bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sleep patterns of European expatriates in a dry tropical climate
Authors: MONTMAYEUR ALAIN , BUGUET ALAIN 
Published: January 2009

SUMMARY  Night sleep in sedentary African subjects living in the sahelian zone lasts from 7 h to 8 h, with high amounts of slow‐wave sleep (SWS) and paradoxical sleep (PS), SWS being present in each sleep cycle. We report here on sleep patterns in 6 healthy male European expatriates (aged 32–39 years) living in the same tropical climate. Polysomnography was taken for 3 consecutive nights in February (mean ambient temperature, Ta: 29.5°C), March (Ta: 31.6°C) and May (Ta: 33.3°C). Comparisons between seasons were made with an analysis of variance, with P≥ 0.05.Because of a first night effect, the first nocturnal recording was discarded. Total sleep time (TST) increased in May vs February and March (P<0.05). Stage 2 was shorter in March than in February (P < 0.001) and its proportion decreased from February to March (P<0.02) and from March to May (P<0.05). Conversely, SWS increased from February to March and March to May (duration, P< 0.001; proportion, P<0.05), due to an augmentation in stage 4 with more numerous and longer stage 4 phases. Stage 3 was also increased in May vs March. The latency to SWS was shorter in March. SWS was present in each sleep cycle. PS was high, but did not vary. The sleep pattern changes were directly correlated with Ta. In conclusion, Caucasians living in the tropics slept similarly to Africans. The seasonal sleep variations favour the hypothesis that SWS is increased when thermoregulatory processes are triggered, either through passive climatic heating or exercise‐induced hyperthermia.
The relationship between EEG delta activity and autonomic activity as measured by SCSB during daytime sleep
Authors: PULLI KATRIINA , HÄRMÄ MIKKO , HASAN JOEL , VÄRRI ALPO , LOULA PEKKA 
Published: January 2009

SUMMARY  The aim of the present work was to study the applicability of the static‐charge‐sensitive bed (SCSB) method to sleep studies, by comparing autonomic nervous activity measured with the SCSB and EEG delta activity (0.5–2 Hz). Simultaneous polygraphic and SCSB measurements of the first sleep cycle (110 min) were recorded from seven subjects. The amount of delta activity filtered from the EEG was compared in 3 min epochs to an autonomic activity index (AAI) based on cardiac, respiratory and body movement activity.Individual Spearman rank order correlation coefficients between delta amplitude and the AAI varied from 0.17 to ‐0.60. Therefore, it is concluded that the relationship between the delta activity and the AAI is not systematic enough for defining ‘depth’ of sleep at any point in time by using the AAI. However, on average, the SCSB differentiates high and low delta values quite well. With some further improvement of the scoring system the SCSB is a useful tool in comparative sleep studies.
Discordance between phylogenetics and coalescent‐based divergence modelling: exploring phylogeographic patterns of speciation in the Carex macrocephala species complex
Authors: KING MATTHEW G. , ROALSON ERIC H. 
Published: January 2009

AbstractWe fit a molecular data set, consisting of the rpL16 cpDNA marker and eight microsatellite loci, to the isolation‐with‐migration model as implemented in IMa to test a well‐supported phylogenetic hypothesis of relationships within the Carex macrocephala species complex (Cyperaceae). The phylogenetic hypothesis suggests C. macrocephala from North America is reciprocally monophyletic and is sister to a reciprocally monophyletic clade of C. kobomugi. The North American C. macrocephala and C. kobomugi clade form a sister clade with a lineage of Asian C. macrocephala, thereby forming a paraphyletic C. macrocephala species. Not only does the phylogenetic hypothesis suggest C. macrocephala is paraphyletic, but it also suggests that the two lineages which share a partially overlapping distribution, Asian C. macrocephala and C. kobomugi, are not the most closely related. To test these relationships, we used coalescent‐based population genetic models to infer divergence time for each lineage pair within the species complex. The coalescent‐based models account for the stochastic forces which drive population divergence, and can account for the lineage sorting that occurs prior to lineage divergence. A drawback to phylogenetic‐based phylogeographical analyses is that they do not account for stochastic lineage sorting that occurs between gene divergence and lineage divergence. By comparing the relative divergence time of the three main lineages within this group, Asian C. macrocephala, North American C. macrocephala, and C. kobomugi, we concluded that the phylogenetic hypothesis is incorrect, and the divergence between these lineages occurred during the Late Pleistocene epoch.
Survival in the Rockies of an endangered hybrid swarm from diverged caribou (Rangifer tarandus) lineages
Authors: McDEVITT ALLAN D. , MARIANI STEFANO , HEBBLEWHITE MARK , DECESARE NICHOLAS J. , MORGANTINI LUIGI , SEIP DALE , WECKWORTH BYRON V. , MUSIANI MARCO 
Published: January 2009

AbstractIn North America, caribou (Rangifer tarandus) experienced diversification in separate refugia before the last glacial maximum. Geographical isolation produced the barren‐ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) with its distinctive migratory habits, and the woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), which has sedentary behaviour and is now in danger of extinction. Herein we report on the phylogenetics, population structure, and migratory habits of caribou in the Canadian Rockies, utilizing molecular and spatial data for 223 individuals. Mitochondrial DNA analyses show the occurrence of two highly diverged lineages; the Beringian–Eurasian and North American lineages, while microsatellite data reveal that present‐day Rockies’ caribou populations have resulted from interbreeding between these diverged lineages. An ice‐free corridor at the end of the last glaciation likely allowed, for the first time, for barren‐ground caribou to migrate from the North and overlap with woodland caribou expanding from the South. The lack of correlation between nuclear and mitochondrial data may indicate that different environmental forces, which might also include human‐caused habitat loss and fragmentation, are currently reshaping the population structure of this postglacial hybrid swarm. Furthermore, spatial ecological data show evidence of pronounced migratory behaviour within the study area, and suggest that the probability of being migratory may be higher in individual caribou carrying a Beringian–Eurasian haplotype which is mainly associated with the barren‐ground subspecies. Overall, our analyses reveal an intriguing example of postglacial mixing of diverged lineages. In a landscape that is changing due to climatic and human‐mediated factors, an understanding of these dynamics, both past and present, is essential for management and conservation of these populations.
AgrD‐dependent quorum sensing affects biofilm formation, invasion, virulence and global gene expression profiles in Listeria monocytogenes
Authors: Riedel Christian U. , Monk Ian R. , Casey Pat G. , Waidmann Mark S. , Gahan Cormac G. M. , Hill Colin 
Published: January 2009

SummaryThe Listeria monocytogenes Agr peptide‐sensing system has been analysed by creating a deletion mutant in agrD, the structural gene for the putative quorum‐sensing peptide. The ΔagrD mutant displayed significantly reduced biofilm formation, a defect which could be restored by genetic or physical complementation. A reduced invasion of Caco‐2 intestinal epithelial cells was observed for the ΔagrD mutant while phagocytosis by THP‐1 macrophages was unaffected. Additionally, the level of internalin A (InlA) in the cell wall was decreased in the ΔagrD mutant. Expression profiling of virulence genes (hlyA, actA, plcA, prfA and inlA) identified a finely tuned regulation which resulted in an impaired virulence response in the ΔagrD mutant. The mutant is also significantly attenuated for virulence in mice, as revealed by bioluminescent in vivo imaging. On day 3 post infection, systemic dissemination to livers and spleens had occurred for the wild type, whereas the ΔagrD mutant remained localized to the liver. Microarray analysis identified 126 and 670 genes as significantly regulated in exponential and stationary phase respectively. The results presented here suggest that peptide sensing plays an important role in the biology of L. monocytogenes, with relevant phenotypes in both the saprophytic and parasitic lifecycles.
Boron isotope composition of melt inclusions from porphyry systems of the Central Andes: a reconnaissance study
Authors: Wittenbrink Jens , Lehmann Bernd , Wiedenbeck Michael , Wallianos Alex , Dietrich Andreas , Palacios Carlos 
Published: January 2009

AbstractQuartz‐hosted melt inclusions from latite dykes of the Eocene El Salvador copper porphyry system in northern Chile display wide ranges in both boron concentration (15–155 p.p.m. B) and isotope composition (δ11B −7 to +12‰; n = 10), likely reflecting slab‐derived fluid input from seawater‐altered oceanic crust. In contrast, the major Miocene tin‐silver and tin porphyry systems in the Bolivian back‐arc region (Cerro Rico de Potosi, Chorolque, Llallagua) have distinctly different melt inclusion compositions with δ11B of −11.4 ± 2.7‰ (n = 10), and magmatic boron enrichment up to several hundred p.p.m. B. The `seawater' signature in the El Salvador melt inclusions explains the oxidized mineral assemblage of the copper porphyry system, as opposed to the more reduced nature of the Bolivian tin porphyry systems, which reflect intracrustal melting of pelitic rocks.
Natural variation in maize architecture is mediated by allelic differences at the PINOID co‐ortholog barren inflorescence2
Authors: Pressoir Gael , Brown Patrick J , Zhu Wenyan , Upadyayula Narasimham , Rocheford Torbert , Buckler Edward S , Kresovich Stephen 
Published: January 2009

SummaryWe characterized allelic variation at barren inflorescence2 (bif2), a maize co‐ortholog of the Arabidopsis PINOID protein kinase (PID), and tested for trait associations with bif2 in both an association mapping population of 277 diverse maize inbreds and in the inter‐mated B73 × Mo17 (IBM) linkage population. Results from the quantitative analyses were compared with previous reports of bif2 phenotypes in mutagenesis studies. All three approaches (association, linkage, and mutagenesis) detect a significant effect of bif2 on tassel architecture. Association mapping implicates bif2 in an unexpectedly wide range of traits including plant height, node number, leaf length, and flowering time. Linkage mapping finds a significant interaction effect for node number between bif2 and other loci, in keeping with previous reports that bif2;spi1 and Bif2;Bif1 double mutants produce fewer phytomers. The Mo17 allele is associated with a reduced tassel branch zone and shows lower expression than the B73 allele in hybrid B73–Mo17 F1 inflorescences, consistent with the complete absence of tassel branches in the bif2 knockout mutant. Overall, these data suggest that allelic variation at bif2 affects maize architecture by modulating auxin transport during vegetative and inflorescence development.
Disability adjusted life years lost to dengue in Brazil
Authors: Luz P. M. , Grinsztejn B. , Galvani A. P. 
Published: January 2009

SummaryObjectives  To assess the dengue burden in Brazil, and to compare it over three spatial scales: in the city of Rio de Janeiro, the state of Rio de Janeiro, and in Brazil overall.Methods  We calculated disability adjusted life years (DALYs) lost to dengue per million individuals annually from 1986 through 2006. To calculate DALYs, we compiled data on the number of dengue cases by age, clinical syndrome and outcome. We evaluated the sensitivity of our results to multiplication factors used to adjust for inaccuracies in reporting using a Monte Carlo method.Results  From 1986 through 2006, a mean of 56, 47 and 22 DALYs per million individuals annually were lost to dengue in the city of Rio de Janeiro, in the state of Rio de Janeiro and in Brazil, respectively. Over 80% of the dengue burden derived from dengue fever cases. The dengue burden was highest at the city‐level with a maximum single‐year estimate of 560 DALYs per million individuals for 2002.Conclusions  Assessment of dengue burden requires consideration of all clinical syndromes over multiple years. Our results indicate that the dengue burden is as high as the burden of other major infectious diseases that afflict the Brazilian population, including malaria. These results may prompt policy makers to elevate the prioritization of dengue control, and allocate resources needed to curtail the increasing dengue burden.
Recombinant human hepatitis B vaccine initiating alopecia areata: testing the hypothesis using the C3H/HeJ mouse model
Authors: Sundberg John P. , Silva Kathleen A. , Zhang Weidong , Sundberg Beth A. , Edwards Kathryn , King Lloyd E. , Davis Robert L. , Black Steven 
Published: January 2009

AbstractUntoward effects of human vaccines suggest that recombinant hepatitis B vaccine may induce alopecia areata (AA) in some patients. Similar untoward immunological effects may also account for AA‐like diseases in domestic species. In this study, the C3H/HeJ spontaneous adult onset AA mouse model was used to test the role, if any, of recombinant hepatitis B vaccine on the initiation or activation of AA. Initial experiments demonstrated no effect on induction of AA in young adult female C3H/HeJ mice (P = 0.5689). By contrast, older females, those at the age when AA first begins to appear in this strain, had a significant increase (P = 0.0264) in the time of onset of AA, suggesting that the vaccine may initiate disease in mice predisposed to AA. However, larger vaccine trials, which included diphtheria and tetanus toxoids as additional controls, did not support these initial result findings and suggest that AA associated with vaccination may be within the normal background levels of the given population.
Actinomyces meyeri cutaneous actinomycosis
Authors: Hermida María Daniela , Della Giovanna Patricia , Lapadula María , García Sandra , Cabrera Hugo Néstor 
Published: January 2009

AbstractActinomyces meyeri cutaneous actinomycosis is a very rare disease. It often results from contiguous dissemination of an underlying focus. We report a case of pulmonary actinomicosis with secondary cutaneous involvement which led to the diagnosis.A 51‐year‐old man presented with an indurated, erythematous plaque on his right chest wall. He had been diagnosed with pneumoniae one month prior ago and received antibiotic treatment but symptoms persisted. Fibrobroncoscopy was normal and bronchoalveolar lavage samples were negative. The cutaneous plaque evolved with fistulization and drainage of serohematic material with white grains. Actinomyces meyeri was cultured from bacteriologic samples. Ceftriaxone and doxiciclin were administered for a total of 12 months with complete resolution of the clinical condition.
An outbreak of 268 cases of Paederus dermatitis in a toy‐building factory in central China
Authors: Huang Changzheng , Liu Yeqiang , Yang Jing , Tian Jin , Yang Lingyun , Zhang Jing , Li Yanqiu , Li Jiawen , Wang Chunsen , Tu Yating , Tao Juan 
Published: January 2009

AbstractObjective  To evaluate the clinical features of and to identify the pathogen responsible for an outbreak of acute dermatitis in a toy‐building factory in Chibi city, central China.Methods  Physical examinations were carried out on all the factory staff. Records were made. The factory district, its surrounding environment and the accommodation conditions were investigated. The insects collected in the area were identified by a parasitologist at the Department of Parasitology, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan.Results  Two hundred and sixty‐eight cases of Paederus dermatitis were diagnosed in a total of 316 staff at the toy‐building factory. The total incidence rate was 84.81%. The incidence rates in administrators and workers were 43.75% and 87%, respectively. The face and neck were the most common sites of involvement. The most common lesions consisted of linear erythema and papulopustules. In 71.27% of patients, more than one lesion was present.Conclusion  This outbreak of acute dermatitis was diagnosed as Paederus dermatitis caused by Paederus fuscipes. The favorable environment, lighting, humidity, and poor accommodation may have been responsible for the outbreak. Increased public awareness of this condition may decrease the incidence of Paederus dermatitis.
Infectious balanoposthitis: management, clinical and laboratory features
Authors: Lisboa Carmen , Ferreira Alcina , Resende Carlos , Rodrigues Acácio Gonçalves 
Published: January 2009

AbstractBackground  Balanitis is defined as inflammation of the glans penis, often involving the prepuce (balanoposthitis). It is a common condition due to a wide variety of causes with infection being the most frequent and several microorganisms reported. The clinical aspect is often non specific. The management of balanoposthitis remains a clinical challenge.Objective  To evaluate the prevalence of infectious balanitis, its management, clinical features, laboratory procedures and treatment options.Subjects and methods  One hundred eighteen patients with infectious balanitis were evaluated between 1995 and 2004 and laboratory data were collected.Results  Balanitis was diagnosed in 219 (10.7%) of the men that have attended the sexually transmitted disease (STD) Clinic. One hundred eighteen (53.9%) had clinically been assumed to suffer from infectious balanitis. In 75 (63.6%) patients the diagnosis was confirmed by culture studies. Candida albicans was isolated from 24 patients. Staphylococcus spp. and groups B and D Streptococci were the most frequently isolated bacteria. All men were uncircumcised. Ninety‐one (77.1%) of infectious balanitis patients were treated with antifungal agents. Twelve patients with infectious noncandida balanitis were treated with general antibiotic therapy. Fifty‐five (46.6%) patients had a follow‐up of 3 to 12 months during which recurrences were registered in 7 (12.7%) patients.Conclusions  Infectious balanitis was a common condition, affecting 53.9 % of male STD clinic patients in this study. Candida spp. were the most frequently isolated microorganisms. The clinical aspect is of little value in predicting the infectious agent associated with balanoposthitis.
The importance of nasal provocation test in the diagnosis of natural rubber latex allergy
Authors: Ünsel M. , Mete N. , Ardeniz Ö. , Göksel S. , Ersoy R. , Sin A. , Gulbahar O. , Kokuludag A. 
Published: January 2009

Background:  Most studies regarding natural rubber latex (NRL) allergy have concentrated on the prevalance using skin prick test (SPT) and specific IgE assay. The objective of this study is to examine the target organ (skin, nasal mucosa) responses in patients with positive SPT to NRL using the nasal provacation test (NPT) and glove use test (GUT).Methods:  Four thousand four hundred and twenty patients presented to our polyclinic between July 2003 and January 2007 were evaluated. One thousand six hundred and ninety‐nine patients had positive SPT to one or more allergens (NRL and other inhaler allergens). Twenty‐nine patients with positive SPT to NRL comprised the NRL sensitive group (group 1). Thirty‐five randomized patients with positive SPT to an inhaler allergen other than NRL and negative NRL‐specific IgE comprised atopic control group (group 2). Thirty healthy individuals who had no allergic diseases and had negative SPT and NRL‐specific IgE comprised the healthy control group (group 3).Results:  The lowest NRL allergen concentration leading to NPT positiveness was 0.05 μg/mL. NPT was negative in groups 2 and 3. NPT was found to have a sensitivity of 96%, specificity of 100%, negative predictive value of 98% and positive predictive value of 100%. GUT was found to have a sensitivity of 81%, specificity of 90%, negative predictive value of 75% and positive predictive value of 93%.Conclusions:  Nasal provocation test was successfully used for the first time in the diagnosis of NRL allergy. NPT is a more sensitive method as compared to GUT.
OBESITY INDUCED RENAL OXIDATIVE STRESS CONTRIBUTES TO RENAL INJURY IN SALT‐SENSITIVE HYPERTENSION
Authors: Quigley Jeffrey E , Elmarakby Ahmed A , Knight Sarah F , Manhiani Marlina M , Stepp David W , Olearzcyk Jeffrey J , Imig John D 
Published: January 2009

SUMMARY

In the present study, we determined the role of hypertension, oxidative stress and inflammation on kidney damage in a rodent model of obesity and diabetes. Hypertension was induced in male obese (db/db) mice and lean (db/m) mice by implantation of deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) pellets and mice were allowed to drink water containing 1% salt. Mice were divided into six groups as follows: obese and lean control, obese and lean 1% salt (salt) and obese and lean DOCA plus 1% salt (DOCA‐salt).
Blood pressure was significantly increased in lean and obese DOCA‐salt groups relative to their respective controls; however, there was no difference in blood pressure between the lean and obese control and salt groups. Urinary 8‐isoprostane was increased in obese control compared with lean control mice (1464 ± 267 vs 493 ± 53 pg/µmol creatinine, respectively) and this elevation was further increased in the obese DOCA‐salt treated mice (2430 ± 312 pg/µmol creatinine). Urinary monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 excretion and CD68‐positive cells were also increased in both obese and lean DOCA‐salt groups compared with their respective controls. Furthermore, DOCA‐salt treatment increased collagen IV excretion in both obese and lean mice compared with controls, but there was no difference between obese and lean DOCA‐salt groups. Urinary albumin excretion was significantly increased in the obese compared with the lean DOCA‐salt mice (507 ± 160 vs 202 ± 48 µg/day, respectively).
These data suggest that obese DOCA‐salt hypertensive mice exhibit greater renal injury than lean DOCA‐salt hypertensive mice in a manner independent of blood pressure and that this renal injury is associated with obesity related pre‐existing renal oxidative stress.
Impact of prenatal diagnosis on choledochal cysts and the benefits of early excision
Authors: Foo Dominic CC , Wong Kenneth KY , Lan Lawrence CL , Tam Paul KH 
Published: January 2009

Aim:  To evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients with prenatally diagnosed choledochal cysts compared with those diagnosed after birth and the optimal timing of definitive treatment.Methods:  Retrospective review of all patients who underwent primary choledochal cyst excision and Roux‐en‐Y hepaticojejunostomy from 1996 to 2006 at a single institution.Results:  A total of 45 patients were included. Ten (22.2%) of the patients had prior prenatal diagnosis. The mean age at operation for this group was 4.4 months and mean follow up was 55.9 months. There was no operative complication or late morbidity. For the post‐natal diagnosis group, the mean age at operation was 5.7 years (P < 0.000) and mean follow up period was 69 months. The most common presentation in this group was abdominal pain (31.4%), followed by pancreatitis (28.6%) and symptoms of cholestasis (25.7%). Early post‐operative morbidities occurred in two (5.7%) patients. On long‐term follow up, two (5.7%) further patients in the post‐natal group developed complications.Conclusion:  Prenatal diagnosis of choledochal cysts results in earlier definitive surgery. More adverse complications were seen in those who had surgery at an older age. We therefore recommend early excision of choledochal cysts.