bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Successful treatment for chromoblastomycosis caused by Fonsecaea monophora: a report of three cases in Guangdong, China
Authors: Zhang Junmin , Xi Liyan , Lu Changming , Li Xiqing , Xie Ting , Zhang Hui , Xie Zhi , Sybren De Hoog 
Published: July 2008

Summary Fonsecaea pedrosoi is the most prevalent aetiological agent of chromoblastomycosis. Fonsecaea monophora is a new species segregated from Fonsecaea pedrosoi. Herein, we report on three cases of chromoblastomycosis caused by F. monophora that were successfully treated with terbinafine and/or itraconazole. Clinical characteristics and mycological parameters are described. Two of the three patients underwent combination therapy with itraconazole and terbinafine during early stages of treatment and were completely healed in a relatively short course of treatment.
Rural carers online: A feasibility study
Authors: Dow Briony , Moore Kirsten , Scott Peter , Ratnayeke Amodha , Wise Kate , Sims Jane , Hill Keith 
Published: July 2008

AbstractObjective:  To test the feasibility (for a potential randomised controlled trial) of a computer intervention for improving social interaction and promoting the mental health of rural carers. Design:  The study combined pre‐ and post‐intervention measures with interviews to determine the feasibility of the intervention and the acceptability of the study design to participants. The intervention consisted of providing 14 rural carers with computers and a 4‐week training program on basic computer skills, using email and the Internet. Setting:  The study was conducted in a rural community setting. Participants:  The carers were 12 women and two men, aged from 50 to 81 years, with an average of 65.5 years. Main outcome measures:  Measures of social isolation (UCLA Loneliness Scale), depression (Geriatric Depression Scale), carer burden (Zarit Burden Interview) and computer confidence were taken at baseline and at a 3‐month follow‐up. Interviews were completed at follow‐up to discuss outcomes of the study. A focus group discussion was conducted with 11 participants to discuss the study and resolve computer issues. Results:  Most carers reported increased confidence in email and Internet use. There was improvement for most participants in depressive symptoms and social isolation, but little change in carer burden. Participants identified many social benefits associated with the computer intervention, such as intergenerational connection, community building, skills and confidence and preparation for the future. Conclusion:  The intervention was found to be practical and acceptable for a group of older carers. It was concluded that it would be feasible to conduct a large randomised controlled trial of the intervention.
Private Provision of a Discrete Public Good: Continuous‐Strategy Equilibria in the Private‐Information Subscription Game
Authors: BARBIERI STEFANO , MALUEG DAVID A. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractWe reconsider Laussel and Palfrey's analysis of private provision of discrete public goods via the subscription game. We show their semi‐regular equilibria do not exist, casting doubt on their efficiency analysis. Taking players' values for the public good as uniformly distributed on , we exhibit previously unrecognized continuous equilibria—those with contribution strategies strictly increasing up to their maximum values, not necessarily equal to the provision cost, c, at which point they become flat. We show piecewise‐linear equilibria are not incentive efficient; and if and , then all symmetric equilibria are interim incentive inefficient.
Standard Tax Competition and Increasing Returns
Authors: KROGSTRUP SIGNE 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThe “race to the bottom” result of the standard tax competition literature implies that capital taxes are competed downward as capital becomes more mobile. The new economic geography literature, in contrast, finds that increasing capital mobility can be associated with a rise in capital tax rates, or a “race to the top.” This paper derives the race to the top result from within the standard tax competition modeling framework augmented with agglomeration forces. When agglomeration forces are sufficiently strong, tax competition pressures are mitigated and capital taxes are instead driven by tax exporting incentives.
R×CEcological Inference: Bounds, Correlations, Flexibility and Transparency of Assumptions
Authors: James Greiner D. , Quinn Kevin M. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryDespite its potential pitfalls, ecological inference is an unavoidable part of some quantitative settings, including US voting rights litigation. In such applications, the analyst will typically encounter two-way tables with more than two rows and columns. Although several ecological inference methods are currently available for 2×2 tables, there are fewer options for analysing general R×C tables, and virtually none that model counts as opposed to fractions. We propose a count R×C method that respects the bounds deterministically, that allows for complex relationships between internal cell quantities, that is easily extensible and that results from transparent assumptions. We study the method via simulation, and then apply it to an example that is drawn from the state of Texas relevant to recent redistricting litigation there.
The Change from Private to Public Governance of British Higher Education: Its Consequences for Higher Education Policy Making 1980–2006
Authors: Shattock Michael 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThis article argues that in moving from being self governed to being state governed the policy drivers for higher education are no longer those of the system itself but are derived from a set of policies designed for the reform and modernisation of the public sector of the economy. The formation of higher education policy therefore needs to be reinterpreted as an adjunct of public policy, rather than as something intrinsic to higher education. The impact of ‘new public management’ approaches and of political interventions are explored in illustrating the consequences of the centralisation of the management of the public services and of higher education becoming an issue in national politics.
Direct versus indirect effects of habitat reduction on the loss of avian species from tropical forest fragments
Authors: Feeley K. J. , Terborgh J. W. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractTropical forest fragments typically decrease in avian diversity at rates inversely related to area. However, the mechanisms by which area reduction drives avian species loss remain poorly understood. Changes in habitat area may directly lead to species loss through stochastic fluctuations of reduced populations. Alternatively, area‐dependent changes in top‐down and bottom‐up processes associated with fragmentation may indirectly lead to accelerated avian extinctions. For example, on land‐bridge islands in Lago Guri, Venezuela, fragmentation has resulted in complex changes in the biotic environments through altered abundances of nest predators and generalist herbivores. Using path analysis, we quantified the relative importance of these indirect versus direct effects of area reduction on the rates of avian species loss from 11 fragments during the period 1993–2003. Area reduction had a direct effect on species loss but this was relatively minor compared with indirect effects, especially those mediated through changes in herbivore abundances: species loss was slowed on islands occupied by hyperdense howler monkeys and accelerated on islands with leaf‐cutter ants but lacking howlers. The effects of herbivores on bird species loss are likely indirect and resulting from bottom‐up processes. The primacy of indirect effects at Lago Guri suggests that the loss of species from forest fragments may be driven by active biotic processes (i.e. changes in trophic structure) and is not only a passive response to reduction in habitat areaper se. These findings have important implications for the design and management of reserves aimed at protecting birds and other threatened species.
Changing land management of lowland wet grasslands of the UK: impacts on snipe abundance and habitat quality
Authors: Smart J. , Amar A. , O'Brien M. , Grice P. , Smith K. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractSnipe Gallinago gallinago breeding on lowland wet grasslands in England have undergone widespread and dramatic declines in abundance and distribution since at least the 1970s. There are many potential drivers of the decline but reductions in habitat quality, driven by land management, are often proposed as a contributing factor in the historical declines of breeding waders. Breeding snipe are now restricted to a few key places such as nature reserves and environmentally sensitive areas where management for breeding waders is implemented. On average, populations have continued to decline, even in these key areas, though population trends vary from a decline of 98% to an increase of 61% between the early 1990s and 2006. We examined the relationship between regional variation in snipe population trends and soil conditions, other habitat features and land management. Snipe were more likely to persist in fields where the soil conditions were wet and soft. Fields are wetter and softer now than in the early 1990s and management influenced these conditions. Soil softness increased with decreasing grazing pressure and increasing surface flooding. Soil moisture increased with surface flooding and was higher in organic soils. Changes in field condition were consistent with decreases in grazing pressure and increases in surface flooding. In spite of habitat condition being altered in a way that should have been beneficial to snipe, the numbers have continued to decline. Thus, it is unlikely that the measures of habitat condition examined here have been the driver of the decline and other factors must be involved. Research efforts should now focus on alternative explanations of the decline, for example, changes in other key aspects of habitat quality such as prey abundance, or changes in snipe productivity or mortality.
Colonic and colorectal cancer stem cells: progress in the search for putative biomarkers
Authors: Willis Naomi D. , Przyborski Stefan A. , Hutchison Christopher J. , Wilson Robert G. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThe maintenance of healthy colonic crypts is dependent on the integrity of the adult epithelial stem cells located within them. Perturbations in stem cell dynamics are generally believed to represent the first step towards colorectal tumorigenesis. Experimental manipulation of intestinal stem cells has greatly increased our understanding of them, but further progress has been slowed due to the absence of a reliable stem cell biomarker. In this review we discuss the candidate colonic stem cell biomarkers which have been proposed. Furthermore, we investigate the putative biomarkers for so‐called colorectal cancer stem cells, a highly aggressive subpopulation of cells considered to drive tumour development.
An in situ hybridization study of Runx2, Osterix, and Sox9 in the anlagen of mouse mandibular condylar cartilage in the early stages of embryogenesis
Authors: Shibata Shunichi , Yokohama‐Tamaki Tamaki 
Published: July 2008

AbstractMandibular condylar cartilage is the best‐studied mammalian secondary cartilage, differing from primary cartilage in that it originates from alkaline phosphatase‐positive progenitor cells. We previously demonstrated that three transcription factors related to bone and cartilage formation, namely Runx2, Osterix and Sox9, are simultaneously expressed in the anlage of mandibular condylar cartilage (condylar anlage) at embryonic day (E)14. In this study, expression of these transcription factors was investigated in the anlagen of mandibular bone (mandibular anlagen) from E11.0 to 14.0. Runx2 mRNA was first expressed in the mandibular anlage at E11.5. Osterix mRNA was first expressed at E12.0, and showed a different expression pattern from that of Runx2 from E12.5 to E14.0, confirming that Osterix acts downstream of Runx2. Sox9 mRNA was expressed in Meckel's cartilage and its anlagen throughout the experimental period, but not clearly in the mandibular anlagen until E13.0. At E13.5, the condylar anlage was morphologically identified at the posterior end of the mandibular anlage, and enhanced Sox9 mRNA expression was detected here. At this stage, Runx2 and Osterix mRNA were simultaneously detected in the condylar anlage. These results indicate that the Sox9 mRNA‐expressing condylar anlage is derived from Runx2/Osterix mRNA‐expressing mandibular anlage, and that upregulation of Sox9 in this region acts as a trigger for subsequent condylar cartilage formation.
Continental speciation in the tropics: contrasting biogeographic patterns of divergence in theUroplatusleaf‐tailed gecko radiation of Madagascar
Authors: Raxworthy C. J. , Pearson R. G. , Zimkus B. M. , Reddy S. , Deo A. J. , Nussbaum R. A. , Ingram C. M. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractA fundamental expectation of vicariance biogeography is for contemporary cladogenesis to produce spatial congruence between speciating sympatric clades. TheUroplatusleaf‐tailed geckos represent one of most spectacular reptile radiations endemic to the continental island of Madagascar, and thus serve as an excellent group for examining patterns of continental speciation within this large and comparatively isolated tropical system. Here we present the first phylogeny that includes complete taxonomic sampling for the group, and is based on morphology and molecular (mitochondrial and nuclear DNA) data. This study includes all described species, and we also include data for eight new species. We find novel outgroup relationships forUroplatusand find strongest support forParoeduraas its sister taxon.Uroplatusis estimated to have initially diverged during the mid‐Tertiary in Madagascar, and includes two major speciose radiations exhibiting extensive spatial overlap and estimated contemporary periods of speciation. All sister species are either allopatric or parapatric. However, we found no evidence for biogeographic congruence between these sympatric clades, and dispersal events are prevalent in the dispersal–vicariance biogeographic analyses, which we estimate to date to the Miocene. One sister‐species pair exhibits isolated distributions that we interpret as biogeographic relicts, and two sister‐species pairs have parapatric distributions separated by elevation. Integrating ecological niche models with our phylogenetic results finds both conserved and divergent niches between sister species. We also found substantial intra‐specific genetic variation, and for the three most widespread species, poor intra‐specific predictive performance for ecological niche models across the latitudinal span of Madagascar. These latter results indicate the potential for intra‐specific niche specialization along environmental gradients, and more generally, this study suggests a complex speciation history for this group in Madagascar, which appears to include multiple speciation processes.
Inhibition of glutaminyl cyclase prevents pGlu‐Aβ formation after intracortical/hippocampal microinjection in vivo/in situ
Authors: Schilling Stephan , Appl Thomas , Hoffmann Torsten , Cynis Holger , Schulz Katrin , Jagla Wolfgang , Friedrich Daniel , Wermann Michael , Buchholz Mirko , Heiser Ulrich , Von Hörsten Stephan , Demuth Hans‐Ulrich 
Published: July 2008

AbstractModified amyloid β (Aβ) peptides represent major constituents of the amyloid deposits in Alzheimer’s disease and Down’s syndrome. In particular, N‐terminal pyroglutamate (pGlu) following truncation renders Aβ more stable, increases hydrophobicity and the aggregation velocity. Recent evidence based on in vitro studies suggests that the cyclization of glutamic acid, leading to pGlu‐Aβ, is catalyzed by the enzyme glutaminyl cyclase (QC) following limited proteolysis of Aβ at the N‐terminus. Here, we studied the pGlu‐formation by rat QC in vitro as well as after microinjection of Aβ(1–40) and Aβ(3–40) into the rat cortex in vivo/in situ with and without pharmacological QC inhibition. Significant pGlu‐Aβ formation was observed following injection of Aβ(3–40) after 24 h, indicating a catalyzed process. The generation of pGlu‐Aβ from Aβ(3–40) was significantly inhibited by intracortical microinjection of a QC inhibitor. The study provides first evidence that generation of pGlu‐Aβ is a QC‐catalyzed process in vivo. The approach per se offers a strategy for a rapid evaluation of compounds targeting a reduction of pGlu formation at the N‐terminus of amyloid peptides.
Role of cysteinyl leukotriene receptor antagonists in the management of allergic rhinitis
Authors: Shirasaki H. , Himi T. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThe cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLTs) are lipid mediators that have been implicated in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases. Pharmacological studies using CysLTs indicate that there exist two classes of receptors named CysLT1 and CysLT2. The former is sensitive to CysLT1 receptor antagonists currently used for the treatment of asthma and allergic rhinitis. Our previous immunohistochemical and autoradiographic studies showed that anti‐CysLT1 receptor antibody adhered to eosinophils, mast cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and vascular endothelial cells in human nasal mucosa, and that a novel radioactive CysLT1 receptor antagonist, [3H]‐pranlukast, bound specifically to CysLT1 receptors in human inferior turbinate and its binding sites were localized to vascular endothelium and interstitial cells. These data suggest that in allergic rhinitis, the major targets of CysLT1 receptor antagonists are the vascular bed and infiltrating leucocytes such as mast cells, eosinophils, and macrophages. Clinical trials have demonstrated that CysLT1 receptor antagonists are as effective as antihistamines, but are less effective than intranasal steroids for the treatment of allergic rhinitis. The use of CysLT1 receptor antagonists in combination with antihistamines has generally resulted in greater efficacy than when these agents were used alone.
Mechanism of action and resistance to glucocorticoid and selective glucocorticoid receptor modulator to overcome glucocorticoid‐related adverse effects
Authors: Nawata H. , Okabe T. , Yanase T. , Nomura M. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryGlucocorticoids are lipid substances synthesized by the adrenal cortex that are essential for life and regulate myriad physiological processes ubiquitously in organs and tissues as mediated by intracellular glucocorticoid receptors (GRs). From the clinical standpoint, although glucocorticoids have potent anti‐inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects, their adverse effects profiles and so‐called glucocorticoid resistance are barriers to their widespread use. GRβ, a splice variant isoform of GRα, the predominant isoform of the receptor, and co‐activators and co‐repressors are believed to be important for GR‐mediated actions. The mechanism of action of GRα and its co‐activators and co‐repressors and the mechanism of resistance to glucocorticoid treatment were investigated by confocal microscopic imaging of GRα and GRβ and by assessing protein–protein interaction of GRα and nuclear factor‐κB and of GRα and activator protein‐1 (AP‐1). The possibility of new drug development of selective GR modulators, which reduce GR‐related adverse effects such as steroid‐induced osteoporosis, steroid‐induced diabetes mellitus, and infection yet confer beneficial anti‐inflammatory effects and immunosuppressive action is discussed.
Current status of intranasal glucocorticosteroids in the management of allergic rhinitis
Authors: Okano M. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryGlucocorticosteroids are the most effective drugs for controlling inflammation of allergic rhinitis (AR). Because of their strong pharmacological action, which can be a so‐called ‘double‐edged sword’, glucocorticosteroids are usually taken intranasally so as to reduce their potential for eliciting adverse effects. Accumulating evidence suggests that intranasal glucocorticosteroids control not only nasal symptoms but also ocular symptoms. In contrast to sedating H1‐receptor antagonists, intranasal glucocorticosteroids can improve impaired performance such as daytime sleepiness associated with AR. In Japanese cedar pollinosis, treatment begun immediately after initiation of pollen release or onset of initial symptoms, known as prophylactic (initial) treatment, is recommended. The current version of the practical guideline for management of allergic rhinitis in Japan recommends the use of chemical mediator release inhibitors, second‐generation H1‐receptor antagonists, or leukotriene receptor antagonists for prophylactic treatment. However, recent evidence suggests that intranasal glucocorticosteroids might also be useful as first‐line drugs for prophylactic treatment. The molecular mechanism of anti‐inflammatory action of glucocorticosteroids supports this contention. Moreover, a meta‐analysis of studies of intranasal glucocorticosteroids given as monotherapy has revealed that these agents are superior to oral H1‐receptor antagonists and leukotriene antagonists for controlling major symptoms of AR. These findings suggest that glucocorticosteroids, especially intranasal glucocorticosteroids, might be positioned as first‐line drugs for the treatment of both perennial and seasonal AR.
Relationships between important soil variables in moderately acidic soils (pH ≥5.5) in the highlands of Papua New Guinea and management implications for subsistence farmers
Authors: Bailey J. S. , Ramakrishna A. , Kirchhof G. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThe fertility of farmed soils in parts of the Papua New Guinea (PNG) highlands reputedly has been declining for some time owing to population pressure. To assess the extent of the problem, a survey of sweet potato gardens was conducted across four of the highlands provinces and information on soil variables was obtained for gardens on soils of volcanic and non‐volcanic origins. In the absence of fertilizer application, soil fertility in the humid tropics is largely a function of soil cation exchange capacity (CEC), and soils of low CEC had previously been reported in this region. In the present study, relationships between effective CEC (ECEC) and other soil properties in moderately acidic soils (pH 5.5–6.3) were investigated to see if there was scope for improving soil cation retention characteristics through management of key soil variables. For volcanic soils of varying allophane content, ECEC was, unexpectedly, negatively correlated with soil C and soil C/N, most probably because of the formation of humus–allophane complexes which had facilitated organic matter accumulation whilst dramatically reducing the free negative charges on the material. Given the latter outcome, the indigenous practice of heaping compost in the centre of soil mounds appeared to be one of the best strategies for circumventing the problem of low CEC, as nutrients in the compost are held in an environment virtually independent of the surrounding soil mineralogy. Although the positive correlation between soil pH and soil ECEC was weak for volcanic soils, it was concluded that liming might nevertheless be an effective means of enhancing the nutrient retention characteristics of these soils provided the practicalities and costs were not prohibitive.