bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact of a theoretically based sex education programme (SHARE) delivered by teachers on NHS registered conceptions and terminations: final results of cluster randomised trial
Authors: Reading Richard 
Published: April 2007

.

Henderson, M.,
Wight, D.,
Raab, G. M.,
Abraham, C.,
Parkes, A.,
Scott, S. &
Hart, G.
(
2007
)

,
334
,
133
–
6
.

DOI: 10.1136/bmj.39014.503692.55.
Objective  To assess the impact of a theoretically based sex education programme (SHARE) delivered by teachers compared with conventional education in terms of conceptions and terminations registered by the National Health Service.Design  Follow‐up of cluster randomized trial 4.5 years after intervention.Setting  National Health Service records of women who had attended 25 secondary schools in east Scotland.Participants  A total of 4196 women (99.5% of those eligible).Intervention  SHARE programme (intervention group) vs. existing sex education (control group).Main outcome measure  National Health Service recorded conceptions and terminations for the achieved sample linked at age 20 years.Results  In an ‘intention to treat’ analysis, there were no significant differences between the groups in registered conceptions per 1000 pupils (300 SHARE vs. 274 control; difference 26, 95% CI −33 to 86) and terminations per 1000 pupils (127 vs. 112; difference 15, −13 to 42) between ages 16 and 20 years.Conclusions  This specially designed sex education programme did not reduce conceptions or terminations by age 20 years compared with conventional provision. The lack of effect was not due to quality of delivery. Enhancing teacher‐led school sex education beyond conventional provision in eastern Scotland is unlikely to reduce terminations in teenagers.
Physical activity to prevent obesity in young children: cluster randomised controlled trial
Authors: Reading Richard 
Published: April 2007

.

Reilly, J. J.,
Kelly, L.,
Montgomery, C.,
Williamson, A.,
Fisher, A.,
McColl, J. H.,
Lo Conte, R.,
Paton, J. Y. &
Grant, S.
(
2006
)

,
333
,
1041

DOI: 10.1136/bmj.38979.623773.55.
Objective  To assess whether a physical activity intervention reduces body mass index in young children.Design  Cluster randomized controlled single blinded trial over 12 months.Setting  Thirty‐six nurseries in Glasgow, Scotland.Participants  In total, 545 children in their pre‐school year, mean age 4.2 years (SD 0.2) at baseline.Intervention  Enhanced physical activity programme in nursery (three 30‐minute sessions a week over 24 weeks) plus home‐based health education aimed at increasing physical activity through play and reducing sedentary behaviour.Main outcome measure  Body mass index, expressed as a standard deviation score relative to UK 1990 reference data. Secondary measures were objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour; fundamental movement skills; and evaluation of the process.Results  Group allocation had no significant effect on the primary outcome measure at 6 and 12 months or on measures of physical activity and sedentary behaviour by accelerometry. Children in the intervention group had significantly higher performance in movement skills tests than control children at 6‐month follow‐up (P = 0.0027; 95% CI 0.3–1.3) after adjustment for sex and baseline performance.Conclusions  Physical activity can significantly improve motor skills but did not reduce body mass index in young children in this trial.
Older and wiser: improvements in breeding success are linked to better foraging performance in European shags
Authors: DAUNT F. , WANLESS S. , HARRIS M. P. , MONEY L. , MONAGHAN P. 
Published: April 2007

Summary

An increase in average breeding performance with age and experience among younger age classes has been recorded in numerous studies of iteroparous breeders. An important component of this pattern is thought to be improvements in foraging performance, resulting in delivery of more or better quality food to offspring by older, more experienced individuals.
Young, inexperienced breeders may exhibit lower foraging efficiency or foraging effort, and it has been predicted that differences in foraging performance with age and experience will be more marked when environmental conditions are poor. However, as the timing of breeding generally differs with age and experience, intrinsic differences in foraging abilities are typically confounded by variation in extrinsic conditions, and hence food availability.
To disentangle these effects, we experimentally manipulated the timing of breeding in European shags, Phalacrocorax aristotelis Linnaeus. We used a cross‐fostering protocol, such that naive, young birds reared their chicks at the same time as older, experienced individuals. Our design produced simultaneous chick rearing during two periods in the same breeding season that differed markedly in environmental conditions: early, when conditions were good; and late, when conditions were poorer. We examined foraging efficiency, foraging effort and amount of food delivered to offspring by the two classes of breeder. We predicted that any differences in foraging performance would be more marked under the poorer conditions later in the season.
We found that experienced parents delivered more food than naive parents, irrespective of the time of season. This was due partly to the consistently higher foraging efficiency of the experienced parents. In addition, experienced parents adjusted their foraging effort to the environmental conditions. Early in the breeding season, they made less foraging effort than naive parents. Under the poorer foraging conditions, experienced parents increased their foraging effort but naive parents did not, being either unable or unwilling to do so.
Our results suggest that an increase in foraging efficiency, and the capacity to adjust foraging effort in response to food availability, are important components of the observed improvements in breeding performance with age and experience.
Secondary forest growth deviation from chronosequence predictions in central Amazonia
Authors: FELDPAUSCH TED R. , PRATES‐CLARK CASSIA da CONCEICAO , FERNANDES ERICK C.M. , RIHA SUSAN J. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractNearly all published rates of secondary forest (SF) regrowth for Amazonia are inferred from chronosequences. We examined SF regrowth on abandoned pastures over a 4‐year period to determine if measured rates of forest recovery differ from chronosequence predictions. We studied the emergence, development and death of over 1300 stems in 10 SFs representing three age classes (<1–5, 6–10 and 11–14 years old). Mean tree biomass accumulation in both the <1–5 and 6–10 years old (4.4 and 5.7 Mg ha−1 yr−1, respectively) abandoned pastures was lower than predicted and deviated significantly (57% and 41%) from rates estimated from the chronosequence. The older SFs, with a mean growth rate of 9.9 Mg ha−1 yr−1 followed the rate predicted by the chronosequence. Understocking was the primary cause of low biomass recovery rates in the youngest forests; although the youngest stands had a diameter at breast height increment three times the oldest stands, the youngest stands lacked sufficient density to cumulatively produce high biomass accumulation rates. Four years of measurement indicated that the youngest stands had developed 59% of the stems measured in the older stands during the same time period. The 6–10‐year‐old stands were rapidly self‐thinning and approached stem density values measured in the same aged stands at the onset of the study. Mortality was high for all stands, with 54% of the original stems remaining after 4 years in intermediate‐aged stands. The forests were dominated by the tree Vismia, which represented 55–66% of the biomass in all stands. The Vismia share of the biomass was decreasing over time, with other genera replacing the pioneer. Our measured rates of regrowth indicate that generalized estimates of forest regrowth through chronosequence studies will overestimate forest regrowth for the youngest forests that were under land use for longer time‐periods before abandonment. Certified Emission Reductions under the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto protocol should consider these results when predicting and compensating for carbon sequestered under natural forest management.
Predicting naturalization of southern African Iridaceae in other regions
Authors: VAN KLEUNEN MARK , JOHNSON STEVEN D. , FISCHER MARKUS 
Published: April 2007

Summary One of the major challenges in invasion biology is to predict the likelihood of naturalization, and ultimately invasiveness, of species from properties that can be assessed in the native range prior to a species’ introduction elsewhere. This is particularly relevant as intentional introduction for horticultural usage has been predicted to be the over‐riding factor associated with naturalization. We compiled a data set on 1036 species of Iridaceae native to southern Africa to test whether traits differ between horticulturally used and unused species, whether the likelihood of naturalization elsewhere is higher for horticulturally used species, and whether it differs according to species’ taxonomic affinities, geographical range size, altitudinal range, number of subtaxa and plant size. Our results show that at least 306 southern African Iridaceae species are used in horticulture elsewhere. Of the 67 that have become naturalized elsewhere, no less than 62 are in horticulture, indicating horticultural trade as the main source of naturalized Iridaceae. Global horticultural usage differs among the three subfamilies and among the genera. In addition, horticultural usage is more likely for species with a larger distributional range, a lower maximum altitude, more subtaxa and a taller height. This indicates that species introduced elsewhere for horticultural usage have a biased set of biogeographical and biological characteristics that should be corrected for in analyses of naturalization. After correction for horticultural usage, naturalization differs between genera, and is more likely for species with lower maximum altitude, species with higher numbers of subtaxa and taller species. Cross‐validation of our predictive logistic regression model revealed a low kappa (0·279 ± 0·069, mean ± SE) that was significantly different from zero. This indicates that the estimates from our logistic regression model can be used to predict naturalization of Iridaceae but that the accuracy is relatively low.Synthesis and applications. Our study shows that screening protocols for potential invasiveness of species of Iridaceae should include international horticultural usage, and taxonomic, biogeographical and biological characteristics in the native range, as predictors. Moreover, for the development of more accurate predictive models, experimental assessment of other plant characteristics associated with naturalization is still required.
Effects of habitat quality and fishing on Caribbean spotted spiny lobster populations
Authors: WYNNE STUART P. , CÔTÉ ISABELLE M. 
Published: April 2007

Summary

Overfishing has had detrimental impacts on many marine populations. However, measurements of the effect of exploitation are often confounded by intersite differences in habitat quality.
To assess the effects of fishing and habitat quality on spotted spiny lobster Panulirus guttatus, the target of a luxury fishery in the Caribbean, lobster populations were assessed on 12 reefs around Anguilla, British West Indies. Habitat quality was measured by the availability of foraging habitat. Fishing intensity was estimated through interviews with fishers.
Spotted spiny lobster densities were significantly higher on reefs with good‐quality habitat than on poorer‐quality reefs. However, mean lobster size remained constant regardless of habitat quality.
In contrast, lobsters were on average smaller in heavily fished than in unfished areas because of the removal of the largest size classes by fishers. Changes in densities as a result of fishing could not be detected, and there was no interaction between fishing pressure and habitat quality.
The lack of an observable effect of fishing on lobster population densities may be because fishers more intensively target high‐quality habitats. Fishing has probably reduced lobster densities on high‐quality reefs to a greater extent than on low‐quality reefs, but the high productivity of good‐quality sites is still sustaining more intense fishing.
Synthesis and applications. The importance of habitat quality in sustaining P. guttatus populations in the face of intense exploitation suggests that management efforts should be aimed at enhancing reef health. The latter may be achieved through the establishment of no‐take areas on good‐quality reefs. Such actions should, however, be expected to generate conflicts with stakeholders because these reefs are currently those most heavily exploited.
Epidemiology, genes and the environment: lessons learned from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study
Authors: Eriksson J. G. 
Published: April 2007

Abstract.Nonoptimal growth during fetal life and infancy is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes later in life. This early pattern of growth is associated with an increased disease risk especially when followed by a relative gain in body size later in childhood. Genetic factors are closely involved in growth and disease pathogenesis and gene‐early life environmental interactions will be described affecting adult health outcomes. This overview will primarily focus upon findings from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study consisting of 15846 subjects born 1924–1944 on whom growth data and information on adult health are available.
Intraperitoneal immunization with oligomannose‐coated liposome‐entrapped soluble leishmanial antigen induces antigen‐specific T‐helper type immune response in BALB/c mice through uptake by peritoneal macrophages
Authors: SHIMIZU Y. , TAKAGI H. , NAKAYAMA T. , YAMAKAMI K. , TADAKUMA T. , YOKOYAMA N. , KOJIMA N. 
Published: April 2007

SUMMARY The present study demonstrates that the intraperitoneal administration of soluble leishmanial antigen (SLA) entrapped in liposomes coated with neoglycolipids containing oligomannose residues (mannopentaose or mannotriose) strongly induces an antigen‐specific T‐helper type 1 (Th1) immune response in BALB/c mice. In response to in vitro stimulation with SLA, spleen cells from mice that had received oligomannose‐coated liposomes encasing SLA (SLA‐OML) displayed greater interferon (IFN)‐γ and interleukin (IL)‐2 production and lower IL‐4 and IL‐5 production than spleen cells from mice that had received SLA alone, indicating that the SLA‐specific Th1 immune response had predominantly been induced in the mice that had received SLA‐OML. After subsequent infection with Leishmania major, mice that had received SLA‐OML were effectively protected against the disease, with a predominant production of IFN‐γ. OML were preferentially and rapidly incorporated into peritoneal macrophages, and the transplantation of macrophages containing SLA‐OML into the peritoneal cavity also induced protection against L. major infection. Thus, SLA‐OML were shown to successfully induce a specific Th1 immune response capable of controlling L. major infection in BALB/c mice through the effective uptake of OML by peritoneal macrophages.
Differential immune regulation of activated T cells between cutaneous and mucosal leishmaniasis as a model for pathogenesis
Authors: CARVALHO L. P. , PASSOS S. , BACELLAR O. , LESSA M. , ALMEIDA R. P. , MAGALHÃES A. , DUTRA W. O. , GOLLOB K. J. , MACHADO P. , Ribeiro DE JESUS A. 
Published: April 2007

SUMMARY Cutaneous (CL) and mucosal leishmaniasis (ML) are characterized by a predominant type 1 immune response (IFN‐γ and TNF‐α production) and strong inflammatory response in the lesions with few parasites. This exacerbated type 1 response is more evident in ML as compared to CL. Our main hypothesis is that a differential immune regulation of T cell activation leads to over reactive T cells in ML. In the present study, we investigated immunological factors that could explain the mechanisms behind it by comparing some immune regulatory mechanisms between ML and CL patients: frequency of cells expressing co‐stimulatory molecules, apoptotic markers, T cell activation markers; and ability of neutralizing antibodies to IL‐2, IL‐12 and IL‐15 do down‐regulate IFN‐γ production in leishmania antigen‐stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Interestingly, in CL anti‐IL‐2 and anti‐IL‐15 significantly suppressed antigen‐specific IFN‐γ production, while in ML only anti‐IL‐2 suppressed IFN‐γ production. Finally, higher frequency of CD4+ T cells expressing CD28−, CD69+ and CD62L

low

were observed in ML as compared to CL. These data indicate that an exacerbated type 1 response in ML is differentially regulated and not appropriately down modulated, with increased frequencies of activated effectors T cells, maintaining the persistent inflammatory response and tissue damage observed in ML.
Chronic exposure to schistosome eggs reduces serum cholesterol but has no effect on atherosclerotic lesion development
Authors: LA FLAMME A. C. , HARVIE M. , KENWRIGHT D. , CAMERON K. , RAWLENCE N. , LOW Y. S. , MCKENZIE S. 
Published: April 2007

SUMMARY Previous studies have shown that people infected with schistosomiasis have lower levels of serum cholesterol than uninfected controls. To better understand the impact of this parasitic infection on serum cholesterol levels and on atherosclerotic lesion development induced by hypercholesterolemia, apolipoprotein E (ApoE)‐deficient mice were chronically exposed to the eggs of Schistosoma mansoni over a period of 16 weeks. Total serum cholesterol and low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) were reduced in egg‐exposed ApoE‐deficient mice fed a diet high in cholesterol compared to unexposed controls. However, exposure to eggs had no effect on atherosclerotic lesion size or progression in ApoE‐deficient mice. Macrophages isolated from egg‐exposed mice had an enhanced ability to take up LDL but not acetylated LDL (acLDL). This study suggests that schistosome eggs alone may alter serum lipid profiles through enhancing LDL uptake by macrophages, but these changes do not ultimately affect atherosclerotic lesion development.
Problems encountered during immunofluorescent diagnosis of fireblight
Authors: ROBERTS PAULINE 
Published: April 2007

SUMMARYAn immunofiuorescent (fluorescent antibody or FA) staining technique was used to detect Erwinia amylovora (Burrill) Winslow et al. in plant tissue, but in preliminary trials it failed to do so in a majority of preparations from fireblight‐infected plants. Differential centrifugation greatly improved the rate of detection of E. amylovora in plant tissue. Ctiltures of E. herbicola subsp. ananas (Serrano) Dye, E. stewartii (Smith) Dye, E. rhapontici (Millard) Burkholder and two plant isolates (probably Pseudomonas fiuorescens (Trevisan) Migula and E. herbicola subsp. herbicola (Lohnis) Dye) cross‐reacted with E. amylovora in the FA stain. Of these only the Ps. fiuorescens isolate and a different plant isolate of E.h. subsp. herbicola cross‐reacted with E. amylovora anti‐serum in the slide agglutination test. Use of absorbed E. amylovora antiserum completely eliminated cross reactions in the slide agglutination test, but only partly removed cross reactions in the FA stain. Immunofluorescence appeared to be more sensitive but less reliable than conventional plating methods for fireblight diagnosis.
Establishment and characterization of androgen‐independent human prostate cancer cell lines, LN‐REC4 and LNCaP‐SF, from LNCaP
Authors: Iwasa Yoichi , Mizokami Atsushi , Miwa Sotaro , Koshida Kiyoshi , Namiki Mikio 
Published: April 2007

Aim:  To investigate the mechanisms of androgen‐independent growth in prostate cancer (PCa), we established two PCa cell lines, LN‐REC4 and LNCaP‐SF, from the androgen‐dependent PCa cell line, LNCaP.Materials and methods:  LN‐Pre and LN‐REC4 cells were generated from LNCaP tumors grown on intact and castrated severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mouse, respectively. After we cultured LNCaP cells under a steroid‐free conditions for 6 months in vitro, LNCaP‐SF cells were established. To show the character of LN‐REC4 and LNCaP‐SF cells, androgen sensitivity was investigated through examination of growth rate, and prostate‐specific antigen (PSA), androgen receptor (AR), p21, p27, and cyclin D1 expression were examined by reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). Angiogenesis assay in vitro was carried out using conditioned medium. To examine the expression level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), RT‐PCR and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay were also done.Results and conclusions:  LN‐REC4 cells proliferated better than LNCaP cells in castrated mice and did well irrespective of castration, although responsiveness for androgen of LN‐REC4 cells attenuated less than that of LNCaP cells in vitro. LNCaP‐SF cells in castrated mice proliferated more rapidly than in normal mice. The PSA expression in LNCaP‐SF cells was still induced by androgen. Expression of AR, p21, p27 and cyclin D1 were not changed in LN‐REC4 and LNCaP‐SF cells. Angiogenesis assay showed that both cells stimulated angiogenesis. LN‐REC4 induced VEGF more than LNCaP and LN‐Pre cells. However, expression of VEGF per cell in LNCaP‐SF was lower than LNCaP cells, suggesting that other factors might be involved in angiogenesis. These cell lines might be a useful tool for researching androgen‐independent growth and treatments of recurred PCa.
Complex urethral disruptions: In pursuit of a successful reconstruction
Authors: Pratap Akshay , Gupta Devendra Kumar , Agrawal Chandra Shekhar , Pandit Rakesh Kumar , Adhikary Shailesh , Kumar Anand , Tiwari Awadhesh , Singh Satyendra Narayan 
Published: April 2007

Objectives:  We analyzed the methods and outcomes of urethroplasty in men with complex urethral disruptions.Methods:  The medical records of 40 men with complex urethral disruptions were analyzed. Surgical methods were individualized according to stricture location, severity and length of the stricture, bladder neck characteristics and presence of complicating factors. Patients were divided into four groups based on the above characteristics.Results:  End‐to‐end urethroplasty performed in six patients with short bulbar strictures (<3 cm) was successful in all. Elaborated perineal repair was performed in 10 patients with intermediate (3–6 cm) strictures with or without complicating factors. Elaborated perineal repair with urethral substitution was performed in nine patients with long segment stricture (>6 cm). Abdominal transpubic repair was successfully applied to patients with rectourethral fistula or lacerated bladder neck. Success rate of anastomotic urethroplasty was 95% while over all success rate was 85%.Conclusion:  Guidelines for urethral reconstruction of complex urethral disruptions are predicated on stricture length, location, bladder neck characteristics and associated complicating factors. End‐to‐end urethroplasty with stricture excision is highly reliable for short strictures for which previous operative repair have failed. Elaborated perineal repair is extremely versatile for intermediate and longer strictures with associated complicating factors. Abdominal transpubic urethroplasty is effective for patients with rectourethral fistula or lacerated bladder neck.