bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Activation syndrome caused by paroxetine in a cancer patient
Authors: Nishida Tomomi , Wada Makoto , Wada Mei , Ito Hiroshi , Narabayashi Masaru , Onishi Hideki 
Published: May 2008

ABSTRACTIndividuals with cancer have two to four times an increased risk of depressive disorders compared to the general population. Depressive symptoms are related to impaired daily life functioning and a rise in health care utilization. Pharmacological treatments for depression are usually effective to reduce depressive symptoms, but sometimes lead to serious adverse reactions. We describe a cancer patient who developed sudden psychological and behavioral abnormalities after administration of the antidepressant paroxetine. Impulsive and aggressive symptoms are a so-called activation syndrome that can cause violent or suicidal tendencies. Palliative care staff should pay close attention to these potentially lethal reactions and make an immediate and correct diagnosis.
Case series analysis for censored, perturbed, or curtailed post-event exposures
Authors: Farrington C. Paddy , Whitaker Heather J. , Hocine Mounia N. 
Published: May 2008

Abstract
A new method is developed for analyzing case series data in situations where occurrence of the event censors, curtails, or otherwise affects post-event exposures. Unbiased estimating equations derived from the self-controlled case series model are adapted to allow for exposures whose occurrence or observation is influenced by the event. The method applies to transient point exposures and rare nonrecurrent events. Asymptotic efficiency is studied in some special cases. A computational scheme based on a pseudo-likelihood is proposed to make the computations feasible in complex models. Simulations, a validation study, and 2 applications are described.
Natural variation reveals key amino acids in a downy mildew effector that alters recognition specificity by an Arabidopsis resistance gene
Authors: ALLEN REBECCA L. , MEITZ JULIA C. , BAUMBER RACHEL E. , HALL SHARON A. , LEE SARAH C. , ROSE LAURA E. , BEYNON JIM L. 
Published: May 2008

SUMMARY RPP13, a member of the cytoplasmic class of disease resistance genes, encodes one of the most variable Arabidopsis proteins so far identified. This variability is matched in ATR13, the protein from the oomycete downy mildew pathogen Hyaloperonospora parasitica recognized by RPP13, suggesting that these proteins are involved in tight reciprocal coevolution. ATR13 exhibits five domains: an N‐terminal signal peptide, an RXLR motif, a heptad leucine/isoleucine repeat, an 11‐amino‐acid repeated sequence and a C‐terminal domain. We show that the conserved RXLR‐containing domain is dispensable for ATR13‐mediated recognition, consistent with its role in transport into the plant cytoplasm. Sequencing ATR13 from 16 isolates of H. parasitica revealed high levels of amino acid diversity across the entire protein. The leucines/isoleucines of the heptad leucine repeat were conserved, and mutation of particular leucine or isoleucine residues altered recognition by RPP13. Natural variation has not exploited this route to detection avoidance, suggesting a key role of this domain in pathogenicity. The extensive variation in the 11‐amino‐acid repeat units did not affect RPP13 recognition. Domain swap analysis showed that recognition specificity lay in the C‐terminal domain of ATR13. Variation analyses combined with functional assays allowed the identification of four amino acid positions that may play a role in recognition specificity. Site‐directed mutagenesis confirmed that a threonine residue is absolutely required for RPP13 recognition and that recognition can be modulated by the presence of either an arginine or glutamic acid at other sites. Mutations in these three amino acids had no effect on the interaction of ATR13 with a resistance gene unlinked to RPP13, consistent with their critical role in determining RPP13‐Nd recognition specificity.
Distinguishing bacterial pathogens of potato using a genome‐wide microarray approach
Authors: AITTAMAA M. , SOMERVUO P. , PIRHONEN M. , MATTINEN L. , NISSINEN R. , AUVINEN P. , VALKONEN J. P. T. 
Published: May 2008

SUMMARYA set of 9676 probes was designed for the most harmful bacterial pathogens of potato and tested in a microarray format. Gene‐specific probes could be designed for all genes of Pectobacterium atrosepticum, c. 50% of the genes of Streptomyces scabies and c. 30% of the genes of Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. sepedonicus utilizing the whole‐genome sequence information available. For Streptomyces turgidiscabies, 226 probes were designed according to the sequences of a pathogenicity island containing important virulence genes. In addition, probes were designed for the virulence‐associated nip (necrosis‐inducing protein) genes of P. atrosepticum, P. carotovorum and Dickeya dadantii and for the intergenic spacer (IGS) sequences of the 16S–23S rRNA gene region. Ralstonia solanacearum was not included in the study, because it is a quarantine organism and is not presently found in Finland, but a few probes were also designed for this species. The probes contained on average 40 target‐specific nucleotides and were synthesized on the array in situ, organized as eight sub‐arrays with an identical set of probes which could be used for hybridization with different samples. All bacteria were readily distinguished using a single channel system for signal detection. Nearly all of the c. 1000 probes designed for C. michiganensis ssp. sepedonicus, c. 50% and 40% of the c. 4000 probes designed for the genes of S. scabies and P. atrosepticum, respectively, and over 100 probes for S. turgidiscabies showed significant signals only with the respective species. P. atrosepticum, P. carotovorum and Dickeya strains were all detected with 110 common probes. By contrast, the strains of these species were found to differ in their signal profiles. Probes targeting the IGS region and nip genes could be used to place strains of Dickeya to two groups, which correlated with differences in virulence. Taken together, the approach of using a custom‐designed, genome‐wide microarray provided a robust means for distinguishing the bacterial pathogens of potato.
The metabolic syndrome increases cardiovascular mortality in Taiwanese elderly
Authors: Wen C. J. , Lee Y. S. , Lin W. Y. , Huang H. L. , Yao C. A. , Sung P. K. , Huang K. C. 
Published: May 2008

ABSTRACTBackground  The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) is high among the elderly. However, evidence that mortality increases with MetS is rare. In this study, we investigated the relationship between MetS, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all cause mortality in the elderly.Materials and methods  A total 10 547 participants, aged 65 years and older, of baseline cohort were recruited from four nationwide Health Screening Centres in Taiwan from 1998 to 1999. The metabolic syndrome was defined according to the America Heart Association/National Heart Lung Blood Institute definition. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to estimate the relative risks (RRs) of CVD and all cause mortality for those with MetS for up to 8 years of follow‐up.Results  The baseline prevalence of MetS was 50·1% (45·6% in men and 54·4% in women, respectively). A total of 1312 participants died; of these, 300 participants died from CVD. Adjusted for age, gender, smoking, total cholesterol and estimated glomerular filtration rate, the RRs for CVD and all cause mortality among participants with MetS were 1·48 (95% confidence interval = 1·16–1·90) and 1·16 (1.03–1.30), respectively, for participants compared to those without MetS. The mean RRs for CVD, however, ranged from 1·21 to 5·31 among different combinations of MetS components.Conclusion  The elderly with MetS, compared to those without MetS, had a higher CVD and all cause mortality in Taiwan. Furthermore, different combinations of MetS components posed different risks to the mortality, which deserves further research in the future.
Podzolization as a deferralitization process: dynamics and chemistry of ground and surface waters in an Acrisol – Podzol sequence of the upper Amazon Basin
Authors: Do Nascimento N. R. , Fritsch E. , Bueno G. T. , Bardy M. , Grimaldi C. , Melfi A. J. 
Published: May 2008

SummaryHydrochemical processes involved in the development of hydromorphic Podzols are a major concern for the upper Amazon Basin because of the extent of the areas affected by such processes and the large amounts of organic carbon and associated metals exported to the rivers. The dynamics and chemical composition of ground and surface waters were studied along an Acrisol‐Podzol sequence lying in an open depression of a plateau. Water levels were monitored along the sequence over a period of 2 years by means of piezometers. Water was sampled in zero‐tension lysimeters for groundwater and for surface water in the drainage network of the depression. The pH and concentrations of organic carbon and major elements (Si, Fe and Al) were determined. The contrasted changes reported for concentrations of Si, organic carbon and metals (Fe, Al) mainly reflect the dynamics of the groundwater and the weathering conditions that prevail in the soils. Iron is released by the reductive dissolution of Fe oxides, mostly in the Bg horizons of the upslope Acrisols. It moves laterally under the control of hydraulic gradients and migrates through the iron‐depleted Podzols where it is exported to the river network. Aluminium is released from the dissolution of Al‐bearing minerals (gibbsite and kaolinite) at the margin of the podzolic area but is immobilized as organo‐Al complexes in spodic horizons. In downslope positions, the quick recharge of the groundwater and large release of organic compounds lead to acidification and a loss of metals (mainly Al), previously stored in the Podzols.
Development of an apparatus for measuring one‐dimensional steady‐state heat flux of soil under reduced air pressure
Authors: Momose T. , Sakaguchi I. , Kasubuchi T. 
Published: May 2008

SummaryOne of the best ways to evaluate the coupled heat and mass transfer in soil is to measure the heat flux and water distribution simultaneously. For this purpose, we developed an apparatus for measuring the one‐dimensional steady‐state heat flux and water distribution in unsaturated soil under reduced air pressure. The system was tested using four samples with known thermal conductivity (0.6–8.0 W m−1 K−1). We confirmed that the system could measure the one‐dimensional steady‐state heat flux under a fixed temperature difference between ends of the samples over a wide range of thermal conductivity values. Time domain reflectometry was used to measure the water distribution with a repeatability of less than ± 1.0%. We used the apparatus to measure the soil heat flux and distribution of water content and temperature under steady‐state conditions with reduced air pressure. The initial volumetric water content, θini, of the soil samples was set at 0.20 and 0.40 m3m−3. For a θini of 0.20, the heat flux was not significantly affected by air pressure, and the water content on the hot side decreased whilst that on the cold side increased, i.e. a pronounced water content gradient was formed. For a θini of 0.40, the heat flux increased sharply with reduced air pressure, and the water content did not change, i.e. a homogeneous water distribution was observed. The increase in the heat flux with air pressure reduction is caused by the vapour transfer in soil pores. We found that a large vapour transfer took place in the soil with the homogeneous water distribution, and that the vapour transfer was less in the soil with the pronounced water content gradient. These experimental facts were entirely different from the traditional knowledge of vapour transfer in soil under temperature gradients. A lack of data on heat flux must have resulted in the previously incorrect conclusions. The new apparatus will serve to clarify the intricate phenomena of thermally induced vapour transfer in unsaturated soil in further experiments.
Symbiosis between Nicotiana attenuata and Glomus intraradices: ethylene plays a role, jasmonic acid does not
Authors: RIEDEL TINA , GROTEN KARIN , BALDWIN IAN T. 
Published: May 2008

ABSTRACTPhytohormones are thought to mediate plant–arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) interactions. To explore the role of phytohormones in the interaction between Nicotiana attenuata and Glomus intraradices, we analysed levels of jasmonic acid (JA) and its amino acid conjugate JA–isoleucine/JA–leucine (JA–Ile), salicylic acid (SA) and ethylene in either infected or non‐infected N. attenuata wild‐type (WT) plants growing in soils that mimic the nutrient supply rates found in the plant's native environment. Under these conditions, the infection decreases plant growth and reproductive performance. Levels of JA, JA–Ile and SA did not change upon infection, but ethylene release was slightly decreased. Transgenic N. attenuata plants defective in JA signalling (aslox3 and ircoi1) did not differ significantly in growth or reproductive performance compared with infected WT. Furthermore, no difference in infection rates could be observed. Transgenic plants unable to produce (iraco) or perceive (etr1) ethylene showed significantly larger decreases in growth and number of seed capsules produced between infected and non‐infected plants compared with WT plants. We conclude that ethylene, rather than JA, signalling plays a role in the interaction between N. attenuata and AM, from which the plant does not realize a fitness benefit.
Jasmonic acid treatment to part of the root system is consistent with simulated leaf herbivory, diverting recently assimilated carbon towards untreated roots within an hour
Authors: HENKES GUNNAR JAKOB , THORPE MICHAEL R. , MINCHIN PETER E. H. , SCHURR ULRICH , RÖSE URSULA S. R. 
Published: May 2008

ABSTRACTIt is known that shoot application of jasmonic acid (JA) leads to an increased carbon export from leaves to stem and roots, and that root treatment with JA inhibits root growth. Using the radioisotope 11C, we measured JA effects on carbon partitioning in sterile, split‐root, barley plants. JA applied to one root half reduced carbon partitioning to the JA‐treated tissue within minutes, whereas the untreated side showed a corresponding – but slower – increase. This response was not observed when instead of applying JA, the sink strength of one root half was reduced by cooling it: there was no enhanced partitioning to the untreated roots. The slower response in the JA‐untreated roots, and the difference between the effect of JA and temperature, suggest that root JA treatment caused transduction of a signal from the treated roots to the shoot, leading to an increase in carbon allocation from the leaves to the untreated root tissue, as was indeed observed 10 min after the shoot application of JA. This supports the hypothesis that the response of some plant species to both leaf and root herbivores may be the diversion of resources to safer locations.
Calcium pectate chemistry causes growth to be stored inChara corallina: a test of the pectate cycle
Authors: PROSEUS TIMOTHY E. , BOYER JOHN S. 
Published: May 2008

ABSTRACTCalcium pectate chemistry was reported to control the growth rate of cells ofChara corallina, and required turgor pressure (P) to do so. Accordingly, this chemistry should account for other aspects of growth, particularly the ability of plants to compensate for brief exposure to lowP, that is, to ‘store’ growth. LiveCharacells or isolated walls were attached to a pressure probe, andPwas varied. LowPcaused growth to be inhibited in live cells, but whenPreturned to normal (0.5 MPa), a flush of growth completely compensated for that lost at lowPfor as long as 23–53 min. This growth storage was absent in isolated walls, mature cells and live cells exposed to cold, indicating that the cytoplasm delivered a metabolically derived growth factor needingPfor its action. Because the cytoplasm delivered pectate needingPfor its action, pectate was supplied to isolated walls at lowPas though the cytoplasm had done so. Growth was stored while otherwise none occurred. It was concluded that aP‐dependent cycle of calcium pectate chemistry not only controlled growth rate and new wall deposition, but also accounted for stored growth.
Plasma progesterone, oestradiol‐17β and total oestrogen profiles in relation to oestrous behaviour during induced ovulation in Murrah buffalo heifers
Authors: Roy K. S. , Prakash B. S. 
Published: May 2008

SummaryThe objectives of this study were to establish the characteristics of oestrous behaviour in Ovsynch (induction of ovulation through administration of GnRH‐PGF2α‐GnRH in a systemic manner on 0, seventh and ninth day respectively) and Ovsynch plus Norprolac (Quinagolide hydrochloride – an inhibitor of prolactin secretion) treated Murrah buffalo heifers and to determine the relationships between this behaviour and the plasma concentrations of oestradiol‐17β (E2), total oestrogen, and progesterone. Oestrus was detected by visual observations of oestrus signs, per rectal examination of genitalia and bull parading thrice a day during treatment period. Among all the symptoms, it was observed that bull mounting of heifers in oestrus was highest. Examination of genital tracts per rectum revealed that the cervix was relaxed, uterus was turgid and ovaries had palpable follicle in animals with oestrus. The peak concentrations of E2 (10.81 ± 0.62 pg/ml) and total oestrogen (17.11 ± 1.21 pg/ml) occurred at 9.45 ± 0.85 and 9.64 ± 0.93 h after second GnRH administration, respectively, in Ovsynch treated animals. However, the peak levels of E2 (20.02 ± 2.87 pg/ml) and total oestrogen (32.71 ± 3.15 pg/ml) occurred at 10.18 ± 0.50 and 10.36 ± 0.75 h after second GnRH administration, respectively, in Ovsynch plus Norprolac treated animals. Plasma progesterone concentration was basal (0.20 ± 0.001 ng/ml) during the peri‐oestrus period. The plasma progesterone concentration was the lowest on the day of oestrus and increased to register a peak on day 13 ± 2 of the cycle. Oestrous behaviour was positively correlated with the peak concentration of E2 (p < 0.001) and total oestrogen (p < 0.001) during the peri‐oestrus period. Inhibition of prolactin by Norprolac administration significantly increased the concentration of E2 and total oestrogen during oestrus in buffaloes in comparison to those recorded in animals subjected to Ovsynch protocol alone. In conclusion, our results suggest that the peak concentrations of E2 and total oestrogen and mean level of E2 and total oestrogen during the peri‐oestrus period are the important factors contributing the behavioural manifestation of oestrus in buffalo cows.
Genetic Diversity of Rice False Smut Fungus, Ustilaginoidea virens and its Pronounced Differentiation of Populations in North China
Authors: Zhou Y.‐L. , Pan Y.‐J. , Xie X.‐W. , Zhu L.‐H. , Xu J.‐L. , Wang S. , Li Z.‐K. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractRice false smut caused by Ustilaginoidea virens is an important constraint affecting rice yield and quality in Asia. In China, rice false smut is especially severe in the japonica rice‐growing areas in the North China. Nothing is known neither about the diversity of the pathogen in this region nor about the characteristic of its local population. In this study, 110 U. virens isolates sampled from Liaoning and Beijing of North China were analysed using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers to primarily understand the genetic diversity of this pathogen and its population characteristics. At the genetic distance of 0.32, all isolates were divided into two groups. Group A consists of two subgroups differentiated at the genetic distance of 0.55, subgroup 1 included all isolates from Liaoning with an average genetic similarity over 0.82 and subgroup 2 included 27 isolates from Beijing with similarity of 0.74. Group B consists of 28 isolates from Beijing having a diversity of 0.054. The isolates from the Liaoning province, where rice false smut has generated different take‐all epidemic for 20 years, showed a genetic diversity of 0.305, which was approximately equally distributed within and among populations. Whereas genetic diversity was 0.458 among isolates from Beijing, an extremely high level of genetic differentiation among 55 isolates was observed in this disease hotspot. Our results suggested that the populations among different locations where sexual stage of the pathogen was rare to be found within ecological region were similar, and the variation of this pathogen has mainly arisen via asexual mechanisms. The migration through human activities in breeding perhaps provides a means of transporting the pathogen from one region to another.
A systematic review of school‐based intervention studies for the prevention or reduction of excess weight among Chinese children and adolescents
Authors: Li M. , Li S. , Baur L. A. , Huxley R. R. 
Published: May 2008

SummaryThe aim of this paper was to conduct a systematic review of intervention studies in China aimed at the prevention or control of excess weight gain among children and adolescents. Two Chinese databases (The China Full Text Database and Wanfang Database) and two English databases (Medline and Meditext) were searched with keywords for intervention studies published between 1990 and 2006. Data were extracted on aspects of study quality, methodology and effectiveness of interventions. Quality assessment was conducted using a previously established assessment tool. Twenty‐two studies were included, of which 17 were conducted among overweight and/or obese children and/or adolescents. Interventions strategies varied across studies but the majority focused on improving the level of knowledge, physical activity levels and/or diet of overweight children and adolescents. Most studies reported a beneficial effect of the intervention with one or more of the study outcomes, but all of the studies had serious, or moderate, methodological weaknesses. None of the trials identified by this systematic review demonstrated convincing evidence of the efficacy of any single intervention for the prevention of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents from Mainland China. Future intervention trials should address the methodological weaknesses identified in this review.
THE EFFECT OF NETWORK STRUCTURE ON DYNAMIC TEAM FORMATION IN MULTI‐AGENT SYSTEMS
Authors: Gaston Matthew E. , DesJardins Marie 
Published: May 2008

Previous studies of team formation in multi‐agent systems have typically assumed that the agent social network underlying the agent organization is either not explicitly described or the social network is assumed to take on some regular structure such as a fully connected network or a hierarchy. However, recent studies have shown that real‐world networks have a rich and purposeful structure, with common properties being observed in many different types of networks. As multi‐agent systems continue to grow in size and complexity, the network structure of such systems will become increasing important for designing efficient, effective agent communities.We present a simple agent‐based computational model of team formation, and analyze the theoretical performance of team formation in two simple classes of networks (ring and star topologies). We then give empirical results for team formation in more complex networks under a variety of conditions. From these experiments, we conclude that a key factor in effective team formation is the underlying agent interaction topology that determines the direct interconnections among agents. Specifically, we identify the property of diversity support as a key factor in the effectiveness of network structures for team formation. Scale‐free networks, which were developed as a way to model real‐world networks, exhibit short average path lengths and hub‐like structures. We show that these properties, in turn, result in higher diversity support; as a result, scale‐free networks yield higher organizational efficiency than the other classes of networks we have studied.