bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Asthma induced by inhalation of flour in adults with food allergy to wheat
Authors: Salvatori N. , Reccardini F. , Convento M. , Purinan A. , Colle R. , De Carli S. , Garzoni M. , Lafiandra D. , De Carli M. 
Published: May 2008

SummaryBackground
Wheat is one of the major food allergens and it is also an inhalant allergen in workers exposed to flour dusts. Food allergy to wheat in adulthood seems to be rare and has never been reported to be associated with asthma induced by flour inhalation.Objective
The study aimed at detecting adults with food allergy to wheat and screening them for the presence of specific bronchial reactivity to inhaled wheat proteins.Methods
Adults with a history of adverse reactions to ingestion of wheat underwent skin prick test with commercial wheat extract and were assessed for the presence of specific wheat IgE in the sera. Food sensitivity to wheat was confirmed by double‐blind, placebo‐controlled food challenge (DBPCFC). Specific bronchial reactivity was investigated through a specific bronchial challenge with wheat proteins.Results
In nine patients with evidence of specific IgE response to wheat, a diagnosis of food allergy was made by DBPCFC. Only two subjects had asthma as disease induced by ingestion of wheat. Seven subjects reported a history of respiratory symptoms when exposed to flour dusts. A significant reduction of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) was detected in these seven patients when a specific bronchial challenge with flour proteins was performed. Only three out of seven subjects with asthma induced by flour could be considered occupationally exposed to flour dusts.Conclusion
For the first time, it has been shown that specific bronchial reactivity to wheat proteins can be detected in patients with different disorders associated with food allergy to wheat. The presence of asthma induced by inhaled flour is not strictly related to occupational exposure and it may also occur in subjects not displaying asthma among symptoms induced by wheat ingestion.
Will increased storm disturbance affect the biodiversity of intertidal, nonscleractinian sessile fauna on coral reefs?
Authors: WALKER S. J. , DEGNAN B. M. , HOOPER J. N. A. , SKILLETER G. A. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractRelatively little is known about how the future effects of climatic change, including increases in sea level, temperature and storm severity and frequency, will impact on patterns of biodiversity on coral reefs, with the notable exception of recent work on corals and fish in tropical reef ecosystems. Sessile invertebrates such as ascidians, sponges and bryozoans occupying intertidal rubble habitats on coral reefs contribute significantly to the overall biodiversity and ecosystem function, but there is little or no information available on the likely impacts on these species from climate change. The existing strong physical gradients in these intertidal habitats will be exacerbated under predicted climatic change. By examining the distribution and abundance of nonscleractinian, sessile invertebrate assemblages exposed to different levels of wave action and at different heights on the shore around a coral reef, we show that coral reef intertidal biodiversity is particularly sensitive to physical disturbance. As physical disturbance regimes increase due to more intense storms and wave action associated with global warming, we can expect to see a corresponding decrease in the diversity of these cryptic sessile assemblages. This could impact negatively on the future health and productivity of coral reef ecosystems, given the ecosystem services these organisms provide.
Agricultural intensification increases deforestation fire activity in Amazonia
Authors: MORTON D. C. , DEFRIES R. S. , RANDERSON J. T. , GIGLIO L. , SCHROEDER W. , VAN DER WERF G. R. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractFire‐driven deforestation is the major source of carbon emissions from Amazonia. Recent expansion of mechanized agriculture in forested regions of Amazonia has increased the average size of deforested areas, but related changes in fire dynamics remain poorly characterized. We estimated the contribution of fires from the deforestation process to total fire activity based on the local frequency of active fire detections from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors. High‐confidence fire detections at the same ground location on 2 or more days per year are most common in areas of active deforestation, where trunks, branches, and stumps can be piled and burned many times before woody fuels are depleted. Across Amazonia, high‐frequency fires typical of deforestation accounted for more than 40% of the MODIS fire detections during 2003–2007. Active deforestation frontiers in Bolivia and the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso, Pará, and Rondônia contributed 84% of these high‐frequency fires during this period. Among deforested areas, the frequency and timing of fire activity vary according to postclearing land use. Fire usage for expansion of mechanized crop production in Mato Grosso is more intense and more evenly distributed throughout the dry season than forest clearing for cattle ranching (4.6 vs. 1.7 fire days per deforested area, respectively), even for clearings >200 ha in size. Fires for deforestation may continue for several years, increasing the combustion completeness of cropland deforestation to nearly 100% and pasture deforestation to 50–90% over 1–3‐year timescales typical of forest conversion. Our results demonstrate that there is no uniform relation between satellite‐based fire detections and carbon emissions. Improved understanding of deforestation carbon losses in Amazonia will require models that capture interannual variation in the deforested area that contributes to fire activity and variable combustion completeness of individual clearings as a function of fire frequency or other evidence of postclearing land use.
Impact of changing wood demand, climate and land use on European forest resources and carbon stocks during the 21st century
Authors: EGGERS JEANNETTE , LINDNER MARCUS , ZUDIN SERGEY , ZAEHLE SÖNKE , LISKI JARI 
Published: May 2008

AbstractWe used the European Forest Information Scenario Model (EFISCEN) to project the development of forest resources for 15 European countries from 2000 to 2100 under a broad range of climate scenarios, which were based on the a1fi, a2, b1 and b2 storylines of the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Each climate scenario was associated with consistent land‐use change and wood demand assumptions. Climate change‐induced growth changes were incorporated into the calculations by scaling inventory‐based stem growth in EFISCEN by net primary productivity estimated from the Lund–Potsdam–Jena dynamic global vegetation model. The impact of changes in wood demand, climate and forest area were studied separately, and in combination, in order to assess their respective effects. For all climate scenarios under consideration, climate change resulted in increased forest growth, especially in Northern Europe. In Southern Europe, higher precipitation in spring and the projected increased water‐use efficiency in response to rising atmospheric CO2concentrations mitigated the effects of increasing summer drought. Climate change enhanced carbon sequestration in tree biomass. The climate change‐induced increase in tree growth led to a faster increase in growing stocks compared with the simulation using current climate. As productivity decreased in higher stocked forests, the positive impact of climate change began to level off during the second half of the 21st century in the scenarios where wood demand was low. Afforestation measures had the potential to increase growing stock and annual increment; however, large areas were needed to obtain notable effects. Despite noticeable differences in the growth response between the climate scenarios, changes in wood demand proved to be the crucial driving force in forest resource development. Tree carbon stocks increased by 33–114% between 2000 and 2100 when only changes in wood demand were regarded. Climate change added another 23–31% increase, while changes in forest area accounted for an additional increase of 2–40%. Our results highlight potential future pathways of forest resource development resulting from different scenarios of wood demand, land use and climate changes, and stress the importance of resource utilization in the European forest carbon balance.
Will European soil‐monitoring networks be able to detect changes in topsoil organic carbon content?
Authors: SABY NICOLAS P. A. , BELLAMY PATRICIA H. , MORVAN XAVIER , ARROUAYS DOMINIQUE , JONES ROBERT J. A. , VERHEIJEN FRANK G. A. , KIBBLEWHITE MARK G. , VERDOODT ANN , ÜVEGES JUDIT BERÉNYI , FREUDENSCHUß ALEXANDRA , SIMOTA CATALIN 
Published: May 2008

AbstractWithin the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, articles 3.3 and 3.4 stipulate that some voluntary activities leading to an additional carbon (C) sequestration in soils could be accounted as C sinks in national greenhouse gas inventories. These additional C stocks should be verifiable. In this work, we assess the feasibility of verifying the effects of changes in land use or management practice on soil organic carbon (SOC), by comparing minimum detectable changes in SOC concentration for existing European networks suitable for soil monitoring. Among the tested scenarios, the minimum detectable changes differed considerably among the soil‐monitoring networks (SMNs). Considerable effort would be necessary for some member states to reach acceptable levels of minimum detectable change for C sequestration accounting. For SOC, a time interval of about 10 years would enable the detection of some simulated large changes in most European countries. In almost all cases, the minimum detectable change in SOC stocks remains greater than annual greenhouse gases emissions. Therefore, it is unlikely that SMNs could be used for annual national C accounting. However, the importance of organic C in soil functions, and as an indicator of soil condition and trends, underlines the importance of establishing effective national SMNs.
The relationship between sources and functions of social support and dimensions of child‐ and parent‐related stress
Authors: Guralnick M. J. , Hammond M. A. , Neville B. , Connor R. T. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractBackground  In this longitudinal study, we examined the relationship between the sources and functions of social support and dimensions of child‐ and parent‐related stress for mothers of young children with mild developmental delays.Methods  Sixty‐three mothers completed assessments of stress and support at two time points.Results  Multiple regression analyses revealed that parenting support during the early childhood period (i.e. advice on problems specific to their child and assistance with child care responsibilities), irrespective of source, consistently predicted most dimensions of parent stress assessed during the early elementary years and contributed unique variance. General support (i.e. primarily emotional support and validation) from various sources had other, less widespread effects on parental stress.Conclusions  The multidimensional perspective of the construct of social support that emerged suggested mechanisms mediating the relationship between support and stress and provided a framework for intervention.
Caffeine extends yeast lifespan by targeting TORC1
Authors: Wanke Valeria , Cameroni Elisabetta , Uotila Aino , Piccolis Manuele , Urban Jörg , Loewith Robbie , De Virgilio Claudio 
Published: May 2008

SummaryDietary nutrient limitation (dietary restriction) is known to increase lifespan in a variety of organisms. Although the molecular events that couple dietary restriction to increased lifespan are not clear, studies of the model eukaryoteSaccharomyces cerevisiaehave implicated several nutrient‐sensitive kinases, including thetargetofrapamycincomplex 1 (TORC1), Sch9, protein kinase A (PKA) and Rim15. We have recently demonstrated that TORC1 activates Sch9 by direct phosphorylation. We now show that Sch9 inhibits Rim15 also by direct phosphorylation. Treatment of yeast cells with the specific TORC1 inhibitor rapamycin or caffeine releases Rim15 from TORC1‐Sch9‐mediated inhibition and consequently increases lifespan. This kinase cascade appears to have been evolutionarily conserved, suggesting that caffeine may extend lifespan in other eukaryotes, including man.
Interaction of quorum signals with outer membrane lipids: insights into prokaryotic membrane vesicle formation
Authors: Mashburn‐Warren Lauren , Howe Jörg , Garidel Patrick , Richter Walter , Steiniger Frank , Roessle Manfred , Brandenburg Klaus , Whiteley Marvin 
Published: May 2008

SummaryBacteria have evolved elaborate communication strategies to co‐ordinate their group activities, a process termed quorum sensing (QS). Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that utilizes QS for diverse activities, including disease pathogenesis. P. aeruginosa has evolved a novel communication system in which the signal molecule 2‐heptyl‐3‐hydroxy‐4‐quinolone (Pseudomonas Quinolone Signal, PQS) is trafficked between cells via membrane vesicles (MVs). Not only is PQS packaged into MVs, it is required for MV formation. Although MVs are involved in important biological processes aside from signalling, the molecular mechanism of MV formation is unknown. To provide insight into the molecular mechanism of MV formation, we examined the interaction of PQS with bacterial lipids. Here, we show that PQS interacts strongly with the acyl chains and 4′‐phosphate of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Using PQS derivatives, we demonstrate that the alkyl side‐chain and third position hydroxyl of PQS are critical for these interactions. Finally, we show that PQS stimulated purified LPS to form liposome‐like structures. These studies provide molecular insight into P. aeruginosa MV formation and demonstrate that quorum signals serve important non‐signalling functions.
Flexural isostatic response of the Alps to increased Quaternary erosion recorded by foreland basin remnants, SE France
Authors: Champagnac Jean‐Daniel , Van Der Beek Peter , Diraison Gaël , Dauphin Samuel 
Published: May 2008

AbstractWe test the hypothesis that flexural isostatic compensation of the mass removed by enhanced Quaternary erosion is responsible for uplift of the Western European Alps and their forelands. We use two well‐preserved and well‐dated (1.8 Ma) abandonment surfaces of foreland basin remnants in SE France (the Chambaran and Valensole plateaux) as passive benchmarks for tilting of the foreland. Estimating their initial slope from morphometric scaling relationships, we determine bulk post‐depositional tilting of 0.5–0.8% for these surfaces. The calculated isostatic response of the Alpine lithosphere to erosional unloading, using the method recently proposed by Champagnac et al.[Geology 35 (2007) 195–198], yields a predicted tilting of 0.3–0.4% in the considered areas, explaining approximately half of the determined post‐depositional tilting. Such long‐term deformation being insensitive to cyclic loading/unloading because of glaciations, we suspect the other half to be related to as yet undetermined long‐wavelength and long‐lived tectonic process(es).
The trace of the Pacific‐Cocos‐Nazca triple junction in the Central Pacific and the formation of an overlapping spreading centre
Authors: Meschede Martin , Barckhausen Udo , Engels Martin , Weinrebe Wilhelm 
Published: May 2008

AbstractThe `plate tectonic mirror image' to the region of the Cocos and Nazca plates, which are currently being subducted beneath Central America, is preserved in the Central Pacific around 120°W just south of the equator. Cruise SO‐180 investigated this remote area during project CENTRAL and acquired new magnetic and bathymetric data. A plate tectonic model for the ‘mirror image’ is presented based on the newly acquired as well as reprocessed existing data. Discordant magnetic anomaly patterns and bathymetric structures indicate at least two major reorganization events (19.5 and 14.7 Myr), which can be detected both in the Cocos‐Nazca spreading system and in the East Pacific Rise. Irregularities in the anomaly pattern and curvilinear structures on the sea floor of the survey area are interpreted in terms of a fossil overlapping spreading centre at the location where the Farallon break‐up originated.
Validation of a haemoglobin dilution method for estimation of blood loss
Authors: Meunier A. , Petersson A. , Good L. , Berlin G. 
Published: May 2008

Background and Objectives  Analysis of haemoglobin (Hb) dilution after bleeding is a simple, inexpensive and non‐invasive method to estimate blood loss. Blood volume is estimated, taking sex, weight and height into account. The Hb concentration before and after blood loss is analysed and, from the difference, the blood loss volume can be calculated assuming a normovolemic subject. Although widely used this method has never been validated.Material and Methods  The Hb concentration of 21 blood donors was analysed before and up to 4 days after a standard blood donation and in another 18 blood donors the Hb concentration was analysed before and on day 4, 6, 8, 11 and 14 after blood donation. The blood volume of each donor was calculated and the donated blood volume was estimated by weighing. We calculated the blood loss by the Hb dilution method and compared the calculated value with the donated blood volume.Results  The mean donated blood volume was 442 ± 10 ml, whereas the mean calculated blood loss was 152 ± 214 ml using the Hb concentration of the first day after donation and 301 ± 145 ml with the Hb concentration of day 6 after blood donation after which no further Hb decrease was observed. The directly measured Hb concentration was always higher than the calculated/expected Hb concentration based on the blood donation volume.Conclusions  The Hb dilution method underestimates the true blood loss by more than 30% after a moderate blood loss of approximately 10% of the total blood volume.
The use of endosperm balance number for predicting gamete selection in complex polyploid interspecific Trifolium repens × T. nigrescens crosses
Authors: Hussain S. W. , Williams W. M. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractEndosperm balance number (EBN) was used to predict the outcome of crosses among a series of complex polyploid interspecific hybrids between Trifolium repens and T. nigrescens. Normal endosperm development, and hence seed‐set, requires a 2 : 1 maternal : paternal EBN ratio in endosperm. Based on their crossability, T. repens (2n = 4x = 32) and T. nigrescens (2n = 2x = 16) were assigned the same EBN of 4. This number was used to predict the relative success of different backcrosses and intercrosses. The method was further developed to successfully predict which gametes would effect fertilization when complex polyploid hybrids with uneven genomic constitutions (5x, 7x) produced mixtures of euploid and aneuploid gametes. This was achieved by allocating EBNs to all potential gametes of complex polyploids. Allocation of gamete EBNs enabled not only prediction of the success or failure of a cross, but also which gametes would be filtered to effect fertilization in complex crosses. This enhanced ability to understand the potential outcomes of complex crosses will increase the efficiency of plant breeding programmes that integrate secondary gene‐pools into economic species by interspecific hybridization.
Does every short stature child need screening for celiac disease?
Authors: Bhadada Sanjay Kumar , Bhansali Anil , Kochhar Rakesh , Menon Anil Shankar , Sinha Saroj Kant , Dutta Pinaki , Nain Chander Kanwal 
Published: May 2008

AbstractAim:  To study the etiological profile of short stature at a tertiary care hospital in north India.Methods:  In this prospective study, 176 children with short stature were enrolled from January 2005 to December 2006. Appropriate screening and definitive tests were performed to establish the etiology of short stature.Results:  Celiac disease (CD) emerged as the single most common (15.3%) cause of short stature, followed by various endocrine disorders. It was interesting to note that none of the CD patients presented with gastrointestinal symptoms.Conclusion:  All short children should be screened for CD irrespective of gastrointestinal symptoms.
De novo autoimmune hepatitis after living donor liver transplantation is unlikely to be related to immunoglobulin subtype 4‐related immune disease
Authors: Eguchi Susumu , Takatsuki Mitsuhisa , Hidaka Masaaki , Tajima Yoshitsugu , Zen Yoh , Nakanuma Yasuni , Kanematsu Takashi 
Published: May 2008

AbstractBackground and Aim:  Recently, we reported that immunoglobulin subtype 4 (IgG4) is involved in autoimmune hepatobiliary diseases, such as autoimmune hepatitis, sclerosing cholangitis, and pancreatitis. However, the association of IgG4 with autoimmune hepatic disease after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has not been investigated.Methods:  Of the 72 LDLT recipients, four patients (5.6%) were suspected of having autoimmune‐related hepatic disease after LDLT. The diagnosis was made based on a histological diagnosis following an examination of a biopsy liver specimen in three cases, while in one case a pemphigoid appeared in the flank with liver fibrosis of unknown cause. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) mismatches were 3, 2, 2, and 2, respectively. The serum level of IgG4 in the patients was measured, and IgG4 immunohistochemical staining in the liver biopsy specimens was also performed.Results:  In all cases, steroid pulse therapy or recycle treatment and subsequent increased steroid dose as well as additional azathioprine or mycophenolate mofetil were effective. While a few positive‐stained cells for IgG4 were observed in the liver of one case, negative staining for IgG4 was observed in the other cases. All serum subclasses of IgG4 were within normal limits.Conclusion:  In our series of LDLT, IgG4‐related immune disorder is unlikely to be involved in post‐transplant, autoimmune‐related liver disease.
Spontaneous regeneration of intrinsic spinal cord axons in a novel spinal cord slice culture model
Authors: Bonnici Brenda , Kapfhammer Josef P. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractA substantial problem in research concerned with axonal repair is the use of a wide variety of lesion models and the complexity associated with the respective in vivo lesion paradigms. Organotypic slice cultures are a potential in vitro alternative because the cytoarchitectonic tissue organization is well preserved and the slices can be maintained in culture for several weeks. Until now no spinal cord slice culture model for the study of axonal growth has been available. Here we present a spinal cord slice culture model that is well suited for the study of axonal growth. The spinal cord slices were cut not in the transverse but in the sagittal longitudinal plane such that several spinal cord segments were included in the slice culture. In these cultures the typical ventro‐dorsal polarity of the spinal cord was maintained and intrinsic spinal cord axons formed a strong fibre tract extending along the longitudinal axis of the slice. The axons became myelinated during the culture period and synaptic contacts were present in these cultures. After mechanical lesions the intrinsic spinal cord axons had a substantial potential for axonal growth and regeneration. The number of regenerating axons crossing the lesion site decreased with increasing maturation of the culture, but even in mature cultures a small number of crossing fibres were present. This slice culture model could provide an important tool for several aspects of spinal cord research in the fields of axonal growth and regeneration, synapse formation, formation of intrinsic spinal cord circuits and myelination.