bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Reproductive competition favours solitary living while ecological constraints impose group‐living in African striped mice
Authors: Schradin Carsten , König Barbara , Pillay Neville 
Published: January 2010

Summary1.Social groups typically form due to delayed dispersal of adult offspring when no opportunities for independent breeding exist, or the costs of dispersal are higher than the costs of remaining philopatric. Ecological constraints are thought to be a main reason for group‐living in animals.2.Reproductive competition within groups can induce high costs of philopatry, and is thought to be a main reason for solitary living.3.Experimental manipulation of reproductive competition is difficult. One solution is to compare sociality between periods with and without reproductive competition.4.Here, we show empirically in a 8‐year field study that striped mice (Rhabdomys pumilio) of both sexes were group‐living during the breeding season when population density (PD) was high but solitary living when PD was low, supporting the ecological constraints model.5.After the breeding season, in the absence of reproductive competition, the positive correlation between PD and percentage of group‐living striped mice was absent. Almost all striped mice were group‐living even under very low population densities. This supports the reproductive competition model.6.Ambient temperature, food availability and predation pressure, did not influence sociality.7.In captivity, the costs of reproductive competition in communal groups include female infanticide and aggression between females.8.We conclude that group‐living is favoured by constraints imposed through habitat saturation and by its benefits (improved thermoregulation by huddling, group‐territoriality and predator avoidance), and that reproductive competition is a major force favouring solitary living in striped mice.
De novo duplication of MECP2 in a girl with mental retardation and no obvious dysmorphic features
Authors: Makrythanasis P , Moix I , Gimelli S , Fluss J , Aliferis K , Antonarakis SE , Morris MA , Béna F , Bottani A 
Published: January 2010

Makrythanasis P, Moix I, Gimelli S, Fluss J, Aliferis K, Antonarakis SE, Morris MA, Béna F, Bottani A. De novo duplication of MECP2 in a girl with mental retardation and no obvious dysmorphic features.Loss‐of‐function mutations of MECP2 are responsible for Rett syndrome (RTT), an X‐linked neurodevelopmental disorder affecting mainly girls. The availability of MECP2 testing has led to the identification of such mutations in girls with atypical RTT features and the recognition of milder forms. Furthermore, duplication of the entire gene has recently been described in boys with mental retardation and recurrent infections. We describe a girl with a heterozygous de novo MECP2 duplication. The patient, at the age of 19, has mental retardation with no autistic features. She is friendly but gets frequently anxious. She has neither dysmorphic features nor malformations. Her motor development was delayed with walking at 20 months. Speech is fluid with good pronunciation but is simple and repetitive. Diagnosis was made after single‐strand conformation analysis (SSCA) and multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification (MLPA) analysis of MECP2. Array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) analysis showed a duplication of 29 kb including MECP2 and part of IRAK1. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) has revealed that the duplicated region is inserted near the telomere of the short arm of chromosome 10. X‐chromosome inactivation in leukocyte DNA was not skewed. We conclude that it is likely that this MECP2 duplication is responsible for the mental retardation in this patient. This case broadens the phenotypic spectrum of MECP2 abnormalities with consequent implication in diagnosis and genetic counselling of girls with non‐syndromic mental retardation.
The management of splenic artery aneurysm in patients awaiting liver transplantation
Authors: Asthana S. , Toso C. , McCarthy M. , Shapiro A.M.J. 
Published: January 2010

Asthana S, Toso C, McCarthy M, Shapiro AMJ. The management of splenic artery aneurysm in patients awaiting liver transplantation. Clin Transplant 2010 DOI: 10.1111/j.1399‐0012.2009.01192.x © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.Abstract:  Splenic artery aneurysms (SAAs) are the third most common forms of intra‐abdominal aneurysm, and the most commonly encountered visceral aneurysms in the general population. SAAs occur more commonly in patients with portal hypertension and liver failure and, as such, are often encountered in patients undergoing high‐resolution abdominal imaging as part of a work‐up for liver transplantation. While rupture rates of between 2% and 10% have been reported in the literature, little is known about the natural history and behavior of these lesions in patients with liver disease. Interventional management options pose a challenge given the high anesthetic and surgical risk of such patients. This study was conducted to study the management of all SAAs diagnosed among patients presenting for a liver transplant assessment at a single center over a three‐yr period. We discuss the presentation and management options, with elective and emergent presentation of SAA in patients with end‐stage liver disease.
Diversity in Mycotoxins and Fungal Species Infecting Wheat in Nakuru District, Kenya
Authors: Wagacha John Maina , Steiner Ulrike , Dehne Heinz‐Wilhelm , Zuehlke Sebastian , Spiteller Michael , Muthomi James , Oerke Erich‐Christian 
Published: January 2010

AbstractMycotoxin contamination of wheat kernels and diversity of fungal pathogens were monitored in a survey of 26 fields in Nakuru district, Kenya, in 2006. Sampling was performed twice; at mid‐anthesis in July for leaves, stems and spikelets and at harvest in September for spikelets and kernels. Kernels were analysed for the occurrence of 32 mycotoxins using a high performance liquid chromatography – electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐ESI‐MS/MS) method. Fungi were isolated from surface‐sterilized tissues and differentiated morphologically to the genus level. Fusarium isolates were identified based on the sequence of translation elongation factor 1‐alpha gene. Eleven Fusarium‐related mycotoxins were quantified with deoxynivalenol being detected at highest frequency (69%) and highest concentrations. Occurrence of enniatins in wheat (50%) is reported for the first time in Kenya. Non‐Fusarium mycotoxins detected included aflatoxin G2, ochratoxin A, alternariol and alternariol monomethyl ether. Prevalence of Fusarium species on different wheat parts was 100% at both growth stages. Nineteen Fusarium species were identified with seven species –Fusarium chlamydosporum, Fusarium boothi, Fusarium poae, Fusarium scirpi, Fusarium arthrosporioides, Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium graminearum– accounting for 80% of infections. At anthesis, spikelets and leaves were the most and least susceptible tissue, respectively. At harvest, infection of spikelets was 59% higher than that of kernels.
Competition may mediate recovery from damage in an encrusting bryozoan
Authors: Bone Elisa K. , Keough Michael J. 
Published: January 2010

AbstractDisturbance is a ubiquitous feature of ecosystems, and the ability of a species to persist in a habitat with frequent disturbance is largely determined by the ways in which individual organisms respond. In modular species, indeterminate growth by module addition allows recovery from colony damage through disturbance, and the number of modules – colony size – is a good predictor of colony success. A growing body of evidence suggests that the recovery capacity of a modular animal is related not only to its size, an important indicator of likely survivorship and reproductive potential, but also to the age structure of its component modules. We tested whether the age structure of modules altered the recovery capacity of colonies of the encrusting bryozoan Parasmittina delicatula at two sites in South‐eastern Australia that differed in their levels of cover by competing sessile invertebrates. Damage incurred at different colony regions had a negligible effect on the subsequent growth of colonies at both sites, but for different reasons. At one site, where competition from neighbouring sessile invertebrates was low, growth rates were very similar across colonies, regardless of colony size and amount of damage to the colony edge. At the second site, neighbouring sessile invertebrates were abundant, and competitive interactions were more important in determining a colony’s success than any history of damage. Colonies that were overgrown once or more had lower growth rates and lower numbers of embryos at the final census than those that were never overgrown. These results imply that the importance of the age structure of modules to a colony’s recovery rate is reduced in the presence of natural competition, and that these factors need to be considered when predicting the responses of modular animals to disturbance.
QTLs for the vascular bundle system of the uppermost internode using a doubled haploid population of two elite Chinese wheat cultivars
Authors: Sang Y. , Deng Z. Y. , Zhao L. , Zhang K. P. , Tian J. C. , Ye B. X. 
Published: January 2010

With 3 figures and 2 tables AbstractA doubled haploid population of 168 lines of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was used for quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis of vascular bundle system in uppermost internode including the total vascular bundles (TVB), the large vascular bundles (LVB), the small vascular bundles (SVB), and the ratio of large vs. small vascular bundles (L/S) in four environments. Fourteen additive QTLs and one pair of epistatic QTLs were identified. For TVB, five QTLs on chromosomes 1A, 2D (two regions), 5D and 7D were detected and explained 48.85% of phenotypic variation; one QTL on chromosome 5D controlling LVB explained 22.95% of the variation; six QTLs for SVB, on chromosomes 1A, 2D, 5D (two regions), 6A, and 7D accounted for 81.58% of the total variation. Two QTLs explaining 27.62% for L/S were identified on chromosomes 5D, and 7D. In addition, one pair of significant epistatic QTLs was identified for TVB, and explained 10.81% of the phenotypic variation on chromosomes 2A and 6D. These results demonstrated that additive QTLs with pleiotropic and multigenic effects, additive and epistatic effects were subjected to environmental susceptibility.
Impact of fatigue on everyday life among older people with chronic heart failure
Authors: Norberg Eva‐Britt , Boman Kurt , Löfgren Britta 
Published: January 2010

Aim:  To explore the relationship between fatigue and performance of activities of daily living (ADL), use of assistive devices, home‐help service and community mobility services in older clients with chronic heart failure. Methods:  A cross‐sectional descriptive study of 40 patients was performed using the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, the Staircase of ADL, Assessment of Motor and Process Skills and a demographic checklist. Results:  We found high levels of general fatigue, physical fatigue and reduced activity. Greater fatigue was associated significantly with increased dependence and decreased quality of ADL, but not for shopping. Use of community mobility services and assistive devices was frequent and home help less frequent. Use of assistive devices and home help were associated significantly with greater fatigue, but not the use of community mobility services. Conclusions:  Fatigue had a negative impact on ADL mainly from physical rather than from mental causes. Improved energy conservation strategies to reduce the consequences of fatigue are needed.
Meshless Shape and Motion Design for Multiple Deformable Objects
Authors: Adams B. , Wicke M. , Ovsjanikov M. , Wand M. , Seidel H.‐P. , Guibas L. J. 
Published: January 2010

AbstractWe present physically based algorithms for interactive deformable shape and motion modelling. We coarsely sample the objects with simulation nodes, and apply a meshless finite element method to obtain realistic deformations at interactive frame rates. This shape deformation algorithm is then used to specify keyframe poses and a smooth interpolating motion is obtained by solving for an energy‐minimizing trajectory. We show how to handle collisions between different deformable objects as well as with static or moving scene objects. Secondary motion is added as a post‐process by running a meshless elastic solid simulation. We enforce precomputed trajectories using control forces computed using shape matching. Key to the efficiency of our method is a sparse deformation representation and an adaptive optimization algorithm that automatically introduces new degrees of freedom in problematic regions. An accurate temporal interpolation scheme that exactly recovers rigid motions keeps the number of unknowns low and achieves realistic deformations with very few keyframes. We also show how the algorithm allows combining purely physical simulation with keyframe‐based scripted animation. The presented results illustrate that our framework can handle complex shapes at interactive rates, making it a valuable tool for animators to realistically model deformable 3D shapes and their motion.
Bidirectional Texture Function Compression Based on Multi‐Level Vector Quantization
Authors: Havran V. , Filip J. , Myszkowski K. 
Published: January 2010

AbstractThe Bidirectional Texture Function (BTF) is becoming widely used for accurate representation of real‐world material appearance. In this paper a novel BTF compression model is proposed. The model resamples input BTF data into a parametrization, allowing decomposition of individual view and illumination dependent texels into a set of multi‐dimensional conditional probability density functions. These functions are compressed in turn using a novel multi‐level vector quantization algorithm. The result of this algorithm is a set of index and scale code‐books for individual dimensions. BTF reconstruction from the model is then based on fast chained indexing into the nested stored code‐books. In the proposed model, luminance and chromaticity are treated separately to achieve further compression. The proposed model achieves low distortion and compression ratios 1:233–1:2040, depending on BTF sample variability. These results compare well with several other BTF compression methods with predefined compression ratios, usually smaller than 1:200. We carried out a psychophysical experiment comparing our method with LPCA method. BTF synthesis from the model was implemented on a standard GPU, yielded interactive framerates. The proposed method allows the fast importance sampling required by eye‐path tracing algorithms in image synthesis.
Microalbuminuria predicts overt proteinuria among patients with HIV infection
Authors: Szczech LA , Menezes P , Byrd Quinlivan E , Van Der Horst C , Bartlett JA , Svetkey LP 
Published: January 2010

BackgroundThis study examines the association between microalbuminuria and the development of proteinuria among HIV‐infected persons.MethodsA total of 948 subjects provided urine samples for albumin, protein and creatinine measurements semiannually. Microalbuminuria was defined as an albumin‐to‐creatinine ratio of >30 mg/g. Proteinuria was defined as a protein‐to‐creatinine ratio of ≥0.350 mg/mg. The progression from microalbuminuria to proteinuria was described.ResultsAt baseline, 69.4% of the subjects had no detectable proteinuria, 20.2% had microalbuminuria, and 10.4% had proteinuria. Subjects with microalbuminuria and proteinuria were more likely to be black (P=0.02), have lower CD4 cell counts (P=0.02 comparing subjects without abnormal urine protein excretion to subjects with microalbuminuria; P=0.0001 comparing subjects with microalbuminuria to subjects with proteinuria), and have a higher HIV RNA level (P=0.08 and 0.04, respectively). Among 658 subjects with normal urine protein, 82.7% continued to have no abnormality, 14.3% developed microalbuminuria, and 3.0% developed proteinuria. Subjects without baseline proteinuria (i.e. either normal protein excretion or microalbuminuria) who developed proteinuria were more likely to have microalbuminuria (P=0.001), a lower CD4 cell count (P=0.06), and a higher plasma HIV RNA (P=0.03) than those who did not progress to proteinuria. In multivariate analysis, only microalbuminuria remained associated with the development of proteinuria (odds ratio 2.9; 95% confidence interval 1.5, 5.5; P=0.001).ConclusionMicroalbuminuria predicts the development of proteinuria among HIV‐infected persons. Because proteinuria has been linked to poorer outcomes, strategies to affect microalbuminuria should be tested.
Predictive validity of attentional functions in differentiating children with and without ADHD: a componential analysis
Authors: KAUFMANN LIANE , ZIEREN NIKOLA , ZOTTER SIBYLLE , KARALL DANIELA , SCHOLL‐BÜRGI SABINE , HABERLANDT EDDA , FIMM BRUNO 
Published: January 2010

Aim  The objective of this study was to investigate which attentional components are of predictive utility in differentiating children with attention‐deficit–hyperactivity disorder, combined type (ADHD‐C) from their peers without ADHD.Methods  Thirty‐four children participated in the study: 17 males with ADHD‐C (mean age 10y 4mo, SD 1y 9mo) and 17 comparison children (12 males, 5 females; mean age 10y 8mo, SD 1.7y). Attentional functions were assessed using a computer‐administered, child‐friendly test series in German (i.e. Testbatterie zur Aufmerksamkeitsprüfung für Kinder; KITAP). The KITAP measures several attentional components, including alertness and executive attention (inhibition, divided attention, flexibility).Results  The variable best able to discriminate between children with and without ADHD‐C was found to be response time variability in a go/no go task, followed by, in order, number of errors in a divided attention task and response time variability in an alertness task. However, group discrimination was not facilitated by differences in either response latency or accuracy of response in visuospatial attention and attentional flexibility tasks.Interpretation  The assessment of attentional functions proved to be a powerful instrument for discriminating between children with and without ADHD‐C. Notably, the discriminative power of executive attention was found to be task dependent and dependent on processing demands.
Assessing bimanual performance in young children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy: a systematic review
Authors: GREAVES SUSAN , IMMS CHRISTINE , DODD KAREN , KRUMLINDE‐SUNDHOLM LENA 
Published: January 2010

Aim This systematic review investigated the availability of assessment tools to evaluate bimanual skills in young children (≤ 3y) with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. Evidence for validity, reliability, and clinical utility of the identified instruments was sought.Method Ten electronic databases and grey literature were searched (earliest 1806) to February 2009 to identify articles that met criteria related to the child’s age and diagnosis, and included a discrete bimanual assessment. Further searches for evidence of psychometric properties of each identified assessment were undertaken. For quality criteria, we evaluated the internal validity of each study and appraised the validity and reliability of identified assessments.Results From 1435 papers retrieved, 15 were eligible for inclusion, and 11 assessments of bimanual performance were identified. Ten assessments had inadequate evidence for reliability and validity. Only the Assisting Hand Assessment had evidence for reliability and validity for its intended purposes.Interpretation Reliability and validity are fundamental considerations when developing or selecting assessments. Additional considerations for assessing young children include the following: (1) standardized administration and scoring; (2) items that capture the complexity of bimanual behaviour; and (3) protocols and items targeted within a small age range to meet specific developmental needs. A validated assessment of younger infants is needed to support early intervention during this period of rapid brain development.
Activities and distribution of methanogenic and methane‐oxidizing microbes in marine sediments from the Cascadia Margin
Authors: YOSHIOKA H. , MARUYAMA A. , NAKAMURA T. , HIGASHI Y. , FUSE H. , SAKATA S. , BARTLETT D. H. 
Published: January 2010

AbstractWe investigated methane production and oxidation and the depth distribution and phylogenetic affiliation of a functional gene for methanogenesis, methyl coenzyme M reductase subunit A (mcrA), at two sites of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 311. These sites, U1327 and U1329, are respectively inside and outside the area of gas hydrate distribution on the Cascadia Margin. Radiotracer experiments using 14C‐labelled substrates indicated high potential methane production rates in hydrate‐bearing sediments [128–223 m below seafloor (mbsf)] at U1327 and in sediments between 70 and 140 mbsf at U1329. Tracer‐free experiments indicated high cumulative methane production in sediments within and below the gas hydrate layer at U1327 and in sediments below 70 mbsf at U1329. Stable tracer experiments using 13C‐labelled methane showed high potential methane oxidation rates in near‐surface sediments and in sediments deeper than 100 mbsf at both sites. Results of polymerase chain reaction amplification of mcrA in DNA were mostly consistent with methane production: relatively strong mcrA amplification was detected in the gas hydrate‐bearing sediments at U1327, whereas at U1329, it was mainly detected in sediments from around the bottom‐simulating reflector (126 mbsf). Phylogenetic analysis of mcrA separated it into four phylotype clusters: two clusters of methanogens, Methanosarcinales and Methanobacteriales, and two clusters of anaerobic methanotrophic archaea, ANME‐I and ANME‐II groups, supporting the activity measurement results. These results reveal that in situ methanogenesis in deep sediments probably contributes to gas hydrate formation and are inconsistent with the geochemical model that microbial methane currently being generated in shallow sediments migrates downward and contributes to the hydrate formation. At Site U1327, gas hydrates occurred in turbidite sediments, which were absent at Site U1329, suggesting that a geological setting suitable for a gas hydrate reservoir is more important for the accumulation of gas hydrate than microbiological properties.