bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bisphenol A in polycystic ovary syndrome and its association with liver–spleen axis
Authors: Tarantino Giovanni , Valentino Rossella , Somma Carolina Di , D'Esposito Vittoria , Passaretti Federica , Pizza Genoveffa , Brancato Valentina , Orio Francesco , Formisano Pietro , Colao Annamaria , Savastano Silvia 
Published: July 2012

SummaryContextBisphenol A, one of the highest‐volume chemicals currently available, is known to act as endocrine disruptor and alters several metabolic functions, including inflammatory pathways. Elevated serum levels of bisphenol A have been found in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and a role of low‐grade chronic inflammation has been recently reported in the pathogenesis of this syndrome. Increased spleen volume, a reliable and stable index of chronic inflammation, was strictly associated with the severity of hepatic steatosis (HS) in obese subjects, determining the so‐called liver–spleen axis.ObjectiveTo evaluate the contribution of increased serum bisphenol A levels to low‐grade chronic inflammation, HS and hyperandrogenism in women with PCOS.Design, setting and participantsForty lean and overweight/obese premenopausal women with PCOS and 20 healthy age‐matched women were consecutively enrolled in a cross‐sectional study from 2009 to 2011 at the Federico II University Hospital in Naples.MeasurementsBisphenol A, homoeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HoMA‐IR), laboratory liver tests, testosterone, sex hormone‐binding globulin, free androgen index (FAI), C‐reactive protein, interleukin‐6, and the ultrasound quantification of HS and spleen longitudinal diameter.ResultsIndependently of body weight, higher bisphenol A levels in PCOS women were associated with higher grades of insulin resistance, HS, FAI and inflammation, spleen size showing the best correlation. At multivariate analysis, spleen size and FAI were the best predictors of bisphenol A (β coefficients 0·379, P = 0·007 and 0·343, P = 0·014, respectively).ConclusionsIn premenopausal women with PCOS, we evidenced an association of serum bisphenol A levels with HS and markers of low‐grade inflammation, in particular with spleen size, unravelling the presence of the liver–spleen axis in this syndrome.
Positive association between aldosterone‐renin ratio and carotid intima‐media thickness in hypertensive children
Authors: Loureiro Carolina , Campino Carmen , Martinez‐Aguayo Alejandro , Godoy Ivan , Aglony Marlene , Bancalari Rodrigo , Garcia Hernan , Carvajal Cristian A. , Fardella Carlos 
Published: July 2012

SummaryIntroductionFrom an early age, hypertension can damage blood vessels through multiple mechanisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of vascular damage and whether it is associated with the mineralo‐ and glucocorticoid profiles of hypertensive children.Subjects and methodsWe studied 64 hypertensive children. Anthropometric parameters and serum aldosterone (SA), plasma renin activity (PRA), aldosterone/renin ratio (ARR), cortisol (F) and cortisone (E) were measured. The serum F/E ratio was calculated to estimate the activity of the enzyme 11β‐HSD2. Vascular damage was determined by carotid intima‐media thickness (cIMT) and flow‐mediated dilation of the brachial artery (FMD) on ultrasound.Results (median; Q1–Q3)Of the patients observed, 39% were females, and the median value for age (years) was 11·2 (9·1–13·3), for BMI (SDS) was 1·36 (0·84–1·80), for body fat mass (%) was 28·3 (17·8–36·0), for SBP index was 1·17 (1·12–1·25) and for the DBP index was 1·27 (1·16–1·36). Measurements revealed an SA level higher than 491 pmol/l in 4/64 patients, a PRA value lower than 0·5 ng/ml/h in 2/64, an ARR higher than 10 in 3/64 and serum F/E ratio higher than 4·3 in 10/64. The median brachial FMD (%) was 8·41 (5·61–10·91), and the median cIMT (mm) was 0·40 (0·37–0·43). The ARR was the only variable that explained changes in cIMT (β = 0·571, R2 = 0·315, P < 0·0001).ConclusionOur results showed a positive association between cIMT and the ARR, suggesting an important role of the renin‐aldosterone axis in the regulation of early vascular damage in hypertensive children.
The ecology of stress: effects of the social environment
Authors: Creel Scott , Dantzer Ben , Goymann Wolfgang , Rubenstein Dustin R. 
Published: July 2012

Summary
Many aspects of the social environment affect hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis function and increase circulating glucocorticoid concentrations. In this review, we examine the relationships between the social environment and the function of the HPA axis in vertebrates.
First, we explore the effects of the social environment on glucocorticoid secretion in territorial (primarily non‐social) species, with an emphasis on the effects of variation in population density, as modified by environmental factors such as predation risk and food availability. In general, high population density or frequent territorial intrusions are associated with increased glucocorticoid secretion in a wide range of taxa, including mammals, birds, fish and reptiles, although there is considerable variability across species.
Second, we consider the effects of social interactions and dominance rank on glucocorticoid secretion in social species, mostly in birds and mammals. We review studies that have detected an association between social status and glucocorticoid levels – sometimes with higher glucocorticoid levels in low‐ranking individuals, and sometimes with higher glucocorticoid levels in dominant individuals. The relationship between dominance and glucocorticoid levels varies among species, populations and years, in a manner that depends on the stability of the social hierarchy, environmental conditions, the type of breeding system, and the manner in which high rank is obtained and maintained.
Finally, we discuss the concept of allostasis and consider interactions between social effects and other environmental factors, noting that there is relatively little research on these interactions to date. For both non‐social and social species, we identify priorities of future research. These priorities include more complete descriptions of HPA function that move beyond measurements of basal glucocorticoid concentrations (which will generally require field experiments), to studies that examine organizational effects of social stressors, that directly test the relationship between HPA function and fitness, and that examine how glucocorticoid responses affect population dynamics.
Although several lines of evidence suggest that glucocorticoid responses can affect the fitness of individuals and therefore can alter the dynamics of populations, the effect of glucocorticoid responses on population dynamics remains essentially unstudied.
Diversification of subgenus Calathus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in the Mediterranean region – glacial refugia and taxon pulses
Authors: Ruiz Carlos , Jordal Bjarte H. , Serrano José 
Published: July 2012

AbstractAim  To investigate the effects of Pleistocene climatic variations on the diversification rate of the subgenus Calathus (Coleoptera: Carabidae), and to estimate the role of vicariance and dispersal for explaining current distributional patterns.Location  Western Palaearctic Region, particularly the Mediterranean Basin.Methods  Fragments of the mitochondrial cox1–cox2 and the nuclear 28S and EF1α genes were analysed by Bayesian inference. Lineage divergence times were estimated using a Bayesian relaxed molecular clock. Three diversification rate analyses were conducted, namely gamma (γ)‐statistic, birth–death likelihood (BDL) test and survival analyses, in order to test departures from a constant rate model of diversification. A Bayesian approach to dispersal–vicariance analysis was developed to reconstruct the most probable ancestral area of subgenus Calathus and subsequent events of dispersal and colonization.Results  A constant rate of speciation events from the late Miocene onwards was found for the subgenus Calathus, whereas recent Pleistocene climatic oscillations played an important role only in shaping intraspecific diversity. Overall diversification patterns for the subgenus are best explained by at least four westward dispersal events from the eastern Mediterranean Basin. Three distinct phylogroups were found for the widely distributed Calathus fuscipes. Incongruence between mitochondrial and nuclear loci was found for a number of species.Main conclusions  Diversification analyses suggest either a constant rate of diversification (BDL analysis) or a decrease in diversification rates for the subgenus (survival or γ‐statistics analyses), but not an increase related to the effects of glaciation cycles. Diversification patterns in the subgenus Calathus agree with predictions of the taxon pulse model. From the middle Miocene onwards the Anatolian Peninsula was possibly the main centre of diversification, with successive dispersal events towards the western Mediterranean Basin. Range expansion and secondary contact zones are postulated between members of different phylogroups in C. fuscipes.
Phylogenetic analysis and molecular methods for the detection of lymphocystis disease virus from yellow perch, Perca flavescens (Mitchell)
Authors: Palmer L J , Hogan N S , van den Heuvel M R 
Published: July 2012

AbstractLymphocystis disease is a prevalent, non‐fatal disease that affects many teleost fish and is caused by the DNA virus lymphocystis disease virus (LCDV). Lymphocystis‐like lesions have been observed in yellow perch, Perca flavescens (Mitchell), in lakes in northern Alberta, Canada. In an effort to confirm the identity of the virus causing these lesions, DNA was extracted from these lesions and PCR with genotype generic LCDV primers specific to the major capsid protein (MCP) gene was performed. A 1357‐base pair nucleotide sequence corresponding to a peptide length of 452 amino acids of the MCP gene was sequenced, confirming the lesions as being lymphocystis disease lesions. Phylogenetic analysis of the generated amino acid sequence revealed the perch LCDV isolate to be a distinct and novel genotype. From the obtained sequence, a real‐time PCR identification method was developed using fluorgenic LUX primers. The identification method was used to detect the presence/absence of LCDV in yellow perch from two lakes, one where lymphocystis disease was observed to occur and the other where the disease had not been observed. All samples of fin, spleen and liver tested negative for LCDV in the lake where lymphocystis disease had not been observed. The second lake had a 2.6% incidence of LCD, and virus was detected in tissue samples from all individuals tested regardless of whether they were expressing the disease or not. However, estimated viral copy number in spleen and liver of symptomatic perch was four orders of magnitude higher than that in asymptomatic perch.
Assessment of Aquaflor®, copper sulphate and potassium permanganate for control of Aeromonas hydrophila and Flavobacterium columnare infection in sunshine bass, Morone chrysops female × Morone saxatilis male
Authors: Darwish A M , Bebak J A , Schrader K K 
Published: July 2012

AbstractTwo experiments were conducted to test the effectiveness of different therapeutants against a mixed infection of Aeromonas hydrophila and Flavobacterium columnare in sunshine bass. Experiment 1 evaluated copper sulphate, florfenicol‐medicated feed and potassium permanganate (KMnO4) against a natural mixed infection. Experiment 2 further evaluated copper sulphate as a treatment to control an experimental mixed infection. In experiment 1, naturally infected untreated fish had the lowest final survival per cent, at 71%, while florfenicol‐medicated feed at 15 mg kg−1 body weight for 10 days or copper sulphate at 2.1 mg L−1 (1% of the total alkalinity) for 24 h produced the highest final survivals, at 90% and 88%, respectively. The final survival of the naturally infected fish administered florfenicol‐medicated feed was significantly different (P < 0.1) from the untreated fish. The survival curves for the florfenicol and the copper sulphate at 2.1 mg L−1 were significantly improved from the untreated fish. In experiment 2, fish were challenged by waterborne exposure to A. hydrophila and F. columnare and either not treated or treated with copper sulphate at 2.1 mg L−1. At the end of experiment 2, the per cent survival of the challenged fish treated with copper sulphate (99%) was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than the non‐treated (61%). The results illustrate clear benefit of florfenicol and copper sulphate against a mixed infection of A. hydrophila and F. columnare.
Spatio‐temporal analysis of cyprinid herpesvirus 3 genetic diversity at a local scale
Authors: Avarre J‐C , Santika A , Bentenni A , Zainun Z , Madeira J‐P , Maskur M , Bigarré L , Caruso D 
Published: July 2012

AbstractCyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV‐3), the causative agent of koi herpesvirus disease, is a major threat for carp populations in many countries worldwide, including Indonesia. It has been shown that many genotypes circulate worldwide, all highly related to one of the two known lineages U/I and J. In this study, we evaluated the spatial and temporal distribution of CyHV‐3 strains in a small enzootic area, the lake of Cirata (West Java, Indonesia). Of the 365 samples analysed, from clinical or asymptomatic fish, 244 were found positive for CyHV‐3, suggesting a high occurrence of the virus. Genotyping of these viral specimens with a range of molecular markers revealed the presence of numerous haplotypes in the host population, all related to the J lineage. In single individuals, mixed‐genotype infections occurred at high frequency. The present results demonstrate that polymorphic molecular markers are suitable to monitor the genetic evolution of a viral population in an enzootic area.
Control of hydroxyproline catabolism in Sinorhizobium meliloti
Authors: White Catharine E. , Gavina Jennilee M. A. , Morton Richard , Britz‐McKibbin Philip , Finan Turlough M. 
Published: July 2012

SummaryHydroxyproline (Hyp) in decaying organic matter is a rich source of carbon and nitrogen for microorganisms. A bacterial pathway for Hyp catabolism is known; however, genes and function relationships are not established. In the pathway, trans‐4‐hydroxy‐l‐proline (4‐l‐Hyp) is epimerized to cis‐4‐hydroxy‐d‐proline (4‐d‐Hyp), and then, in three enzymatic reactions, the d‐isomer is converted via Δ‐pyrroline‐4‐hydroxy‐2‐carboxylate (HPC) and α‐ketoglutarate semialdehyde (KGSA) to α‐ketoglutarate (KG). Here a transcriptional analysis of cells growing on 4‐l‐Hyp, and the regulation and functions of genes from a Hyp catabolism locus of the legume endosymbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti are reported. Fourteen hydroxyproline catabolism genes (hyp), in five transcripts hypR, hypD, hypH, hypST and hypMNPQO(RE)XYZ, were negatively regulated by hypR. hypRE was shown to encode 4‐hydroxyproline 2‐epimerase and a hypRE mutant grew with 4‐d‐Hyp but not 4‐l‐Hyp. hypO, hypD and hypH are predicted to encode 4‐d‐Hyp oxidase, HPC deaminase and α‐KGSA dehydrogenase respectively. The functions for hypS, hypT, hypX, hypY and hypZ remain to be determined. The data suggest 4‐Hyp is converted to the tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediate α‐ketoglutarate via the pathway established biochemically for Pseudomonas. This report describes the first molecular characterization of a Hyp catabolism locus.
Do patients with acne need cognitive behavioral therapy? An analysis of patient knowledge and behavior
Authors: Jung Jeanne , Hwang Eun Ju 
Published: July 2012

AbstractBackground  Acne is a common skin condition that affects adolescents as well as young adults, and numerous treatment modalities have been introduced with various success. However, most of the therapeutic measures have failed to show a long‐lasting effect because acne is a multi‐factorial disease. Some of the factors can be effectively modified by patients themselves. We hereby present an analysis of patients’ cognition of the disease and behavioral patterns that can influence patient compliance and the efficacy of the adjacent therapy.Methods  The survey was conducted on 136 Korean patients at a private cosmetic clinic, using a questionnaire form on their cognition and everyday habitual care.Results  The results showed that the patients neither possess the proper knowledge nor behave appropriately when taking care of acne‐prone skin.Conclusions  For a successful therapeutic alliance, it seems useful to provide knowledge and introduce a cognitive‐behavioral therapy to the field of acne treatment.
Trait impulsivity as an endophenotype for bipolar I disorder
Authors: Lombardo Lauren E , Bearden Carrie E , Barrett Jennifer , Brumbaugh Margaret S , Pittman Brian , Frangou Sophia , Glahn David C 
Published: July 2012

Lombardo LE, Bearden CE, Barrett J, Brumbaugh MS, Pittman B, Frangou S, Glahn DC. Trait impulsivity as an endophenotype for bipolar I disorder. Bipolar Disord 2012: 14: 565–570. © 2012 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.Objective:  Impulsivity, conceptualized as impairment in planning and poor attentional and inhibitory control, is a key feature of bipolar disorder. Familial risk for bipolar disorder is known to affect inhibitory control but its impact on the attentional and planning dimensions of impulsivity is still unclear.Methods:  We administered the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, version 11 (BIS‐11) to 54 euthymic individuals with DSM–IV bipolar I disorder, 57 of their clinically unaffected siblings, and 49 healthy comparison subjects. Groups were compared on the attentional (rapid shifts in attention/impatience with complexity), motor (acting impetuously), and non‐planning (absence of weighing upon long‐term consequences of actions) subscales of the BIS‐11, and on total BIS‐11 score. To investigate functional implications of trait impulsivity, total BIS‐11 score was examined in relation to current psychosocial functioning and criminal history.Results:  Individuals with bipolar I disorder had elevated scores compared to healthy comparison subjects on BIS‐11 total score and all three subscales (p < 0.0001). Unaffected siblings had elevated BIS‐11 total score (p = 0.0037), motor (p = 0.0027), and non‐planning (p = 0.0379) subscales in comparison to unrelated healthy controls. Total BIS‐11 score was negatively associated with global assessment of functioning (GAF) score (β = −0.32, p < 0.0001).Conclusions:  Our results suggest that impulsivity is sensitive to familial liability for the illness, making it a potential endophenotype for bipolar disorder.
Antipredator Behavior of American Bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) in a Novel Environment
Authors: Garcia Tiffany S. , Thurman Lindsey L. , Rowe Jennifer C. , Selego Stephen M. 
Published: July 2012

AbstractInvasive species capable of recognizing potential predators may have increased establishment rates in novel environments. Individuals may retain historical predator recognition and invoke innate responses in the presence of taxonomically or ecologically similar predators, generalize antipredator responses, or learn to avoid risky species in novel environments. Invasive amphibians in aquatic environments often use chemical cues to assess predation risk and learn to avoid novel predators via direct experience and/or associated chemical cues. Ontogeny may also influence recognition; experience with predators may need to occur at certain developmental stages for individuals to respond correctly. We tested predator recognition in invasive American bullfrog (
Lithobates catesbeianus) tadpoles that varied in experience with fish predators at the population and individual scale. We found that bullfrog tadpoles responded to a historical predator, largemouth bass (
Micropterus salmoides), only if the population was locally sympatric with largemouth bass. Individuals from a population that did not co‐occur with largemouth bass did not increase refuge use in response to either largemouth bass chemical cues alone or chemical cues with diet cues (largemouth bass fed bullfrog tadpoles). To test whether this behavioral response was generalized across fish predators, we exposed tadpoles to rainbow trout (
Oncorhynchus mykiss) and found that tadpoles could not recognize this novel predator regardless of co‐occurrence with other fish species. These results suggest that environment may be more important for predator recognition than evolutionary history for this invasive species, and individuals do not retain predator recognition or generalize across fish predators.
Intruders in Nests of the Spotless Starling: Prospecting for Public Information or for Immediate Nesting Resources?
Authors: Veiga José P. , Polo Vicente , Arenas Marta , Sánchez Sara 
Published: July 2012

AbstractThe prospective behaviour for nests by conspecific intruders may be a strategy to gather public information for future reproduction or to secure resources for immediate reproduction. Although the relationship between the sex, age and breeding experience of intruders and the sex and age of residents may be crucial for understanding the significance of nest‐prospecting behaviour, a precise determination of these traits has rarely been addressed in field studies. In a free‐ranging population of spotless starlings (
Sturnus unicolor), inexperienced birds were the predominant intruders. The ratio of male‐to‐female intruders was higher among birds without previous breeding experience, although our results did not allow us to determine whether more inexperienced males or females intruded nests. The average annual rate of intrusion of either sex was strongly correlated with the number of fledglings produced in the study colony the previous year, which seems to indicate that the inexperienced intruders were, in general, yearlings. The proportion of the sexes among the intruders in each study year was correlated with the average age of male owners but not with the age of female owners. This result suggests that the presence of intruding males in the nests was affected by an increased opportunity to find vacancies in nesting territories as resident males became older. This finding supports the hypothesis that, in most cases, birds visited nests to obtain personal information about nesting resources. However, the intrusion rates were higher when there were nestlings than during the incubation period, which suggests that collecting public information was also involved in the intruding behaviour. Both sexes regularly attacked intruders, which implies that the intruders inflicted some kind of cost on the owners. Female floaters were more frequently chased, probably because they regularly lay parasitically in conspecific nests.
Genotypic variation for root architecture traits in seedlings of maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines
Authors: Kumar Bharath , Abdel‐Ghani Adel H. , Reyes‐Matamoros Jenaro , Hochholdinger Frank , Lübberstedt Thomas 
Published: July 2012

With 2 figures and 8 tablesAbstractThe aim of this study was to examine the extent of genotypic variability for root traits in a diverse set of maize inbred lines. Root traits were measured in maize lines grown up to 6, 10 and 14 days in the growth chamber on a germination paper. Combined analysis of variance revealed intermediate to high heritability values (range = 0.6–0.9) for all measured traits, indicating consistency across experiments. Euclidian distance value ranged from 1.8 to 19.6, indicating high levels of variability among the studied lines. First three principle components explained more than 80% of total genetic variation with high loadings from primary root parameters, seminal root parameters, total root length and root dry weight (DW). Root DW was significantly correlated with other root traits, indicating that direct selection based on root DW might be sufficient to improve other root traits. Some outstanding genotypes (PHT77, GEMN‐0193, PHG35) with high relative growth rate at different time points were identified. These lines could be of potential use for the improvement of nutrient and water‐use efficiency in maize.