bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Childbearing May Increase Visceral Adipose Tissue Independent of Overall Increase in Body Fat
Authors: Gunderson Erica P. , Sternfeld Barbara , Wellons Melissa F. , Whitmer Rachel A. , Chiang Vicky , Quesenberry Charles P. , Lewis Cora E. , Sidney Stephen 
Published: March 2008

Objective: To examine whether childbearing is associated with increased visceral adiposity and whether the increase is proportionally larger than other depots.Methods and Procedures: This prospective study examined changes in adiposity assessed via computed tomography (CT) and dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry among 122 premenopausal women (50 black, 72 white) examined in 1995–1996 and again in 2000–2001. During the 5‐year interval, 14 women had one interim birth and 108 had no interim births. Multiple linear regression models estimated mean (95% confidence interval (CI)) 5‐year changes in anthropometric and adiposity measures by interim births adjusted for age, race, and changes in total and subcutaneous adiposity.Results: We found no significant differences between one interim birth and no interim births for 5‐year changes in weight, BMI, total body fat, subcutaneous adipose tissue, or total abdominal adipose tissue. Visceral adipose tissue increased by 40 and 14% above initial levels for 1 birth and 0 birth groups, respectively. Having 1 birth vs. 0 births was associated with a greater increase in visceral adipose tissue of 18.0 cm2 (4.8, 31.2), P < 0.01; gain of 27.1 cm2 (14.5, 39.7) vs. 9.2 cm2 (4.8, 13.6), and a borderline greater increase in waist girth of 2.3 cm (0, 4.5), P = 0.05; gain of 6.3 cm (4.1, 8.5) vs. 4.0 cm (3.2, 4.8), controlling for gain in total body fat and covariates.Discussion: Pregnancy may be associated with preferential accumulation of adipose tissue in the visceral compartment for similar gains in total body fat. Further investigation is needed to confirm these findings and determine whether excess visceral fat deposition with pregnancy adversely affects metabolic risk profiles among women.
Ten‐year Changes in Central Obesity and BMI in Rural and Urban Cameroon
Authors: Fezeu Leopold K. , Assah Felix K. , Balkau Beverley , Mbanya Dora S. , Kengne André‐Pascal , Awah Paschal K. , Mbanya Jean‐Claude N. 
Published: March 2008

Objective: To compare the 10‐year changes in the distribution of adiposity in rural and urban Cameroonian populations.Methods and Procedures: Two cross‐sectional surveys of populations in the same rural and urban areas of Cameroon, aged ≥24 years, were carried out in 1994 (1,762 subjects) and 2003 (1,398 subjects) using similar methodology. All eligible subjects answered a structured questionnaire on their educational level, alcohol consumption, and tobacco smoking and weight, height, and waist circumference (WC) were measured.Results: Between 1994 and 2003, the age‐standardized prevalence of BMI ≥25 kg/m2 increased significantly only in the rural area (+54% for women and +82% for men), while the age‐standardized prevalence of central obesity (WC ≥80 cm (women), ≥94 cm (men)) increased significantly only in the urban population (+32% for women and +190% for men). These differences persisted after adjustments for age group, alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, and level of education, and within almost all the strata of the studied risk factors.Discussion: Changes in adiposity over time in Cameroon were characterized by an increase of BMI in the rural area and of WC in the urban area.
Catechin Safely Improved Higher Levels of Fatness, Blood Pressure, and Cholesterol in Children
Authors: Matsuyama Takeshi , Tanaka Yuriko , Kamimaki Isamu , Nagao Tomonori , Tokimitsu Ichiro 
Published: March 2008

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a catechin‐rich beverage on body fat and cardiovascular disease risk factors in obese children and to verify the safety of its use.Methods and Procedures: Obese or near‐obese Japanese children were recruited for this study. A double‐blind, randomized, controlled study was performed with a 4‐week lead‐in, a 24‐week beverage ingestion period and a 12‐week follow‐up. Subjects ingested green tea containing 576 mg catechins (catechin group) or 75 mg catechins (control group) once per day for 24 weeks. Randomization was stratified by gender, age, and BMI. Subjects were instructed to maintain their usual lifestyles during the study period.Results: Data were analyzed using samples from 40 subjects (catechin group; n = 21, control group; n = 19). There were no significant differences in major outcome variables, such as body fat mass, between the catechin and the control groups. When, however, the analysis was stratified using the median of the week‐0 values, the decrease at week 24 in waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol in the catechin group was significantly greater than that in the control group for the above‐median category. Ingestion of the catechin‐rich beverage was not associated with any adverse effects.Discussion: These findings suggest that ingestion of a catechin‐rich beverage ameliorates serious obesity and cardiovascular disease risk factors without raising any safety concerns in Japanese children.
The Origins and Evolution of Homo sapiens
Authors: Lurquin Paul F. , Stone Linda 
Published: March 2008

Abstract
The notions of natural selection and drift also apply to humans and their biological and cultural evolution. The science of paleoanthropology explains human evolution through the study of intermediate fossil forms. In addition, geneticists have been able to retrace, through the study of mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome DNA, the origin and migrations of prehistoric humans. The understanding of human cultural evolution has greatly benefited from the application of evolutionary thinking.
Integrating ARC grid middleware with Taverna workflows
Authors: Krabbenhöft Hajo N. , Möller Steffen , Bayer Daniel 
Published: March 2008

Abstract
Summary: This work presents two independent approaches for a seamless integration of computational grids with the bioinformatics workflow suite Taverna. These are supported by a unique relational database to link applications with grid resources and presents those as workflow elements. A web portal facilitates its collaborative maintenance. The first approach implements a gateway service to handle authentication certificates and all communication with the grid. It reads the database to spawn web services for workflow elements which are in turn used by Taverna. The second approach lets Taverna communicate with the grid on its own, by means of a newly developed plug-in. It reads the database and executes the needed tasks directly on the grid. While the gateway service is non-intrusive, the plug-in has technical advantages, e.g. by allowing data to remain on the grid while being passed between workflow elements.
Availability: http://grid.inb.uni-luebeck.de/
Contact: bayer@inb.uni-luebeck.de
Combining statistical alignment and phylogenetic footprinting to detect regulatory elements
Authors: Satija Rahul , Pachter Lior , Hein Jotun 
Published: March 2008

Abstract
Motivation: Traditional alignment-based phylogenetic footprinting approaches make predictions on the basis of a single assumed alignment. The predictions are therefore highly sensitive to alignment errors or regions of alignment uncertainty. Alternatively, statistical alignment methods provide a framework for performing phylogenetic analyses by examining a distribution of alignments.
Results: We developed a novel algorithm for predicting functional elements by combining statistical alignment and phylogenetic footprinting (SAPF). SAPF simultaneously performs both alignment and annotation by combining phylogenetic footprinting techniques with an hidden Markov model (HMM) transducer-based multiple alignment model, and can analyze sequence data from multiple sequences. We assessed SAPF's predictive performance on two simulated datasets and three well-annotated cis-regulatory modules from newly sequenced Drosophila genomes. The results demonstrate that removing the traditional dependence on a single alignment can significantly augment the predictive performance, especially when there is uncertainty in the alignment of functional regions.
Availability: SAPF is freely available to download online at http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~satija/SAPF/
Contact: satija@stats.ox.ac.uk
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
A method for the possible species discrimination of juvenile gadoids by broad-bandwidth backscattering spectra vs. angle of incidence
Authors: Lundgren Bo , Nielsen J. Rasmus 
Published: March 2008

AbstractLundgren, B., and Nielsen, J. R. 2008. A method for the possible species discrimination of juvenile gadoids by broad-bandwidth backscattering spectra vs. angle of incidence. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65: 581–593. Measurements were made of the broad-bandwidth (80–220 kHz) acoustic backscattering from free-swimming juvenile gadoids at various orientations and positions in an acoustic beam, under controlled conditions. The experimental apparatus consisted of a stereo-video camera system, a broad-bandwidth echosounder and echo-processor system, a narrowband 120 kHz split-beam echosounder, a large tank, and a fishnet cage. The net cage was centred on the acoustic beams and was virtually transparent, both acoustically and optically. Accurate three-dimensional positions and angular orientations of individual fish were estimated from stereo-images captured synchronously when broad-bandwidth echoes were received from passing fish. Fish positions were also estimated from data collected with a synchronized split-beam echosounder. Software was developed for image analysis and modelling, including calibration, alignment of acoustic and optical-reference frames, and automatic position-fitting of fish models to manually marked fix-points on fish images. The software also performs Fourier spectrum analysis and pulse-shape analysis of broad-bandwidth echoes. Therefore, several measurement series on free-swimming juvenile gadoids were evaluated. The method and data may be used to improve the acoustic identification of fish species and sizes, and thereby improve investigations of spatial prey–predator relationships, and the accuracy and efficiency of acoustic surveys.
The Arabidopsis Putative Selenium-Binding Protein Family: Expression Study and Characterization of SBP1 as a Potential New Player in Cadmium Detoxification Processes
Authors: Dutilleul Christelle , Jourdain Agnès , Bourguignon Jacques , Hugouvieux Véronique 
Published: March 2008

AbstractIn Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), the putative selenium-binding protein (SBP) gene family is composed of three members (SBP1–SBP3). Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analyses showed that SBP1 expression was ubiquitous. SBP2 was expressed at a lower level in flowers and roots, whereas SBP3 transcripts were only detected in young seedling tissues. In cadmium (Cd)-treated seedlings, SBP1 level of expression was rapidly increased in roots. In shoots, SBP1 transcripts accumulated later and for higher Cd doses. SBP2 and SBP3 expression showed delayed or no responsiveness to Cd. In addition, luciferase (LUC) activity recorded on Arabidopsis lines expressing the LUC gene under the control of the SBP1 promoter further showed dynamic regulation of SBP1 expression during development and in response to Cd stress. Western-blot analysis using polyclonal antibodies raised against SBP1 showed that SBP1 protein accumulated in Cd-exposed tissues in correlation with SBP1 transcript amount. The sbp1 null mutant displayed no visible phenotype under normal and stress conditions that was explained by the up-regulation of SBP2 expression. SBP1 overexpression enhanced Cd accumulation in roots and reduced sensitivity to Cd in wild type and, more significantly, in Cd-hypersensitive cad mutants that lack phytochelatins. Similarly, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, SBP1 expression led to increased Cd tolerance of the Cd-hypersensitive ycf1 mutant. In vitro experiments showed that SBP1 has the ability to bind Cd. These data highlight the importance of maintaining the adequate SBP protein level under healthy and stress conditions and suggest that, during Cd stress, SBP1 accumulation efficiently helps to detoxify Cd potentially through direct binding.
Further Characterization of a Rice AGL12 Group MADS-Box Gene,OsMADS26
Authors: Lee Shinyoung , Woo Young-Min , Ryu Sung-Il , Shin Young-Duck , Kim Woo Taek , Park Ky Young , Lee In-Jung , An Gynheung 
Published: March 2008

AbstractPlant MADS-box genes can be divided into 11 groups. Genetic analysis has revealed that most of them function in flowering-time control, reproductive organ development, and vegetative growth. Here, we elucidated the role of OsMADS26, a member of the AGL12 group. Transcript levels of OsMADS26 were increased in an age-dependent manner in the shoots and roots. Transgenic plants of both rice (Oryza sativa) and Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) overexpressing this gene manifested phenotypes related to stress responses, such as chlorosis, cell death, pigment accumulation, and defective root/shoot growth. In addition, apical hook development was significantly suppressed in Arabidopsis. Plants transformed with the OsMADS26-GR (glucocorticoid receptor) fusion construct displayed those stress-related phenotypes when treated with dexamethasone. Microarray analyses using this inducible system showed that biosynthesis genes for jasmonate, ethylene, and reactive oxygen species, as well as putative downstream targets involved in the stress-related process, were up-regulated in OsMADS26-overexpressing plants. These results suggest that OsMADS26 induces multiple responses that are related to various stresses.
Annotating Genes of Known and Unknown Function by Large-Scale Coexpression Analysis
Authors: Horan Kevin , Jang Charles , Bailey-Serres Julia , Mittler Ron , Shelton Christian , Harper Jeff F. , Zhu Jian-Kang , Cushman John C. , Gollery Martin , Girke Thomas 
Published: March 2008

Abstract
About 40% of the proteins encoded in eukaryotic genomes are proteins of unknown function (PUFs). Their functional characterization remains one of the main challenges in modern biology. In this study we identified the PUF encoding genes from Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) using a combination of sequence similarity, domain-based, and empirical approaches. Large-scale gene expression analyses of 1,310 publicly available Affymetrix chips were performed to associate the identified PUF genes with regulatory networks and biological processes of known function. To generate quality results, the study was restricted to expression sets with replicated samples. First, genome-wide clustering and gene function enrichment analysis of clusters allowed us to associate 1,541 PUF genes with tightly coexpressed genes for proteins of known function (PKFs). Over 70% of them could be assigned to more specific biological process annotations than the ones available in the current Gene Ontology release. The most highly overrepresented functional categories in the obtained clusters were ribosome assembly, photosynthesis, and cell wall pathways. Interestingly, the majority of the PUF genes appeared to be controlled by the same regulatory networks as most PKF genes, because clusters enriched in PUF genes were extremely rare. Second, large-scale analysis of differentially expressed genes was applied to identify a comprehensive set of abiotic stress-response genes. This analysis resulted in the identification of 269 PKF and 104 PUF genes that responded to a wide variety of abiotic stresses, whereas 608 PKF and 206 PUF genes responded predominantly to specific stress treatments. The provided coexpression and differentially expressed gene data represent an important resource for guiding future functional characterization experiments of PUF and PKF genes. Finally, the public Plant Gene Expression Database (http://bioweb.ucr.edu/PED) was developed as part of this project to provide efficient access and mining tools for the vast gene expression data of this study.
A deletion in the bone morphogenetic protein 15 gene causes sterility and increased prolificacy in Rasa Aragonesa sheep
Authors: Martinez‐Royo A. , Jurado J. J. , Smulders J. P. , Martí J. I. , Alabart J. L. , Roche A. , Fantova E. , Bodin L. , Mulsant P. , Serrano M. , Folch J. , Calvo J. H. 
Published: March 2008

SummaryBone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) is a member of the transforming growth factor beta superfamily, is specifically expressed in oocytes and is essential for sheep prolificacy. Reported mutations in this gene cause increased ovulation rate and infertility in a dosage‐sensitive manner. In this work, a new naturally occurring mutation in the BMP15 gene from the ovine Rasa Aragonesa breed is described. This mutation is a deletion of 17 bp that leads to an altered amino acid sequence and introduces a premature stop codon in the protein. Highly significant associations (P < 0.0001) were found between the estimated breeding value for prolificacy and the genotype of BMP15 in Rasa Aragonesa animals with high and low breeding values for this trait. As for other mutations in BMP15, this new mutation is associated with increased prolificacy and sterility in heterozygous and homozygous ewes respectively.
Innocuous Nature of the Sickling (Pseudosickling) Phenomenon in Deer
Authors: Whitten C. F. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARY1. Sickle‐shaped deer cells have a normal life span because they are non‐fragile, and they do not obstruct blood vessels because they are small and pliable. Thus, the presence of sickle‐shaped cells in deer is innocuous. These findings have relevance to the sickling phenomenon in humans in that they emphasize the importance of the physical properties of sickled cells, exclusive of shape, in the pathogenesis of sickle cell anaemia.2. The data in this study in conjunction with previous observations in the literature indicate that there are five basic differences between the sickling phenomenon in deer and humans, (a) The haemoglobin of deer differs from human sickle haemoglobin in composition and in electrophoretic behaviour, (b) The formation of sickle‐shaped deer cells can be induced by oxygenation (which blows off carbon dioxide and induces a pH change), whereas human cells sickle when de‐oxygenated, (c) The internal structure of deer sickle‐shaped cells is probably that of a gel instead of the tactoid formation found in human cells, (d) Sickle‐shaped cells of deer are non‐fragile and pliable whereas human sickle cells are fragile and rigid, (e) The presence of sickle‐shaped cells in humans produces a disease state, whereas their presence in deer is innocuous. Since the shape of the cells is the only property that is similar in deer and human sickling, it is more appropriate to designate the phenomenon in deer as ‘pseudosickling’.
Unidentified Inclusions in Haemopoietic Cells, Congenital Atresia of the Bile Ducts and Livedo Reticularis in an Infant:? A New Syndrome
Authors: Smith H. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARYAn infant is described with congenital atresia of the bile ducts, livedo reticularis of the skin and unidentified inclusions in haemopoietic cells. In Romanowsky stained films the inclusions occurred as round to oval, amorphous, green or grey‐green coloured bodies in a proportion of the cells, especially granulocytes and monocytes. Masses of material with some similarity to that in the inclusions lay free in the bone marrow. Electron‐microscopy and cytochemical procedures have failed to give positive identification though the material is likely to be a protein other than DNA or RNA. The leucocyte anomaly does not appear to be a result of the livedo reticularis, the biliary obstruction or the jaundice or liver damage consequent on this. It is suggested that the occurrence together of the leucocyte anomaly, congenital atresia of the bile ducts and livedo reticularis of the skin may constitute a syndrome.
Relationship between Membrane Function and Permeability
Authors: Cohen Phin 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARYAs the osmolarity of the medium decreases, ‘platelet factor‐3’ (PF‐3) availability increases in erythrocyte as well as platelet suspensions. Associated with this is a parallel increase in PF‐3 activity of the cell‐free supernatant.Addition of glycerol to platelet or erythrocyte suspensions enhances PF‐3 availability of the cell suspensions but not the cell‐free supernatants. It is proposed that glycerol influx alters the orientation or binding of membrane thromboplastic phospholipids, thereby facilitating their reactivity in the PF‐3 assay.
Red Cell Survival and Splenic Accumulation of Radiochromium in Liver Cirrhosis with Splenomegaly
Authors: Subhiyah B. W. , Al‐Hindawi A. Y. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARYRed cell survival was studied in 22 cirrhotic patients and in four healthy volunteers by the 51Cr method.Seven patients (32 per cent) showed a definite reduction in the apparent half survival time (51Cr T4 below 20 days). Eight patients (36 per cent) showed a borderline reduction (51Cr T4 20–24 days). Seven patients (32 per cent) showed a normal 51Cr T4 of 25 days or more. All four controls had 51Cr T4 of 25 days or more.Surface counting over the spleen showed excess spleen counts more marked in those patients with a shorter red cell life span.
Comparisons of Fibrinolysis and Blood Coagulation in Melanesians and Caucasians
Authors: Booth P. B. , MacGregor A. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARYInvestigations carried out in Port Moresby, Territory of Papua and New Guinea, on blood coagulation and fibrinolysis are described.Significant differences (P < 0.01) were found when comparing Melanesians with Caucasians, in that the former show decreased plasmin inhibition, increased and accelerated plasminogen activation and prolonged prothrombin times. Total plasminogen levels are similar in the two ethnic groups compared.The possible roles of liver disease and vitamin K deficiency in the causation of prolonged prothrombin times in Melanesians merit further study.It is concluded from the results that compared to Caucasian males resident in the Tropics, Melanesian males have a less labile or more potent plasminogen activator system, and also a relative lack of anti‐plasmin. These differences might account for the increased incidence of hyperplasminaemia in the indigenous population, and possibly are relevant to their comparative freedom from atheromatous and thrombo‐embolic occlusive vascular disease.