bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Phylogenetic ecology of foliar N and P concentrations and N:P ratios across mediterranean‐type ecosystems
Authors: Stock William D. , Verboom G. Anthony 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTAim  Interpretations of global‐scale patterns in foliar N and P concentrations and N:P ratios across climatic gradients and biomes often ignore complications imposed by taxonomic and phylogenetic structure in the nutrient concentrations of the constituent taxa. We analysed foliar N and P concentrations and N:P ratios of species from similar climate zones, but with contrasting soil fertility, to determine the relative importance of phylogeny and geographic region in driving foliar nutrient concentrations.Location  Mediterranean climate regions.Methods  Mean foliar N and P concentrations of 564 species from five mediterranean climate regions were compiled. Regional comparisons of foliar N and P concentrations and N:P ratios were performed using a phylogenetically independent contrasts (PIC) procedure. We also evaluated phylogenetic structuring in these variables, determining for each clade whether (1) the mean trait value and (2) the variance in trait values deviate significantly from chance expectation.Results  Foliar N and P concentrations were found to vary between regions, a result confirmed using PIC. Tests of phylogenetic structure identified lineages having unusually high or low N and P concentrations, these being largely consistent amongst two of the regions. There was a general pattern of conservatism in foliar N and P concentrations and N:P ratios with localized instances of overdispersion.Main conclusions  Our findings identify soil fertility as a strong environmental filter which has led to the dominance of low‐nutrient adapted lineages in the South African Cape and Western Australia. There is also a pronounced clade‐specific ‘stoichiometric homeostasis’ in foliar N and P concentrations and N:P ratios and this strong phylogenetic conservatism, together with the narrow range of foliar concentrations, is an evolutionary outcome of factors associated with developmental and physiological nutrient requirements specific to each lineage. Our results reinforce the need to include phylogenetic considerations in discussions of the biological stoichiometry of plants if we are to expand our current knowledge of foliar N and P concentrations and N:P patterns from an ecological to a biogeographic scale.
Nutrition standards for away‐from‐home foods in the USA
Authors: Cohen D. A. , Bhatia R. 
Published: February 2012

SummaryAway‐from‐home foods are regulated with respect to the prevention of food‐borne diseases and potential contaminants, but not for their contribution to dietary‐related chronic diseases. Away‐from‐home foods have more calories, salt, sugar and fat, and include fewer fruits and vegetables than recommended by national nutrition guidelines. Thus, frequent consumption of away‐from‐home foods contributes to obesity, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. In light of this, many localities are already adopting regulations or sponsoring programs to improve the quality of away‐from‐home foods. We review the rationale for developing nutritional performance standards for away‐from‐home foods in light of limited human capacity to regulate intake or physiologically compensate for a poor diet. We offer a set of model performance standards to be considered as a new area of environmental regulation. Models for voluntary implementation of consumer standards exist in the environmental domain and may be useful templates for implementation. Implementing such standards, whether voluntarily or via regulations, will require addressing a number of practical and ideological challenges. Politically, regulatory standards contradict the belief that adults should be able to navigate dietary risks in away‐from‐home settings unaided.
Direct and Indirect Effects of Index ETFs on Spot‐Futures Pricing and Liquidity: Evidence from the CAC 40 Index
Authors: Deville Laurent , Gresse Carole , de Séverac Béatrice 
Published: February 2012

AbstractThis paper investigates how the introduction of an Exchange‐Traded Fund (ETF) directly or indirectly impacts the underlying‐index spot‐futures pricing. Using intraday data for financial instruments related to the CAC 40 index, we do not find that the spot‐futures price efficiency improvement observed after ETF introduction is explained either by the direct effect of ETF shares being used in arbitrage trades or by the indirect effect of ETF trading improving the liquidity of index stocks in the short‐run. Some of our findings suggest that the efficiency improvement could rather result from a structural change in the way index traders distribute across index markets, with the ETF market absorbing the liquidity demand from some hedgers or passive index traders.
Survival of individuals with cerebral palsy born in Victoria, Australia, between 1970 and 2004
Authors: REID SUSAN M , CARLIN JOHN B , REDDIHOUGH DINAH S 
Published: February 2012

Aim  This study used data collected prospectively since 1986 from a population‐based cerebral palsy registry to explore the rates, predictors, trends, and causes of mortality for individuals born in Victoria, Australia, between 1970 and 2004.Method  Data were extracted for 3507 individuals (1972 males; 1535 females). The probability of survival before 31 May 2010 was determined using the Kaplan–Meier method; age‐specific mortality rates were calculated per 1000 person‐years and related to population rates. Using Cox proportional hazards regression, relative risks of mortality were estimated for different categories of chosen demographic and clinical variables. Causes were tabulated according to the direct cause of death.Results  There were 418 deaths. Crude mortality was 20% at the age of 40 years. Relative to the population, mortality was highest in children aged under 15 years and decreased to twice the population rate at the age of 35 years. The strongest independent predictor of mortality was no independent ambulation (adjusted hazard ratio 6.2 [95% confidence interval 3.3–11.8]); additional predictors were severe intellectual impairment (3.0 [1.7–5.2]), epilepsy (1.4 [1.1–1.9]), deafness (2.6 [1.4–4.7]), and term birth (1.8 [1.3–2.4]). No improvement in survival was seen over time (unadjusted hazard ratio 1.00 [95% CI 0.99–1.01]). Respiratory causes were the most common direct causes of death.Interpretation  Rates, predictors, and causes of death for individuals with cerebral palsy in Victoria were similar to those found in other population cohorts. Lack of improvement in survival since 1970 was an unexpected finding that warrants further investigation.
Hopanoids in marine cyanobacteria: probing their phylogenetic distribution and biological role
Authors: SÁENZ J. P. , WATERBURY J. B. , EGLINTON T. I. , SUMMONS R. E. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractCyanobacteria are key players in the global carbon and nitrogen cycles and are thought to have been responsible for the initial rise of atmospheric oxygen during the Neoarchean. There is evidence that a class of membrane lipids known as hopanoids serve as biomarkers for bacteria, including many cyanobacteria, in the environment and in the geologic record. However, the taxonomic distributions and physiological roles of hopanoids in marine cyanobacteria remain unclear. We examined the distribution of bacteriohopanepolyols (BHPs) in a collection of marine cyanobacterial enrichment and pure cultures and investigated the relationship between the cellular abundance of BHPs and nitrogen limitation in Crocosphaera watsonii, a globally significant nitrogen‐fixing cyanobacterium. In pure culture, BHPs were only detected in species capable of nitrogen fixation, implicating hopanoids as potential markers for diazotrophy in the oceans. The enrichment cultures we examined exhibited a higher degree of BHP diversity, demonstrating that there are presently unaccounted for marine bacteria, possibly cyanobacteria, associated with the production of a range of BHP structures. Crocosphaera watsonii exhibited high membrane hopanoid content consistent with the idea that hopanoids have an important effect on the bulk physical properties of the membrane. However, the abundance of BHPs in C. watsonii did not vary considerably when grown under nitrogen‐limiting and nitrogen‐replete conditions, suggesting that the role of hopanoids in this organism is not directly related to the physiology of nitrogen fixation. Alternatively, we propose that high hopanoid content in C. watsonii may serve to reduce membrane permeability to antimicrobial toxins in the environment.
Effect of Medicare Reimbursement Reduction for Imaging Services on Osteoporosis Screening Rates
Authors: McAdam‐Marx Carrie , Unni Sudhir , Ye Xiangyang , Nelson Scott , Nickman Nancy A. 
Published: February 2012

ObjectivesTo determine bone mineral density (BMD) testing rates and the proportion of women diagnosed after BMD screening vs an osteoporosis‐related fracture before and after reductions in Medicare reimbursement for office‐based imaging services in 2007, which was projected to save $2.8B over 5 years.DesignRetrospective observational analysis of administrative medical claims reimbursement data.SettingAnalysis of data from a medical claims data set.ParticipantsA cohort of 405,093 women (average age 74.1 ± 6.7) aged 65 and older with employer‐sponsored Medicare supplemental coverage.MeasurementsBMD testing and the incidence of participants whose first diagnosis for osteoporosis occurred with BMD screening vs as a result of osteoporosis‐related fracture were identified by calendar year.ResultsThirty‐eight percent of participants received one or more BMD tests during the study period. The proportion of women who received a BMD test was 12.9% in 2005, 11.4% in 2006, 11.8% in 2007, and 11.6% in 2008. Although testing rates varied, results were consistent with testing guidelines and did not decrease at a rate relative to reimbursement reductions, as had been anticipated.ConclusionBMD screening rates did not substantially decline in Medicare‐eligible women in the 2 years after reimbursement reductions. Meanwhile, the proportion of women diagnosed after a fracture increased, although the nature of this increase is unclear.
Barthel Index—Enhanced Feedback for Effective Cardiac Treatment (BI—EFFECT) Study: Contribution of the Barthel Index to the Heart Failure Risk Scoring System Model in Elderly Adults with Acute Heart Failure in the Emergency Department
Authors: Javier Martín‐Sánchez F. , Gil Víctor , Llorens Pere , Herrero Pablo , Jacob Javier , Fernández Cristina , Miró Òscar ,   for the Acute Heart Failure Working Group of the Spanish Society of Emergency Medicine Investigation Group
Published: February 2012

ObjectivesTo evaluate whether the Enhanced Feedback for Effective Cardiac Treatment (EFFECT) scale for 30‐day prediction of mortality is applicable to elderly adults with acute heart failure (AHF) in emergency departments (EDs) and whether discriminatory power is added with the inclusion of the Barthel Index (BI) to this scale (BI‐EFFECT scale).DesignBI‐EFFECT is a multipurpose, nonintervention, multicenter cohort study.SettingTwenty EDs.ParticipantsIndividuals aged 65 and older with AHF.MeasurementsInformation on baseline and episode characteristics and 30‐day mortality was collected, and participants were categorized according to the EFFECT scale. Baseline degree of functional dependence was measured using the BI. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were made of the EFFECT and BI‐EFFECT scales to predict mortality.ResultsOne thousand sixty‐eight participants were included. Thirty‐day mortality was 5.1% and was directly and independently associated with high and very high risk categories of the EFFECT scale and with severe dependence. These two variables remained significant after adjustment of the model for both (OR = 4.5, 95% CI = 1.8–11.1 and OR = 2.9, 95% CI = 1.6–5.4, respectively). The EFFECT and the BI‐EFFECT scales had significant ROC curves (area under the ROC curve (AUC) = 0.69, 95% CI = from 0.62 to 0.76; and AUC = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.69–0.81, respectively), and the difference in discriminatory power between the second and the first was also statistically significant (P = .02).ConclusionThe EFFECT scale may be applied in the elderly population, and inclusion of functional status according to the BI in the new BI‐EFFECT scale significantly improves the model for the prediction of 30‐day mortality.
Low High‐Density Lipoprotein 3 Reduces the Odds of Men Surviving to Age 85 During 53‐Year Follow‐Up
Authors: Williams Paul T. 
Published: February 2012

ObjectivesTo identify high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) subfractions associated with longevity in men.DesignFifty‐three‐year prospective follow‐up of Gofman's Livermore Cohort between 1954 and 2008.SettingLawrence Livermore National Laboratory.ParticipantsOne thousand one hundred forty‐four men who consented to the study, had analytic ultracentrifuge measurements of lipoprotein subfractions at baseline, and were old enough at baseline to have survived to age 85 during follow‐up.MeasurementsSurvival was determined according to participant contact, Social Security Death Index, and National Death Index.ResultsThree hundred ninety men survived to 85 years old (34.1%). Survivors were less likely than nonsurvivors to be in the lowest HDL3 (% (standard error) 18.5% (2.0%) vs 27.3% (1.6%), P < .001) and HDL2 (22.1% (2.1%) vs 27.7% (1.6%), P = .04) quartiles. Logistic regression analyses showed that the lowest HDL3 quartile significantly predicted shorter longevity (P = .002), whereas the linear increases per mg/dL of HDL3 did not (P = .38), suggesting a risk threshold proximal to the 25th percentile. Men who were above the 25th HDL3 percentile had 70% greater odds of surviving until age 85 than those below this level, which persisted when adjusted for HDL2, very low‐density lipoprotein (LDL), and standard risk factors. Proportional hazard analyses of survival before age 85 showed that being in the lowest HDL3 quartile increased age‐adjusted cancer risk by 39% (P = .05) and noncancer risk by 23% (P = .04) when adjusted for other risk factors. Survivors also smoked less (mean ± SD 0.31 ± 0.48 vs 0.57 ± 0.56 packs/d, P < .001), had lower systolic (118.36 ± 11.08 vs 122.81 ± 13.55 mmHg, P < .001) and diastolic (70.61 ± 8.59 vs 73.14 ± 9.22 mmHg, P < .001) blood pressures and lower LDL mass (359.55 ± 80.42 vs 374.37 ± 86.10 mg/dL, P = .009) and total cholesterol concentrations (229.51 ± 43.21 vs 235.89 ± 45.40 mg/dL, P = .04) than nonsurvivors.ConclusionLow HDL3 reduces the odds of extended survival in men, independent of HDL2, other lipoproteins, and standard risk factors.
A Competency‐Based Medical Student Curriculum: Taking the Medication History in Older Adults
Authors: van Zuilen Maria H. , Kaiser Robert M. , Mintzer Michael J. 
Published: February 2012

Older adults are the largest consumers of prescription medications. Taking multiple medications, which interact with medical, psychological, and socioeconomic factors, increases a person's risk of nonadherence and adverse events. A curriculum was developed to train medical students to identify these risks and make recommendations for improving medication safety. The curriculum, consisting of a self‐study computer tutorial, a small‐group simulated‐patient (SP) experience, and an online competency assessment, was implemented in the students' second year of training. Groups (N = 28) of five to seven students interviewed the SP and were assessed on their ability to identify medication concerns (N = 18) and make recommendations (N = 18) on improving medication safety. On average, student groups identified 16.1 concerns and made 15.4 recommendations. On the competency assessment several months later, students were given a case scenario and again asked to identify concerns (N = 7) and make recommendations (N = 7). Students (N = 176) were required to achieve a preset performance standard on the assessment. A high percentage (97.2%) of students achieved the standard (a score of 8/14) on their first attempt; the remainder achieved the standard on their second attempt. Student evaluations indicated high levels of satisfaction with the curriculum. The learning objectives, competency assessment, and instructional activities were closely aligned. Instructional activities provided students with an opportunity to practice the competency in a nonthreatening environment. The SP session materials are available through MedEdPORTAL and can readily be incorporated by other institutions into existing curricula.
The History of Articulators: The Wonderful World of “Grinders,” Part 2
Authors: Starcke Edgar N. , Engelmeier Robert L. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractThis is the second article in a three‐part series on the history of denture grinding devices. The first article reviewed the earliest attempts to mechanically grind the occlusion of artificial teeth from the manipulation of simple articulators to very elaborate and complex machines powered by hand cranks. This article explores motor‐driven grinders, most driven by way of a belt‐driven pulley powered by an external source. A few were self‐contained; that is, the motor was mounted on the grinder base. There were basically two types of grinders: those with cast holders for mounting processed dentures and those with provisions for using articulators for that purpose.
Value of Two‐Dimensional Speckle Tracking and Real Time Three‐Dimensional Echocardiography for the Identification of Subclinical Left Ventricular Dysfunction in Patients Referred for Routine Echocardiography
Authors: Saha Samir K. , Kiotsekoglou Anatoli , Toole Rena S. , Moggridge James C. , Nichols Kenneth J. , Govind Satish , Gopal Aasha S. 
Published: February 2012

Background: While speckle tracking echocardiography (2DSTE) can be used to study longitudinal, circumferential, and radial function, real time 3D echocardiography (3DE) generates dynamic time–volume curves, offering a wide array of new parameters for characterizing mechanical and volumetric properties of the left ventricle (LV). Our aim was to investigate the merit of these new techniques to separate normal from abnormal echocardiograms as well as to identify subclinical disease in reportedly normal subjects. Methods: Eighty‐one patients (mean age 61 ± 16 years) underwent standard 2D echocardiography (2DE) enhanced by 2DSTE and 3DE. The data included LV volumes and ejection fraction (EF), velocities, strain/strain rate, and peak ejection/filling rates. The patients were divided into Group 1: normal (n = 42) and Group 2: abnormal (n = 39) on the basis of an expert interpretation of the resting 2DE. Results: Global longitudinal strain (%) was 17 ± 4 in Group1 and 14 ± 4 in Group2 (P < 0.002). Strain rates (SR, 1/sec) at peak systole (1.1 ± 0.2 vs 0.9 ± 0.3, P < 0.001) and early diastole (1.3 ± 0.3 vs 0.9 ± 0.3, P < 0.001) were also higher in Group1. Three‐dimensional peak ejection and filling rates (EDV/sec) were significantly higher in Group1 (−2.5 ± 0.4 vs −2.1 ± 0.7, and 1.8 ± 0.2 vs 1.5 ± 0.5, P < 0.002, P < 0.001, respectively). The best discriminatory power for predicting a normal 2DE was systolic SR with a sensitivity of 82% and a specificity of 54% using a cutoff value of 1.09. Interestingly, 19/41 (46%) of Group1 patients had systolic SR < 1.09, suggesting subclinical disease. Conclusions: 2DSTE and 3DE can discriminate between normal and abnormal echocardiograms and have the potential to detect subclinical LV dysfunction.(Echocardiography 2012;29:588‐597)
Clinical Asthma Phenotypes: Is There an Impact on Myocardial Performance?
Authors: Zedan Magdy , Attia Alsawah Gehan , El‐Assmy Mohamed M. , Hasaneen Bothina , Zedan Mohamed M. , Nasef Nehad Abdelsalam 
Published: February 2012

Background: Asthma is a systemic disease, which affects various body systems. We aimed to assess the impact of clinical asthma phenotypes on myocardial performance in asthmatic children using tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). Methods: We enrolled 58 children with moderate persistent asthma and 62 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls. Asthmatic children were classified according to clinical asthma phenotypes into shortness of breath group (n = 26) and wheezy group (n = 32). Pulmonary function tests, and conventional and TDI echocardiography were performed. Results: TDI echocardiography assessment of the studied groups showed that asthmatic children as a group had significant left and right ventricular dysfunction when compared with healthy controls. Children in the shortness of breath group had a significant diastolic dysfunction of both ventricles in the form of lower tricuspid and mitral annular early myocardial diastolic velocity (Em), early to late myocardial diastolic velocity (Em/Am) ratio, and prolonged isovolumetric relaxation time when compared with wheezy group (P < 0.001). In the shortness of breath group, TDI‐derived myocardial performance index (MPI) of both ventricles was significantly higher when compared with wheezy group (P < 0.001) reflecting global myocardial dysfunction. Conventional echocardiography of both ventricles showed RV diastolic dysfunction in the form of a significantly lower tricuspid E/A ratio in the shortness of breath group when compared with wheezy group. Conclusion: Clinical asthma phenotypes have an impact on myocardial function especially those presented with shortness of breath. Thus, measurement of MPI by TDI can detect subclinical changes in the cardiac performance in asthmatic children.(Echocardiography 2012;29:528‐534)
Cost of male diapause indirectly affects female reproductive performance
Authors: Sadakiyo Shou , Ishihara Michihiro 
Published: February 2012

AbstractWe evaluated the cost of diapause in both females and males separately in the multivoltine bruchid Acanthoscelides pallidipennis (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae). We artificially generated diapause (D) and non‐diapause (ND) individuals and compared the reproductive traits among all combinations of D and ND pairs. Diapause in both sexes had negative effects on the female pre‐oviposition period and fecundity, but not on egg volume. Females mated to D males had longer pre‐oviposition period and lower fecundity than females mated to ND males. These results showed that reproductive performance of a female could be influenced by the diapause experience not only of herself but also of the male with whom she mated.
Themes and Theologies in Catholic Social Teaching over Fifty Years
Authors: Dorr Donal 
Published: February 2012

AbstractThis article has three sections, covering three themes in CST. In the first I sketch out the development of an integral humanistic approach and then go on to suggest that the ‘flip’ side of this is an unduly anthropocentric stance on ecological issues by Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict. In the second section I give an account of official Catholic teaching on justice for women and their equality with men. I suggest that over the past fifty years there have been major advances on this issue. But John Paul's concept of the complementarity of women and men raises great difficulties—particularly insofar as it is used as one of the main justifications for Vatican insistence that the Church does not have the authority to ordain women. In the third section I examine Vatican views on the appropriate means which Church authorities and the Church membership should use in working to promote justice. Should Church leaders limit themselves to clarifying the nature of authentic development, pointing out various forms of injustice, calling for change, and suggesting an alternative ‘economy of communion’? May they ever go further than such ‘education of consciences’, by encouraging the poor to struggle for justice, and by themselves confronting oppressive governments?