bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Biogeographical affinities of the New Caledonian biota: a puzzle with 24 pieces
Authors: Heads Michael 
Published: May 2010

AbstractAim  The distributions of many New Caledonian taxa were reviewed in order to ascertain the main biogeographical connections with other areas.Location  Global.Methods  Panbiogeographical analysis.Results  Twenty‐four areas of endemism (tracks) involving New Caledonia and different areas of Gondwana, Tethys and the central Pacific were retrieved. Most are supported by taxa of lower and higher plants, and lower and higher animals.Main conclusions  Although parts of New Caledonia were attached to Gondwana for some time in the mid‐Cretaceous, most of the New Caledonian terranes formed as oceanic island arcs and sections of sea floor bearing seamounts. The flora and fauna have evolved and survived for tens of millions of years as metapopulations on ephemeral islands. Later, the biotas were juxtaposed and fused during terrane accretion. This process, together with the rifting of Gondwana, explains the biogeographical affinities of New Caledonia with parts of Gondwana, Tethys and the Pacific.
How to cope with a superior enemy? Plant defence strategies in response to annual herbivore outbreaks
Authors: Miler Oliver , Straile Dietmar 
Published: May 2010

Summary 1. The perfoliate pondweed Potamogeton perfoliatus L. constitutes large monospecific macrophyte patches in many Central European lakes. Correlative evidence from the field suggests that P. perfoliatus is under an increasing grazing pressure during its short vegetation period from May to September due to seasonal outbreaks of the aquatic moth Acentria ephemerella Denis & Schiffermüller. We used a mesocosm experiment to determine the influence of A. ephemerella herbivory on P. perfoliatus shoot development and resting bud production and to study the defence strategies of this macrophyte. 2. Herbivory resulted in a reduction of the P. perfoliatus vegetation period by more than 2 months thereby reducing the average resting bud size and the overall resting bud biomass sevenfold. This suggests that besides its severe immediate effects, herbivory affects P. perfoliatus growth and dynamics also during the subsequent season. 3. As a response to herbivory P. perfoliatus translocated nutrients (phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N)) from leaves towards buds. Acentria ephemerella larvae had a high P content, implying P limitation of larval growth especially within the herbivory treatment. This suggests that at least the P translocation from leaves towards resting buds may be viewed as an anti‐predator strategy rather than as a nutrient conservation strategy. 4. Acentria ephemerella herbivory changed the allocation strategy of P. perfoliatus in the size versus number of resting buds: only the number, but not the size of resting buds was reduced under shoot grazing by Acentria ephemerella. This change in the number versus size trade‐off might allow the plant to produce a minimum resting bud size necessary for successful sprouting in the next spring. 5. Synthesis. Overall, our results suggest an escape syndrome (after Agrawal & Fishbein, Ecology, 87 (2006) S132) as a defence strategy against herbivory for P. perfoliatus, consisting of a shortening of the growth period, a translocation of nutrients and a change in allocation strategy. The increased plant senescence that was accompanied by the shortening of the growth period has further implications for the usage of macrophyte patches as a habitat for invertebrates and fishes and for the structure of littoral food webs.
Noise effects and filtering in controlled light exposure microscopy
Authors: HOEBE R.A. , VAN NOORDEN C.J.F. , MANDERS E.M.M. 
Published: May 2010

SummaryPhototoxicity and photobleaching are major limitations of fluorescence live‐cell microscopy. A straightforward way to limit phototoxicity and photobleaching is reduction of the excitation light dose, but this causes loss of image quality. In confocal fluorescence microscopy, the field of view is illuminated uniformly whereas in controlled light exposure microscopy, illumination is controlled per pixel on the basis of two illumination strategies. The controlled light exposure microscopy foreground strategy discriminates between bright and weak foreground. Bright foreground pixels are illuminated with a reduced light dose resulting in limited excitation of fluorophores and consequently limited phototoxicity and photobleaching. The controlled light exposure microscopy background strategy discriminates between foreground and background. Pixels that are judged to be background are also illuminated with a reduced light dose. The latter illumination strategy may introduce artefacts due to the stochastic character of photon flow. These artefacts are visible as erratic ‘darker pixels’ in the foreground with a lower pixel value than the neighbouring pixels. This paper describes a special adaptive image processing filter that detects and corrects most of the ‘darker pixels’. It opens the possibility to use controlled light exposure microscopy even in high noise (low signal to noise ratio) imaging to further reduce phototoxicity and photobleaching.
Functional comparison of catalase genes in the elimination of photorespiratory H2O2 using promoter‐ and 3′‐untranslated region exchange experiments in the Arabidopsis cat2 photorespiratory mutant
Authors: HU YE‐QIN , LIU SHENG , YUAN HONG‐MEI , LI JING , YAN DA‐WEI , ZHANG JIAN‐FENG , LU YING‐TANG 
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACTPhotorespiration‐associated production of H2O2 accounts for the majority of total H2O2 in leaves of C3 plants and is mainly eliminated by catalases. In Arabidopsis, lack of CAT2, but not CAT1 or CAT3, results in growth suppression and a marked accumulation of H2O2 in leaves. To evaluate the contribution of individual catalase genes and their promoters to catalase function, we investigated the growth suppression and H2O2 accumulation phenotypes of Arabidopsis derivatives expressing catalase genes from heterologous CAT promoters in a cat2 mutant background. The expression of CAT2 from the CAT2 promoter restored the wild‐type phenotype in a cat2‐1 mutant, while CAT1 and CAT3 promoter‐driven expression of CAT2 did not. Ectopic expression of CAT3 from the CAT2 promoter also restored the normal phenotype, unlike that of CAT1 which required replacement of the CAT1 3′‐untranslated region (UTR) with that of CAT2. These results demonstrated that the photorespiratory role of CAT2 is determined mainly by the regulation of its promoter activity. The 3′‐UTR of CAT2 was vital for controlling CAT2 protein levels under photorespiratory conditions. Identification of component of heterotetramers catalase isoforms suggested that there is some functional redundancy between CAT2 and CAT1 and CAT3.
Weighing abiotic and biotic influences on weed seed predation
Authors: DAVIS A S , RAGHU S 
Published: May 2010

Davis AS & Raghu S (2010). Weighing abiotic and biotic influences on weed seed predation. Weed Research50,402–412.SummaryWeed seed predation is an important ecosystem service supporting weed management in low‐external‐input agroecosystems. Current knowledge of weed seed predation focuses on biotic mechanisms, with less undersatanding of the relative impact of abiotic variables. In order to quantify relative contributions of abiotic and biotic variables to weed seed predation rates, a field study was made within a maize crop in central Illinois, USA, in 2005 and 2006. From late July through to mid‐October, weekly measurements of Abutilon theophrasti, Ambrosia trifida and Setaria faberi seed removal rates by invertebrate and vertebrate granivores, and seed losses because of abiotic processes were recorded. Weed seed rain was measured concurrently in contiguous plots, as were air temperature, precipitation, wind speed, thermal units and invertebrate activity‐density. Statistical models supported the possibility that higher‐level trophic interactions were contributing to variation in seed predation rates. Approaching granivory in agroecosystems as a food web may help future attempts to regulate this ecosystem service.
Autumn growth of Elytrigia repens, Cirsium arvense and Sonchus arvensis at high latitudes in an outdoor pot experiment
Authors: TØRRESEN K S , FYKSE H , RAFOSS T 
Published: May 2010

Tørresen KS, Fykse H & Rafoss T (2010). Autumn growth of Elytrigia repens, Cirsium arvense and Sonchus arvensis at high latitudes in an outdoor pot experiment. Weed Research50, 353–363.SummaryAutumn growth of weeds (i) provides an opportunity for mechanical and chemical control in autumn and (ii) can be important for weed survival and infestation in the following spring. Growth characteristics of Elytrigia repens, Cirsium arvense and Sonchus arvensis in autumn were studied in 2004 and 2005, on plants of different origins and developmental stages (planted at various times from May to August). The plants were grown outdoors in large pots and were assessed during September and October each year. The study showed that (i) all species grew in autumn, but growth ceased and the species withered at different times; S. arvensis first, followed by C. arvense and then E. repens and (ii) less developed (i.e. younger) plants grew later in the autumn. This was demonstrated by leaf area development and biomass distribution during autumn. Older plants had a greater total biomass with relatively more rhizomes or creeping roots than younger plants. In young plants of C. arvense and S. arvensis, the biomass of creeping roots increased during autumn. The total biomass, however, changed little during autumn. These growth patterns indicate that E. repens will be the easiest, S. arvensis the most difficult and C. arvense in between, regarding control of these species in autumn.
Therapeutic efficacy of topical OLEOZON® in patients suffering from onychomycosis
Authors: Menéndez Silvia , Falcón Leopoldina , Maqueira Yordana 
Published: May 2010

SummaryThe results of the use of ozonised sunflower oil (OLEOZON®) in the treatment of onychomycosis, based on its known antimycotic action and good skin tolerance, by means of a controlled randomised phase III assay are presented. A total of 400 outpatients were randomly divided into two groups: experimental, treated with topical OLEOZON®, two times per day and control, treated also two times per day, with ketoconazole cream 2%, for 3 months. A patient was considered cured when the sick nails regained the normal colour, growth and thickness, with a negative mycological study. In the experimental group, a regression of signs was achieved from the first month of treatment, while in the control group, it was obtained after the third month of treatment. All patients treated with OLEOZON® had improvement in their condition (9.5%) or were cured (90.5%). However, in the control group, only 13.5% of patients were cured, 27.5% improved and 59% remained the same, with significant differences between both the groups. After 1 year of follow‐up, experimental and control groups presented 2.8% and 44.4% of relapses, respectively. Topical OLEOZON® demonstrated effectiveness in the treatment of onychomycosis, superior to that of ketoconazole. No side effects were observed.
Changes in renal markers and acute kidney injury after marathon running
Authors: MCCULLOUGH PETER A , CHINNAIYAN KAVITHA M , GALLAGHER MICHAEL J , COLAR JAMES M , GEDDES TIMOTHY , GOLD JEFFREY M , TRIVAX JUSTIN E 
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACTBackground:  The impact of marathon running on kidney function has not been previously described.Methods:  From 425 marathon runners, 13 women and 12 men were randomly selected and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and blood/urine biomarkers were performed 4 weeks before (baseline), immediately after (peak), and 24 h after the race (recovery).Results:  Participants were 38.7 ± 9.0 years old and completed the marathon in 256.2 ± 43.5 min. A total of 10/25 (40.0%) met the Acute Kidney Injury Network definition of acute kidney injury (AKI) based on a rise in serum creatinine. There were parallel and similar mean rises in serum creatinine and cystatin C from baseline, to peak, and return to normal in recovery. Urine neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin rose from 8.2 ± 4.0 to 47.0 ± 28.6 and returned to 10.6 ± 7.2 ng/mL, P < 0.0001. Likewise, the mean urinary kidney injury molecule‐1 levels were 2.6 ± 1.6, 3.5 ± 1.6 and 2.7 ± 1.6 ng/mL (P = 0.001). The mean and minimum pre‐ and post‐IVC (inferior vena cava) diameters by MRI were 24.9, 18.8 and 25.3, 17.5 mm, respectively, suggesting that runners were not volume depleted at the first post‐race measurement.Conclusion:  Approximately 40% of marathon runners experience a transient rise in serum creatinine that meets criteria of AKI with a parallel elevation of cystatin C, and supportive elevations of neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin and kidney injury molecule‐1 in the urine. All biomarker elevations resolved by 24 h. These data suggest that AKI with a transient and minor change in renal filtration function occurs with the stress of marathon running. The impact of repetitive episodes of AKI with long‐distance running is unknown.
Cord blood thyroid‐stimulating hormone and free T4 levels in Turkish neonates: Is iodine deficiency still a continuing problem?
Authors: Kışlal Fatih , Çetinkaya Semra , Dilmen Uğur , Yaşar Handan , Teziç Tahsin 
Published: May 2010

AbstractBackground:  The objectives of this study were to determine the cord blood thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH) and free T4 (FT4) levels in Turkish neonates and to determine whether these variables reveal iodine deficiency.Methods:  We collected 818 cords from healthy mothers at parturition and measured levels of FT4 and TSH. We also measured cord blood FT4 and TSH levels in different stages of gestation and gender. We grouped the neonates according to cord serum TSH levels, either being less (Group A) or greater (Group B) than 10 mIU/L. Group A included 589 neonates (300 girls [51%] and 289 boys [49%]) and Group B included 229 neonates (105 girls [45%] and 124 boys [55%]).Results:  The percentage of subjects with cord blood TSH < 10 mIU/L and >10 mIU/L was 72% and 28%, respectively. Although cord TSH levels in Group B were greater than those in Group A (P < 0.001), cord blood FT4 levels in Group B were lower than those in Group A (P < 0.05). There was no difference between both sex in terms of birthweight and maternal age. TSH and FT4 levels did not vary according to neonate sex during gestation, except for from week 37 to 41. TSH levels of male neonates at the 41st week of gestation were higher than those of female neonates (P < 0.05). There were no effects of birthweight on TSH and FT4 levels if the neonate was lighter than 2500 g at birth. TSH levels of male neonates were higher than those of female neonates when their birthweights were <2500 g (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in TSH levels according to birthweights in male neonates.Conclusion:  Our data provide the normative data for cord blood TSH and FT4 levels in Turkish neonates and show that iodine deficiency is a still a public health problem in Turkey. These measurements can be useful for detection and verification of hypothyroidism in a screening program for congenital hypothyroidism as well as evaluation of the success of the iodination program.
Natural history and predictive risk factors of prolonged unconjugated jaundice in the newborn
Authors: Gundur Narasimhappa M. , Kumar Praveen , Sundaram Venkataseshan , Thapa Babu R. , Narang Anil 
Published: May 2010

AbstractBackground:  This study aimed to investigate the natural course and risk factors for prolonged unconjugated jaundice (PUJ) in neonates.Methods:  This was a prospective descriptive study conducted in a tertiary care referral hospital of Northern India. The study included neonates who presented with clinical jaundice beyond 14 days of age. A detailed history, clinical examination and investigations were performed in all. All were followed till the normalization of clinical jaundice or up to 8 weeks of age, whichever was earlier. The key outcome measure was time to normalization of PUJ. Predictive risk factors for PUJ were analyzed by comparing with matched controls. Regression analysis was done for independent predictive risk factors of PUJ.Results:  A total of 71 infants presented with prolonged jaundice (PJ). Out of these, 66 infants (93%) had PUJ. Glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency was the most commonly identified association of PUJ (24%). The median duration of jaundice in infants with PUJ was 5 weeks (range: 5–8). PJ in siblings (OR 2.9 [1.1–7.6]), oxytocin use during labor (OR 3.4 [1.1–10.4]) and G6PD deficiency (OR 4.0 [1.1–14.1]) were independent predictors of PUJ.Conclusions:  Irrespective of the etiology, by 8 weeks, PUJ disappeared in all infants. G6PD deficiency was the most common association of PUJ. A history of PJ in siblings, use of oxytocin during labor and G6PD deficiency were independent predictors for PUJ.
Intracellular magnesium and tolerance against hypoxia in immature rat heart
Authors: Sato Tomoyuki , Watanabe Makino , Kishiro Masahiko , Nagata Satoru , Shimizu Toshiaki , Okada Takao 
Published: May 2010

AbstractBackground:  Neonatal hearts show greater resistance to hypoxia than adult hearts do, but the mechanism is unclear. In immature rat hearts, we examined the association between high tolerance for hypoxia and the kinetics of magnesium (Mg), which has myocardial protective effects in adult hearts.Methods:  The hearts of 1‐, 2‐, 3‐, and 10‐week‐old rats were Langendorff perfused and subjected to 45 min hypoxia and 30 min reoxygenation. The myocardial Mg content was measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry.Results:  In 1‐week‐old rat hearts, the tension‐rate product recovered more immediately with reoxygenation than in the other groups, and aspartate aminotransferase release did not increase throughout the experiment. In 10‐week‐old rat hearts, total tissue Mg content decreased significantly with reoxygenation (607.0 ± 22.9 µg/g dry weight) from its control level (793.2 ± 16.7 µg/g dry weight). However, in neonates, the total tissue Mg did not decrease with reoxygenation.Conclusions:  The high resistance against hypoxia‐reoxygenation injury in neonatal rat hearts is caused, at least in part, by a high ability to maintain myocardial Mg.
Wall motion velocities of ascending aorta measured by tissue Doppler imaging in obese children
Authors: Pac Feyza Aysenur , Guray Yesim , Polat Tugcin Bora 
Published: May 2010

AbstractBackground:  Obesity is associated with the development of early cardiovascular abnormalities such as atherosclerotic lesions. Arterial stiffness may be an indicator of early vascular changes signaling the development of vascular disease. The objective of the current study was to screen aortic elastic properties with tissue Doppler imaging in obese children.Methods:  We examined 37 obese children and 30 age‐ and sex‐matched normal subjects. Anthropometric measurements and metabolic risk profile were assessed in a physical examination and with blood taking. The subjects were divided into two subgroups: those with and without metabolic syndrome. Internal aortic systolic and diastolic diameters by M‐mode echocardiography and aortic systolic upper‐wall tissue velocity by tissue Doppler imaging were measured 3 cm above the aortic valve. Aortic distensibility and aortic stiffness index were calculated using accepted formulae.Results:  Aortic stiffness parameters and both tissue Doppler peak systolic and diastolic velocities differed significantly in obese children compared to controls. Among the subgroups, children with metabolic syndrome had a lower aortic stiffness index, aortic distensibility and tissue Doppler velocities. However, only peak diastolic velocities significantly differed between obese children without metabolic syndrome and controls. Homeostatic model scores, diastolic blood pressures and pulse pressures were the strongest to correlate with peak diastolic velocity (r=−0.88, P < 0.001, r=−0.62, P= 0.001 and, r= 0.55, P= 0.001, respectively).Conclusions:  Tissue Doppler imaging is a feasible and sensitive method to identify aortic stiffness in obese children. Reduced aortic diastolic velocity is the most prominent early vascular change detected in obese children before metabolic syndrome occurs.
Lasthénie de Ferjol syndrome: a rare disease with fascinating history
Authors: Karamanou M. , Androutsos G. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractIn our paper, we present the fascinating story of Lasthénie de Ferjol syndrome. A rare self‐induced iron deficiency anaemia caused by surreptitious blood‐letting. The French haematologist Jean Bernard first described the syndrome and named it after the heroine of Barbey d' Aurevilly's novel The Story without a Name. This factitious anaemia presents a great challenge for physicians even today, both in diagnosis and in therapy.
Staying within the lines: the formation of visuospatial boundaries influences multisensory feature integration
Authors: Fiebelkorn Ian C. , Foxe John J. , Schwartz Theodore H. , Molholm Sophie 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThe brain processes multisensory features of an object (e.g., its sound and shape) in separate cortical regions. A key question is how representations of these features bind together to form a coherent percept (the ‘binding problem’). Here we tested the hypothesis that the determination of an object’s visuospatial boundaries is paramount to the linking of its multisensory features (i.e., that the refinement of attended space through the formation of visual boundaries establishes the boundaries for multisensory feature integration). We recorded both scalp and intracranial electrophysiological data in response to Kanizsa‐type illusory contour stimuli (in which pacman‐like elements give the impression of a single object), their non‐illusory counterparts, and auditory stimuli. Participants performed a visual task and ignored sounds. Enhanced processing of task‐irrelevant sounds when paired with attended visual stimuli served as our metric for multisensory feature integration [e.g., Busse et al. (2005) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 102: 18751–18756]. According to our hypothesis, task‐irrelevant sounds paired with Kanizsa‐type illusory contour stimuli (which have well‐defined boundaries) should receive enhanced processing relative to task‐irrelevant sounds paired with non‐illusory contour stimuli (which have ambiguous boundaries). The scalp data clearly support this prediction and, combined with the intracranial data, advocate for an important extension of models for multisensory feature integration. We propose a model in which (i) the visual boundaries of an object are established through processing in occipitotemporal cortex, and (ii) attention then spreads to cortical regions that process features that fall within the object’s established visual boundaries, including its task‐irrelevant multisensory features.