bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nazareno Strampelli, the ‘Prophet’ of the green revolution
Authors: SALVI S. , PORFIRI O. , CECCARELLI S. 
Published: March 2012

SUMMARY23 January 2012 marked 70 years since the death of the Italian plant breeder Nazareno Strampelli (1866–1942), one of the most important plant geneticists of the 20th century. During the first 30 years of what is known as the ‘short century’, Strampelli was among the first, in Europe and in the world, to systematically apply Mendel's laws to plant breeding, particularly to wheat breeding which resulted in varieties characterized by rust resistance, early flowering and maturity and short straw. Due to Strampelli's varieties Italian wheat production doubled, an achievement that during the fascist regime was referred to as the ‘Wheat Battle’.Some of Strampelli's wheats, such as Mentana, Ardito and San Pastore, were used as parents in the breeding programmes of several countries after the Second World War; they also had a key role in the first phase of Norman Borlaug's Green Revolution, being instrumental in the development of the high-yielding varieties of the future Nobel Peace Laureate.A century after the key cross in which Strampelli, 30 years before Borlaug, used the genes for short straw and earliness in wheat breeding, his name and his work are not known and appreciated as they deserve, despite the recent evidence that the resistance to the new rust races could derive from the very same resistance genes identified by the Italian breeder at the beginning of the 20th century.
The dual orexin receptor antagonist almorexant, alone and in combination with morphine, cocaine and amphetamine, on conditioned place preference and locomotor sensitization in the rat
Authors: Steiner Michel Alexander , Lecourt Hugues , Jenck François 
Published: March 2012

AbstractDual orexin receptor (OXR) antagonists emerge as a novel therapeutic class to treat insomnia that, based on anti-addictive effects of selective OXR type 1 antagonists in rats, might be associated with less abuse liability than commonly used γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor modulators. Here, we studied the effects of the sleep-enabling dual OXR antagonist almorexant on conditioned place preference (CPP) and locomotor sensitization in rats. First, we compared almorexant to the GABA metabolite γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), which is clinically used as a sleep-inducing drug and which is associated with mild abuse liability. Whereas conditioning with GHB induced significant place preference, conditioning with almorexant did not. Second, we tested the potential of almorexant to interfere with the conditioned rewarding or locomotor sensitizing effects related to psychostimulants or opiates. Almorexant attenuated the expression of CPP to high doses of cocaine (15 mg/kg) and d.l-amphetamine (2 mg/kg), but not to high dose of morphine (10 mg/kg). Conversely, almorexant interfered with the expression of locomotor sensitization to morphine, but not with that to cocaine and d.l-amphetamine. Third, we observed that chronic almorexant (12 d) treatment in morphine, cocaine or amphetamine pre-conditioned and locomotor-sensitized rats had no influence on the maintenance of CPP and locomotor sensitization when tested after almorexant washout. Our findings suggest that almorexant itself does not exert conditioned rewarding effects in the rat and that it may acutely interfere with the expression of CPP or locomotor sensitization in a drug-dependent manner (monoaminergic psychostimulants vs. opiates).
Control of pore fluid pressure diffusion on fault failure mode: Insights from the 2009 L'Aquila seismic sequence
Authors: Malagnini Luca , Lucente Francesco Pio , De Gori Pasquale , Akinci Aybige , Munafo' Irene 
Published: March 2012

The MW 6.13 L'Aquila earthquake ruptured the Paganica fault on 2009/04/06 at 01:32 UTC, and started a strong sequence of aftershocks. For the first four days, the region north of the hypocenter of the main quake was shaken by three large events (MW ∼ 5.0) that ruptured different patches of the Monti della Laga fault (hereafter “Campotosto”). In our hypothesis, these aftershocks were induced by a dramatic reduction in the fault's shear strength due to a pulse of pore fluid pressure released after the L'Aquila main earthquake. Here we model the time evolution of the pore fluid pressure northward from the main hypocenter. We show that, during the sequence, the Campotosto fault failed in multiple episodes, when the specific patches/asperities underwent fluid pressure‐related strength reductions of 7–10 MPa. Although such drops in strength are very large in amplitude, the contribution of other weakening mechanisms (perturbations of the Coulomb shear stress, and/or dynamic stresses induced by passing seismic waves) cannot be ruled out by our observations. However, the Coulomb shear stress variations either had negative amplitudes down to −0.2 MPa (i.e., tended to inhibit further seismic activity), or had very small positive amplitudes (<0.05 MPa). Paleoseismological evidence supports the hypothesis that larger events (MW 6.5–7) have occurred on the Paganica fault [EMERGEO Working Group, 2009], whereas Lucente et al. [2010] concluded that an important migration of pore fluids characterized the preparatory phase of the L'Aquila main shock. Consequently, the MW 6.13 L'Aquila earthquake may be analogous, at a larger scale, to one of the three Campotosto largest aftershocks. The complex behavior observed for the L'Aquila‐Campotosto fault system seems to be common to other seismogenic structures in the Central Apennines (e.g., the Umbria‐Marche fault system), and need to be taken into consideration for the assessment of seismic hazard.
Severity Scores in Children With Acute Pancreatitis
Authors: Fabre Alexandre , Petit Philippe , Gaudart Jean , Mas Emmanuel , Vial Julie , Olives Jean‐Pierre , Sarles Jacques 
Published: March 2012

ABSTRACTSeverity scores are used to predict the outcome of acute pancreatitis (AP). Several scores are used in adult patients, but none has been thoroughly validated for specific use in paediatric patients. We retrospectively collected data from 48 children with AP (13 severe and 35 mild). The main causes were trauma (23%), idiopathic (23%), lithiasis (12.5%), and virus (10.5%). We evaluated 3 clinical scores (Ranson, Glasgow modified, and DeBanto) and Balthazar computed tomography severity index. The clinical scores had a good specificity (approximately 85%) but a low sensitivity (approximately 55%) in predicting the severity of paediatric AP. The radiological score is better (sensitivity 80%, specificity 86%). The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve was 0.699 (95% CI 0.508%–0.891%, P = 0.054) for the DeBanto score, 0.846 (95% CI 0.69%–1%, P = 0.001) for the Ranson score, and 0.774 (95% CI 0.584%–0.964%, P = 0.008) for the Glasgow and 0.898 (95% CI 0.73%–1%, P = 0.011) for the Balthazar computed tomography severity index score. In our paediatric cohort, the severity of AP was best predicted by Balthazar computed tomography–based scoring scale. Our results confirm previously reported low sensitivity of adult‐based clinical scoring scales.
Myelodysplasitic syndrome in two young brothers
Authors: Hirose Masao , Kawahito Masami , Kuroda Yasuhiro 
Published: March 2012

Summary. We report the youngest cases of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in two brothers aged 7 and 2 years. The maternal grandfather and maternal grandmother had been exposed to radioactive fallout after the atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima in 1945. The elder brother demonstrated pancytopenia with <1% blast cells in his peripheral blood and <5% in his bone marrow at diagnosis. The younger brother was thrombocytopenic without increased blasts. The karyotype of bone marrow cells from the elder brother was 46, XY, −7, +der (7), t(1:7) (lqter‐lq11:: 7q11–7pter), but the younger brother's karyotype was normal. Immature myeloid cells in the bone marrow from both brothers were morphologically abnormal. A diagnosis of refractory anaemia (RA) was made in both brothers.Atavism due to radioactive poisoning was suspected in the development of MDS in these two cases.
Osteocalcin as a predictor of the metabolic syndrome in older persons: a population‐based study
Authors: Oosterwerff Mirjam M. , van Schoor Natasja M. , Lips Paul , Eekhoff Elisabeth M. W. 
Published: March 2012

SummaryBackgroundRecent evidence indicates that the osteoblast‐derived protein osteocalcin is able to influence adiposity and glucose homeostasis in mice. Little is known about this relationship in humans.ObjectiveTo investigate the association of plasma osteocalcin levels with the metabolic syndrome in a community‐dwelling cohort of older persons in the Netherlands.Design and ParticipantsData were used from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA), an ongoing multidisciplinary cohort study in a representative sample of the older Dutch population (≥65 years old). A total of 1284 subjects (629 men and 655 women) between the age of 65 and 88 years participated in this study.MeasurementsMetabolic syndrome (U.S. National Cholesterol Education Program definition) and its individual components were assessed as well as plasma osteocalcin levels.ResultsAmong the participants, the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was 37·1%. The median osteocalcin level was 2·0 nmol/l. Plasma osteocalcin was inversely associated with the metabolic syndrome. The odds ratio (OR) was 3·68 with 95% confidence interval (CI) 2·53–5·34 for the lowest osteocalcin quartile compared to the highest quartile. The association between osteocalcin and the metabolic syndrome was mainly determined by high triglycerides, low HDL, waist circumference and hypertension.ConclusionLow plasma osteocalcin levels are strongly associated with the metabolic syndrome in an older community‐dwelling population.
Detection of medullary thyroid microcarcinoma using ultrasound‐guided fine needle aspiration cytology
Authors: Yang G. C. H. , Fried K. , Levine P. H. 
Published: March 2012

G. C. H. Yang, K. Fried and P. H. Levine
Detection of medullary thyroid microcarcinoma using ultrasound‐guided fine needle aspiration cytology
Objective:  Compared with incidental papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (microPTC), incidental medullary thyroid microcarcinoma (microMTC) is clinically more significant. The objective of the present study was to summarize our experience in detecting microMTCs.Methods:  From 1995 to 2011, there were 10 825 thyroid fine needle aspirates (FNAs) guided using high‐resolution ultrasound with on‐site preparation and evaluation by a cytopathologist. Of the 140 microcarcinomas detected, 132 were microPTCs and eight were microMTCs, which are the subject of the present study.Results:  All eight cases were incidentalomas and none of the five women and three men, age 37–70 years, had a family history of MTC. One patient had two FNAs at an interval of 10 months, two had a single lymph node metastasis and one had a 0.1‐cm tumour nodule near the main tumour. Four of five plasmacytoid cell microMCTs had irregular borders; two round cell and one rectangular cell tumours had smooth borders. In contrast, 17 larger MTCs diagnosed in the same period included seven plasmacytoid, four giant cell and six spindle cell types. All five plasmacytoid microMTCs were correctly diagnosed on FNA, but the round cell and rectangular cell tumours were undercalled as follicular lesions. Sampling of colloid from adjacent follicles was noted in microMTCs. Two were diagnosed on histology following recommended surgery and one was diagnosed on recommended repeat FNA.Conclusions:  US‐guided FNA of thyroid lesions is a powerful tool in the detection of microMTCs, provided that cytopathologists are alerted to the pitfalls described in the present study.
The influence of large wood on brown trout (Salmo trutta) behaviour and surface foraging
Authors: GUSTAFSSON PÄR , GREENBERG LARRY A. , BERGMAN EVA 
Published: March 2012

Summary1. Changes in riparian vegetation owing to forest harvesting may affect the input of large wood, a major structural element, to streams. Studies of large wood impacts on stream fish have focused on population‐level responses, whereas little attention has been given to how wood affects fish behaviour.2. In a laboratory stream experiment, we tested how two size classes of brown trout, Salmo trutta, (mean size of 85 and 125 mm), alone and together, responded to a gradient of large wood in terms of activity, foraging on terrestrial drift and interactions between conspecifics.3. The results showed that the presence of large wood significantly reduced the overall activity of the fish, the number of agonistic interactions between individuals and the proportion of captured prey. However, activity decreased relatively more than the proportion of captured prey, resulting in a significant positive net effect of wood on the number of prey captures per time spent active (PTA). This indicates that trout living in habitats with high wood density may have a higher net energy gain than trout living in habitats with less wood.4. There were no observable size‐class differences in the benefits of large wood or in the utilisation of surface‐drifting terrestrial prey.5. These results suggest that the presence of large wood may be an important factor shaping stream communities and that a lack of structural complexity may decrease energy gain, increase agonistic interactions and, consequently, lower the production of brown trout.
Improving the application of vertebrate trait‐based frameworks to the study of ecosystem services
Authors: Luck Gary W. , Lavorel Sandra , McIntyre Sue , Lumb Katrina 
Published: March 2012

Summary1. Examining the consequences of environmental change for the provision of ecosystem services can be facilitated through trait‐based frameworks that consider linkages between traits that influence a species’ response to change and traits that determine its effect on ecosystem services.2. Developing these frameworks requires a systematic approach to trait selection and addressing the interrelationships among the scale of the environmental change, area of ecosystem service provision and the most appropriate traits for analysis.3. We examine key issues in the application of trait approaches to vertebrates, drawing specifically on the substantial progress made in this area for plants. We argue that vertebrate ecologists need to develop more coherent and systematic trait‐based approaches that are broadly applicable.4. We present a new framework for selecting response and effect traits to link environmental change with ecosystem services. An empirical example of each step in the framework is provided using birds as a case study, linking the environmental change of loss of tree cover with the ecosystem service of invertebrate pest regulation in apple orchards. We found that as tree cover around orchards increased so did the abundance and foraging rate of bird species that pursue invertebrates in flight, and this may help reduce the abundance of certain pests of apples (e.g. adult stages ofCydia pomonellaandHelicoverpa armigera).5. Implementing a systematic and transparent approach to trait selection should further refine the development of trait‐based approaches for vertebrates.
From weight management goals to action planning: identification of a logical sequence from goals to actions and underlying determinants
Authors: van Genugten L. , van Empelen P. , Oenema A. 
Published: March 2012

van Genugten L., van Empelen P. & Oenema A. (2012) From weight management goals to action planning: identification of a logical sequence from goals to actions and underlying determinants. J Hum Nutr Diet . 25, 354–364AbstractBackground:  Weight gain prevention (WGP) among adults who are overweight is an important target in the prevention of obesity. However, little is known about the process from WGP as a goal to successful weight‐management. The present study aimed to: (i) gain more insight into this process; (ii) identify cognitive predictors of intention for WGP; and (iii) examine WGP as a potential predictor for the intention to change weight‐related behaviours [dietary intake (DI) and physical activity (PA)] and specific action planning.Methods:  In this cross‐sectional study, overweight adults [n = 510; body mass index 25–30 kg m–2; mean (SD) age 48 (9.5) years; 30.8% male] completed an online questionnaire, assessing goal intention for WGP, behavioural intention for DI and PA, planning for change in DI and PA and socio‐cognitive correlates. Ordinal regression analyses were used to analyse the data.Results:  In 89% of the sample, (parts of) the proposed sequence from goal intention (for WGP), behavioural intention (for DI/PA) and planning (for DI/PA) was observed. Attitude, social norm and perceived control towards WGP, and perceived weight status and risk perception, were associated with intention for WGP. Behaviour‐specific perceived control and preferences were more strongly associated with intention to change DI or PA and planning for change than intention for WGP was.Conclusions:  Intention for WGP is important in the process toward weight‐management because, for most people, intention for WGP precedes behavioural intention, which precedes planning. Intention for WGP is associated with behavioural intention but behaviour‐specific factors are the strongest correlates of behavioural intention and planning.
A new slant to the Z ring and bacterial cell branch formation
Authors: Wells Veronica L. , Margolin William 
Published: March 2012

SummaryRod‐shaped bacteria such as Escherichia coli accurately maintain their shape from generation to generation. The cytoskeletal proteins MreB and FtsZ, which respectively guide parallel growth of the sidewall and perpendicular growth of the division septum, are important to maintain a straight sidewall and uniformly rounded cell poles. FtsZ normally assembles into a ring at the cell midpoint, called the Z ring, which is oriented perpendicular to the cell's axis and is thus in perfect position to guide growth of a perpendicular septum. In this issue of Molecular Microbiology, Potluri et al. show that low molecular weight penicillin binding proteins, particularly PBP5, have a role in maintaining the perpendicular geometry of the Z ring and subsequent septum in E. coli. When these factors are absent or perturbed, division septa are readily deformed, which results in abnormal cell poles that often bifurcate over time to generate branches. The data suggest that cellular branching in E. coli is specifically induced by aberrant septation events caused by mis‐oriented Z rings and not by deformation of a growing cell pole or emergence of new tips from the sidewall, which are likely mechanisms of branching in other bacterial families.
Review of submarine cold seep plumbing systems: leakage to seepage and venting
Authors: Talukder Asrarur Rahman 
Published: March 2012

Terra Nova, 24, 255–272, 2012AbstractCold seep systems comprise three structural elements: source, plumbing system, and venting structures or seeping features at or near the seabed. The transition from leakage to seepage, represented by the plumbing system, is the most complex and least understood part of the whole system. Quantifying the processes which operate in seep conduits is challenging because they are highly transient, and vary both in time and space. This paper reviews the literature to define our present understanding of complex plumbing systems and how they vary in active and passive continental margins. The plumbing systems are reviewed in the framework of tectonics, rock deformation mechanics and petro‐physical evolution between the sediments. The review of the worldwide association of faults and seeps in diverse tectonic settings suggests that fault permeability is the most important controlling factor for the distribution and temporal and spatial variability of seeps. The key to unlocking the plumbing systems is to understand and quantify long‐term fault behaviour in relation to fluid flow.
High basophil allergen sensitivity (CD‐sens) is associated with severe allergic asthma in children
Authors: Konradsen Jon R. , Nordlund Björn , Nilsson Ola B. , van Hage Marianne , Nopp Anna , Hedlin Gunilla , Grönlund Hans 
Published: March 2012

To cite this article: Konradsen JR, Nordlund B, Nilsson OB, van Hage M, Nopp A, Hedlin G, Grönlund H. High basophil allergen sensitivity (CD‐sens) is associated with severe allergic asthma in children. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2012: 23: 376–384.AbstractChildren with problematic severe asthma (PA) have persistent symptoms and/or severe exacerbations despite treatment with several drugs. Classification of asthma severity is currently based on level of treatment and assessment of asthma control, but objective biomarkers of asthma severity are needed.To investigate the clinical relevance of basophil allergen threshold sensitivity (CD‐sens) as a measure of allergen sensitivity in a well‐characterized cohort of children with different manifestations of persistent allergic asthma.Cat‐allergic children (6–18 yr) with problematic severe asthma (n = 11) according to GINA were compared with eleven age‐matched children with controlled, but persistent asthma (CA). The protocol included standardized questionnaires, asthma control test (ACT), spirometry, methacholine challenges, measurement of FENO, IgE, cat IgE and IgG antibodies, and analysis of CD‐sens (CD63‐expression) by flow cytometry.The 11 cat‐allergic children with PA had a significantly lower ACT score (p < 0.001), reduced FEV1 (p = 0.04), and increased numbers of blood eosinophils (p = 0.03) compared with the 11 children with CA. The former exhibited a higher CD‐sens to cat (p = 0.02). No significant differences were detected with respect to FENO (p = 0.17), IgE (p = 0.84), cat IgE (p = 0.12), and the major cat‐allergen rFel d 1 (p = 0.30). CD‐sens significantly correlated with ACT (p = 0.002, r = −0.63) and FENO (p = 0.01, r = 0.55). No significant differences between PA and CA were found regarding IgG antibodies to rFel d 1.Cat‐allergic children with problematic severe asthma have higher sensitivity to cat allergen, as measured by CD‐sens, compared with children with controlled asthma. This suggests that CD‐sens could be used as an additional marker for identifying children with the most severe allergic asthma.