken to explore, among other things, practical issues regarding different questionnaire formats. The response rates and costs of email versus postal invitations were also evaluated.Results  Compared with postal invitations, email invitations offered a cost‐effective and practical alternative, with a greater proportion of patients volunteering for an interview. Assuming the interface is well‐designed and user‐friendly, many patients were happy to use the Internet to answer questionnaires. Most patients thought alternate formats should also be offered. Patients discussed advantages and disadvantages of the Internet format. Although more younger patients and females had given the clinic an email address; both sexes, and young and old patients, expressed strong preferences for either wanting or not wanting to use the Internet.Conclusion  Researchers should consider using email invitations as a cost‐effective first‐line strategy to recruit patients to participate in health services research. Internet questionnaires are potentially cheaper than paper questionnaires, and the format is acceptable to many patients. However, for the time being, concurrent alternate formats need to be offered to ensure wider acceptability and to maximize response rates.
Multiple Alternaria species groups are associated with leaf blotch and fruit spot diseases of apple in Australia
Authors: Harteveld D. O. C. , Akinsanmi O. A. , Drenth A. 
Published: May 2012

Leaf blotch and fruit spot of apple caused by Alternaria species occur in apple orchards in Australia. However, there is no information on the identity of the pathogens and whether one or more Alternaria species cause both diseases in Australia. Using DNA sequencing and morphological and cultural characteristics of 51 isolates obtained from apple leaves and fruit with symptoms in Australia, Alternaria species groups associated with leaf blotch and fruit spot of apples were identified. Sequences of Alternaria allergen a1 and endopolygalacturonase gene regions revealed that multiple Alternaria species groups are associated with both diseases. Phylogenetic analysis of concatenated sequences of the two genes resulted in four clades representing A. arborescens and A. arborescens‐like isolates in clade 1, A. tenuissima/A. mali isolates in clade 2, A. alternata/A. tenuissima intermediate isolates in clade 3 and A. longipes and A. longipes‐like isolates in clade 4. The clades formed using sequence information were supported by colony characteristics and sporulation patterns. The source of the isolates in each clade included both the leaf blotch variant and the fruit spot variant of the disease. Alternaria arborescens‐like isolates were the most prevalent (47%) and occurred in all six states of Australia, while A. alternata/A. tenuissima intermediate isolates (14%) and A. tenuissima/A. mali isolates (6%) occurred mostly in Queensland and New South Wales, respectively. Implications of multiple Alternaria species groups on apples in Australia are discussed.
Detrital chromian spinels from beach placers of Andaman Islands, India: A perspective view of petrological characteristics and variations of the Andaman ophiolite
Authors: GHOSH BISWAJIT , MORISHITA TOMOAKI , BHATTA KOYEL 
Published: May 2012

AbstractAlong the east coast of the Andaman Islands, abundant detrital chromian spinels frequently occur in black sands at the confluence of streams meeting the Andaman Sea. The mineral chemistry of these detrital chromian spinels has been used in reconstructing the evolutionary history of the Andaman ophiolite. The chromian spinels show wide variation in compositional parameters such as Cr# [= Cr/(Cr + A1) atomic ratio] (0.13–0.91), Mg# [= Mg/(Mg + Fe2+) atomic ratio] (0.23–0.76), and TiO2 (<0.05–3.9 wt%). The YFe3+[= 100Fe3+/(Cr + A1 + Fe3+) atomic ratio] is remarkably low (usually <10 except for south Andaman). The ranges of chemical composition of chromian spinels are different in each locality. The spinel compositions show very depleted signatures over the entire island, which suggests that all massifs in the Andaman ophiolite were affected under island‐arc conditions. Although the degree of depletion varies in different parts of the island, a directional change in composition of the detrital chromian spinels from south to north is evident. Towards the north the detrital chromian spinels point to less‐depleted source rocks in contrast to relatively more depleted towards the south. The possibilities to explain this directional change are critically discussed in the context of the evolution of Andaman ophiolite.
Reproductive isolation vs. interbreeding betweenGagea lutea(L.) Ker Gawl. andG. pratensis(Pers.) Dumort. (Liliaceae) and their putative hybrids in Mecklenburg‐Western Pomerania (Germany)
Authors: PFEIFFER TANJA , HARTER DAVID E.V. , FORMELLA NOREEN , SCHNITTLER MARTIN 
Published: May 2012

AbstractMecklenburg‐Western Pomerania is the main range of two hybridogeneousGageataxa,G. megapolitanaHenker andG. pomeranicaRuthe, which have the same two parental species,G. lutea(L.) Ker. Gawl. andG. pratensis(Pers.) Dumort. We assessed the degree of reproductive isolation vs. interbreeding between these taxa using data from field observations, crossing experiments and pollen characteristics for nine hybrid, fourG. luteaand fiveG. pratensispopulations. Pollen viability was highest in 6x G. luteaand lowest inG. pratensis(most probably 5x), with intermediate figures for the studied hybrids (5x–7x). Despite the assumed anorthoploid states, sexual reproduction (though sometimes very rare) was recorded for all populations in the field and/or in experiments. The crossing experiments revealed that all taxa are also able to hybridize. However, there were differences in the directions (i.e. role as maternal vs. paternal parent) as well as the success of the crossings: the primary hybridizationG. lutea x G. pratensisresulted in more seeds than the reverse combination (17.5 vs. 3.3%), but the seed set was highest in backcrosses of the hybrids withG. luteapollen (41.2%). These differences can be explained by overlap of flowering times, and reduced fertilities due to ploidy levels. The study showed that the taxa of theG. lutea‐pratensishybrid complex are not yet reproductively isolated but can interbreed and will generate hybrids of higher ranks, forming a hybrid swarm, most probably leading to introgression via backcrosses withG. lutea.
Mechanisms of reproductive isolation of interspecific hybridization between Trillium camschatcense and T. tschonoskii (Melanthiaceae)
Authors: ISHIZAKI SATOMI , ABE TAMAYO , OHARA MASASHI 
Published: May 2012

AbstractReproductive isolation plays a significant role in the prevention of gene flow between different plant species. Isolation factors can vary, acting either pre‐ or postzygotically. Trillium camschatcense and T. tschonoskii are herbaceous perennials which frequently grow together in Hokkaido, Japan. Natural hybrid formation, T. × hagae, between these species is common, and occurs asymmetrically with T. camschatcense as the maternal parent and T. tschonoskii as the paternal. Here, we examined the efficiency of each reproductive isolation factor to clarify which factor was responsible for the frequency and asymmetry of the hybridization. We found that prezygotic barriers, self fertilization and conspecific pollen precedence, are major isolation factors in both parental species, and that T. tschonoskii as a maternal parent has more effective prezygotic barriers than T. camschatcense. In addition, hybrids with T. tschonoskii as the maternal parent were not observed to reach the flowering stage. We concluded that prezygotic isolation factors in the both species act as main barriers to prevent natural hybridization, and that asymmetry of the isolating barriers between these species would promote T. camschatcense as the maternal parent of the hybrids.