bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Oral administration of a new soluble branched β-1,3-D-glucan is well tolerated and can lead to increased salivary concentrations of immunoglobulin A in healthy volunteers
Authors: Lehne G , Haneberg B , Gaustad P , Johansen P W , Preus H , Abrahamsen T G 
Published: October 2005

Summary
The soluble branched yeast β-1,3-D-glucan (SBG) belongs to a group of carbohydrate polymers known to exert potent immunomodulatory effects when administered to animals and humans. A new oral solution of SBG has been developed for local application to the oropharyngeal and oesophageal mucosa in order to strengthen the defence mechanisms against microbial and toxic influences. In the present study oral administration of SBG has been investigated primarily for assessment of safety and tolerability in an early phase human pharmacological study (phase I). Eighteen healthy volunteers were included among non-smoking individuals. The study was an open 1 : 1 : 1 dose-escalation safety study consisting of a screening visit, an administration period of 4 days and a follow-up period. Groups of six individuals received SBG 100 mg/day, 200 mg/day or 400 mg/day, respectively, for 4 consecutive days. The dose increase was allowed after a careful review of the safety data of the lower dose group. No drug-related adverse event, including abnormalities in vital signs, was observed. By inspection of the oral cavity only minor mucosal lesions not related to the study medication were seen in seven subjects. Repeated measurements of β-glucan in serum revealed no systemic absorption of the agent following the oral doses of SBG. In saliva, the immunoglobulin A concentration increased significantly for the highest SBG dose employed. SBG was thus safe and well tolerated by healthy volunteers, when given orally once daily for 4 consecutive days at doses up to 400 mg.
Effects of phosphorus enrichment and grazing snails on modern stromatolitic microbial communities
Authors: ELSER James J. , SCHAMPEL JOHN H. , GARCIA‐PICHEL FERRAN , WADE BRIAN D. , SOUZA VALERIA , EGUIARTE LUIS , ESCALANTE ANA , FARMER JACK D. 
Published: October 2005

Summary1. The effects of phosphorus enrichment and grazing snails on a benthic microbial community that builds stromatolic oncolites were examined in an experiment at Rio Mesquites, Cuatro Ciénegas, Mexico. Chemical analyses of stream water samples indicated that overall atomic ratios of total nitrogen (N) to total phosphorus (P) were approximately 110, indicating a strong potential for P‐limitation of microbial growth.2. Phosphorus enrichment involved addition of 5 μmol Na2HPO4 L−1 to streamside microcosms receiving intermittent inputs of stream water while grazer manipulation involved removal of the dominant grazer, the snail Mexithauma quadripaludium. After 7 weeks, we examined responses in organic matter content, C : N : P ratios, metabolism (P removal, primary production, dark respiration, and calcification), and microbial community structure using molecular fingerprinting of 16S rRNA genes.3. Manipulation of snails did not affect response variables measured in these treatments (organic matter, C : P ratio, P removal rate). However, P enrichment significantly decreased the C : P and N : P ratios of surficial materials in the oncolites (organic matter content was unchanged), increased net and gross photosynthesis (oxygen consumption in the dark was unchanged), increased rates of calcification, and increased diatoms relative to cyanobacteria. Heterotrophic Eubacteria and Archaea were only modestly affected. Thus, our results indicate weak grazing effects but strong impacts of P in this benthic system.4. We hypothesise that a state of severe P‐limitation is imposed on autotrophic production in this food web due, at least in part, to co‐precipitation of phosphate during calcite deposition. This produces severe P‐limitation of the benthic algae and cyanobacteria, resulting in high C : P ratio of microbial mats relative to the biomass of photoautotrophs (phytoplankton, terrestrial foliage) in other ecosystems. In turn, this high C : P ratio is likely to generate severe stoichiometric constraints on the herbivores, thus limiting their populations and resulting in weak overall grazing impacts.
Response of grazing snails to phosphorus enrichment of modern stromatolitic microbial communities
Authors: ELSER JAMES J. , SCHAMPEL JOHN H. , KYLE MARCIA , WATTS JAMES , CARSON EVAN W. , DOWLING THOMAS E. , TANG CAROL , ROOPNARINE PETER D. 
Published: October 2005

Summary1. The effects of added phosphorus (P) on the growth, P and RNA : DNA contents, and survivorship of snails grazing on laminated microbial mats (living ‘stromatolites’) were examined in the Rio Mesquites at Cuatro Ciénegas, Mexico (total P, c. 0.60 μmol L−1) to test the hypothesis that strong P‐limitation of microautotroph growth produces a stoichiometric constraint on herbivores because of mineral P‐limitation.2. In a 3‐week experiment performed in summer 2001, addition of phosphorus (+15 μmol L−1) resulted in a strong decline in stromatolite biomass C : P ratio from very high levels (c. 2300 : 1 by atoms) to moderate levels (c. 550 : 1). The endemic hydrobiid snail Mexithauma quadripaludium responded to P‐enrichment with elevated body P content and higher RNA : DNA ratios, especially for small animals likely to be actively growing. This positive response is consistent with the existence of a stoichiometric constraint on snail growth.3. In a longer experiment (8 weeks) involving a more moderate P enrichment (+5 μmol L−1) in summer 2002, P enrichment reduced stromatolite C : P ratio from moderate values in control treatments (c. 750) to very low values (<100 : 1). Snails responded to stromatolite P‐enrichment with increased body P content but, in contrast to the first experiment, with lower RNA : DNA ratio, lower growth rates, and higher mortality.4. These contrasting results suggest that both very high and very low biomass C : P ratios in stromatolites are detrimental to M. quadripaludium performance, leading us to hypothesise that these herbivores live on a ‘stoichiometric knife edge’.
CD45: all is not yet crystal clear
Authors: Holmes Nick 
Published: October 2005

SummaryCD45 has been recognized as an important player in regulating signalling in lymphocytes. However, compared with tyrosine kinases, phosphatases are still poorly understood in terms of the details of their specificity and regulation. Here, the recent progress in understanding the biology of the first recognized receptor tyrosine phosphatase, CD45, is reviewed.
A realist study of the mechanisms of cardiac rehabilitation
Authors: Clark Alexander M , Whelan Heather K , Barbour Rosaline , MacIntyre Paul D 
Published: October 2005

Aim.  The aim of this paper is to report patients’ experiences of cardiac rehabilitation and perceptions of the mechanisms and contexts influencing its long‐term effectiveness.Background.  Cardiac rehabilitation programmes for the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease are common. The effects of these programmes, however, can be inconsistent and little is known of the personal and contextual factors that influence service effectiveness.Method.  Forty‐seven participants with a formal diagnosis of coronary heart disease who had attended a programme of cardiac rehabilitation in Scotland 3 years previously were included in focus groups to discuss their perceptions and experiences (30 males and 17 females). The data were generated in 2002 and analysed using the realist approach of Pawson and Tilley (1997).Results.  Participants’ accounts indicated that the didactic content of cardiac rehabilitation was not strongly linked to longer‐term health behaviour change. The main positive effects of cardiac rehabilitation were related to the effect of participation on mediating social and body‐focused mechanisms that were triggered when the rehabilitation setting was perceived to be safe. Social mechanisms identified included social comparisons, camaraderie, and social capital. Body‐focused mechanisms included greater knowledge of personal physical boundaries and a greater trust in the heart‐diseased body. Collectively, these mechanisms had a positive effect on confidence that was perceived as being imperative to maintain health behaviour change.Conclusions.  More support is required to promote health behaviour change after the completion of cardiac rehabilitation. Use of community‐based exercise services and conventional or web‐based support groups for coronary heart disease patients should be encouraged, as these appear to extend the positive health effects of the mechanisms that promote behaviour change. At the completion of cardiac rehabilitation programmes, patients should be referred to safe and appropriate community‐based exercise services. Further research is needed to examine the effects on health outcomes of mechanisms and contexts related to cardiac rehabilitation.
Introducing older people to the theory of gerotranscendence
Authors: Wadensten Barbro 
Published: October 2005

Aim. This paper reports a study whose aims were to introduce the theory of gerotranscendence to a group of older people; to give participants in the group an opportunity to discuss their ageing process; to study how participants described their ageing in relation to the theory; and to gather participants’ opinions about discussing their ageing in a group.Background. The theory of gerotranscendence states that human development is a process extending into old age. Guidelines had previously been derived for its practical use in the care of older people, aiming to promote their development towards gerotranscendence.Methods. A qualitative descriptive approach was taken, and older people were invited to participate in group sessions at a day centre. At the sessions, participants discussed their ageing, and a video presentation about the theory of gerotranscendence was shown at one of the sessions. They were encouraged to discuss the description of the ageing process presented in the video and to link this to their own experiences of growing old. The discussion in each session was tape‐recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed and categorized using qualitative methods. The data were collected in 2002.Findings. All women had an experience of ageing that was in some way in line with the theory's description, and they more or less agreed that this description of ageing was in accordance with their own ageing. They considered that it was interesting and fruitful to discuss ageing in a group. They felt that introduction of the view of ageing offered by the theory of gerotranscendence was beneficial because it gave them a more positive view of ageing which also allowed them to be as they were.Conclusion. It is possible to arrange this type of group activity for older people, resulting in possibilities to use aspects of the theory of gerotranscendence as an intervention in gerontological nursing.
Evaluation of an action research project in ophthalmic nursing practice
Authors: Waterman Heather , Harker Rona , MacDonald Heather , McLaughlan Rita , Waterman Christine 
Published: October 2005

Aim.  This paper reports the evaluation phase of an action research project that promoted face‐down posturing of patients following vitreo‐retinal surgery for macular hole to enhance patient outcomes. The evaluation phase identified areas of practice needing further development from the perspectives of those involved with the care of patients.Background.  To achieve best results following surgical repair of macular hole, patients are required to posture face down for several weeks. As a consequence, patients complain of severe back and neck ache and find it difficult to persist with the posturing. Work to advance nursing practice as surgical developments occur has relevance beyond ophthalmology and the particular context of this project.Method.  The first three phases of this action research – problem identification, planning and action – have been reported in another paper. Throughout the project an action research group comprising of representatives of key stakeholders were actively involved in researching and changing practice. During the evaluation phase, a qualitative methodology was chosen. Interviews with 17 members of staff from the inpatient area were carried out to elicit their perspectives on the posturing of patients. Qualitative interviews were selected to facilitate comparison with interview data from Phase 1. Data analysis ran concurrently with data collection, so that one could inform the other.Findings.  Overall, nurses and healthcare support workers felt that patients were more agreeable to posturing and after surgery began to posture more quickly. Communication was still an issue in some instances, and patients having urgent as opposed to planned surgery were found to be more difficult to prepare and the psychological care of patients still posed problems for nursing staff.Conclusions.  The evaluation suggests that improvements in the care of this group of patients have occurred. A 10‐point plan to promote face‐down posturing has been developed which will be of use to practitioners in other settings. Some aspects of practice remain less well‐understood, for example, the psychological care of patients.
Lizard habitat partitioning on islands: the interaction of local and landscape scales
Authors: Buckley Lauren B. , Roughgarden Joan 
Published: October 2005

AbstractAim This study addresses how species resolve environmental differences into biological habitats at multiple, interacting spatial scales. How do patterns of local habitat use change along an elevation gradient? How do patterns of local habitat partitioning interact with partitioning at a landscape scale?Location Northern and southern Lesser Antilles islands, West Indies.Methods We document howAnolisDaudin, 1802 lizards partition habitat locally at sites along a landscape‐scale elevation gradient. We examine habitat partitioning both with and without interspecific interactions in the predominately flat northern Lesser Antilles islands and in the more mountainous southern islands.Results Anoles partition local habitat along perch‐height and microclimate axes. Northern‐group sympatric anoles partition local habitat by perch height and have overlapping distributions at the landscape scale. Southern‐group sympatric anoles partition local habitat by microclimate and specialize in particular habitats at the landscape scale. In both the northern and southern groups, species use different perch heights and microclimates only in areas of species overlap along the elevation gradient.Main conclusions We demonstrate the interaction between local‐ and landscape‐scale habitat partitioning. In the case of microclimate partitioning, the interaction results from the use of thermal physiology to partition habitat at multiple scales. This interaction prompts the question of whether habitat partitioning developed ‘local‐out’ or ‘landscape‐in’. We pose this dichotomy and present a framework for its resolution.
The relative importance of local, regional and historical factors determining the distribution of plants in fragmented riverine forests: an emergent group approach
Authors: Hérault Bruno , Honnay Olivier 
Published: October 2005

AbstractAim To investigate how local, regional and historical factors shape the herbaceous plant communities in fragmented riverine forests, and how the community composition and species richness of these fragments is related to the interplay between the environmental factors and specific plant life‐trait combinations.Location Riverine forest fragments in the Grand‐duché de Luxembourg.Methods Forest fragments were surveyed for their abundance in herbaceous plant species. All plant species where clustered into Emergent Groups (EG) by means of a formal classification based on 14 life‐history traits. Within each EG, the local, regional and historical factors were related to the community composition using partial Canonical Correspondence Analyses (pCCA) and to the species richness using Generalized Linear Models (GLMs). The EG colonization ability was characterized by means of logistic regressions.Results We defined and characterized seven EGs, among which three consisted of forest specialist species (barochorous perennials, short geophytes and zoochorous perennials), which exhibited specific life‐trait combinations: large and short‐lived seeds and/or vernal phenology. Differences in EG composition between forest fragments were mainly explained by local environmental factors such as soil productivity and pH. The richness of barochorous perennials and short geophytes was well predicted by the historical and regional factors. The colonization ability appeared very low for barochorous perennials and short geophytes.Main conclusions Local environmental conditions appear to drive the differentiation of the riverine forest plant communities owing to the specific habitat requirements of many forest species. Spatial and temporal forest discontinuities affect the richness of forest specialist species, due to dispersal and/or recruitment limitations. The emergent group approach enhances the understanding of the relative influence of local, regional and historical factors by distinguishing between forest specialists from generalists or ‘matrix’ species, which have a masking effect.
Input data, analytical methods and biogeography of Elegia (Restionaceae)
Authors: Moline P. M. , Linder H. P. 
Published: October 2005

AbstractAim  The aim of this paper is to determine the optimal methods for delimiting areas of endemism for Elegia L. (Restionaceae), an endemic genus of the Cape Floristic Region. We assess two methods of scoring the data (presence–absence in regular grids, or in irregular eco‐geographical regions) and three methods for locating biogeographical centres or areas of endemism, and evaluate one method for locating biotic elements.Location  The Cape Floristic Region (CFR), South Africa.Methods  The distribution of all 48 species of Elegia was mapped as presence–absence data on a quarter‐degree grid and on broad habitat units (eco‐geographical areas). Three methods to delimit areas of endemism were applied: parsimony analysis of endemism (PAE), phenetic cluster analysis, and NDM (‘endemism’). In addition, we used presence–absence clustering (‘Prabclus’) to delimit biotic elements. The performances of these methods in elucidating the geographical patterns in Elegia were compared, for both types of input data, by evaluating their efficacy in maximizing the proportion of endemics and the number of areas of endemism.Results  Eco‐geographical areas perform better than quarter‐degree grids. The eco‐geographical areas are potentially more likely to track the distribution of species. The phenetic approach performed best in terms of its ability to delimit areas of endemism in the study area. The species richness and the richness of range‐restricted species are each highest in the south‐western part of the CFR, decreasing to the north and east. The phytogeographical centres identified in the present study are the northern mountains, the southern mountains (inclusive of the Riviersonderend Mountains and the Cape Peninsula), the Langeberg range, the south coast, the Cape flats, and the west coast.Main conclusions  This study demonstrates that (1) eco‐geographical areas should be preferred over a grid overlay in the study of biogeographical patterns, (2) phenetic clustering is the most suitable analytical method for finding areas of endemism, and (3) delimiting biotic elements does not contribute to an understanding of the biogeographical pattern in Elegia. The areas of endemism in Elegia are largely similar to those described in other studies, but there are many detailed differences.
Serum γ‐glutamyltransferase and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in men and women from the general population
Authors: MEISINGER C. , LÖWEL H. , HEIER M. , SCHNEIDER A. , THORAND B. ,   FOR THE KORA STUDY GROUP
Published: October 2005

Abstract.Objectives.  To examine gender‐specific associations between γ‐glutamyltransferase (GGT) and incident type 2 diabetes mellitus in a representative population‐based sample in Germany.Design.  Prospective population‐based study.Methods.  The study was based on 1851 men and 1836 women (aged 25–64 years) who participated in the first Monitoring Trends and Determinants on Cardiovascular Diseases (MONICA) Augsburg Survey 1984/1985, and who were free of diabetes at baseline. Incident cases of type 2 diabetes were assessed using follow‐up questionnaires in 1987/1988, 1997/1998 and 2002/2003 and were validated with medical records. Gender‐specific hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated from Cox proportional hazard models.Results.  A total of 172 cases of incident type 2 diabetes amongst men and 109 amongst women were registered during a mean follow‐up period of 14.7 years. In both sexes the risk of type 2 diabetes increased with increasing levels of serum GGT. After multivariable adjustment HRs for incident type 2 diabetes across GGT categories (<25th, <50th, <75th, <87.5th and ≥87.5th percentiles) were 1.0, 1.81, 2.37, 3.41 and 4.24 (P‐value for trend <0.0001) in men and 1.0, 1.42, 1.48, 1.95 and 2.41 (P‐value for trend 0.0179) in women. Obesity appeared to be more strongly associated with type 2 diabetes in women with GGT equal or greater than the median compared to women with GGT below the median. However, in men the association between obesity and type 2 diabetes was almost identical in the two groups.Conclusions.  The GGT is an important predictor for incident type 2 diabetes in men and women from the general population.
Unbiased estimation of relative reproductive success of different groups: evaluation and correction of bias caused by parentage assignment errors
Authors: ARAKI HITOSHI , BLOUIN MICHAEL S. 
Published: October 2005

AbstractParentage assignment is widely applied to studies on mating systems, population dynamics and natural selection. However, little is known about the consequence of assignment errors, especially when some parents are not sampled. We investigated the effects of two types of error in parentage assignment, failing to assign a true parent (type A) and assigning an untrue parent (type B), on an estimate of the relative reproductive success (RRS) of two groups of parents. Employing a mathematical approach, we found that (i) when all parents are sampled, minimizing either type A or type B error insures the minimum bias on RRS, and (ii) when a large number of parents is not sampled, type B error substantially biases the estimated RRS towards one. Interestingly, however, (iii) when all parents were sampled and both error rates were moderately high, type A error biased the estimated RRS even more than type B error. We propose new methods to obtain an unbiased estimate of RRS and the number of offspring whose parents are not sampled (zWz), by correcting the error effects. Applying them to genotypic data from steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), we illustrated how to estimate and control the assignment errors. In the data, we observed up to a 30% assignment error and a strong trade‐off between the two types of error, depending on the stringency of the assignment decision criterion. We show that our methods can efficiently estimate an unbiased RRS and zWz regardless of assignment method, and how to maximize the statistical power to detect a difference in reproductive success between groups.