bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Predictors of corticosteroid‐dependent and corticosteroid‐refractory inflammatory bowel disease: analysis of a Chinese cohort study
Authors: CHOW D. K. L. , SUNG J. J. Y. , TSOI K. K. F. , WONG V. W. S. , WU J. C. Y. , LEONG R. W. L. , CHAN F. K. L. 
Published: January 2009

SummaryBackground  Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who are corticosteroid‐dependent or ‐refractory are at higher risk of developing disease‐ and treatment‐related complications.Aims  To identify retrospectively clinical factors present at diagnosis that predict the occurrence of corticosteroid dependency and refractoriness in Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) patients.Methods  A total of 310 IBD patients (134 CD, 176 UC) were observed for 2140 person years and their use of systemic corticosteroids was determined. Outcomes of corticosteroid dependency and refractoriness were recorded. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the clinical factors associated with outcomes.Results  Seventy‐seven (57.5%) CD and 95 (54.0%) UC patients had received corticosteroids during study period. In CD, thrombocytosis [Hazard ratio (HR):3.0] predicted, whereas colonic CD (HR:0.3) negatively predicted corticosteroid dependency. Stricturing phenotype (HR:4.5) predicted corticosteroid‐refractory CD. For UC, thrombocytosis (HR:3.9) and extensive colitis (HR:1.7) predicted corticosteroid dependency. Presence of anaemia (HR:10.8) at diagnosis and initial requirement of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) (HR:18.8) predicted corticosteroid‐refractory UC. The cumulative risks of surgery were 17.8% and 5.4% for CD and UC patients respectively at 1 year after starting corticosteroids.Conclusions  Thrombocytosis at diagnosis predicted corticosteroid‐dependency in IBD. Stricturing phenotype of CD and the presence of anaemia in UC predicted subsequent course of corticosteroid refractoriness.
Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten‐free diet
Authors: HALLERT C. , SVENSSON M. , THOLSTRUP J. , HULTBERG B. 
Published: January 2009

SummaryBackground  Patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten‐free diet show vitamin deficiency and reduced subjective health status.Aim  To study the biochemical and clinical effects of B vitamin supplementation in adults with longstanding coeliac disease.Methods  In a double blind placebo controlled multicentre trial, 65 coeliac patients (61% women) aged 45–64 years on a strict gluten‐free diet for several years were randomized to a daily dose of 0.8 mg folic acid,0.5 mg cyanocobalamin and 3 mg pyridoxine or placebo for 6 months. The outcome measures were psychological general well‐being (PGWB) and the plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) level, marker of B vitamin status.Results  Fifty‐seven patients (88%) completed the trial. The tHcy level was baseline median 11.7 μmol/L (7.4–23.0), significantly higher than in matched population controls [10.2 μmol/L (6.7–22.6) (P < 0.01)]. Following vitamin supplementation, tHcy dropped a median of 34% (P < 0.001), accompanied by significant improvement in well‐being (P < 0.01), notably Anxiety (P < 0.05) and Depressed Mood (P < 0.05) for patients with poor well‐being.Conclusions  Adults with longstanding coeliac disease taking extra B vitamins for 6 months showed normalized tHcy and significant improvement in general well‐being, suggesting that B vitamins should be considered in people advised to follow a gluten‐free diet.
Porcine skeletal muscle differentially expressed gene CMYA1: isolation, characterization, mapping, expression and association analysis with carcass traits
Authors: Xu X. L. , Xu X. W. , Pan P. W. , Li K. , Jiang Z. H. , Yu M. , Rothschild M. F. , Liu B. 
Published: January 2009

SummaryTo investigate the differences in gene expression between some obese and lean pig breeds, differential display of mRNA was employed in our previous research. One differentially expressed EST (BI596262) was further identified as the porcine cardiomyopathy associated 1 (CMYA1) gene because of its homology to the human CMYA1 gene. The full‐length DNA of the porcine CMYA1 gene encompasses 9379 bp, including a complete open reading frame encoding 1839 amino acid residues, a 158‐bp 5′‐untranslated region and a 630‐bp 3′‐untranslated region. The porcine CMYA1 gene was assigned to chromosome 13 by the radiation hybrid panel (IMpRH). The porcine CMYA1 gene was expressed only in the striated muscle. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) scanning in the coding region identified one synonymous mutation (c.1053C>T) and three missense mutations, c.1394A>G (p.His465Arg), c.1751A>G (p.Asp582Gly) and c.3290C>A (p.Thr1097Asp). The allele frequencies were tested among about 200 unrelated pigs from several pig breeds. Linkage mapping was further conducted with the SNP c.1751A>G (p.Asp582Gly) in a Berkshire × Yorkshire resource family and this confirmed that porcine CMYA1 is closely linked with Sw344 (distance = 2 cM, LOD score is 129.47), an interesting region harbouring a QTL for back fat thickness. Association analysis in our experimental pig population showed that different genotypes of CMYA1 gene were associated with different back fat thicknesses (P < 0.05). Our results suggest that the porcine CMYA1 gene has effects on porcine back fat deposition and further investigation will be necessary to illustrate the underlying mechanisms.
Relationship between HLA‐DP supertype and survival in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: evidence for selective loss of immunological control of residual disease?
Authors: Taylor G. Malcolm , Richards Sue , Wade Rachel , Hussain Adiba , Simpson Jill , Hill Frank , Mitchell Chris , Eden Tim ,   on behalf of UKCCS and CCLG Investigators
Published: January 2009

SummaryWe recently reported that two of six HLA‐DP supertypes (DP1–4, 6, 8) were associated with susceptibility (DP2) and resistance (DP1) to childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). To determine whether DP supertypes are associated with childhood ALL prognosis, we compared treatment outcomes in a cohort (n = 798) of DPB1‐typed ALL cases in the UK Medical Research Council UKALL XI trial. No differences in clinical characteristics and outcome between DPB1‐typed and untyped (n = 1292) cases suggest no selection bias. Event‐free survival (EFS) rates in patients with DP1 and DP3 supertypes were significantly worse than in patients with DP2, DP4, DP6 and DP8 [10‐year EFS: 55%; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 49–61%; compared with 64% (61–68%), P = 0·006]. Ten‐year EFS in DP1/DP3 heterozygous patients [30% (2–58%)] was significantly worse than in patients with DP1, DP3 or neither allele [56% (50–62%); P = 0·02]. Lack of evidence that DP1 or DP3 are associated with known prognostic factors leads us to suggest that these two supertypes exert an independent effect on prognosis. This may involve abrogation of DP1/3‐restricted T‐cell control of residual disease due to selective effects of chemotherapy. Further studies of HLA supertypes in relation to outcome in recent childhood ALL trials may resolve this question.
Linking above‐ and belowground responses to global change at community and ecosystem scales
Authors: ANTONINKA ANITA , WOLF JULIE E. , BOWKER MATTHEW , CLASSEN AIMÉE T. , JOHNSON NANCY COLLINS 
Published: January 2009

AbstractCryptic belowground organisms are difficult to observe and their responses to global changes are not well understood. Nevertheless, there is reason to believe that interactions among above‐ and belowground communities may mediate ecosystem responses to global change. We used grassland mesocosms to manipulate the abundance of one important group of soil organisms, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, and to study community and ecosystem responses to CO2 and N enrichment. Responses of plants, AM fungi, phospholipid fatty acids and community‐level physiological profiles were measured after two growing seasons. Ecosystem responses were examined by measuring net primary production (NPP), evapotranspiration, total soil organic matter (SOM), and extractable mineral N. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the causal relationships among treatments and response variables. We found that while CO2 and N tended to directly impact ecosystem functions (evapotranspiration and NPP, respectively), AM fungi indirectly impacted ecosystem functions by influencing the community composition of plants and other root fungi, soil fungi and soil bacteria. We found that the mycotrophic status of the dominant plant species in the mesocosms determined whether the presence of AM fungi increased or decreased NPP. Mycotrophic grasses dominated the mesocosm communities during the first growing season, and the mycorrhizal treatments had the highest NPP. In contrast, nonmycotrophic forbs were dominant during the second growing season and the mycorrhizal treatments had the lowest NPP. The composition of the plant community strongly influenced soil N, and the community composition of soil organisms strongly influenced SOM accumulation in the mesocosms. These results show how linkages between above‐ and belowground communities can determine ecosystem responses to global change.
On carbon sequestration in desert ecosystems
Authors: SCHLESINGER WILLIAM H. , BELNAP JAYNE , MARION GILES 
Published: January 2009

AbstractRecent reports of net ecosysytem production >100 gCm−2 yr−1 in deserts are incompatible with existing measurements of net primary production and carbon pools in deserts. The comparisions suggest that gas exchange measurements should be used with caution and better validation if they are expected to indicate the magnitude of carbon sink in these ecosysytems.
Effect of Sub‐Polar Gyre, North Atlantic Oscillation and ambient temperature on size and abundance in the Icelandic Arctic fox
Authors: HERSTEINSSON PALL , YOM‐TOV YORAM , GEFFEN ELI 
Published: January 2009

AbstractAnimals are exposed to environmental factors that influence their life history and body size. Here we used the Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) as an indicator of the complex links between largescale environmental variables that influence both marine and tundra trophic dynamics to demonstrate how they affect the fox's body size and abundance. The Arctic fox inhabits throughout Iceland, where it preys mainly on birds. We studied the effects of the Sub‐Polar Gyre (SPG), winter and summer North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), mean annual winter and summer temperature, and geographic sector (eastern and western Iceland, which differ in their ecology) on variations in mandible size (6345 specimens) and body mass (2732 specimens) as well as abundance on the Arctic fox in Iceland. We found that (a) SPG index negatively affected male mandible length as well as body mass of both sexes. SPG was also negatively related to fox abundance. (b) Summer NAO had a negative effect on Arctic foxes, that is, cold summers were correlated with shorter mandibles and lower body mass. (c) Winter NAO had a significant negative effect (although weaker than that of summer NAO) on female mandible length, but not on body mass. (d) Summer temperature had a positive effect on female mandible length, but no effect on body mass. However, winter temperature had no effect on either the mandible or body mass. (e) Foxes in the eastern sector had shorter mandibles and were of lighter mass than those in the western sector. We suggest that climate conditions during the growth period of the young affected their final size both directly, by influencing energy metabolism for maintenance, but mainly through their effects on food availability. As far as we are aware, this is the first report that the SPG has an effect on vertebrates, let alone terrestrial ones.
Localization of Hsp60 and Grp78 in the human testis, epididymis and mature spermatozoa
Authors: Lachance Catherine , Fortier Marlène , Thimon Véronique , Sullivan Robert , Bailey Janice L. , Leclerc Pierre 
Published: January 2009

SummaryMolecular chaperones of the heat shock proteins (HSP) family are important in numerous cellular processes. In this study, the expression of Hsp60 and Grp78 proteins was investigated in the male reproductive tract. The cellular distribution of Hsp60 and Grp78 proteins was analysed in the human testis and epididymis by immunohistochemical approaches. DNA microarray technology was used to analyse HSP60 and GRP78 gene expression along human epididymis. The cellular localization of these chaperone proteins in ejaculated spermatozoa was investigated by indirect immunofluorescence and by Western blot following sperm sub‐cellular fractionation. In the human testis, Hsp60 was detected in spermatogonia, whereas a strong Grp78 staining was observed in spermatocytes and round spermatids. Grp78 protein was also observed in the epididymal epithelium, whereas no Hsp60 staining was observed in this organ by immunohistochemistry. The presence of both Hsp60 and Grp78 RNA in human epididymis was confirmed by microarrays. In ejaculated spermatozoa, Hsp60 was localized in the mid‐piece, whereas Grp78 was detected in the neck region. These results indicate that in addition to being expressed in human testis spermatogenic cells, both Hsp60 and Grp78 proteins persist in ejaculated spermatozoa. These findings are in agreement with the involvement of Hsp60 and Grp78 during spermatogenesis and in sperm functions such as fertilization.
Out of the Palaeotropics? Historical biogeography and diversification of the cosmopolitan ectomycorrhizal mushroom family Inocybaceae
Authors: Matheny P. Brandon , Aime M. Catherine , Bougher Neale L. , Buyck Bart , Desjardin Dennis E. , Horak Egon , Kropp Bradley R. , Lodge D. Jean , Soytong Kasem , Trappe James M. , Hibbett David S. 
Published: January 2009

AbstractAim  The ectomycorrhizal (ECM) mushroom family Inocybaceae is widespread in north temperate regions, but more than 150 species are encountered in the tropics and the Southern Hemisphere. The relative roles of recent and ancient biogeographical processes, relationships with plant hosts, and the timing of divergences that have shaped the current geographic distribution of the family are investigated.Location  Africa, Australia, Neotropics, New Zealand, north temperate zone, Palaeotropics, Southeast Asia, South America, south temperate zone.Methods  We reconstruct a phylogeny of the Inocybaceae with a geological timeline using a relaxed molecular clock. Divergence dates of lineages are estimated statistically to test vicariance‐based hypotheses concerning relatedness of disjunct ECM taxa. A series of internal maximum time constraints is used to evaluate two different calibrations. Ancestral state reconstruction is used to infer ancestral areas and ancestral plant partners of the family.Results  The Palaeotropics are unique in containing representatives of all major clades of Inocybaceae. Six of the seven major clades diversified initially during the Cretaceous, with subsequent radiations probably during the early Palaeogene. Vicariance patterns cannot be rejected that involve area relationships for Africa–Australia, Africa–India and southern South America–Australia. Northern and southern South America, Australia and New Zealand are primarily the recipients of immigrant taxa during the Palaeogene or later. Angiosperms were the earliest hosts of Inocybaceae. Transitions to conifers probably occurred no earlier than 65 Ma.Main conclusions  The Inocybaceae initially diversified no later than the Cretaceous in Palaeotropical settings, in association with angiosperms. Diversification within major clades of the family accelerated during the Palaeogene in north and south temperate regions, whereas several relictual lineages persisted in the tropics. Both vicariance and dispersal patterns are detected. Species from Neotropical and south temperate regions are largely derived from immigrant ancestors from north temperate or Palaeotropical regions. Transitions to conifer hosts occurred later, probably during the Palaeogene.
Psychometric evaluation of Chinese version of Violence Scale for objective rating among inpatients with schizophrenia
Authors: Chen Shing‐Chia , Hwu Hai‐Gwo 
Published: January 2009

Aim.  The psychometric properties of the Chinese version of Violence Scale in clinical service setting were examined.Background.  Psychiatric inpatient’s aggressive act is a significant clinical issue in psychiatric service. A useful objective rating scale for prospective study and clinical application was mandatory.Design.  A prospective panel study.Methods.  The Chinese version of Violence Scale developed from Morrison’s Violence Scale. Sampled patients (n = 107) with schizophrenia spectrum, fulfilling the DSM‐IV criteria, were recruited consecutively in a psychiatric acute ward of a university hospital over a period of one‐year. The patients’ counts of the aggressive acts measured by the Chinese version of Violence Scale occurred in the past one‐month prior to admission and in the prospective initial‐week after admission were collected during their hospitalisation. The prospective occurrence was observed daily and summed at a fixed weekly point. The internal consistency, content validity and predictive validity of the Chinese version of Violence Scale were examined. Also, a confirmatory factors analysis by LISREL was conducted to examine its measurement structure.Results.  The Chinese version of Violence Scale follows a Poisson distribution of a fair quality (Cronbach’s α = 0·67). The Chinese version of Violence Scale with panel’s content validity has good predictive validity (r = 0·51, p < 0·001). Those correlated to one latent variable with six items, which constructs a core meaning of ‘threatening aggression toward others’.Conclusions.  This panel study provides evidence for fair reliability and satisfactory validity of the Chinese version of Violence Scale. Internal consistency of the Chinese version of Violence Scale is limited and it may be because of the time‐varying characteristic and hierarchical pattern of the behaviour items. To further investigate the count scale of the Chinese version of Violence Scale follows a Poisson distribution, the over‐dispersion and weighting issues of aggressive acts were suggested to approach.Relevance to clinical practice.  This study highlights the measurement issues and implications of the Chinese version of Violence Scale for objectively rating psychiatric patients’ aggressive acts to further develop fitted nursing care and prevention program.
An AFLP clock for the absolute dating of shallow‐time evolutionary history based on the intraspecific divergence of southwestern European alpine plant species
Authors: KROPF MATTHIAS , COMES HANS PETER , KADEREIT JOACHIM W. 
Published: January 2009

AbstractThe dating of recent events in the history of organisms needs divergence rates based on molecular fingerprint markers. Here, we used amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) of three distantly related alpine plant species co‐occurring in the Spanish Sierra Nevada, the Pyrenees and the southwestern Alps/Massif Central to establish divergence rates. Within each of these species (Gentiana alpina, Kernera saxatilis and Silene rupestris), we found that the degree of AFLP divergence (DN72) between mountain phylogroups was significantly correlated with their time of divergence (as inferred from palaeoclimatic/palynological data), indicating constant AFLP divergence rates. As these rates did not differ significantly among species, a regression analysis based on the pooled data was utilized to generate a general AFLP rate. The application of this latter rate to AFLP data from other herbaceous plant species (Minuartia biflora: Schönswetter et al. 2006; Nigella degenii: Comes et al. 2008) resulted in a plausible timing of the recolonization of the Svalbard Islands and the separation of populations from the Alps and Scandinavia (Minuartia), and of island population separation in the Aegean Archipelago (Nigella). Furthermore, the AFLP mutation rate obtained in our study is of the same magnitude as AFLP mutation rates published previously. The temporal limits of our AFLP rate, which is based on intraspecific vicariance events at shallow (i.e. late glacial/Early Holocene) time scales, remains to be tested.
Global‐scale analyses of chemical ecology and population genetics in the invasive Argentine ant
Authors: BRANDT M. , VAN WILGENBURG E. , TSUTSUI N. D. 
Published: January 2009

AbstractAnts are some of the most abundant and ecologically successful terrestrial organisms, and invasive ants rank among the most damaging invasive species. The Argentine ant is a particularly well‐studied invader, in part because of the extreme social structure of introduced populations, known as unicoloniality. Unicolonial ants form geographically vast supercolonies, within which territorial behaviour and intraspecific aggression are absent. Because the extreme social structure of introduced populations arises from the widespread acceptance of conspecifics, understanding how this colonymate recognition occurs is key to explaining their success as invaders. Here, we present analyses of Argentine ant recognition cues (cuticular hydrocarbons) and population genetic characteristics from 25 sites across four continents and the Hawaiian Islands. By examining both hydrocarbon profiles and microsatellite genotypes in the same individual ants, we show that native and introduced populations differ in several respects. Both individual workers and groups of nestmates in the introduced range possess less diverse chemical profiles than ants in the native range. As previous studies have reported, we also find that introduced populations possess much lower levels of genetic diversity than populations in the native range. Interestingly, the largest supercolonies on several continents are strikingly similar to each other, suggesting that they arose from a shared introduction pathway. This high similarity suggests that these geographically far‐flung ants may still recognize and accept each other as colonymates, thus representing distant nodes of a single, widely distributed supercolony. These findings shed light on the behaviour and sociality of these unicolonial invaders, and pose new questions about the history and origins of introduced populations.
NMR Techniques Coupled with Multivariate Statistical Analysis: Tools to Analyse Oryza sativa Metabolic Content under Stress Conditions
Authors: Fumagalli E. , Baldoni E. , Abbruscato P. , Piffanelli P. , Genga A. , Lamanna R. , Consonni R. 
Published: January 2009

AbstractRice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important crops in the world and its growth is influenced by several environmental stresses, such as drought and high salinity. In our study, we first investigated the metabolic profile in shoots and roots of two rice cultivars (Arborio and Nipponbare) through 1H‐high‐resolution magic angle spinning (HR MAS) and liquid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. Drought and salt stress experiments on shoot and root growth showed Arborio seedlings to be more sensitive than those of Nipponbare to these abiotic stresses. Moreover, the metabolic content of the same samples was analysed by liquid‐state NMR coupled with multivariate statistical analysis. Principal component analysis highlighted a significant accumulation of amino acids and sugars in shoots and roots under stress conditions and the existence of clear differences between the two analysed rice cultivars. In particular, Arborio seedlings accumulated a higher concentration of amino acids and sugars than Nipponbare seedlings. Furthermore, we also obtained preliminary data about metabolic changes in rice following infection with the fungus Magnaporthe grisea. This study proves that NMR technique coupled with multivariate statistical analysis is a powerful tool to assess a possible correlation between differences in metabolic profile and in tolerance/sensitivity phenotype in rice cultivars.