bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Patch choice from a distance and use of habitat information during foraging by the parasitoid Ibalia leucospoides
Authors: FISCHBEIN DEBORAH , BETTINELLI JULIETA , BERNSTEIN CARLOS , CORLEY JUAN C. 
Published: May 2012

1. In environments in which resources are distributed heterogeneously, patch choice and the length of time spent on a patch by foragers are subject to strong selective pressures. This is particularly true for parasitoids because their host foraging success translates directly into individual fitness.2. The aim of this study was to test whether: (i) females of the parasitoid Ibalia leucospoides (Hymenoptera: Ibaliidae) can discriminate among patches according to host numbers; (ii) the surrounding context affects the initial choice of patch, as well as time spent on patch; and (iii) the perceived quality of a given patch is affected by the quality of the surrounding patches.3. Each female was randomly exposed to one of three different three‐patch environments which differed in host number per patch, mean environment host number and host distribution among patches. For each treatment level, the first patch chosen and the time allocated to each patch visited by the female were recorded.4. Females of I. leucospoides were able to discriminate different levels of host numbers among patches from a distance. The patch bearing the highest number of hosts was, predominantly, the first choice. Patch host number in association with mean habitat profitability influenced the length of time spent on the first patch visited. By contrast, variance in habitat profitability did not influence time allocation decisions. Contrary to the study prediction, there were no significant habitat‐dependent time allocation differences among patches holding the same number of hosts.5. The results indicate that, for I. leucospoides, patch exploitation decisions are partially influenced by information obtained from the habitat as a whole, a behaviour that may prove to indicate adaptive ability in highly patchy environments, as well as suggesting the presence of good cognitive abilities in this parasitoid species.
From logs to landscapes: determining the scale of ecological processes affecting the incidence of a saproxylic beetle
Authors: JACKSON HEATHER B. , BAUM KRISTEN A. , CRONIN JAMES T. 
Published: May 2012

1. Species incidence is influenced by environmental and intrinsic factors operating at multiple scales. The incidence of a dispersal‐limited beetle, Odontotaenius disjunctus (Coleoptera: Passalidae), was surveyed within hierarchically nested organisational levels of its environment (log sections < logs < 10‐m radius subplots < 0.66‐ha plots) in Louisiana, U.S.A. The finest level was the size of a single territory. Passalid beetles are an ecologically prominent group, but little is known of the factors affecting their incidence.2. Three scale‐sensitive aspects of O. disjunctus incidence were evaluated: (i) the extent (52–3600 ha) within which forest cover was most associated with incidence; (ii) the hierarchical level at which environmental variables best predicted incidence; and (iii) the hierarchical level at which incidence exhibited the greatest spatial autocorrelation as a result of intrinsic factors (e.g. dispersal limitation).3. Forest cover best predicted incidence at 225 ha, but accounted for only 1.2% of variation in incidence. Incidence was most sensitive to environmental factors measured at the finest scale (i.e. territories). Incidence was positively associated with moderately decayed wood and increased surface area of logs (9.9% and 3.1% of variance, respectively). When environmental factors were accounted for, spatial autocorrelation in incidence was greatest within subplots and logs, consistent with the hypothesis that intrinsic autocorrelation is associated with O. disjunctus average dispersal distance (<5 m).4. This study indicates the influences of factors acting at multiple scales, but suggests that environmental conditions at the scale of territories may be most important for species incidence.
Re‐examining extreme longevity of the cave crayfish Orconectes australis using new mark–recapture data: a lesson on the limitations of iterative size‐at‐age models
Authors: VENARSKY MICHAEL P. , HURYN ALEXANDER D. , BENSTEAD JONATHAN P. 
Published: May 2012

Summary1. Centenarian species, defined as those taxa with life spans that frequently exceed 100 years, have long been of interest to ecologists because they represent an extreme end point in a continuum of life history strategies. One frequently reported example of a freshwater centenarian is the obligate cave crayfish Orconectes australis, with a maximum longevity reported to exceed 176 years. As a consequence of its reported longevity, O. australis has been used as a textbook example of life history adaptation to the organic‐carbon limitation that characterises many cave‐stream food webs.2. Despite being widely reported, uncertainties surround the original estimates of longevity for O. australis, which were based on a single study dating from the mid‐1970s. In the present study, we re‐evaluated the growth rate, time‐to‐maturity, female age‐at‐first‐reproduction and longevity of O. australis using a mark–recapture study of more than 5 years based upon more than 3800 free‐ranging individuals from three isolated cave streams in the south‐eastern United States.3. The results of our study indicate that accurate estimates of the longevity of O. australis are ≤22 years, with only a small proportion of individuals (<5%) exceeding this age. Our estimates for female time‐to‐maturity (4–5 years) and age‐at‐first‐reproduction (5–6 years) are also substantially lower than earlier estimates.4. These new data indicate that the age thresholds for life history events of O. australis are comparable to other estimates for a modest assemblage of cave and surface species of crayfish for which credible age estimate exists, suggesting that a cave environment per se is not required for the evolution of extreme longevity in crayfish.
Observations of assisted feeding among people with language impairment
Authors: Martinsen Bente , Norlyk Annelise 
Published: May 2012

Aims and objectives.  This study examines the phenomenon of assisted feeding among people with language impairment.Background.  Patients’ experience of assisted feeding is influenced by the caregivers’ availability and their other responsibilities. Also, caregivers and patients may have different values with respect to assisted feeding.Methods.  Instances of assisted feeding (n = 42) were observed among people with language impairment admitted to a neurological ward. Field notes were taken simultaneously and in some cases a few simple questions were posed to the caregivers or the patients. All notes and answers were analysed using the phenomenological guidelines of Dahlberg and colleagues (2008, Studentlitteratur AB, Stockholm).Result.  The essence of assisted feeding among people living with language impairment was identified to be a transaction characterised by efficiency. The constituents of the essence were in the shadow of institutional structures, accidental relationships with potential humiliation, meal‐related conventions versus respect for the individual’s wishes, sense of joy threatened by goal‐related determination’ time being significant for the course of the meal.Conclusion.  This study shows that assisted feeding is not important enough to postpone other activities in a neurological ward. Although assisted feeding is an opportunity to enjoy mutual contact and exchange information between the patient and the caregiver, it is a situation where the nutritional aspect of the meal tends to take precedence. We recommend that the focus of recent years on the patients’ nutritional status is now supplemented by improvement in the relational and affective aspects of meals, especially for people who require assistance to eat.Relevance to clinical practice.  The findings indicate that the institutional conditions for meals need to be reconsidered. For instance caregivers could be exempted from other responsibilities during mealtimes. More flexible time‐limits for meals depending on the number of patients with extensive assistance needs is another possibility.
Living through gynaecological cancer: three typologies
Authors: Sekse Ragnhild JT , Råheim Målfrid , Blåka Gunnhild , Gjengedal Eva 
Published: May 2012

Aims and objectives.  The aim of this qualitative study is to highlight how women experienced living through gynaecological cancer.Background.  The increasing number of long‐term survivors after cancer has created a greater need for knowledge about how patients live through the illness.Design.  A qualitative design, with a phenomenological–hermeneutical perspective, provided the framework for the study.Method.  Thirty‐two unstructured in‐depth interviews with 16 women were conducted. Each woman was interviewed twice: one year apart, and five and six years after treatment, respectively. Stepwise meaning condensation was used to analyse the data.Results.  Based on the women’s first‐hand stories about their experiences with cancer, we identified three typologies, describing different ways in which the women negotiated encountering and living through cancer. These typologies are the emotion‐ and relationship‐oriented women, the activity‐oriented women and the self‐controlled women.Conclusions.  There are substantial differences regarding how women process the experience of cancer. The findings add valuable knowledge about the impact cancer can have on women’s lives and can be of help for nurses who support patients during treatment and follow‐up.Relevance to clinical practice.  Understanding different ways women can experience living through cancer is fundamental for the development and improvement of cancer care. Allowing time for the women to talk with nurses about their cancer experiences could be essential during treatment and follow‐up. Nurses can support the women by listening to their stories, accepting their emotions and informing them in detail. The findings in this study imply that strengthening nurses’ listening and conversational competence can be of importance for supporting patients after cancer. By building on the women’s own stories, it might be possible to create a follow‐up process that is individually tailored for each cancer patient.
Nerve growth factor content is increased in the rectal mucosa of children with diarrhea‐predominant irritable bowel syndrome
Authors: Willot S. , Gauthier C. , Patey N. , Faure C. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractBackground  The enteric nervous system is a complex network that includes, in the digestive mucosa, neuronal bodies and fibers interacting with the immune system and mucosal mast cells (MC). These interactions involve the secretion of messengers, such as the neurotrophin nerve growth factor (NGF), which influence colonic motility and sensitivity, both affected in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This study was designed to test the hypothesis that, in children with IBS, colonic mucosal innervation, NGF content, and MC infiltration are altered. We aimed to measure MC infiltration, number of neuronal bodies, distance from MC to nerve fibers, inflammation, and NGF content in rectal mucosa of pediatric patients with IBS as compared with controls.Methods  Rectal biopsies from children (median age: 14 years) with diarrhea‐predominant IBS (n = 11) and controls (n = 14) were studied. MC and neuronal mucosal structures were identified by tryptase, CD117 and PGP9.5 immunoreactivity. Inflammatory cells (neutrophils, eosinophils, and lymphocytes) were counted. NGF was quantified in situ by ELISA.Key Results  No mucosal inflammation was detected in IBS. MC infiltration and number of neuronal bodies were not significantly different between IBS and controls. The distance between MC and nerve fibers was not different in IBS compared with controls (5.2 ± 0.3 vs 5.0 ± 0.3 μm). Number of MC in close proximity to nerve fibers (<5 μm) was not different in the two groups. However, in IBS, NGF content was higher than controls (0.93 ± 0.3 vs 0.62 ± 0.3 pg mg−1 protein, P < 0.05) and significantly correlated with MC number.Conclusions & Inferences  Regardless of inflammation, NGF content is increased in rectal mucosa of diarrhea‐predominant IBS children.
Intestinal aganglionosis is associated with early and sustained disruption of the colonic microbiome
Authors: Ward N. L. , Pieretti A. , Dowd S. E. , Cox S. B. , Goldstein A. M. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractBackground  Congenital aganglionosis (Hirschsprung’s disease) results in colonic dysmotility and a risk for Hirschsprung’s‐associated enterocolitis (HAEC), whose cause is unknown. We hypothesized that aganglionosis leads to microbiome changes that may contribute to HAEC risk.Methods  Colon and fecal samples were collected from endothelin receptor B‐null (Ednrb−/−) mice, an established model of colorectal aganglionosis, at postnatal day 7 (P7), P20, and P24. We determined microbiome composition by 16S ribosomal RNA gene pyrosequencing and fecal metabolite profile by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.Key Results  Wild‐type (WT) mice exhibited increasing species diversity with age, with mutant mice possessing even greater diversity. WT and mutant microbiomes, both fecal and colonic, significantly segregated by principal coordinates analysis based on species composition at all ages examined. Importantly, mutant mice contained more Bacteroidetes and less Firmicutes than WT, with additional genus‐ and species‐level differences observed. Notably, mutant P7 colon was dominated by coagulase‐negative Staphylococcus species, which were rare in WT. Mutant fecal metabolite profiles also differed, particularly in the abundance of formate, a short‐chain fatty acid product of microbial fermentation.Conclusions & Inferences  Colorectal aganglionosis is associated with early and sustained disruption of the normal colonic and fecal microbiome, supporting the enteric nervous system as a determinant of microbiome composition. Furthermore, the differences observed suggest a potential contributory role for the microbiome in the etiology of HAEC. These findings provide a basis for further studies to determine the causative role of specific bacterial communities in HAEC and the potential to restore the normal microbiome in Hirschsprung’s disease.
Seed Fatty Acid Reducer acts downstream of gibberellin signalling pathway to lower seed fatty acid storage in Arabidopsis
Authors: CHEN MINGXUN , DU XUE , ZHU YANG , WANG ZHONG , HUA SHUIJIAN , LI ZHILAN , GUO WANGLI , ZHANG GUOPING , PENG JINRONG , JIANG LIXI 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACTPrevious studies based on microarray analysis have found that DELLAs down‐regulate several GDSL genes in unopened flowers and/or imbibed seeds. This suggests the role of DELLAs in seed fatty acid (FA) metabolism. In the present study, enhancement of gibberellin (GA) signalling through DELLA mutation or exogenous gibberellin acid A3 (GA3) resulted in the up‐regulated expression of transcription factors for embryogenesis and seed development, genes involved in the FA biosynthesis pathway, and five GDSL‐type Seed Fatty Acid Reducer (SFAR) genes. SFAR overexpression reduced the total seed FA content and led to a particular pattern of seed FA composition. This ‘SFAR footprint’ can also be found in plants with enhanced GA3 signalling. By contrast, the loss of SFAR function dramatically increases the seed FA content. The transgenic lines that overexpress SFAR were less sensitive to stressful environments, reflected by a higher germination rate and better seedling establishment compared with the wild type (WT) plants. The GDSL‐type hydrolyzer is a family of proteins largely uncharacterized in Arabidopsis. Their biological function remains poorly understood. SFAR reduces seed FA storage and acts downstream of the GA signalling pathway. We provide the first evidence that some GDSL proteins are somehow involved in FA degradation in Arabidopsis seeds.
Response to: ‘Meanderings into the Regulation of Effector Class by the Immune System: Derivation of the Trauma Model’ by Melvin Cohn
Authors: Ellestad K. K. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractCohn M. Meanderings into the regulation of effector class by the immune system: derivation of the trauma model. Scand J Immunol 2012;76:77–88 delves into the discussion of how the immune system might regulate the decision between the immune response effector classes, and in particular identifies some key questions that need to be asked to understand how different classes of immune response occurring at the same time might be able to remain coherent and discrete. This is a needed discussion that advances the field, and the experiments proposed will go a long way to increasing our understanding of effector class regulation. However, in my opinion, the author makes some strong statements requiring substantiation regarding the impossibility of the involvement of germline‐selected recognitive events as participating in self/non‐self discrimination. Furthermore, the present discussion ignores a large body of contemporary literature describing the function and specificity of FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (Treg) and formulates a theory that specifically excludes a role for Treg in maintaining self‐tolerance without placing the contemporary evidence in the context of that theory. Thus in my opinion, these shortcomings should be addressed by the author.
Body mass index and postoperative complications in kidney transplant recipients
Authors: ZRIM STEPHANIE , FURLONG TIM , GRACE BLAIR S , MEADE ANTHONY 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACT:Background:  There is a growing number of overweight and obese patients receiving kidney transplants, despite elevated body mass index (BMI) being associated with postoperative complications. Understanding associations between BMI and complications would allow more objectivity when recommending patients for transplantation or otherwise.Methods:  We analysed a retrospective cohort of 508 adult patients who received primary kidney grafts at a single centre in South Australia, 2002–2009, using hospital records and Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA) data. Complications within 1 year of transplantation were classified into: surgical, wound, urological, delayed graft function, early nephrectomy and admission to intensive care unit (ICU).Results:  Overall, 62% of transplant recipients had a BMI above 25 kg/m2 at transplant. Higher BMI was associated with an increased risk of wound complications (P < 0.001), early nephrectomy (P = 0.002) and delayed graft function (P = 0.03), but not associated with surgical or urological complications, or ICU admission. These associations were stronger for Indigenous Australians than other patients, especially for surgical complications. There was no BMI value above which risks of complications increase substantially.Conclusion:  Delayed graft function is an important determinant of patient outcomes. Wound complications can be serious, and are more common in patients with higher BMI. This may justify the use of elevated BMI as a contraindication for transplantation, although no obvious cut‐off value exists. Investigations into other measures of body fat composition and distribution are warranted.
Serotonin 1A receptor genetic variations, suicide, and life events in the Iranian population
Authors: Samadi Rad Bahram , Ghasemi Asghar , Seifi Morteza , Samadikuchaksaraei Ali , Baybordi Fatemeh , Danaei Nasim 
Published: May 2012

Aim:  The association of serotonin 1A receptor (5‐HTR1A) gene polymorphisms with suicidal behavior has been reported in several previous studies, but the results have been inconsistent, which might be due to ethnic differences. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate the association between polymorphisms −1019C>G, 47C>T (Pro16Leu) and 815G>A (Gly272Asp) and suicidal behavior, taking into account age, gender, and the presence of stressful life and loss events in 1 year prior to suicide.Methods:  A total of 191 suicide victims and 218 healthy control subjects were included in the present study. 5‐HT1RA gene polymorphisms were determined on polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism.Results:  The distribution of −1019C>G genotypes was significantly different in suicide victims and healthy controls (P = 0.002), and the GG genotype was associated with a significantly higher number of more stressful life and loss events in the suicide victims (P = 0.017, P = 0.037, respectively). The distribution of 47C>T (Pro16Leu) and 815G>A (Gly272Asp) genotypes was not significantly different in the suicide victims and control subjects (P > 0.05). Moreover, these genotypes were not associated with stressful life and loss events (P > 0.05).Conclusion:  The frequency of the −1019G allele in the 5‐HTR1A gene was higher in suicide victims (with stressful life events) as compared with the control group. In contrast, neither 47C>T (Pro16Leu) nor 815G>A (Gly272Asp) polymorphisms were related with suicide and stressful life events.
Time course of the development of depressive mood and oppositional defiant behavior among boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Differences between subtypes
Authors: Ushijima Hirokage , Usami Masahide , Saito Kazuhiko , Kodaira Masaki , Ikeda Manabu 
Published: May 2012

Aim:  The aim of this research was to clarify the development of depression among boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by examining the correlation between depressive mood, oppositional defiant behavior, and age for each ADHD subtype.Methods:  The Birleson Depression Self‐Rating Scale (DSRS) was used to evaluate depressive mood while the Oppositional Defiant Behavior Inventory (ODBI) was used to evaluate oppositional defiant behavior. The 90 subjects were divided into three groups: 22 boys (mean age, 12.4 ± 1.9 years) were placed in the ADHD predominantly inattentive type (ADHD‐I) group; 45 boys (mean age, 10.4 ± 2.0 years) were placed in the ADHD combined type (ADHD‐C) group; and 23 boys (mean age, 12.7 ± 2.4 years) were placed in the depressive disorder (DD) group. The DD group was included to highlight characteristics of depressive mood among boys with ADHD.Results:  The DSRS score was significantly higher in the DD group compared to the ADHD‐I and ADHD‐C groups. The ODBI score was significantly higher in the ADHD‐C group compared to the ADHD‐I (P = 0.043) and DD (P = 0.013) groups. In the DD group, ODBI was seen to decrease with increasing age. A certain degree of oppositional defiant behavior was seen in each ADHD subtype. The DSRS score correlated with the ODBI score in the ADHD‐C group, while the DSRS score correlated with age in the ADHD‐I group.Conclusion:  The characteristics of developing depressive mood in childhood ADHD appeared to differ between subtypes and also differed from depression without ADHD.