bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Japanese renal transplant recipients
Authors: NAGANUMA TOSHIHIDE , UCHIDA JUNJI , KINOSHITA YOSHIHISA , KUROKI YOSHIKAZU , TAKEMOTO YOSHIAKI , YOSHIMURA RIKIO , SUGIMURA KAZUNOBU , NAKATANI TATSUYA 
Published: May 2007

SUMMARY:Background:  The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) after renal transplantation has yet to be elucidated. In the present study, we investigated the prevalence of MS in Japanese renal transplant recipients.Methods:  A cross‐sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of MS in 101 renal transplant recipients at Osaka City University Hospital. The prevalence of MS was determined using the National Cholesterol Education Program‐Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP‐ATPIII) criteria (modified and original) and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria.Results:  Using the modified (Japanese) NCEP criteria, a total of 24 out of 101 patients (23.8%) had MS including 21 out of 64 male patients (32.8%) and three out of 37 female patients (8.1%). Using the modified (Asian) NCEP criteria, MS was diagnosed in 23 patients (22.8%); 19 male (29.7%) and four female (10.8%). Using the original NCEP criteria, MS was diagnosed in 15 patients (14.9%); 12 male (18.8%) and three female (8.1%). Using the IDF criteria, MS was diagnosed in 16 patients (15.8%); 15 male (23.4%) and one female (2.7%).Conclusion:  The prevalence of MS differed according to the NCEP criteria used, which had different cut‐off points for waist circumference (14.9–23.8%). By the IDF criteria, which cites central obesity as an essential component, the prevalence of MS was slightly lower. Furthermore, in our study, MS was more prevalent in male renal transplant recipients.
Revascularization for post‐transplant renal artery stenosis
Authors: CHOW KAI MING , SZETO CHEUK CHUN , LEE PAUL SING FUN , HO SIMON SZE MING , LEUNG CHI BON , LI PHILIP KAM‐TAO 
Published: May 2007

SUMMARY:Background:  Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty has now been increasingly accepted as a primary treatment option for transplant renal artery stenosis.Methods:  This single‐centre study evaluated the treatment effect of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty as primary intervention among 18 consecutive patients with angiographically demonstrated transplant renal artery stenosis.Results:  Patients (14 men and 4 women, mean age 49 ± 9 years) were followed up for a mean duration of 21.6 months after procedure. Highly significant improvement was noted in the mean arterial pressure (from baseline 105.9 ± 10.4 mmHg to 98.6 ± 10.0 mmHg, P < 0.001), systolic blood pressure (148.5 mmHg to 137.1 mmHg, P = 0.002) and diastolic blood pressure (85.3 mmHg to 79.4 mmHg, P = 0.002). Estimated glomerular filtration rate before and 6 months after intervention was 41.4 ± 16.8 mL/min per 1.73 m2 and 42.0 ± 16.2 mL/min per 1.73 m2, respectively (P = 0.82).Conclusion:  These findings show that percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in transplant renal artery stenosis appears to have a significant beneficial effect on hypertension but less impact on the improvement in renal function.
KARMAAND THE POSSIBILITY OF PURIFICATION: An Ethical and Psychological Analysis of the Doctrine ofKarmain Buddhism
Authors: Ghose Lynken 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTThis article attempts to definekarmaas both action and the effects of action. In terms of the effects or fruits of action, the effect of action upon the mind is the focus; thus, the idea of “effect” is primarily defined as psychic residue and is compared to Freud's notion of memory traces. In addition, action that produceskarmais said to be accompanied by the “pulling” feeling of volition (cetanā). Some comparisons are then made betweencetanā and the theories of Karen Horney in Western psychology vis à vis her view of the neurotic's compulsive, driven feelings. The article also has a more ethically oriented side. Often, thekarmadoctrine is believed to be the only causal factor responsible for one's present condition, and thus, a person's unfortunate circumstances: sometimes this notion leads to blaming a person for his or her misfortune. This article seeks to discover whether or not this idea truly has scriptural backing. Lastly, the article explores the issue of whether or not one must always live out the entirety of the effects of one's actions or if it is possible to purify or eliminate actions' effects before they come to fruition. For this question in particular, the article examines bothTheravādaandMahāyānathinking.
COMPARISON AND HISTORY IN THE STUDY OF RELIGIOUS ETHICS: An Essay on Michael Cook's Commanding Right and Forbidding Wrong in Islamic Thought1
Authors: Kelsay John 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTQur'an 3:104 speaks of “commanding right and forbidding wrong” as a constitutive feature of the Muslim community. Michael Cook's careful and comprehensive study provides a wealth of information about the ways Muslims in various contexts have understood this notion. Cook also makes a number of comparative observations, and suggests that “commanding” appears to be a uniquely Muslim practice. Scholars of religious ethics should read Cook's study with great appreciation. They will also have a number of questions about his comparative comments. In this article, I suggest that scholars of comparative ethics should think less about the “uniqueness” of the materials examined by Cook, and more about the ways groups of human beings discipline their members, thereby constituting and maintaining themselves as communities of virtue.
Geographic variation in the use of torpor and roosting behaviour of female western long‐eared bats
Authors: Solick D. I. , Barclay R. M. R. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractThe costs and benefits of torpor may vary across the range of widespread heterothermic species, resulting in different thermoregulatory patterns and other behaviours for individuals inhabiting different environments. We compared torpor use and roosting behaviour for rock‐roosting populations of western long‐eared batsMyotis evotisliving in the mountains and prairies of Alberta, Canada. We monitored body temperatures and located roosts for pregnant and lactating females using radio‐telemetry. We also took roost measurements, and assessed roost microclimate using temperature dataloggers. Females in the mountains entered torpor less frequently and spent less time in torpor than bats in the prairies, supporting our hypothesis that reproductive time constraints in the mountains outweigh the benefits of torpor. Alternatively, increased torpor use in the prairies may be attributed to a greater need for water conservation. Females in the mountains minimized thermoregulatory costs and maintained homeothermy by selecting exposed roosts with warm microclimates during pregnancy, and then switching to clustering with other individuals during lactation when conditions were cooler. In the prairies, females roosted alone in cooler, less exposed roost types, which facilitate the use of torpor. Our results illustrate the importance of considering geographic variation in behaviour across the range of a species.
Killer whale evasive tactics vary with boat number
Authors: Williams R. , Ashe E. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractControlled exposure experiments that measure animal response to vessels can inform relevant wildlife‐viewing guidelines and reveal how they make decisions about changes in their environment. Previous experimental studies documented stereotyped avoidance responses by killer whales to boats. Additional observations collected during these studies showed an apparent shift in avoidance behaviour at high traffic levels. Our study tested experimentally whether whales did respond differently to approach by few (1–3) versus many (>3) vessels. Data were collected in summer 2004 in Johnstone Strait, British Columbia, using a theodolite to track the positions of boats and individually identifiable focal whales during control and treatment (few vs. many boats) phases. The responses of 16 adult male killer whales differed significantly between treatment levels (Wilcoxon's test,P=0.0148). Swimming paths became more tortuous when few boats approached whales, but straighter as many boats approached. Pooling treatments would have masked significant responses with high statistical confidence (Wilcoxon's test,P>0.999), falsely suggesting that boat presence had no effect. The division between few and many boats was supported by 140 opportunistic observations on 26 whales from a population of 216. We used generalized additive models to control for the effects of confounding variables, detected a non‐linear relationship between number of boats and whales' swimming path directness and confirmed an inflection point at approximately three boats within 1000 m. We urge caution when designing controlled exposure assessments that rely on a simple absence–presence framework, which can mask multivariate or non‐linear responses. Experimental design, coupled with analytical techniques incorporating statistical power and appropriateness of treatments and response variables, must be considered when interpreting the biological significance of null findings from impact assessments. Our study provides new information about levels of habitat degradation that this marine apex predator can tolerate.
Asymmetries in the attachment apparatus of a gill parasite
Authors: Pečínková M. , Vøllestad L. A. , Koubková B. , Gelnar M. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractDiplozoids are fish ectoparasites with a direct life cycle. Adults live attached to fish gills, using two haptors with four pairs of clamps for attachment. Three planes of symmetry (the individual, haptor and clamp planes) can be identified in adult diplozoids. In this study, the haptor and clamp planes of symmetry are used to study different asymmetries (fluctuating asymmetry FA, directional asymmetry DA, antisymmetry) in the attachment apparatus ofParadiplozoon homoion(Diplozoidae; Monogenea). DA and antisymmetry may be adaptive asymmetries, whereas FA – measured as the random deviation from perfect symmetry in bilateral characters – is suggested as a useful tool for estimating developmental instability. Fifty individuals ofP. homoionwere collected from 25 gudgeonGobio gobio. Asymmetries were estimated for nine morphometric traits in the haptor plane and three morphometric traits in the clamp plane on all four pairs of clamps from each individual. FA did not differ between traits on the individual pairs of clamps. However, significant DA was detected for most traits in the clamp plane.
Peripheral inflammatory hyperalgesia modulates morphine delivery to the brain: a role for P‐glycoprotein
Authors: Seelbach Melissa J. , Brooks Tracy A. , Egleton Richard D. , Davis Thomas P. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractP‐glycoprotein (Pgp, ABCB1) is a critical efflux transporter at the blood–brain barrier (BBB) where its luminal location and substrate promiscuity limit the brain distribution of numerous therapeutics. Moreover, Pgp is known to confer multi‐drug resistance in cancer chemotherapy and brain diseases, such as epilepsy, and is highly regulated by inflammatory mediators. The involvement of inflammatory processes in neuropathological states has led us to investigate the effects of peripheral inflammatory hyperalgesia on transport properties at the BBB. In the present study, we examined the effects of λ‐carrageenan‐induced inflammatory pain (CIP) on brain endothelium regulation of Pgp. Western blot analysis of enriched brain microvessel fractions showed increased Pgp expression 3 h post‐CIP. In situ brain perfusion studies paralleled these findings with decreased brain uptake of the Pgp substrate and opiate analgesic, [3H] morphine. Cyclosporin A‐mediated inhibition of Pgp enhanced the uptake of morphine in λ‐carrageenan and control animals. This indicates that the CIP induced decrease in morphine transport was the result of an increase in Pgp activity at the BBB. Furthermore, antinociception studies showed decreased morphine analgesia following CIP. The observation that CIP modulates Pgp at the BBB in vivo is critical to understanding BBB regulation during inflammatory disease states.
Differential signaling of dopamine‐D2S and ‐D2L receptors to inhibit ERK1/2 phosphorylation
Authors: Van‐Ham Irit Itzhaki , Banihashemi Behzad , Wilson Ariel M. , Jacobsen Kirsten X. , Czesak Margaret , Albert Paul R. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractAlthough they have distinct functions, the signaling of dopamine‐D2 receptor short and long isoforms (D2S and D2L) is virtually identical. We compared inhibitory regulation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinases (ERK1/2) in GH4 pituitary cells separately transfected with these isoforms. Activation of rat or human dopamine‐D2S, muscarinic or somatostatin receptors inhibited thyrotropin‐releasing hormone‐induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation, while the D2L receptor failed to inhibit this response. In order to address the structural basis for the differential signaling of D2S and D2L receptors, we examined the D2L‐SS mutant, in which a protein kinase C (PKC) pseudosubstrate site that is present in the D2L but not D2S receptor was converted to a consensus PKC site. In transfected GH4 cells, the D2L‐SS mutant inhibited thyrotropin‐releasing hormone‐induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation almost as strongly as the D2S receptor. A D2S‐triple mutant that eliminates PKC sites involved in D2S receptor desensitization also inhibited ERK1/2 activation. Similarly, in striatal cultures, the D2‐selective agonist quinpirole inhibited potassium‐stimulated ERK1/2 phosphorylation, indicating the presence of this pathway in neurons. In conclusion, the D2S and D2L receptors differ in inhibitory signaling to ERK1/2 due to specific residues in the D2L receptor alternatively spliced domain, which may account for differences in their function in vivo.
Characteristics of 13 polymorphic microsatellite markers in the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Authors: PERERA OMATHTHAGE P. , BLANCO CARLOS A. , SCHEFFLER BRIAN E. , ABEL CRAIG A. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractThirteen polymorphic microsatellite loci suitable for population genetic studies of Helicoverpa zea were discovered by screening partial genomic libraries enriched for microsatellite sequences. Insects collected (N = 96) in Stoneville, Mississippi were used to characterize these markers. The observed and effective number of alleles per locus ranged from two to nine (average 4.46) and from 1.07 to 2.45 (average 1.81), respectively. Fisher exact tests detected significant deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium at three loci, probably due to inbreeding, null alleles, or Wahlund's effect. Significant genotypic disequilibrium was not detected between any pair of loci.
Isolation and characterization of microsatellites in Leuciscus cephalus (Cypriniformes, Cyprinidae) and cross‐species amplification within the family Cyprinidae
Authors: VYSKOČILOVÁ MARTINA , ŠIMKOVÁ ANDREA , MARTIN JEAN‐FRANÇOIS 
Published: May 2007

AbstractThirteen polymorphic microsatellites were isolated from Leuciscus cephalus, a widespread cyprinid species with great ecological tolerance. Together with the cross‐species amplification of six additional loci originally published for three cyprinid fish species, we optimized a multiplex panel for L. cephalus allowing the genotyping of 19 polymorphic loci. Number of alleles and heterozygosity per locus in a sample of 20 fish individuals ranged from two to 16 and from 0.05 to 0.90, respectively. These primers will be useful in determining the population structure of L. cephalus. In addition, successful cross‐amplification was obtained for several species of Cyprinidae.
Characterization of microsatellite loci in the African fig Ficus sycomorus L. (Moraceae)
Authors: AHMED SOPHIA , DAWSON DEBORAH A. , COMPTON STEPHEN G. , GILMARTIN PHILIP M. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractMicrosatellite loci were characterized in the African fig tree Ficus sycomorus in order to investigate patterns of pollination and gene flow in this species. The loci characterized included new loci isolated from F. sycomorus and a single locus originally developed in Ficus carica. In total 12 loci were polymorphic when tested in between eight and 79 Namibian F. sycomorus individuals. Three of the new F. sycomorus loci were found to be polymorphic in cultivars of the edible fig F. carica suggesting a selection of these loci will be useful for population studies in other fig species.
Griscelli Syndrome
Authors: Emanuel Patrick O. , Sternberg Lauren J. , Phelps Robert G. 
Published: May 2007

The dermatology staff was called to evaluate abnormal hair on a 22‐month‐old Hispanic girl whose parents were first cousins. Her medical history was significant for leptomeningitis with subsequent neurologic devastation, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and recurrent respiratory infections. Her hospital course was complicated by sepsis, liver dysfunction, pan‐cytopenia, and disseminated intravascular coagulation. She had developed normally for the first year of life. At 13 months she became progressively lethargic and developed floppy muscle tone; a delay in mental and motor milestones was recognized. Results of a metabolic workup were negative. On examination she was noted to have generalized excessively fair skin when compared with her parents. She had silver‐gray hair (Figure 1) and white eyebrows and body hair. Her maternal grandfather and granduncles had silver hair since childhood, but were without health problems. A maternal family member was said to have light skin. The presumed diagnosis before pathologic examination was Chediak‐Higashi syndrome. Hematoxylin and eosin stain tests revealed prominent melanocytes in the basal layer of the epidermis. The melanocytes were large and distended with a large volume of melanin (Figure 2). The adjacent keratinocytes were completely devoid of melanin. Application of Masson‐Fontana ammoniac silver stain highlighted prominent melanocytic melanin and a relative paucity of melanin in the adjacent keratinocytes (Figure 3). Microscopic examination of her hair revealed clumps of melanin of various sizes and shapes irregularly distributed throughout the hair shaft. Ultrastructural examination of the epidermis showed the melanocytes were distended by an accumulation of large stage IV mature melanosomes. Peripheral blood smear failed to show abnormal granules, even after repeated examination. Based on the clinical features and the pathologic findings, a diagnosis of Griscelli syndrome type 2 was made. The patient had generalized excessively fair skin when compared with her parents. She had silver‐gray hair and white eyebrows and body hair. image Microscopic examination of the patient's hair revealed clumps of melanin of various sizes and shapes irregularly distributed throughout the hair shaft. image Hematoxylin and eosin stain tests (original magnification ×40) revealed prominent melanocytes in the basal layer of the epidermis. The melanocytes were large and distended with a large volume of melanin, while the adjacent keratinocytes had very little melanin. image
Effects of P‐Glycoprotein Inhibitor and Elicitor on the Salt Tolerance of Rice Seedlings
Authors: Fang Liang‐Jun , Fu Xiao‐Qin , Ye Qun‐Shan , Wu Tian , Wang Zheng‐Chao , Chen Xiao , Zhu Zhi‐Kai , Zhang Xing‐Fu , Fu Chui‐Kang 
Published: May 2007

AbstractHymexazol (3‐Hydroxy‐5‐methylisoxazole) as the main ingredients of HI (elicitor) was used to screen salt‐tolerant species from 122 salt‐tolerant rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars under specific inducement. The results showed that the local species R6 is highly induce‐sensitive. R6 showed salt tolerance during the whole growth period by using 1.0% NaCl solution after HI treatment. Cyclosporin A (CsA) and verapamil (VP) as P‐glycoprotein (PGP) inhibitors and rifampin (RFP) as a PGP elicitor were used to treat R6. The morphological traits, structure of the root, physiological characteristics of leaf and root systems, the content of endogenous hormones indole‐3‐acetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA) etc. show that CsA, VP and RFP had remarkable effects on the rice's salt tolerance. Hymexazol inducement (HI) can improve the rice's salt tolerance greatly and make it more salt‐resistant.(Handling editor: Jin‐Zhong Cui)
Aerenchyma Formed Under Phosphorus Deficiency Contributes to the Reduced Root Hydraulic Conductivity in Maize Roots
Authors: Fan Mingshou , Bai Ruiqin , Zhao Xuefeng , Zhang Jianhua 
Published: May 2007

AbstractRoot hydraulic conductivity has been shown to decrease under phosphorus (P) deficiency. This study investigated how the formation of aerenchyma is related to this change. Root anatomy, as well as root hydraulic conductivity was studied in maize (Zea mays L.) roots under different phosphorus nutrition conditions. Plant roots under P stress showed enhanced degradation of cortical cells and the aerenchyma formation was associated with their reduced root hydraulic conductivity, supporting our hypothesis that air spaces that form in the cortex of phosphorus‐stressed roots impede the radial transport of water in a root cylinder. Further evidence came from the variation in aerenchyma formation due to genotypic differences. Five maize inbred lines with different porosity in their root cortex showed a significant negative correlation with their root hydraulic conductivity. Shoot relative water content was also found lower in P‐deficient maize plants than that in P‐sufficient ones when such treatment was prolonged enough, suggesting a limitation of water transport due to lowered root hydraulic conductivity of P‐deficient plants.(Handling editor: Ming Yuan)
Water and Nutrient Use Efficiency in Diploid, Tetraploid and Hexaploid Wheats
Authors: Huang Ming‐Li , Deng Xi‐Ping , Zhao Yu‐Zong , Zhou Sheng‐Lu , Inanaga Shinobu , Yamada Satoshi , Tanaka Kiyoshi 
Published: May 2007

AbstractThree diploid (Triticum boeoticum, AA; Aegilops speltoides, BB and Ae. tauschii, DD), two tetraploid (T. dicoccoides, AABB and T. dicoccon, AABB) and one hexaploid (T. vulgare, AABBDD) varieties of wheat, which are very important in the evolution of wheat were chosen in this study. A pot experiment was carried out on the wheat under different water and nutrient conditions (i) to understand the differences in biomass, yield, water use efficiency (WUE), and nutrient (N, P and K) use efficiency (uptake and utilization efficiency) among ploidies in the evolution of wheat; (ii) to clarify the effect of water and nutrient conditions on water and nutrient use efficiency; and (iii) to assess the relationship of water and nutrient use efficiency in the evolution of wheat. Our results showed that from diploid to tetraploid then to hexaploid during the evolution of wheat, both root biomass and above‐ground biomass increased initially and then decreased. Water consumption for transpiration decreased remarkably, correlating with the decline of the growth period, while grain yield, harvest index, WUE, N, P and K uptake efficiency, and N, P and K utilization efficiency increased significantly. Grain yield, harvest index and WUE decreased in the same order: T. vulgare > T. dicoccon > T. dicoccoides > Ae. tauschii > Ae. speltoides > T. boeoticum. Water stress significantly decreased root biomass, above‐ground biomass, yield, and water consumption for transpiration by 47–52%, but remarkably increased WUE. Increasing the nutrient supply increased wheat above‐ground biomass, grain yield, harvest index, water consumption for transpiration and WUE under different water levels, but reduced root biomass under drought conditions. Generally, water stress and low nutrient supply resulted in the lower nutrient uptake efficiency of wheat. However, water and nutrient application had no significant effects on nutrient utilization efficiency, suggesting that wheat nutrient utilization efficiency is mainly controlled by genotypes. Compared to the other two diploid wheats, Ae. squarrosa (DD) had significant higher WUE and nutrient utilization efficiency, indicating that the D genome may carry genes controlling high efficient utilization of water and nutrient. Significant relationships were found between WUE and N, P and K utilization efficiency.(Handling editor: Jin‐Zhong Cui)