bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cost of home and hospital care for patients with cystic fibrosis followed up in two reference medical centers in France
Authors: Horvais Valérie , Touzet Sandrine , François Sabrina , Bourdy Stéphanie , Bellon Gabriel , Colin Cyrille , Durieu Isabelle 
Published: September 2006

Objectives: In France, new guidelines for clinical practices concerning cystic fibrosis came out in 2002, underscoring the need for early and intensive management of this disease. Because no recent health economic studies on cystic fibrosis in France were available, we conducted a cost-analysis study before the new guidelines were put into practice, with a view to a later study on the medical and economic impact of these guidelines.Methods: A cost-analysis study was performed of the inpatient and outpatient costs of patients with cystic fibrosis for the 2000–2001 period. The various direct costs were estimated on a sample of sixty-five adult and pediatric patients managed for cystic fibrosis in two reference medical centers. Data were obtained from medical records, and questionnaires were filled out by the patients. Analysis was made from the perspective of the French healthcare system.Results: We studied sixty-five patients, 54 percent male patients and 72 percent children under 18 years of age. The total cost of cystic fibrosis care totaled 16,189 euros per year and per patient. Outpatient costs accounted for 88 percent of the total cost versus 12 percent for inpatient costs; medication costs were the highest with 21 percent of the total cost for home intravenous antibiotic treatments and 49 percent of the total cost for chronic medications.Conclusions: The results show that outpatient costs were higher than inpatient costs, which could be related to the importance granted to home health care in France, notably for intravenous antibiotic treatments given for pulmonary complications.
Trends in diagnostic imaging utilization in a university hospital in Turkey
Authors: Semin Semih , Demiral Yucel , Dicle Oguz 
Published: September 2006

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate utilization trends of the diagnostic imaging examinations during the past decade in a university hospital in Turkey.Methods: Patient registries of a university hospital were used for the years 1995 and 2003. The data set consisted of patients' admissions, social security status, and diagnostic imaging tests.Results: When compared with 1995 data, the total number of diagnostic imaging examinations and patient admissions increased 65.9 percent and 81.6 percent, respectively, in the year 2003. Although the total number of diagnostic imaging tests decreased 9.0 percent, there was a 145.4 percent increase in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations. Nevertheless, radiological diagnostic procedures consisted of 12.8 percent of the total hospital revenues in 1995 and 9.4 percent in 2003.Conclusions: This study shows that approximately one third of inpatients underwent MRI and computed tomography examinations in 2003. The utilization rates of diagnostic imaging procedures, especially new technologies, need to be considered carefully with respect to appropriateness of procedures and planning of services.
National Identity and History Writing in Ukraine
Authors: Kuzio Taras 
Published: September 2006

Think Ukrainian. You are a successor to Princess Olha, Volodymyr the Great and Yaroslav the Wise, who are Equal to the Apostles. History requires from you confidence and trust in Ukraine. Think Ukrainian. Viktor Yushchenko, President of Ukraine. Presidential political advertisement, Channel 5 Television, 28 January 2006The writing of history has a direct influence upon national identities. This is especially the case when historical writing and interpretation are contested, as they are among the three Eastern Slavic peoples (Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians). Where contestation is high, as in the Ukrainian- Russian relationship since the disintegration of the USSR, the writing and interpretation of history also impact upon their domestic and foreign policies and, most notably, their inter-state relations. Russian elites and the majority of Russians do not look upon Ukraine and Belarus as “foreign” countries.
Relative importance of inefficient feeding and consumer excretion to organic carbon flux from Daphnia
Authors: HE XUEJIA , WANG WEN‐XIONG 
Published: September 2006

Summary1. Sloppy and inefficient feeding by zooplankton is generally thought to make a major contribution to the regeneration of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pool in aquatic environments. In this study, we tested experimentally the regeneration of DOC by a freshwater zooplankter feeding on two species of phytoplankton at different food concentrations and C : P ratios. We separated the DOC production because of inefficient feeding (pre‐ingestive regeneration) and zooplankton excretion and faeces release (postdigestive regeneration).2. Within a brief incubation period (10 min), DOC production in the presence of Daphnia was not significantly different from that in the control treatment without grazers. During a longer incubation period (4 h), the amounts of radiocarbon retained in the algal cells per se were constant or were not different from those in the control treatments. These experimental results strongly suggest that inefficient feeding did not contribute significantly to DOC production in the grazer–prey system.3. During the 4‐h incubation, calculations of the DOC per ingestion rate (i.e. DOC produced by Daphnia alone) showed that food concentration and algal species did not affect the relative DOC production, but there was considerable difference at different algal C : P ratios and grazer densities. We found that direct excretion of DOC by Daphnia occurred rapidly following food digestion and accounted for >65% of the total DOC production. Maximum DOC leakage from Daphnia faeces contributed less to DOC production than the grazer excretion, except under P‐limited conditions.4. This study highlights the dominant role of postingestive process, especially the direct excretion by zooplankton, in DOC production in a grazer–prey system.
Effects of different pre‐freezing blanching procedures on the physicochemical properties of Brassica rapa leaves (Turnip Greens, Grelos)
Authors: Mondragón‐Portocarrero Alicia del Carmen , Pena‐Martínez Belén , Fernández‐Fernández Encarnación , Romero‐Rodríguez Angeles , Vázquez‐Odériz Lourdes 
Published: September 2006

SummaryFor optimal freeze storage, green vegetables should first be blanched. The present study compared four different procedures for the blanching of grelos (leaves of Brassica rapa L.): steaming for 2 min, immersion in boiling water for 2 min, immersion in boiling water containing 1% citric acid for 1 min, and immersion in boiling water containing 5% citric acid for 1 min. After blanching, the grelos were stored for up to 120 days at −18 °C, with sampling at two‐weekly intervals for analysis of physicochemical properties (ash weight, vitamin C content, pH, acid value, moisture content and CIEL*a*b* colour variables). In almost all respects steam blanching gave the best results: notably, vitamin C losses were markedly lower, while moisture content and colour remained closer to those of the fresh product.
Detecting local adaptation in widespread grassland species – the importance of scale and local plant community
Authors: BISCHOFF ARMIN , CRÉMIEUX LISÈLE , SMILAUEROVA MARIE , LAWSON CLARE S. , MORTIMER SIMON R. , DOLEZAL JIRI , LANTA VOJTECH , EDWARDS ANDREW R. , BROOK ALEX J. , MACEL MIRKA , LEPS JAN , STEINGER THOMAS , MÜLLER‐SCHÄRER HEINZ 
Published: September 2006

Summary

Adaptation of plant populations to local environments has been shown in many species but local adaptation is not always apparent and spatial scales of differentiation are not well known. In a reciprocal transplant experiment we tested whether: (i) three widespread grassland species are locally adapted at a European scale; (ii) detection of local adaptation depends on competition with the local plant community; and (iii) local differentiation between neighbouring populations from contrasting habitats can be stronger than differentiation at a European scale.
Seeds of Holcus lanatus, Lotus corniculatus and Plantago lanceolata from a Swiss, Czech and UK population were sown in a reciprocal transplant experiment at fields that exhibit environmental conditions similar to the source sites. Seedling emergence, survival, growth and reproduction were recorded for two consecutive years.
The effect of competition was tested by comparing individuals in weeded monocultures with plants sown together with species from the local grassland community. To compare large‐scale vs. small‐scale differentiation, a neighbouring population from a contrasting habitat (wet‐dry contrast) was compared with the ‘home’ and ‘foreign’ populations.
In P. lanceolata and H. lanatus, a significant home‐site advantage was detected in fitness‐related traits, thus indicating local adaptation. In L. corniculatus, an overall superiority of one provenance was found.
The detection of local adaptation depended on competition with the local plant community. In the absence of competition the home‐site advantage was underestimated in P. lanceolata and overestimated in H. lanatus.
A significant population differentiation between contrasting local habitats was found. In some traits, this small‐scale was greater than large‐scale differentiation between countries.
Our results indicate that local adaptation in real plant communities cannot necessarily be predicted from plants grown in weeded monocultures and that tests on the relationship between fitness and geographical distance have to account for habitat‐dependent small‐scale differentiation. Considering the strong small‐scale differentiation, a local provenance from a different habitat may not be the best choice in ecological restoration if distant populations from a more similar habitat are available.
Ecophysiological determinants of plant performance under flooding: a comparative study of seven plant families
Authors: MOMMER LIESJE , LENSSEN JOHN P. M. , HUBER HEIDRUN , VISSER ERIC J. W. , DE KROON HANS 
Published: September 2006

Summary

Plant performance of species in river floodplains is negatively affected by submergence, due to severely hampered gas exchange under water. Several individual traits have been shown to determine flooding tolerance, but the interrelationships among these traits and their effects on plant performance still remain largely unknown.
Here, we aim for a more coherent understanding of submergence tolerance, by investigating whether different traits are alternative strategies to enhance survival under water or whether these traits act in concert.
Because responses to submergence may be taxon‐specific, we chose a multiple‐species approach that allowed phylogenetic comparisons. The phenotypic traits investigated in the current study were constitutively different in species originating from frequently flooded habitats than in species from dry habitats: wet species were taller and had a higher specific leaf area (SLA), chlorophyll content, aerenchyma content, and longer longevity of terrestrial and ‘aquatic’ leaves compared with species from dry habitats. Moreover, the frequently flooded species appeared to be more plastic for these traits in response to submergence. Neither the phylogenetic component nor the light climate under water were important for the expression of the submergence‐related traits.
Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that these traits were divided in two independent clusters structured either around the petiole (i.e. aerenchyma content and shoot length) or the leaf lamina (i.e. SLA, chlorophyll content and leaf longevity). Shoot length and aerenchyma content of the petiole were also positively correlated, albeit not significantly. A positive correlation between SLA and leaf longevity was observed under water, indicating that thinner leaves may have an increased potential for gas exchange, resulting in increased leaf longevity and plant survival.
Path analyses indicated significant positive effects of the two trait clusters on plant performance during full submergence.
Our study shows that multiple ecophysiological traits act in concert to fine tune responses to dynamic and unpredictable environments such as river floodplains.
Quantitative estimation of phenotypic plasticity: bridging the gap between the evolutionary concept and its ecological applications
Authors: VALLADARES FERNANDO , SANCHEZ‐GOMEZ DAVID , ZAVALA MIGUEL A. 
Published: September 2006

Summary

Global change and emerging concepts in ecology and evolution are leading to a growing interest in phenotypic plasticity (PP), the environmentally contingent trait expression observed in a given genotype. The need to quantify PP in a simple manner in comparative ecological studies has resulted in the prevalence of various indices instead of the classic approaches, i.e. a comparison of slopes in the norms of reactions (trait vs. environment plots).
The objectives of this study were: (i) to review the most common methods for quantitative estimation of PP; (ii) to apply them to a specific case study of growth and shoot–root allocation responses to irradiance in seedlings of four woody species grown at 1%, 6%, 20% and 100% full sunlight; and (iii) to propose new methods of estimating PP.
The 17 different plasticity indices analysed rendered disparate results, with cross‐overs in species PP rankings. Statistical comparisons of PP among species were not possible with most of the indices due to the lack of confidence intervals. The non‐linear responses of the traits made the use of the slope of the reaction norm to quantify PP unrealistic, and raised awareness on values derived from studies that consider just two environments.
We propose an alternative approach to quantify PP based on phenotypic distances among individuals of a given species exposed to different environments, which is summarized in a relative distance plasticity index (RDPI) that allows for statistical comparisons of PP between species (or populations within species). RDPI was significantly correlated with 12 out of the 17 PP indices analysed. An index including the environmental range leading to the different phenotypes (environmentally standardized plasticity index, ESPI), and thus expressing plasticity per unit of environmental change, is also proposed.
The new indexes can statistically segregate and unambiguously rank species according to their PP, which can foster a better understanding of plant ecology and evolution, particularly when common protocols are used by different investigators.
Role of Gal11, a component of the RNA polymerase II mediator in stress‐induced hyperphosphorylation of Msn2 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Lallet Sylvie , Garreau Hervé , Garmendia‐Torres Cecilia , Szestakowska Dagmara , Boy‐Marcotte Emmanuelle , Quevillon‐Chéruel Sophie , Jacquet Michel 
Published: September 2006

SummaryIn the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the Msn2 transcription factor is a key element in mediating the environmental stress response (ESR), leading to the induction of 100–200 genes through the cis‐acting Stress Response Element (STRE) in response to various physico‐chemical stresses and nutritional variations. This activation is accompanied by a stress‐induced hyperphosphorylation of Msn2. By a systematic screening we identified two proteins essential in this process: (i) the cyclin‐dependent Ssn3/Srb10 protein kinase, part of a module of the RNA polymerase II mediator, which has already been shown to be involved in hyperphosphorylation and degradation of Msn2 upon stress, and (ii) Gal11, a component of the mediator. In a gal11 mutant, stress‐induced hyperphosphorylation of Msn2 is abolished, stress‐induced transcription of Msn2‐dependent genes is decreased and Msn2 degradation is impaired. Rgr1, another component of the mediator, is also critical for this hyperphosphorylation, indicating that the integrity of the mediator is required for this process. Moreover the transactivating region of Msn2 interacts in vitro with the N‐terminal domain of Gal11. These results point out the role of the mediator, especially its Gal11 subunit, in the hyperphosphorylation and degradation of Msn2 during stress response.
Induction of expression of hfq by DksA is essential for Shigella flexneri virulence
Authors: Sharma Ashima K. , Payne Shelley M. 
Published: September 2006

SummaryHfq plays an important role in cellular physiology by regulating the expression of several genes. Hfq synthesis in Escherichia coli is subject to auto‐repression at translational level. Studies with Shigella flexneri show that hfq transcription is regulated by a pleiotropic regulator, DksA. Comparison of gene expression profiles of wild type and dksA mutant S. flexneri determined that hfq expression was reduced in the dksA mutant. As DksA is required for stress resistance and plaque formation in cultured cell monolayers, a measure of virulence, we assessed the role of Hfq in the dksA virulence phenotype. Expression of hfq in the dksA mutant restored plaque formation, and an hfq mutant failed to form plaques. Thus, DksA plays a role in regulating hfq gene expression and this regulation is important for S. flexneri virulence. In an in vitro transcription assay, addition of DksA increased transcription of hfq and this effect was greatest with one of the known hfq promoters. Addition of ppGpp, a stringent response molecule, along with DksA in the in vitro transcription assay resulted in a further increase in transcription of hfq, indicating that DksA is required for maximal transcription of hfq during both exponential and stringent response growth conditions.
Investigating the role of calcium/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinases in Stagonospora nodorum
Authors: Solomon Peter S. , Rybak Kasia , Trengove Robert D. , Oliver Richard P. 
Published: September 2006

SummaryThree genes encoding different Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinases have been characterized in the wheat phytopathogenic fungus Stagonospora nodorum. The kinases were identified from the S. nodorum genome sequence on the basis of sequence homology to known Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinases. Expression analysis determined that each of the kinases was expressed during growth in vitro and also during infection. The onset of sporulation triggered increased transcript levels of each of the kinases, particularly CpkA where an 11‐fold increase in expression was observed during sporulation in planta. The role of the kinases was further determined via a reverse genetics approach. The disruption of CpkA affected vegetative growth in vitro and also sporulation. The cpkA strains produced 20‐fold less spores on complex media and were unable to sporulate on defined minimal media. Infection assays showed that CpkA was not required for lesion development but was essential for sporulation at the completion of the infection cycle. Microscopic analysis revealed that the disruption of CpkA resulted in Stagonospora nodorum being unable to differentiate the mycelial knot into immature pycnidia during sporulation. A metabolite analysis of infected leaves during sporulation excluded the possible involvement of mannitol, a compound previously shown to be involved in the sporulation of Stagonospora nodorum. The disruption of CpkB did not effect growth in vitro or pathogenicity. Stagonospora nodorum strains lacking CpkC appeared unaffected during growth in planta but showed delayed lesion development and sporulation during infection.
Opposing signals differentially regulate transcript stability inAspergillus nidulans
Authors: Caddick Mark X. , Jones Meriel G. , van Tonder J. Martin , Le Cordier Hélène , Narendja Frank , Strauss Joseph , Morozov Igor Y. 
Published: September 2006

SummaryA good model for gene regulation, requiring the organism to monitor a complex and changing environment and respond in a precise and rapid way, is nitrogen metabolism inAspergillus nidulans. This involves co‐ordinated expression of hundreds of genes, many dependent on the transcription factor AreA, which monitors the nitrogen state of the cell. AreA activity is in part modulated by differential degradation of its transcript in response to intracellular glutamine. Here we report that glutamine triggers synchronized degradation of a large subset of transcripts involved in nitrogen metabolism. Among these are all four genes involved in the assimilation of nitrate. Significantly, we show that two of these transcripts,niaDandniiA, are stabilized by intracellular nitrate, directly reinforcing transcriptional regulation. Glutamine‐signalled degradation and the nitrate‐dependent stabilization of theniaDtranscript are effected at the level of deadenylation and are dependent on its 3′ UTR. When glutamine and nitrate are both present, nitrate stabilization is predominant, ensuring that nitrate and the toxic intermediate nitrite are removed from the cell. Regulated transcript stability is therefore an integral part of the adaptive response. This represents the first example of distinct physiological signals competing to differentially regulate transcripts at the level of deadenylation.
Formation of active inclusion bodies in the periplasm of Escherichia coli
Authors: Arié Jean‐Philippe , Miot Marika , Sassoon Nathalie , Betton Jean‐Michel 
Published: September 2006

SummaryTo examine the relationship between folding and aggregation in the periplasm of Escherichia coli, we have analysed the cellular fates of exported proteins fused to either the wild‐type maltose‐binding protein (MalE) or the aggregation‐prone variant MalE31. The propensity of fusion proteins to aggregate in the periplasm was determined by the intrinsic folding characteristics of the upstream protein. When β‐lactamase or alkaline phosphatase was linked to the C‐terminus of MalE31, the resultant fusion proteins accumulated in an insoluble form, but retained their catalytic activity. In addition, these protein aggregates induced an extracytoplasmic stress response, similar to unfused MalE31. However, using a fluorescent substrate, we found that alkaline phosphatase activity was present inside periplasmic aggregates. These results suggest that periplasmic inclusion body formation may result in intermolecular interactions between participating proteins without loss of function of the fused enzymes.
Application of Chimerism‐based Drug‐induced Tolerance to Rat into Mouse Xenotransplantation
Authors: Tomita Y. , Shimizu I. , Iwai T. , Zhang Q.‐W. , Okano S. , Kajiwara T. , Onzuka T. , Tominaga R. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractThe current critical shortage of human donor organs has stimulated the feasibility of the xenogenic transplantation, such as swine to primate. We have previously reported the induction of donor‐specific tolerance in MHC‐disparated recipient mice by using our cyclophosphamide (CP)‐induced tolerance conditioning. In this study, we examined the efficacy of our CP‐induced tolerance conditioning in xenogenic transplantation model. F344 rats and B10 mice were used as donors and recipients. Recipient mice were treated with donor spleen cells, CP, Busulfan and bone marrow cells, with or without prior NK‐cell depletion. Donor mixed chimerism, and the presence of donor reactive T‐cell population were analysed by flow cytometry. The survival of the donor skin grafts were observed after the conditioning. Donor mixed chimerism was temporary induced but terminated at 10 weeks after treatments. Donor‐specific prolongation of the skin graft survival was observed after the treatments, however, grafts were rejected in the long term. NK‐cell depletion, prior to the treatments, did not affect the levels of the mixed chimerism or graft prolongation. The donor‐reactive recipient T‐cell population was remained the same level as the untreated mice, suggesting the failure of the induction of the central T‐cell tolerance. Thus, partial efficacy of our CP‐induced tolerance treatments in the rat to mice xenotransplantation was observed. Our results suggested that the additional treatments were required to establish the stable xenogenic tolerance.