bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the impacts of climate and elevated carbon dioxide on tropical rainforests of the western Amazon basin using ecosystem models and satellite data
Authors: HASHIMOTO HIROFUMI , MELTON FORREST , ICHII KAZUHITO , MILESI CRISTINA , WANG WEILE , NEMANI RAMAKRISHNA R. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractForest inventories from the intact rainforests of the Amazon indicate increasing rates of carbon gain over the past three decades. However, such estimates have been questioned because of the poor spatial representation of the sampling plots and the incomplete understanding of purported mechanisms behind the increases in biomass. Ecosystem models, when used in conjunction with satellite data, are useful in examining the carbon budgets in regions where the observations of carbon flows are sparse. The purpose of this study is to explain observed trends in normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) using climate observations and ecosystem models of varying complexity in the western Amazon basin for the period of 1984–2002. We first investigated trends in NDVI and found a positive trend during the study period, but the positive trend in NDVI was observed only in the months from August to December. Then, trends in various climate parameters were calculated, and of the climate variables considered, only shortwave radiation was found to have a corresponding significant positive trend. To compare the impact of each climate component, as well as increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations, on evergreen forests in the Amazon, we ran three ecosystem models (CASA, Biome‐BGC, and LPJ), and calculated monthly net primary production by changing a climate component selected from the available climate datasets. As expected, CO2 fertilization effects showed positive trends throughout the year and cannot explain the positive trend in NDVI, which was observed only for the months of August to December. Through these simulations, we demonstrated that the positive trend in shortwave radiation can explain the positive trend in NDVI observed for the period from August to December. We conclude that the positive trend in shortwave radiation is the most likely driver of the increasing trend in NDVI and the corresponding observed increases in forest biomass.
Potential impacts of climatic change on the breeding and non‐breeding ranges and migration distance of EuropeanSylviawarblers
Authors: Doswald Nathalie , Willis Stephen G. , Collingham Yvonne C. , Pain Deborah J. , Green Rhys E. , Huntley Brian 
Published: March 2009

AbstractAim To explore the potential impacts of climatic change on species with different migratory strategies usingSylviawarblers breeding in Europe as a ‘model’ species group.Location Europe and Africa.Methods Climate response surfaces and generalized additive models (GAMs) were used to model relationships between species recorded breeding and non‐breeding ranges and recent climate. Species potential future breeding and non‐breeding ranges were simulated for three scenarios of late 21st‐century climate. The simulated potential future and present ranges were compared in terms of their relative extent and overlap, as well as their location. The impact of any shifts in potential range location on migration distance were quantified.Results Potential breeding ranges consistently showed a shift northwards, whereas potential non‐breeding ranges showed no consistent directional shift, even when trans‐Saharan migrants were considered separately from resident/short‐distance or partial migrants. Future potential range extent relative to simulated recent range extent varied considerably among species, although on average range extent increased. Overlap between future and recent simulated range was generally low, averaging < 36% for both breeding and non‐breeding ranges. Overlap was consistently less for range‐restricted than for widespread species. Migration distance increased generally, by about twice as much in the case of trans‐Saharan migrant species than for short‐distance migrants. In many cases potential future non‐breeding areas were simulated in regions far from the species present non‐breeding area, suggesting that new migration strategies and routes may need to be developed in response to climatic change.Main conclusions Migratory species can be expected to suffer greater negative impacts from climatic change than species that are resident or undertake only short‐distance or partial migrations. Trans‐Saharan migrants face the greatest potential increases in migration distances, whereas range‐restricted species are expected to experience major population reductions because of the limited, or in some cases lack of, overlap between their present and potential future ranges.
Using hospital administrative data to evaluate the knowledge‐to‐action gap in pressure ulcer preventive care
Authors: Van Herck Pieter , Sermeus Walter , Jylha Virpi , Michiels Dominik , Van den Heede Koen 
Published: March 2009

AbstractRationale, aims and objectives  Issues of overuse, underuse and misuse are paramount and lead to avoidable morbidity and mortality. Although evidence‐based practice is advocated, the widespread implementation of this kind of practice remains a challenge. This is also the case for evidence‐based practice related to the prevention of pressure ulcers, which varies widely in process and outcome in Belgian hospital care. One major obstacle to bridging this knowledge‐to‐action gap is data availability. We propose using large‐scale hospital administrative data combined with the latest evidence‐based methods as part of the solution to this problem.Method  To test our proposal, we applied this approach to pressure ulcer prevention, using an administrative dataset with regard to 6030 patients in 22 Belgian hospitals as a sample of nationally available data. Methods include a systematic review approach, evidence grading, recommendations formulation, algorithm construction, programming of the rule set and application on the database.Results  We found that Belgian hospitals frequently failed to provide appropriate prevention care. Significant levels of underuse, up to 28.4% in pressure ulcer prevention education and 17.5% in the use of dynamic systems mattresses, were detected. Figures for overuse were mostly not significant. Misuse couldn't be assessed.Conclusions  These results demonstrate that this approach can indeed be successfully used to bridge the knowledge‐to‐action gap in medical practice, by implementing an innovative method to assess underuse and overuse in hospital care. The integrative use of administrative data and clinical applications should be replicated in other patient groups, other datasets and other countries.
Intracellular nanosurgery and cell enucleation using a picosecond laser
Authors: RAABE I. , VOGEL S.K. , PEYCHL J. , TOLIĆ‐NØRRELYKKE I.M. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryLiving cells are highly organized in space and time, which makes spatially and temporally confined manipulations an indispensable tool in cell biology. Laser‐based nanosurgery is an elegant method that allows precise ablation of intracellular structures. Here, we show cutting of fluorescently labelled microtubules and mitotic spindles in fission yeast, performed with a picosecond laser coupled to a confocal microscope. Diverse effects from photo‐bleaching to partial and complete breakage are obtained by varying the exposure time, while simultaneously imaging the structures of interest. Using this system we developed an efficient technique to generate enucleated cells without perturbing the distribution of other organelles. This enucleation method can be used to study the cytoskeleton in a nucleus‐free environment, as well as the role of the nucleus in cell growth and a variety of cellular functions.
Quantitative assessment of relative changes of immunohistochemical staining by light microscopy in specified anatomical regions
Authors: PAIZS M. , ENGELHARDT J.I. , SIKLÓS L. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryDespite the advent of ever newer microscopic techniques for the study of the distribution of macromolecules in biological tissues, the enzyme‐based immunohistochemical (IHC) methods are still used widely and routinely. However, the acquisition of reliable conclusions from the pattern of the reaction products of IHC procedures is hindered by the regular need for subjective judgments, in view of frequent inconsistencies in staining intensity from section to section or in repeated experiments. Consequently, when numerical comparisons are required, light microscopic morphological descriptions are commonly supplemented with analytical data (e.g. from Western blot analyses); however, these cannot be directly associated with accurate structural information and can easily be contaminated with data from outside the region of interest. Alternatively, to eliminate the more or less subjective evaluation of the results of IHC staining, procedures should be developed that correct for the variability of staining through the use of objective criteria. This paper describes a simple procedure, based on digital image analysis methods and the use of an internal reference area on the analyzed sections, that reduces the operator input and hence subjectivity, and makes the relative changes in IHC staining intensity in different experiments comparable. The reference area is situated at a position of the section that is not affected by the experimental treatment, or a disease condition, and that can therefore be used to specify the baseline of the IHC staining. Another source of staining variability is the internal heterogeneity of the object to be characterized, which means that identical fields can never be analyzed. To compensate for this variability, details are given of a systematic random sampling paradigm, which provides simple numerical data describing the extent and strength of IHC staining throughout the entire volume to be characterized. In this integrated approach, the figures are derived by pooling relative IHC staining intensities from all sections of the series from a particular animal. The procedure (1) eliminates the problem arising from the personal assessment of the significance of the IHC staining intensity, (2) does not depend on the precise dissection of the tissue on a gross scale and (3) considerably reduces the consequences of limited, arbitrary sampling of the region of interest for IHC analysis. The quantification procedure is illustrated by data from an experiment in which inflammatory reactions in the murine spinal cord, measured as microglial activation, were followed by IHC after the lesion of the sciatic nerve.
Strong correlation of wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum) population structure with temperature and precipitation variation
Authors: HÜBNER S. , HÖFFKEN M. , OREN E. , HASENEYER G. , STEIN N. , GRANER A. , SCHMID K. , FRIDMAN E. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractIn this study, we present the genetic analysis of a new collection of wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum) using 42 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers that represent the seven chromosomes. The Barley1K (B1K) infrastructure consists of 1020 accessions collected in a hierarchical sampling mode (HSM) from 51 sites across Israel and represents the wide adaptive niche of the modern barley's ancestor. According to the genetic structure analysis, the sampled sites can be divided into seven groups, and sampled microsites located on opposing slopes or in different soil types did not show significant genetic differentiation. Although the genetic analysis indicates a simple isolation‐by‐distance model among the populations, examination of the genetic populations’ structure with abiotic parameters in an ordination analysis revealed that the combination of elevation, mid‐day temperature and rainfall explains a high proportion of the variance in the principal components analysis. Our findings demonstrate that the current populations have therefore been shaped and distinguished by non‐selective forces such as migration; however, we suggest that aridity and temperature gradients played major roles as selective forces in the adaptation of wild barley in this part of the Fertile Crescent. This unique collection is a prelude for the investigation of the molecular basis underlying plant adaptation and responsiveness to harsh environments.
Elevated Plasma Surfactant Protein D (SP‐D) Levels and a Direct Correlation with Anti‐severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus‐specific IgG Antibody in SARS Patients
Authors: Wu Y. P. , Liu Z. H. , Wei R. , Pan S. D. , Mao N. Y. , Chen B. , Han J. J. , Zhang F. S. , Holmskov U. , Xia Z. L. , De Groot P. G. , Reid K. B. M. , Xu W. B. , Sorensen G. L. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractPulmonary SP‐D is a defence lectin promoting clearance of viral infections. SP‐D is recognized to bind the S protein of SARS‐CoV and enhance phagocytosis. Moreover, systemic SP‐D is widely used as a biomarker of alveolar integrity. We investigated the relation between plasma SP‐D, SARS‐type pneumonia and the SARS‐specific IgG response. Sixteen patients with SARS, 19 patients with community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP) (Streptococcus pneumonia) and 16 healthy control subjects were enrolled in the study. Plasma SP‐D and anti‐SARS‐CoV N protein IgG were measured using ELISA. SP‐D was significantly elevated in SARS‐type pneumonia [median (95% CI), 453 (379–963) ng/ml versus controls 218 (160–362) ng/ml, P < 0.05] like in patients with CAP. SP‐D significantly correlated with anti‐SARS‐CoV N protein IgG (r2 = 0.5995, P = 0.02). The possible re‐emergence of SARS or SARS‐like infections suggests a need for minimal traumatic techniques for following the alveolar compartment, e.g. during testing of antivirals. We suggest that monitoring systemic SP‐D may be useful in monitoring the alveolar integrity in SARS‐type pneumonia. The significant correlation between plasma SP‐D and anti‐SARS‐CoV‐specific antibodies support the role for SP‐D in interlinking innate and adaptive immune pathways.
MPB70 and MPB83 – Major Antigens of Mycobacterium bovis
Authors: Wiker H. G. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractMPB70 and MPB83 are among the most studied mycobacterial antigens. They are highly homologous proteins within Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex members, and the orthologs in different members of the complex are virtually identical. They are major antigens highly expressed by Mycobacterium bovis and considerably less abundantly expressed by M. tuberculosis. There are two genes encoding these proteins within an operon of six genes. MPB70 and MPB83 are encoded as precursor proteins with typical signal peptides for export through the general secretory pathway. MPB70 is a soluble secreted protein cleaved by signal peptidase I, while MPB83 is a glycosylated lipoprotein processed by signal peptidase II and located at the surface, possibly with the lipid tail coupled to the N‐terminal cystein embedded in the mycobacterial outer membrane. The expression of these genes is controlled by the transcriptional regulator SigK, and a point mutation in SigK explains why some Bacille Calmette‐Guérin (BCG) strains express only minute amounts of MPB70 and MPB83. BCG strains that have retained the high expression of MPB70 and MPB83 of wild type M. bovis are linked to a risk of BCG osteitis in <1‐year‐old children as a complication to BCG vaccination at birth. The proposed mechanism for this is based on homology of these proteins with osteoblast‐specific factor II which is a homofilic adhesion protein expressed on osteoblasts in growing bone tissue. T‐cell responses and antibody responses to these proteins have been extensively explored for sensitive and specific diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis.
Calcium elevation‐dependent and attenuated resting calcium‐dependent abscisic acid induction of stomatal closure and abscisic acid‐induced enhancement of calcium sensitivities of S‐type anion and inward‐rectifying K+ channels in Arabidopsis guard cells
Authors: Siegel Robert S. , Xue Shaowu , Murata Yoshiyuki , Yang Yingzhen , Nishimura Noriyuki , Wang Angela , Schroeder Julian I. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryStomatal closure in response to abscisic acid depends on mechanisms that are mediated by intracellular [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]i), and also on mechanisms that are independent of [Ca2+]i in guard cells. In this study, we addressed three important questions with respect to these two predicted pathways in Arabidopsis thaliana. (i) How large is the relative abscisic acid (ABA)‐induced stomatal closure response in the [Ca2+]i‐elevation‐independent pathway? (ii) How do ABA‐insensitive mutants affect the [Ca2+]i‐elevation‐independent pathway? (iii) Does ABA enhance (prime) the Ca2+ sensitivity of anion and inward‐rectifying K+ channel regulation? We monitored stomatal responses to ABA while experimentally inhibiting [Ca2+]i elevations and clamping [Ca2+]i to resting levels. The absence of [Ca2+]i elevations was confirmed by ratiometric [Ca2+]i imaging experiments. ABA‐induced stomatal closure in the absence of [Ca2+]i elevations above the physiological resting [Ca2+]i showed only approximately 30% of the normal stomatal closure response, and was greatly slowed compared to the response in the presence of [Ca2+]i elevations. The ABA‐insensitive mutants ost1‐2, abi2‐1 and gca2 showed partial stomatal closure responses that correlate with [Ca2+]i‐dependent ABA signaling. Interestingly, patch‐clamp experiments showed that exposure of guard cells to ABA greatly enhances the ability of cytosolic Ca2+ to activate S‐type anion channels and down‐regulate inward‐rectifying K+ channels, providing strong evidence for a Ca2+ sensitivity priming hypothesis. The present study demonstrates and quantifies an attenuated and slowed ABA response when [Ca2+]i elevations are directly inhibited in guard cells. A minimal model is discussed, in which ABA enhances (primes) the [Ca2+]i sensitivity of stomatal closure mechanisms.
Photosynthesis in cells around veins of the C3 plant Arabidopsis thaliana is important for both the shikimate pathway and leaf senescence as well as contributing to plant fitness
Authors: Janacek Sophie H. , Trenkamp Sandra , Palmer Ben , Brown Naomi J. , Parsley Kate , Stanley Susan , Astley Holly M. , Rolfe Stephen A. , Paul Quick W. , Fernie Alisdair R. , Hibberd Julian M. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryCells associated with veins of C3 species often contain significant amounts of chlorophyll, and radiotracer analysis shows that carbon present in the transpiration stream may be used for photosynthesis in these cells. It is not clear whether CO2 is also supplied to these cells close to veins via stomata, nor whether this veinal photosynthesis supplies carbon skeletons to particular metabolic pathways. In addition, it has not been possible to determine whether photosynthesis in cells close to veins of C3 plants is quantitatively important for growth or fitness. To investigate the role of photosynthesis in cells in and around the veins of C3 plants, we have trans‐activated a hairpin construct to the chlorophyll synthase gene (CS) using an Arabidopsis thaliana enhancer trap line specific to veins. CS is responsible for addition of the phytol chain to the tetrapyrolle head group of chlorophyll, and, as a result of cell‐specific trans‐activation of the hairpin to CS, chlorophyll accumulation is reduced around veins. We use these plants to show that, under steady‐state conditions, the extent to which CO2 is supplied to cells close to veins via stomata is limited. Fixation by minor veins of CO2 supplied to the xylem stream and the amount of specific metabolites associated with carbohydrate metabolism and the shikimate pathway were all reduced. In addition, an abundance of transcripts encoding components of pathways that generate phosphoenolpyruvate were altered. Leaf senescence, growth rate and seed size were all reduced in the lines with lower photosynthetic ability in veins and in cells close to veins.
Comparison of effect of daily versus weekly iron supplementation during pregnancy on lipid peroxidation
Authors: Bhatla Neerja , Kaul Nivedita , Lal Neena , Kriplani Alka , Agarwal Nutan , Saxena Renu , Gupta Suresh K. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractObjectives:  To compare the effect of daily versus weekly iron supplementation on lipid peroxidation, hemoglobin levels and maternal and perinatal outcome in non‐anemic pregnant women.Methods:  Of 109 women randomly allocated into three groups, 90 completed the study. Group I (n = 30) received daily iron folic acid; Group II (n = 30) received weekly iron folic acid; Group III (n = 30) received daily iron (III)‐hydroxide polymaltose complex. Hemoglobin levels, hematological indices, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and glutathione levels were measured at baseline (14–16 weeks) and at 30–34 weeks. Statistical analysis was done using the anova test.Results:  Group I had a highly significant increase in TBARS level (0.61 ± 0.26 µmol/L, P = 0.000) compared to groups II and III in which the change in TBARS was not significant (0.02 ± 0.06 and 0.007 ± 0.06 µmol/L, respectively). There was an insignificant fall in glutathione levels in all groups. There was no significant difference in the mean period of gestation, pregnancy complications and neonatal outcome between the three groups. Among 22.2% of women who were non‐compliant, Group I had significantly higher incidence of non‐compliance (P = 0.016) and side‐effects (P = 0.001). Final hemoglobin was higher in Group I than II (11.9 ± 1.2, 11.3 ± 0.9, respectively, P = 0.041). The TBARS level was not statistically different between preterm and term deliveries. Nine out of 11 patients who developed hypertension during pregnancy had preeclampsia. The final TBARS level was significantly higher in these women (P = 0.000).Conclusions:  Daily supplementation with ferrous sulphate results in greater lipid peroxidation than weekly supplementation, the latter is comparable with daily iron (III)‐hydroxide polymaltose complex. Lipid peroxidation levels are significantly higher in preeclampsia.
Gross anatomy of the musculature and a new description of the reproductive system of Tanaisia bragai and Tanaisia inopina (Trematoda: Eucotylidae) analysed by confocal laser scanning microscopy
Authors: D’ávila Sthefane , Manso Pedro Paulo de Abreu , Bessa Elisabeth Cristina de Almeida , Rodrigues Maria de Lurdes de Azevedo , Dias Roberto Júnio Pedroso 
Published: March 2009

AbstractD’ávila, S., Manso, P. P. A., Bessa, E. C. A., Rodrigues, M. L. A. and Dias, R. J. P. 2010. Gross anatomy of the musculature and a new description of the reproductive system of Tanaisia bragai and Tanaisia inopina (Trematoda: Eucotylidae) analysed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. —Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 91: 139–149Confocal scanning laser microscopy has become an important tool to clarify the organization of the musculature and innervation, as well as the morphology of the reproductive and alimentary tract of various helminth species. The goal of this work was to describe the morphology of the reproductive system and the gross anatomy of the musculature of adults of the species Tanaisia bragai and Tanaisia inopina by means of confocal scanning laser microscopy. The helminths were found parasitizing the kidney collection ducts of Columba livia, in the municipality of Juiz de Fora, Brazil. These helminths were stained with Mayer's carmalum, mounted on permanent slides and observed through a confocal scanning laser microscope. The tomographic images showed the morphology of the organs and glands of the reproductive system, along with the general morphology of the musculature of the body wall, oral sucker, acetabulum, pharynx, intestinal caeca, oesophagus and reproductive system ducts. The present work is the first re‐characterization of the reproductive tract of T. bragai and T. inopina. We also present the first description of the general morphology of the gametes and cells of the glands associated with the reproductive apparatus of these species.