bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Understanding the roles of basophils: breaking dawn
Authors: Min Booki , Brown Melissa A. , LeGros Graham 
Published: October 2011

SummaryEarly studies that used parasite‐infected interleukin‐4 (IL‐4) reporter animals led us to identify basophils as the primary source of IL‐4 and hence propose the hypothesis that basophils trigger the development of antigen‐specific T helper type 2 (Th2) immune responses in vivo. These findings appeared to resolve a long‐standing puzzle underlying Th2 immunity, that is, ‘what is the source of the initial IL‐4 necessary for CD4 T‐cell differentiation into Th2 effector cells?’. However, results from extensive investigations of the contribution of basophils to Th2 immunity unveiled some controversial data that cast doubt on the initial hypothesis. In this review, the consensus and the controversy regarding the roles of basophils in infection and immunity, as well as outstanding questions for the future, are discussed.
Goshawk prey have more bacteria than non‐prey
Authors: Møller A. P. , Peralta‐Sánchez J. M. , Nielsen J. T. , López‐Hernández E. , Soler J. J. 
Published: October 2011

Summary1. Predators often prey on individuals that are sick or otherwise weakened. Although previous studies have shown higher abundance of parasites in prey, whether prey have elevated loads of micro‐organisms remains to be determined.2. We quantified the abundance of bacteria and fungi on feathers of woodpigeons Columba palumbus L., jays Garrulus glandarius L. and blackbirds Turdus merula L. that either fell prey to goshawks Accipiter gentilis L. or were not depredated.3. We found an almost three‐fold increase in bacterial load of prey compared with non‐prey, while there was no significant difference between prey and non‐prey in level of fungal infection of the plumage.4. The results were not confounded by differences in size or mass of feathers, date of collection of feathers, or date of analysis of feathers for micro‐organisms.5. These findings suggest a previously unknown contribution of bacteria to risk of predation, with important implications for behaviour, population ecology and community ecology.
A critical assessment of collaborative adaptive management in practice
Authors: Susskind Lawrence , Camacho Alejandro E. , Schenk Todd 
Published: October 2011

Summary1. Collaborative adaptive management (CAM) is regularly touted as the best way to handle natural resource management in the face of uncertainty, change and conflict. Successful applications of CAM have, however, been elusive in practice.2. This article examines the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (AMP) in the United States, and other CAM efforts, to illustrate why and how procedural shortcomings may lead to natural resource management failures and reflect on how they may be overcome.3. Synthesis and applications. To increase the chance of success, CAM efforts should set clear overarching goals and concrete and measurable objectives, employ tools and incentives to facilitate participation and foster collaboration, implement well‐defined joint fact‐finding protocols to promote shared learning and manage scientific uncertainty, and commit to monitoring and adapting their management regimes over time. Even in complex and contentious resource management contexts, future CAM efforts that integrate these design elements are likely to lead to more effective natural resource management.
Influence of spatial and temporal dynamics of agricultural practices on the lesser kestrel
Authors: Catry Inês , Amano Tatsuya , Franco Aldina M. A. , Sutherland William J. 
Published: October 2011

Summary1. European agriculture is facing dramatic changes that are likely to have marked impacts on farmland biodiversity. There is an urgent need to develop land management strategies compatible with the conservation of biodiversity.2. We applied a spatially explicit behaviour‐based model to assess how farmland management and the pattern of events across the annual farming calendar influences the foraging decisions of lesser kestrelsFalco naumanniin a cereal steppe landscape. Moreover, we simulated the most likely scenarios of future agricultural changes to predict its impacts on lesser kestrel breeding success. Lesser kestrels have been the subject of serious conservation concern and constitute a good model species to judge impacts on farmland species more widely.3. Our results show that the location of cereal and fallow patches within a 2‐km radius of a kestrel colony influences the total food supply delivered to the nestlings, explaining the differences in breeding success between years and colonies. Furthermore, the particular sequence in which patches are harvested by farmers is also predicted to influence offspring survival.4. Agricultural intensification, simulated by increasing the proportion of cereal fields, is predicted to negatively influence breeding success. However, the field harvesting sequence can play an important role in alleviating the effects of the increased percentage of cereal, as demonstrated by the higher breeding success obtained when harvesting starts from patches farthest from the colonies. The replacement of cereal cultivation by low‐intensity grazed fallows would not be detrimental for kestrels.5. Synthesis and applications. Our results highlight the effectiveness of behaviour‐based models to evaluate the interacting effect of spatial and temporal dynamics of agricultural landscapes and predict the response of populations to environmental change. To optimize food availability for lesser kestrels, land managers should implement long rotational schemes with <60% of the area under extensive cereal cultivation in a 2‐km radius around colonies. Harvesting should start in the cereal patches farthest from colonies. Ideally, the predominant land use around colonies should be fallows. These outcomes illustrate how behaviour‐based models can be applied to identify specific management recommendations that would improve the effectiveness of agri‐environmental schemes, the most accepted tool for maintaining farmland landscapes.
Edge effects of wildfire and riparian buffers along boreal forest streams
Authors: Braithwaite Nicholas T. , Mallik Azim U. 
Published: October 2011

Summary1. Clearcutting and wildfire are the two major edge‐creating disturbances in boreal forests. While clearcutting retains at least a 30 m buffer, wildfires burn close to streams killing most of the trees and potentially creating a different edge structure. Different edge structures are likely to support different plant assemblages. The riparian buffer and fire edge structures and their effects on plant assemblages are unknown, but they have implications for forest management that aims to harvest trees and conserve biodiversity by emulating natural disturbance.2. We hypothesized that environmental filters created by post‐fire residual structures at the fire edge will support a different plant assemblage than the buffer edge. We further hypothesized that the fire edge with a weaker environmental filter because of post‐fire residual structures and proximity to streams will result in lower depth of edge effects (DEEs) and magnitude of edge effects (MEEs) than buffer edges.3. We determined the structure of canopy trees, understorey cover and the near‐ground microclimate by sampling 576 (5 × 10 m) and 1820 (1 × 1 m) quadrats along 96 transects beside 24 streams near Thunder Bay, Canada. We determined DEEs and MEEs by comparing edge variables with reference forests. We used repeated measures/factorialanovas with Tukey’spost hoctests to determine DEEs andmanovafor MEEs.4. The average microclimatic DEEs extended 8 m into the buffer but only 2·5 m from the fire edge. Similarly, the DEEs for plant life‐forms extended 20 m from the buffer edge and 5 m from the fire edge. At the fire edge, the structural MEEs were significantly higher, but the microclimatic MEEs were lower than the buffer edge. We found no significant difference in the overall life‐form MEEs, but shrubs, shade‐tolerant herbs and grasses were increased at the buffer edge and decreased at the fire edge.5. Synthesis and applications. We discovered that the ecological structure at buffer and fire edges in boreal forests creates different environmental filters supporting different plant assemblages. Lower structural and microclimatic DEEs and MEEs at the fire edge result from (i) edge location, (ii) intact shrub layer and (iii) disturbance‐resilient riparian vegetation. We suggest that replacing the conventional sharp edges of the riparian clear‐cut buffer with ‘feathered’ edges by selective harvesting of trees will create wider edges mimicking wildfire legacy and will help to emulate natural disturbance for conserving biodiversity.
Scarcity of healthcare worker protection in eight low‐ and middle‐income countries: surgery and the risk of HIV and other bloodborne pathogens
Authors: Leow Jeffrey J. , Groen Reinou S. , Bae Jin Yung , Adisa Charles A. , Kingham T. Peter , Kushner Adam L. 
Published: October 2011

AbstractObjective  In view of the substantial incidence of bloodborne diseases and risk to surgical healthcare workers in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs), we evaluated the availability of eye protection, aprons, sterile gloves, sterilizers and suction pumps.Methods  Review of studies using the WHO Tool for the Situational Analysis of Access to Emergency and Essential Surgical Care.Results  Eight papers documented data from 164 hospitals: Afghanistan (17), Gambia (18), Ghana (17), Liberia (16), Mongolia (44), Sierra Leone (12), Solomon Islands (9) and Sri Lanka (31). No country had a 100% supply of any item. Eye protection was available in only one hospital in Sri Lanka (4%) and most abundant in Liberia (56%). The availability of sterile gloves ranged from 24% in Afghanistan to 94% in Ghana.Conclusion  Substantial deficiencies of basic protective supplies exist in low‐ and middle‐income countries.
Pegfilgrastim vs. filgrastim for supportive care after autologous stem cell transplantation: can we decide?
Authors: Ziakas Panayiotis D. , Kourbeti Irene S. 
Published: October 2011

Ziakas PD, Kourbeti IS. Pegfilgrastim vs. filgrastim for supportive care after autologous stem cell transplantation: can we decide?  Clin Transplant 2012: 26: 16–22.  © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.Abstract:  Granulocyte–colony‐stimulating factors are helpful for the support of patients receiving autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, resulting in faster neutrophil recovery and lower incidence of febrile neutropenia (FN). Our aim was to evaluate the use of pegfilgrastim vs. filgrastim with regard to absolute neutrophil count (ANC) recovery, risk, and duration of FN and length of hospital stay. Mean difference was the summary effect for continuous data, and odds ratio for binary data, using random‐effects modeling. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Registry of Randomized Controlled Trials were included in the search. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), case–control studies, and studies with historical control group for filgrastim were eligible. Of the initial 114 studies screened, 12 studies were analyzed (four were RCTs, including one phase III trial). The use of pegfilgrastim resulted in a one d gain in ANC recovery (mean difference −0.82, 95% CI −1.07 to −0.57, p < 0.001) and duration of FN (−0.67, 95% CI −1.28 to −0.06, p < 0.001) but had no effect on the risk of FN or length of stay. Pegfilgrastim was more expensive (baseline marginal cost €116.97, p < 0.001), which was largely determined by the treatment duration and pegfilgrastim cost. Non‐randomized setting attenuated the effect on duration of FN whereas delayed onset of filgrastim injections (to pegfilgrastim) overestimated the protective effect on the risk of FN. Both drugs are at least equally effective, though methodology and disease stratification in published trials warrant further improvement.
Immunosuppressant treatment adherence, barriers to adherence and quality of life in renal and liver transplant recipients in Spain
Authors: Morales José M. , Varo Evaristo , Lázaro Pablo 
Published: October 2011

Morales JM, Varo E, Lázaro P. Immunosuppressant treatment adherence, barriers to adherence and quality of life in renal and liver transplant recipients in Spain.  Clin Transplant 2011 DOI: 10.1111/j.1399‐0012.2011.01544.x.  © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.Abstract:  To assess the adherence to immunosuppressant therapy (IST) and perceived barriers affecting IST adherence and quality of life (QOL) in patients who had received a renal (RT) or liver transplant (LT), a questionnaire was sent to over 9000 RT and LT recipients in Spain. Questionnaire comprised questions about patient’s socio‐demographic, organ transplant and medication characteristics; IST adherence and patient’s perceived barriers to adherence; and patient’s QOL using the EuroQol. Data from 1983 RT patients and 1479 LT patients were analyzed. Self‐reported adherence to IST in RT (92.6%) and LT (88.5%) recipients was high. Daily medication intake (mean of 2–3 doses/d per patient) was considered a lifestyle restriction in about 25% of transplant recipients and was the most common barrier to adherence perceived by over 30% of RT and LT patients. Overall, high‐intensity treatment regimens were associated with poorer QOL (EuroQol <70) compared with low‐intensity treatment regimens. Most RT (71.0%) and LT (61.4%) patients would prefer to suppress the evening dose if they were able to. Although high adherence rates to IST were reported in this first large Spanish survey in RT and LT patients, adjustment of daily treatment intensity by less frequent dosing may be an adequate strategy to minimize barriers to adherence and improve QOL.
MR Anatomy of Salivary Glands in the Dog
Authors: Weidner S. , Probst A. , Kneissl S. 
Published: October 2011

With 3 figures and 2 tablesSummaryThis retrospective analysis documented the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearance of normal salivary glands based on 101 studies in dogs with no detectable disease in the splanchnocranium. Surface, signal intensity, homogeneity, structure, symmetry and the relationship of glands to surrounding tissues were noted, and gland topography was assessed with E12 plastinated embedded sections. Signal intensity of salivary glands was isointense (7–40%) to hyperintense (60–90%) to muscle tissue on T1‐ and hyperintense on T2‐weighted images. Salivary glands had an increased T1 signal after contrast medium was applied. Salivary gland structure appeared homogeneous in mandibular and major sublingual glands and heterogeneous in zygomatic and parotid glands. Consistent landmarks were the external auditory canal for parotid glands, the digastric muscle for mandibular and major sublingual glands, and the pterygopalatine fossa for zygomatic glands. The minor sublingual and ventral buccal glands could not be localized with low‐field MRI.
Virulence attributes and genetic variability of oral Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis isolates
Authors: da Costa Karen Regina Carim , Ferreira Joseane Cristina , Lavrador Marco Aurélio Sicchiroli , Baruffi Marcelo Dias , Candido Regina Celia 
Published: October 2011

SummaryThe wide spectrum of candidiasis and its clinical importance encourage the research with the purpose of clarifying the mechanisms of pathogenicity and identification of virulence factors of Candida sp. Therefore, the aim of this study was to verify the adhesion capacity, protease activity and genotypic diversity of oral C. albicans and C. tropicalis isolates. The adhesion ability to the extracellular matrix glycoproteins laminin and fibronectin was evaluated using the ELISA technique. The research of proteases was carried out in agar plate containing bovine albumin and through a quantitative method in buffer solution containing haemoglobin. Intra and interspecies polymorphisms was verified through random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique. All C. albicans and C. tropicalis isolates binded to immobilised laminin and fibronectin. Ca33 and Ct13 isolates had relative adhesion index significantly higher than the other isolates for both glycoproteins (P < 0.001). Protease activity was observed in all isolates of C. albicans using either the semi‐quantitative or quantitative assay. The protease activity of C. tropicalis was better detected through the quantitative assay. The genotypic diversity by RAPD revealed a heterogeneous population in both species. Nevertheless, C. tropicalis presented higher genetic variability than C. albicans strains.
Effect of constipation on serum total prostate‐specific antigen levels in men
Authors: Bayraktar Zeki , Inan Ebru Hacer , Bayraktar Vildan 
Published: October 2011

Objectives:  Many factors affecting serum prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) levels have been described. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of constipation on serum PSA levels in men.Methods:  Serum total PSA values were measured in 136 constipated patients before and after treatment for constipation. Moreover, they were compared with 45 control patients.Results:  Serum total PSA values in the constipated patients before treatment were significantly higher than those in the control group (2.29 ± 1.29 ng/mL vs 1.28 ± 0.86 ng/mL, P < 0.0001). After the treatment of constipation, serum total PSA values in the constipated patients were still higher than those in the control group, but this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.0871). After the treatment of constipation, prostate biopsy rates were 6.6% and 2.2% in the study and control group, respectively (P = 0.2769). No prostate cancer was found in both groups.Conclusions:  Constipation increases serum PSA levels in men. The presence of constipation must be considered in patients whose PSA is examined, especially in those with PSA levels that are borderline high or in the range of 2–10 ng/mL. Constipated patients must be first treated and then re‐evaluated.
Differential contributions of rostral and caudal frontal forelimb areas to compensatory process after neonatal hemidecortication in rats
Authors: Umeda Tatsuya , Isa Tadashi 
Published: October 2011

AbstractFollowing brain damage, especially in juvenile animals, large‐scale reorganization is known to occur in the remaining brain structures to compensate for functional deficits. In rats with neonatal hemidecortication, corticospinal fibers originating from the undamaged side of the sensorimotor cortex issue collateral sprouts to the ipsilateral spinal gray matter that mediate cortical excitation to ipsilateral forelimb motoneurons and compensate for the deficit in forelimb movements. The present study was designed to investigate the origins of the ipsilateral corticospinal projection in neonatally hemidecorticated rats. Corticospinal neurons (CSNs) were labeled in adults by injecting retrograde neural tracers, cholera toxin subunit B with different fluorescent probes, into either side of the cervical spinal gray matter. In the undamaged cortex, double‐labeled neurons were rarely found. CSNs with contralateral projections (contra‐CSNs) and those with ipsilateral projections (ipsi‐CSNs) were distributed both in the rostral forelimb motor area (RFA) and the caudal forelimb motor area (CFA). However, there was a difference in the distributions of the ipsi‐CSNs between the two forelimb areas. Whereas the distribution of the ipsi‐CSNs largely overlapped with that of the contra‐CSNs in the RFA, the ipsi‐CSNs tended to be segregated from the contra‐CSNs in the CFA. The results suggested that the RFA and the CFA contribute to the compensatory process in different ways.
Effects of Bax gene deletion on social behaviors and neural response to olfactory cues in mice
Authors: Holmes Melissa M. , Niel Lee , Anyan Jeff J. , Griffith Andrew T. , Monks D. Ashley , Forger Nancy G. 
Published: October 2011

AbstractBax is a pro‐death protein that plays a crucial role in developmental neuronal cell death. Bax−/− mice exhibit increased neuron number and lack several neural sex differences. Here we examined the effects of Bax gene deletion on social behaviors (olfactory preference, social recognition, social approach and aggression) and the neural processing of olfactory cues. Bax deletion eliminated the normal sex difference in olfactory preference behavior. In the social recognition test, both genotypes discriminated a novel conspecific, but wild‐type males and Bax−/− animals of both sexes spent much more time than wild‐type females investigating stimulus animals. Similarly, Bax−/− mice were more sociable than wild‐type mice in a social approach test. Bax deletion had no effect on aggression in a resident/intruder paradigm where males, regardless of genotype, exhibited a shorter latency to attack. Thus, the prevention of neuronal cell death by Bax gene deletion results in greater sociability as well as the elimination of sex differences in some social behaviors. To examine olfactory processing of socially relevant cues, we counted c‐Fos‐immunoreactive (Fos‐ir) cells in several nodes of the accessory olfactory pathway after exposure to male‐soiled or control bedding. In both genotypes, exposure to male‐soiled bedding increased Fos‐ir cells in the posterodorsal medial amygdala, principal nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and medial preoptic nucleus (MPN), and the response in the MPN was greater in females than in males. However, a reduction in Fos‐ir cells was seen in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus of Bax−/− mice.
The Crp regulator of Pseudomonas putida: evidence of an unusually high affinity for its physiological effector, cAMP
Authors: Arce‐Rodríguez Alejandro , Durante‐Rodríguez Gonzalo , Platero Raúl , Krell Tino , Calles Belén , de Lorenzo Víctor 
Published: October 2011

SummaryAlthough the genome of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 encodes an orthologue of the crp gene of Escherichia coli (encoding the cAMP receptor protein), the regulatory scope of this factor seems to be predominantly co‐opted in this bacterium for controlling non‐metabolic functions. In order to investigate the reasons for such a functional divergence in otherwise nearly identical proteins, the Crp regulator of P. putida (CrpP. putida) was purified to apparent homogeneity and subject to a battery of in vitro assays aimed at determining its principal physicochemical properties. Analytical ultracentrifugation indicated effector‐free CrpP. putida to be a dimer in solution that undergoes a significant change in its hydrodynamic shape in the presence of cAMP. Such a conformational transition was confirmed by limited proteolysis of the protein in the absence or presence of the inducer. Thermodynamic parameters calculated by isothermal titration calorimetry revealed a tight cAMP–CrpP. putida association with an apparent KD of 22.5 ± 2.8 nM, i.e. much greater affinity than that reported for the E. coli's counterpart. The regulator also bound cGMP, but with a KD = 2.6 ± 0.3 µM. An in vitro transcription system was then set up with purified P. putida's RNA polymerase for examining the preservation of the correct protein–protein architecture that makes Crp to activate target promoters. These results, along with cognate gel retardation assays indicated that all basic features of the reference CrpE. coli protein are kept in the P. putida's counterpart, albeit operating under a different set of parameters, the extraordinarily high affinity for cAMP being the most noticeable.