bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Palaeoenvironments associated with caddisfly‐dominated microbial‐carbonate mounds from the Tipton Shale Member of the Green River Formation: Eocene Lake Gosiute
Authors: LEGGITT V. LEROY , BIAGGI ROBERTO E. , BUCHHEIM H. PAUL 
Published: February 2007

AbstractCaddisfly‐dominated microbial‐carbonate mounds and avian eggshell fragments are common in a nearshore, oolite facies of the Tipton Shale Member of the Eocene Green River Formation. The fossils occur in a 9 m thick carbonate sequence exposed on the south‐west flank of Essex Mountain, Sweetwater County, Wyoming. The eggshell was determined to be of avian origin by examination of the radial eggshell microstructure by scanning electron microscopy and polarized light microscopy. Common allochems in the limestone include: ooids, pisoids, oncoids, ostracods, gastropods, intraclasts, caddisfly larval/pupal cases, fish bones, avian bones and avian eggshell fragments. Carbonate mineralogy varies between 95% calcite and 95% dolomite. Oxygen stable isotopes vary between −10·1 and −1·3‰ (V‐PDB). Carbon and oxygen stable isotopes co‐vary. Co‐variance of oxygen and carbon stable isotopes indicates that Lake Gosiute was hydrologically closed during the formation of this oolite sequence. Positive excursions of oxygen stable isotope values are correlated with dolomite, caddisfly cases and avian eggshell fragments. These factors are probably associated with lake regression and more saline conditions. Negative excursions of oxygen stable isotope values are correlated with calcite, gastropods and intraclasts. These factors are probably associated with lake transgression and lake freshening. In the 9 m oolite sequence studied there are at least two inferred transgressions, three regressions and two storm events. The caddisfly cases and avian eggshell fragments occur in sediments formed only during low‐stands of the lake as determined by other lake level proxies (dolomites and more positive oxygen stable isotope values). As avian eggshell fragments were formed under subaerial conditions, the avian eggshell fragments independently confirm lake regression. In addition, the occurrence of avian eggshell fragments during saline phases of the lake may indicate that the birds which produced the eggshell preferred saline conditions (or that their food preferred saline lake water).
RETRACTION: Numerical simulation of a wind‐sand flow under different conditions of atmospheric stability
Authors: PING LÜ , DONG ZHIBAO , CARLING PAUL 
Published: February 2007

AbstractA theoretical model for wind‐sand flow is developed by considering the coupling between wind flow and sand particle motion, the latter subject to the Magnus effect, under different atmospheric stability conditions. Using this model, the characteristics of the wind‐sand flow are discussed in detail. The results show that the atmospheric stability and the Magnus effect both have a strong influence on wind profiles and on the trajectories of sand particles. This approach produces results with characteristics that differ from those previously reported; the latter only applying to atmospheric conditions of neutral stability. The saltating sand reaches a greater height under non‐neutral stability than under neutral stability, while the maximum horizontal distance is greater under unstable conditions and is smaller under stable conditions than under conditions of neutral stability.
Identification of four new HLA‐Cw alleles in the Sudanese population
Authors: Elamin N. E. , Elbashir M. I. , Elkhidir I. M. , Elghazali G. , Blasczyk R. , Horn P. A. 
Published: February 2007

AbstractThe major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is the most polymorphic region of the human genome. Human leukocyte antigen‐C (HLA‐C) genes are located in the class I region of MHC. Most polymorphisms of HLA class I antigens are present in exons 2 and 3, which encode the α1 and α2 domains of the HLA‐A heavy chain, involved in both peptide binding and HLA‐restricted recognition by the T‐cell receptor. Four new HLA‐Cw alleles were identified in the Sudanese population during HLA class I and class II sequencing‐based typing at the HLA‐C locus of case–control study of Sudanese HIV patients, in individuals from different ethnic background. Based on the localization of the affected amino acid positions in an outer loop of the α‐helix forming the side of the peptide‐binding groove, we do not expect the replacement mutations to have an effect on peptide binding or T‐cell receptor interaction.
Lack of association between LTA and LGALS2 polymorphisms and myocardial infarction in Japanese and Korean populations
Authors: Kimura A. , Takahashi M. , Choi B. Y. , Bae S. W. , Hohta S. , Sasaoka T. , Nakahara K.‐i. , Chida K. , Sawabe M. , Yasunami M. , Naruse T. , Izumi T. , Park J.‐E. 
Published: February 2007

AbstractTo investigate the recently reported associations of polymorphisms in lymphotoxin‐α (LTA) and galectin‐2 (LGALS2) with myocardial infarction (MI), we analyzed a single nucleotide polymorphism of LTA (LTA 252A>G in LTA intron 1) and that of LGALS2 (LGALS2 3279C>T in LGALS2 intron 1) in Japanese and Korean populations. Although significant associations with MI were not observed in either population, we found that LTA 252GG was significantly associated with the severity of the disease for both the Japanese and Korean populations (P= 0.017 and P= 0.001, respectively). On the other hand, the polymorphism of LGALS2 was not associated with the severity of coronary atherosclerosis. These observations showed that, while the LTA 252GG genotype might modify the development of coronary atherosclerosis, the relation of LTA and LGALS2 to MI itself remained much less certain.
The evolution of sperm morphometry in pheasants
Authors: IMMLER S. , SAINT‐JALME M. , LESOBRE L. , SORCI G. , ROMAN Y. , BIRKHEAD T. R. 
Published: February 2007

AbstractPost‐copulatory sexual selection is thought to be a potent evolutionary force driving the diversification of sperm shape and function across species. In birds, insemination and fertilization are separated in time and sperm storage increases the duration of sperm–female interaction and hence the opportunity for sperm competition and cryptic female choice. We performed a comparative study of 24 pheasant species (Phasianidae, Galliformes) to establish the relative importance of sperm competition and the duration of sperm storage for the evolution of sperm morphometry (i.e. size of different sperm traits). We found that sperm size traits were negatively associated with the duration of sperm storage but were independent of the risk of sperm competition estimated from relative testis mass. Our study emphasizes the importance of female reproductive biology for the evolution of sperm morphometry particularly in sperm‐storing taxa.
Parallel evolution of lake whitefish dwarf ecotypes in association with limnological features of their adaptive landscape
Authors: LANDRY L. , VINCENT W. F. , BERNATCHEZ L. 
Published: February 2007

AbstractSympatric fish populations observed in many north temperate lakes are among the best models to study the processes of population divergence and adaptive radiation. Despite considerable research on such systems, little is known about the associations between ecological conditions and the extent of ecotypic divergence. In this study, we examined the biotic and abiotic properties of postglacial lakes in which lake whitefish,Coregonus clupeaformis, occur as a derived dwarf ecotype in sympatry with an ancestral normal ecotype. We compared 19 limnological variables between two groups of lakes known from previous studies to harbour sympatric dwarf and normal ecotypes with high and low levels of phenotypic and genetic differentiation respectively. We found clear environmental differences between the two lake groups. Namely, oxygen was the most discriminant variable, where lakes harbouring the most divergent populations were characterized by the greatest hypolimnetic oxygen depletion. These lakes also had lower zooplankton densities and a narrower distribution of zooplantonic prey length. These results suggest that the highest differentiation between sympatric ecotypes occurs in lakes with reduced habitat and prey availability that could increase competition for resources. This in turns supports the hypothesis that parallelism in the extent of phenotypic divergence among sympatric whitefish ecotypes is associated with parallelism in adaptive landscape in terms of differences in limnological characteristics, as well as availability and structure of the zooplanktonic community.
A fungal epizootic in mussels at a deep‐sea hydrothermal vent
Authors: Van Dover Cindy Lee , Ward Megan E. , Scott Joseph L. , Underdown Jamie , Anderson Brooke , Gustafson Christina , Whalen Matthew , Carnegie Ryan B. 
Published: February 2007

AbstractMass mortalities due to disease are important determinants of population and community structure in marine ecosystems, but the speed at which an epizootic may sweep through a population, combined with rapid selection for disease‐resistant stocks, can mask the ecological impact of disease in all but the most closely monitored populations. We document an emergent epizootic event in the deep sea that is occurring in mussels (Bathymodiolus brevior) at the Mussel Hill hydrothermal vent in Fiji Basin and we identify the causal agent as a black yeast (order Chaetothyriales) that elicits a pronounced host immune response and is associated with tissue deterioration. The yeast was not observed in other invertebrate taxa (the gastropods Ifremeria nautilei, Alviniconcha aff. hessleri; the limpets Lepetodrilus schrolli, Symmetromphalus aff. hageni; the polychaetes Branchipolynoe pettiboneae, Amphisamytha cf. galapagensis) associated with the mussel bed, nor in mussels (Bathymodiolus brevior) collected from adjacent Lau Basin mussel beds. Massive mussel mortality resulting from the fungal infection is anticipated at the Mussel Hill site in Fiji Basin; we expect that epizootic outbreaks in dense invertebrate communities have the potential to be major determinants of community structure in deep‐sea chemosynthetic ecosystems. The possibility that submersible assets may serve as vectors for transport of the fungus warrants further attention.
Polar lipid fatty acids as indicators of trophic associations in a deep‐sea vent system community
Authors: Colaço Ana , Desbruyères Daniel , Guezennec Jean 
Published: February 2007

AbstractThe polar lipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles of invertebrates living in chemosynthetic communities can indicate the degree to which these animals depend on specific types of bacteria. To identify the nutritional sources of various species from deep‐sea hydrothermal vents of the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge, a Principal Component Analysis was performed using individual PLFA profiles as descriptors. Two associations representing different feeding groups were identified: (i) mussels, commensal polychaetes and gastropods, (ii) shrimps and crabs. The first association relies more on sulphide‐oxidizing bacteria, while the second one has more anaerobic sulphate‐reducing bacteria biomarkers. Other small invertebrates reveal different diets. The polychaete Amathys lutzi shows the most diversified bacterial diet, with fatty acid biomarkers from both S‐oxidizing and S‐reducing bacteria.
Adaptation of the antioxidant defence system in hydrothermal‐vent mussels (Bathymodiolus azoricus) transplanted between two Mid‐Atlantic Ridge sites
Authors: Company Rui , Serafim Angela , Cosson Richard , Fiala‐Médioni Aline , Dixon David R. , Bebianno Maria João 
Published: February 2007

AbstractThe vent mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus is the dominant member of the Northern Mid‐Atlantic Ridge (MAR) hydrothermal megafauna, and lives in an environment characterized by temporal and spatial variations in the levels of heavy metals, methane and hydrogen sulphide, substances which are known to increase reactive oxygen species levels in the tissues of exposed organisms. To evaluate the effects of two contrasting hydrothermal environments on the antioxidant defence system of this vent mussel species, a 2‐week transplant experiment was carried out involving mussels collected from the relatively deep (2300 m), and chemical rich, Rainbow vent field. These were transplanted to the shallower (1700 m), and relatively less toxic, Lucky Strike vent field. To achieve this objective, levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase (CAT), total glutathione peroxidase (GPx), selenium‐dependent glutathione peroxidase and lipid peroxidation (LPO) were measured in the gills and mantle tissues of resident and transplant mussels before and after the transplant experiment. With the exception of CAT, the gills of the transplanted mussels had significantly higher antioxidant enzyme activity compared with the basal levels in the donor (Rainbow) and recipient (Lucky Strike) populations; whereas the antioxidant enzyme levels in the mantle tissues of the transplants reflected the baseline levels of activity in the native Lucky Strike mussels after 2 weeks. In contrast, LPO levels were significantly higher in both tissue types in the transplants than in either the source or the recipient populations, which suggested a response to hydrostatic pressure change (note, the transplant animals were brought to the surface for transportation between the two vent fields). The fact that the Rainbow mussels survived the transplant experience indicates that B. azoricus has a very robust constitution, which enables it to cope behaviourally, physiologically and genetically with the extreme conditions found in its naturally contaminated deep‐sea environment.
Nasal polyps and the severity of asthma
Authors: CEYLAN Erkan , GENCER Mehmet , SAN Imran 
Published: February 2007

Background and objectives:  Upper airway pathologies often accompany asthma. Because this represents a single airway, the diagnosis, follow up and treatment of both upper and lower respiratory diseases is essential. Samter Syndrome (SS) is known to be associated with more severe asthma. The presence of nasal polyps (NPs) is also associated with asthma. However, the incidence of NPs in asthma and the effect of NPs on asthma severity are not well documented.Methods:  Three hundred and forty‐two asthma patients were evaluated by endoscopic nasal examination, pulmonary function test, skin prick tests and paranasal sinus tomography.Results:  Three hundred and eleven patients with asthma without NP, 19 asthma patients with NP and 12 patients with SS were included. It was found that 54.3% of patients without NPs, 63.2% with NP and 66.7% with SS were at step 3 on the Global Initiative for Asthma scale of severity, and 1.9%, 15.8% and 33.3% were at step 4, respectively.Conclusions:  The presence of NPs in asthma patients is associated with an increase in asthma severity. In patients with asthma, the possibility of NPs should be investigated and treatment planned accordingly.
Bacterial infection and risk factors in outpatients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A 2‐year prospective study
Authors: ALAMOUDI Omer S. 
Published: February 2007

Background and objectives:  Acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) are commonly observed in community‐based patients worldwide. The factors causing exacerbation are largely unknown. This study was undertaken to determine the predominant bacterial pathogens cultured from sputum in community‐based patients with AECOPD, to assess the risk factors associated with exacerbations and to compare these findings with published studies.Methods:  Forty‐five patients with stable COPD were prospectively followed in the outpatients’ clinic of King Abdulaziz University Hospital. At the first visit, personal data, CXR and measurement of baseline PEF were obtained from each patient. In the subsequent visits, sputum culture and CXR were carried out during exacerbations.Results:  Over a period of 24 months, patients made a total of 139 visits for exacerbations, and 69.8% had a positive sputum culture for a single pathogen. Moraxella catarrhalis (25.2%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12.2%) and Haemophilus influenzae (11.5%) were the most common isolated organisms. Patients with a lower level of baseline PEF had a significantly increased frequency of exacerbations (r = 0.337, P = 0.024). However, there was a weak correlation between exacerbation frequency and duration of COPD and exposure to cigarette smoking.Conclusion  There was a higher incidence of Moraxella catarrhalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa than reported in previous studies. These findings should influence antibiotic selection for exacerbations. COPD patients with a low baseline PEF are at a higher risk of having repeated exacerbations and gram‐negative pathogens.
Asthma management and outcomes in Australia: A nation‐wide telephone interview survey*
Authors: MARKS Guy B. , ABRAMSON Michael J. , JENKINS Christine R. , KENNY Peter , MELLIS Craig M. , RUFFIN Richard E. , STOSIC Rod , TOELLE Brett G. , WILSON David H. , XUAN Wei 
Published: February 2007

Background and objective:  Asthma is a high‐burden disease for which effective treatment is available. In Australia, there has been a public health campaign directed at increasing the implementation of effective management with the aim of improving asthma outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the burden of asthma and describe current asthma management in Australia.Methods:  A computer‐assisted telephone interview survey was conducted in 2003/04 among randomly selected participants. Current asthma was defined as self‐reported asthma, confirmed by doctor, which was still present and/or associated with symptoms in the last 12 months.Results:  From 46 855 eligible telephone numbers dialled there were 14 271 (30.5%) responses to the screening questionnaire. Among 1734 respondents with current asthma, 1205 (69.5%) completed the detailed questionnaire. Among these, 24.2% of adults and 14.3% children had symptoms during the day or night on most days; 11.3% of adults and 6.0% of children avoided exercise because of asthma symptoms during exercise and 19.4% of adults and 29.7% of children had sought urgent medical care because of an exacerbation of asthma during the preceding year. Among adults with asthma, only 35.6% with daily symptoms and 41.4% with symptoms on most days were taking inhaled steroids. Only 31.1% of adults with daily symptoms had a written asthma action plan.Conclusion:  Compared with similar international studies, this study revealed a lower prevalence of frequent asthma symptoms and a higher prevalence of use of inhaled steroids among people with asthma. However, there remains ample scope for improvement in management of patients with frequent symptoms.
Costs of investigating and managing non‐residents with possible tuberculosis: New Zealand experience of an international problem
Authors: BURNS Andrew D. , HARRISON Adrian C. 
Published: February 2007

Background and objective:  This study’s aims were to identify the diagnoses, the public hospital costs and payments for non‐New Zealand (non‐NZ) patients referred because of possible tuberculosis (TB). There have been no previous financial studies in this area. Funding arrangements for these patients were also reviewed.Methods:  A systematic, retrospective review was performed to identify the costs of investigating and managing non‐NZ patients referred to the adult TB unit of a large, teaching hospital in Auckland, NZ. Patients were enrolled between 1 July 2002 and 30 June 2003.Results:  Forty‐five non‐NZ patients were studied. The mean age was 33.8 (±13.4) years. Thirty‐four (75.5%) were managed under compulsion through Section 9 of the NZ TB Act. Thirty‐two (71%) patients received TB treatment: 11 (24%) had infectious pulmonary TB and four had active extra‐pulmonary TB. There were no multi‐drug‐resistant isolates. Three TB cases accounted for 250 (39%) inpatient days. One patient with rifampicin‐resistant TB was responsible for 117 (29%) day‐patient ward visits. Four (13%) infectious TB cases were managed as inpatients for more than 6 weeks. The total cost of services ($US) for the 45 patients was $350 236. The cost range was $544–43 513 per patient. Four patients incurred costs over $25 000.Conclusions:  TB in non‐residents is a costly problem in NZ. Current policy applying to this area and the ability to determine its cost‐effectiveness are in need of review.
Decreased invasiveness via two methods of thoracoscopic lobectomy for lung cancer, compared with open thoracotomy
Authors: TAJIRI Michihiko , MAEHARA Takamitsu , NAKAYAMA Haruhiko , SAKAMOTO Kazuhiro 
Published: February 2007

Background and objective:  Video‐assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy for primary lung cancer is considered minimally invasive. However, different procedures may be used for the VATS lobectomy, from complete videoscopic (CV) surgery to a technique similar to the muscle‐sparing thoracotomy. We divided patients into two groups based on the surgical approach and analysed the outcomes.Methods:  Two hundred and thirty‐one patients were treated using one of two VATS procedures: the video‐supported method (VS, n = 63) and the CV method (n = 168). Patients treated by posterolateral thoracotomy (PL, n = 61) were also evaluated for certain postoperative parameters and pulmonary function. The CV method is the standard VATS lobectomy procedure in our institution, but the VS method is used when the CV method becomes difficult because of severe adhesion around the pulmonary artery, or for other reasons.Results:  Creatinine phosphokinase and CRP levels, and blood loss were lower in the VS and CV groups than in the PL group. Blood loss during CV was lower than that during VS. Postoperative VC after CV was higher than that after PL. Analgesic requirements in both VATS groups were lower than that in the PL group. The visual analogue scale pain score was lower in both VATS groups than in the PL group.Conclusions:  Two methods of VATS cause less surgical damage than PL. CV, in particular, causes less damage to pulmonary function than PL, and achieves good postoperative quality of life.
Reattendance at hospital for asthma in two Australian states, 2000–2003
Authors: CORRELL Patricia K. , XUAN Wei , WILLIAMSON Margaret , SUNDARARAJAN Vijaya , RINGLAND Clare , MARKS Guy B. 
Published: February 2007

Objective and background:  Reattendance rates at hospitals and emergency departments (ED) can provide a valuable marker of the quality and effectiveness of clinical care. Linked hospital and ED data from New South Wales and Victoria, Australia, were used to examine reattendances for asthma.Methods:  Hospital and ED data were linked to identify individuals who reattended hospital or ED for asthma within 28 days of an initial attendance. The sociodemographic characteristics that predicted reattendance were examined using logistic regression.Results:  There were 139 043 attendances for asthma between July 2000 and June 2003 attributed to 95 042 people. Overall, 7.1% of people reattended for asthma within 28 days. There was a significantly higher risk of reattendance among females (odds ratio (OR) 1.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03–1.14), people who lived in areas of greater socioeconomic disadvantage (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.12–1.29) and Indigenous people (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.00–1.32). Reattendance rates differed among age groups (P < 0.001), with the lowest rate being in 5‐ to 14‐year‐olds.Conclusion:  The availability of linked hospital and ED data has provided a rare opportunity to investigate predictors of reattendance for asthma. Surveillance of trends in reattendances for asthma can be used to monitor the effectiveness of interventions to improve asthma control across the continuum of care, particularly in higher‐risk groups such as Indigenous people, young children and those with greater socioeconomic disadvantage.