bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sustaining ecosystem services in ancient limestone grassland: importance of major component plants and community composition
Authors: Phoenix Gareth K. , Johnson David , Grime J. Philip , Booth Rosemary E. 
Published: June 2008

SummaryLimestone grasslands are among the most floristically rich ecosystems in northern Europe and have recently been shown to sustain ecosystem functioning under conditions of heavy nitrogen (N) deposition. Here we report a long‐term mesocosm experiment, designed to measure the importance of major component plants and community composition in providing ecosystem services (in particular preventing leaching of inorganic N).A number of important steps were taken in the experimental design to increase conformity of the experimental communities to real limestone pasture, including using natural soils, plant cuttings of limestone grassland provenance and simulated management. Furthermore, communities were allowed to establish for 8 years before measurements were made.Leaching ofandwere found to differ by up to a considerable two orders of magnitude according to functional group composition, with sedges and forbs leaching the most. Grass communities and communities containing all three functional groups (grasses, sedges and forbs) leached similarly low amounts ofand.Levels of soilandfollowed a similar pattern of inter‐community differences to leaching, while vegetation biomass and vegetation N stocks were very similar between communities consisting of only grasses, only sedges and the most species rich community (4 grasses + 4 sedges + 4 forbs).Perennial grasses appeared to play the key role in inorganic N retention, with communities consisting of these plants having equally low leaching as more species rich communities. Indeed, most ecosystem services were performed comparatively well by grass communities as by the most species rich community.No overall effects on provision of services resulted from mixing functional groups or increasing the number of species representing each functional group.Synthesis. This work shows that more than order‐of‐magnitude differences in provision of ecosystem services can occur between species that coexist naturally in ancient limestone pasture. However, despite these large differences, because of the key role played by grasses, expected shifts in community composition anticipated as a result of N pollution may not impair the capacity of these systems to provide ecosystems services.
Trade‐offs between direct and indirect defences of lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus)
Authors: Ballhorn Daniel J. , Kautz Stefanie , Lion Ulrich , Heil Martin 
Published: June 2008

Summary

Plant defence theory predicts trade‐offs among defence traits as a result of resource limitation or pleiotropic effects. Although theoretically widely accepted, empirical demonstrations of such trade‐offs are surprisingly scarce and mechanistic explanations are usually lacking.
We quantified cyanogenesis (the release of hydrogen cyanide (HCN)) as a direct defence and the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as an indirect defence against herbivores. To elucidate whether the trade‐offs occur at the genetic or phenotypic level we investigated cultivated and wild‐type accessions of lima bean (Fabaceae: Phaseolus lunatus L.) and compared different leaf developmental stages. Genetic relationships among the accessions were studied using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis.
Cyanogenesis and the release of VOCs differed significantly among the accessions and were negatively correlated: high cyanogenic accessions released low amounts of VOCs and vice versa. The same remained true for the ontogenetic stages, since primary leaves of all accessions hardly ever produced HCN at all, yet regularly showed high release rates of VOCs.
Low and high cyanogenic accessions of lima bean formed distinct clades in an AFLP‐based dendrogram, while wild‐types and cultivars did not separate. The first pattern indicates that the underlying defensive syndromes are genetically conserved, while the latter is likely to be caused by a multiple origin of cultivated lima beans or an extensive gene flow among cultivated and wild plants.
Synthesis. Trade‐offs between cynogenesis and VOC release were obvious both between accessions and at the ontogenetic level, and thus cannot be explained by pleiotropy. We contend that allocation restrictions and/or adaptations to different enemy pressures are most likely to explain why lima bean can invest into cyanogenesis or VOCs, but not both.
Deficiency in l‐serine deaminase results in abnormal growth and cell division of Escherichia coli K‐12
Authors: Zhang Xiao , Newman Elaine 
Published: June 2008

SummaryThe loss of the ability to deaminate l‐serine severely impairs growth and cell division in Escherichia coli K‐12. A strain from which the three genes (sdaA, sdaB, tdcG) coding for this organism's three l‐serine deaminases had been deleted grows well in glucose minimal medium but, on subculture into minimal medium with glucose and casamino acids, it makes very large, abnormally shaped cells, many of which lyse. When inoculated into Luria‐Bertani (LB) broth with or without glucose, it makes very long filaments. Provision of S‐adenosylmethionine restores cell division in LB broth with glucose, and repairs much of the difficulty in growth in medium with casamino acids. We suggest that replication of E. coli is regulated by methylation, that an unusually high intracellular l‐serine concentration, in the presence of other amino acids, starves the cell for S‐adenosylmethionine and that it is the absence of S‐adenosylmethionine and/or of C1‐tetrahydrofolate derivatives that prevents normal cell division.
Synthetic growth phenotypes of Escherichia coli lacking ppGpp and transketolase A (tktA) are due to ppGpp‐mediated transcriptional regulation of tktB
Authors: Harinarayanan Rajendran , Murphy Helen , Cashel Michael 
Published: June 2008

SummaryMany physiological adjustments to nutrient changes involve ppGpp. Recent attempts to deduce ppGpp regulatory effects using proteomics or gene profiling can rigorously identify proteins or transcripts, but the functional significance is often unclear. Using a random screen for synthetic lethals we found a ppGpp‐dependent functional pathway that operates through transketolase B (TktB), and which is ‘buffered’ in wildtype strain by the presence of an isozyme, transketolase A (TktA). Transketolase activity is required in cells to make erythrose‐4‐phosphate, a precursor of aromatic amino acids and vitamins. By studying tktB‐dependent nutritional requirements as well as measuring activities using PtalA‐tktB′‐lacZ transcriptional reporter fusion, we show positive transcriptional regulation of the talA‐tktB operon by ppGpp. Our results show the existence of RpoS‐dependent and RpoS‐independent modes of positive regulation by ppGpp. Both routes of activation are magnified by elevating ppGpp levels with a spoT mutation (spoT‐R39A) defective in hydrolase but not synthetase activity or with the stringent suppressor mutations rpoB‐A532Δ or rpoB‐T563P in the absence of ppGpp.
Different effect of Toxoplasma gondii infection on adhesion capacity of fibroblasts and monocytes
Authors: PFAFF A. W , GEORGES S. , CANDOLFI E. 
Published: June 2008

SUMMARY This study investigated the effect of infection with the apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, in combination with the concomitant cytokine environment (IFN‐γ/TNF‐α), on adhesion of THP‐1 monocytic cells to MRC‐5 fibroblasts. Surprisingly, infection of THP‐1 cells decreased their adhesion to the MRC‐5 cell monolayer. This decrease was compensated by IFN‐γ/TNF‐α stimulation. In contrast, infection of MRC‐5 cells significantly increased adhesion, which was synergistically augmented by cytokine stimulation. Levels of ICAM‐1 (CD54) on MRC‐5 cells, as well as LFA‐1 (CD11a) on THP‐1 cells, were not changed by infection, neither in resting, nor in cytokine stimulated cells. These results show that T. gondii infection alters adhesion properties and reactivity to cytokine stimulation in a cell‐specific way.
Osteomyelitis of the rib caused by Aspergillus flavus following cardiac surgery
Authors: Verghese Susan , Chellamma Thabitha , Cherian K. M. 
Published: June 2008

SummaryDeep sternal wound infections are a rare but severe complication of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, with an estimated prevalence of 1%–4%. We report a case of osteomyelitis of the rib and chest wall abscess caused by Aspergillus flavus in a CABG patient, which was treated successfully with voriconazole.
Candida dubliniensis: first identification in Sfax hospital, Tunisia
Authors: Khlif M. , Sellami H. , Sellami A. , Chelly H. , Makni F. , Bouaziz M. , Ayadi A. 
Published: June 2008

Summary Candida dubliniensis, a newly described fungal pathogen associated mainly to immunocompromised host’s infection, is phenotypically closely related to C. albicans. In this study, we report for the first time, isolation and identification, in Tunisia, of 14 isolates of C. dubliniensis from 12 human immunodeficiency virus‐negative patients hospitalised in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Habib Bourguiba Sfax Hospital. Our study was firstly based on the failure to grow at 45 °C. This presumptive identification was completed by other tests: chlamydospore production, culture on Candiselect4 (Bio‐Rad) and the commercial test Bichro‐Dubli fumouze®, which specifically identify C. dubliniensis. The confirmation of the discrimination between both species was performed by PCR, targeting the hyphal wall protein (HWP1) gene. The recovery of C. dublinensis by routine laboratory diagnosis is recommended for elucidating the epidemiology of this novel pathogen.
Endosonographic features of gastric ectopic pancreases distinguishable from mesenchymal tumors
Authors: Kim Jie‐Hyun , Lim Joon Seok , Lee Yong Chan , Hyung Woo Jin , Lee Jei Hee , Kim Myeong‐Jin , Chung Jae Bock 
Published: June 2008

AbstractBackground and Aims:  Gastric ectopic pancreas is the second common submucosal lesion in the stomach, and differs from mesenchymal tumors with respect to clinical approach and prognosis. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) findings for differentiating between gastric ectopic pancreases and mesenchymal tumors.Methods:  All patients (n = 71) were diagnosed pathologically as having gastric ectopic pancreas (n = 18) or mesenchymal tumors (n = 53) between 2002 and 2006. The EUS images of the patients were retrospectively reviewed by two observers who were unaware of the pathological results, regarding location, size, growth pattern, layer of origin, presence or absence of layer disruption, margin, and internal echo pattern. These EUS imaging findings were compared for ectopic pancreases and mesenchymal tumors.Results:  Compared with mesenchymal tumors, ectopic pancreases showed a significant difference in the lesion location, growth pattern, layer of origin, presence of layer disruption, margin, and internal echo (P < 0.05). The longest/shortest diameter ratio was also larger in ectopic pancreases (p < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in the lesion size and presence of focal anechoic portion.Conclusion:  Careful assessment of the EUS findings may be a useful aid in the differentiation of ectopic pancreases from mesenchymal tumors in the stomach.
Comparative cross‐over study of sildenafil and apomorphine for treating erectile dysfunction
Authors: Afif‐Abdo João , Teloken Claudio , Damião Ronaldo , Koff Walter , Wroclawski Eric , Yamasaki Rui , Torres Luiz Otávio , Sabaneeff Jorge , Faria Geraldo , Pompeo Antonio Carlos , Cortado Pedro , Glina Sidney 
Published: June 2008

OBJECTIVETo compare the effectiveness, safety and tolerability of sildenafil and apomorphine in Brazilian patients with erectile dysfunction (ED) of various causes.PATIENTS AND METHODSIn all, 108 patients (mean age 55 years, sd 11) and documented ED for ≥6 months were included in 12 centres in Brazil. The patients were initially followed for 2 weeks and then randomized to initial treatment with apomorphine or sildenafil, taken before sexual intercourse, no more than once a day. The initial dose (2 mg apomorphine and 50 mg sildenafil) could be adjusted (to 3 mg apomorphine, or to 25 or 100 mg for sildenafil) depending on the effectiveness and tolerability during the first 4 weeks of treatment. The patients were re‐evaluated after 8 weeks on treatment and, after a wash‐out period of 2 weeks (no treatment), received the other study drug (other than that received in the first phase), and then had the same procedures as in the first phase.RESULTSIn all, 97 patients were evaluated for therapeutic effectiveness, the overall effectiveness being assessed using two questions; sildenafil had a significantly higher proportion of affirmative answers for both (P < 0.001). Likewise, the estimates for the mean (sd) proportion of successful sexual intercourse, of 83.3 (4.7)% vs 40.3 (4.7)% and the total ED Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction score, of 86.7 (2.9) vs 56.9 (2.9) (P < 0.001) were higher for sildenafil. At the end of the study, 93.8% of the patients randomized to initial therapy with apomorphine declared a preference for sildenafil, and 81.3% of those initially treated with sildenafil declared a preference for that drug. The two drugs were well tolerated, and the main adverse events for apomorphine were nausea, vomiting, headache, taste perversion and dizziness; for sildenafil they were headache, flushing or vasodilatation, abdominal pain or dyspepsia and nasal congestion.CONCLUSIONSSildenafil is more effective than apomorphine for treating ED, in the domains of erectile function, satisfaction with sexual intercourse and overall satisfaction, and was the drug preferred by most of the patients.
Towards molecular breeding of reproductive traits in cereal crops
Authors: Dwivedi Sangam , Perotti Enrico , Ortiz Rodomiro 
Published: June 2008

SummaryThe transition from vegetative to reproductive phase, floweringper se, floral organ development, panicle structure and morphology, meiosis, pollination and fertilization, cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) and fertility restoration, and grain development are the main reproductive traits. Unlocking their genetic insights will enable plant breeders to manipulate these traits in cereal germplasm enhancement. Multiple genes or quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting flowering (phase transition, photoperiod and vernalization, floweringper se), panicle morphology and grain development have been cloned, and gene expression research has provided new information about the nature of complex genetic networks involved in the expression of these traits. Molecular biology is also facilitating the identification of diverse CMS sources in hybrid breeding. FewRf(fertility restorer) genes have been cloned in maize, rice and sorghum. DNA markers are now used to assess the genetic purity of hybrids and their parental lines, and to pyramidRfortms(thermosensitive male sterility) genes in rice. Transgene(s) can be used to createde novoCMS trait in cereals. The understanding of reproductive biology facilitated by functional genomics will allow a better manipulation of genes by crop breeders and their potential use across species through genetic transformation.
Umbilical cord plasma homocysteine concentrations at delivery in pregnancies complicated by pre‐eclampsia
Authors: NAPOLITANO Peter G. , WAKEFIELD Charles L. , ELLIOTT Dawn E. , DOHERTY Dorota A. , MAGANN Everett F. 
Published: June 2008

Aim: To determine whether homocysteine concentrations in umbilical cord plasma of neonates born to mothers with pre‐eclampsia are elevated compared to concentrations in neonates born to normotensive women.Method: Maternal blood from eight women with pre‐eclampsia and ten women without pre‐eclampsia was collected on admission for labour. Cord blood was collected from these same pregnancies at delivery. Plasma was extracted and stored at −70°C. Samples were batch‐analysed for homocysteine.Result: Maternal plasma homocysteine levels were observed to be significantly higher in the pregnancies complicated by pre‐eclampsia compared to the control pregnancies (P = 0.043) with median levels of 5.4 µmol/L (interquartile range (IQR) 4.6–7.9; range 3.6–16.7) versus 4.1 µmol/L (IQR 3.4–5.1, range 3.1–6.7). Homocysteine concentrations in umbilical cord plasma in pregnancies complicated by pre‐eclampsia were also significantly higher compared to those in normotensive pregnancies (P = 0.016) with median concentration levels of 5.3 µmol/L (IQR 4.8–7.2, range 2.5–16.6) versus 3.8 µmol/L (IQR 2.8–4.4, range 0.8–1.6).Conclusion: Both maternal and umbilical cord plasma homocysteine concentrations were elevated in pregnancies complicated by pre‐eclampsia compared to normotensive controls.
Symptoms of female pelvic organ prolapse: Correlation with organ descent in women with single compartment prolapse
Authors: BLAIN Gemma , DIETZ Hans Peter 
Published: June 2008

Background: Female pelvic organ prolapse is a common condition that often leads to surgical intervention to alleviate symptoms. The relationship between symptoms of prolapse and pelvic organ descent however, remains unclear.Aim: To determine the correlation between the symptom of a vaginal lump and objective measures of female pelvic organ descent.Methods: Women seen at a tertiary urogynaecological unit were assessed using an interview, clinical examination, multichannel urodynamics and ultrasound imaging for symptoms of urinary dysfunction and pelvic organ prolapse. Receiver‐operating characteristic curves were developed to determine the correlation between a vaginal lump and pelvic organ prolapse on ultrasound and clinical assessment. In order to reduce the confounding effect of prolapse in other than the reference compartment, we included only patients with a prolapse that showed one compartment clearly dominant.Results: A total of 1022 women were evaluated, of which 299 (29%) reported the symptom of a vaginal lump. The area under the curve for cystocele on ultrasound and clinical examination was 0.86 and 0.89, respectively. For rectocele, the areas were 0.81 for ultrasound and 0.89 for examination. The low number of women with an isolated uterine prolapse or enterocele limits the significance of the results for those two groups.Conclusion:  The symptom of a vaginal lump correlates strongly with the degree of female pelvic organ prolapse as ascertained on clinical examination and ultrasound imaging. Ultrasound and clinical examination perform very well as tests for predicting symptomatic prolapse, provided that the confounding effect of other compartments is accounted for.
The urethral motion profile: A novel method to evaluate urethral support and mobility
Authors: SHEK Ka Lai , DIETZ Hans Peter 
Published: June 2008

Background: Urethral hypermobility is one of the theories developed to explain stress urinary incontinence. Traumatic damage to urethral supports during vaginal childbirth may be an important contributor.Aims: To establish a methodology to study urethral mobility, to determine the urethral motion profile in a cohort of young nulliparous women, and to determine changes in urethral mobility after childbirth.Methods: Ultrasound volume datasets of 44 nulligravidae and the 4D antepartum and post‐partum datasets of 73 nulliparous women were assessed using post‐processing software. Volumes were acquired translabially, at rest and on Valsalva, after voiding while supine. We marked six equidistant points from bladder neck to external urethral meatus and determined the position of these points relative to the inferoposterior symphyseal margin. Mobility vector distances for these points were determined by the formula √{(Vy − Ry)2+ (Vx − Rx)2} (V = Valsalva; R = rest). Reproducibility was determined in a test–retest series of 21 patients. Changes in urethral mobility after delivery were determined by comparing antepartum and post‐partum mobility vectors.Results: The method was highly reproducible, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.80 (confidence interval 0.73–0.86) for mobility vectors. The distal urethra was consistently found to be less mobile than the proximal part (P < 0.001). After childbirth, urethal mobility was significantly increased in five out of six segments. There was a trend towards more marked changes in mobility after vaginal operative delivery.Conclusions: Urethral mobility can be studied using 3D/4D translabial ultrasound. There is an increase in urethral mobility after childbirth, especially after instrumental delivery, suggesting an alteration in urethral support. This increase in mobility seems to affect the entire urethra.
Reliability and validity of a Comprehensive Environmental Questionnaire for community‐living elderly with healthcare needs
Authors: YABUWAKI Kenji , YAMADA Takashi , SHIGETA Masahiro 
Published: June 2008

AbstractBackground:  Although environmental factors play an important role in the quality of life of the elderly, no currently available scale is adequate for the comprehensive assessment of the environments of community‐living elderly in Japan. The present study developed a Comprehensive Environmental Questionnaire to assess factors affecting quality of life and examined its reliability, criterion‐related validity, and construct validity among community‐living elderly with healthcare needs.Methods:  Participants were 178 elderly adults without dementing disorders, aged 60 years and older, who were currently using day care services or home‐visit rehabilitative services. Participants were selected from five regions of Japan. We asked participants to complete the Comprehensive Environmental Questionnaire—provisional version twice (with a 1 month interval in between) and World Health Organization Quality of Life—brief form at baseline.Results:  Based on exploratory factor analysis, we restructured the Comprehensive Environmental Questionnaire—provisional version to the final version, with 14 items and a three‐factor structure. Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency for all items was 0.82. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients for test–retest reliability were 0.4 or greater for 10 items, and were statistically significant (P < 0.001) for all items. The correlation coefficient of the total score of the Comprehensive Environmental Questionnaire and the environment domain score of the World Health Organization Quality of Life—brief form was 0.63 (P < 0.001). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the Comprehensive Environmental Questionnaire as a second‐order factor model was an adequate fit to the data. All standardized path coefficients in the model were statistically significant (P < 0.01).Conclusion:  The present study established high levels of reliability, criterion‐related validity, and construct validity for the Comprehensive Environmental Questionnaire, with the exception of test–retest reliability for four items among community‐living elderly with healthcare needs.