bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Long‐term impact of exotic ants on the native ants of Madeira
Authors: WETTERER JAMES K. , ESPADALER XAVIER , WETTERER ANDREA L. , AGUIN‐POMBO DORA , FRANQUINHO‐AGUIAR ANTÓNIO M. 
Published: July 2006

Abstract 1. The earliest exotic records for two notorious invasive ants, the big‐headed ant (Pheidole megacephala) and the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile), both come from the Atlantic islands of Madeira, where the two species underwent population explosions in the 1850s and 1890s respectively. Researchers have long assumed that these invaders spread across all of Madeira and exterminated most or all native ants, despite no research actually documenting such impact.2. Re‐examination of first‐hand nineteenth century accounts suggest that P. megacephala and L. humile may never have spread beyond coastal lowland areas, representing < 10% of Madeira’s land area. In 2002, native ants dominated most of Madeira; P. megacephala and L. humile were restricted to ≈ 0.3% and ≈ 6% of Madeira’s land area respectively.3. Of the 10 native ant species known from Madeira, only one (Temnothorax wollastoni) was not present in 1999–2002 surveys. Although exotic ants may have exterminated T. wollastoni, it seems likely that this species still survives.4. Thus, even after 150 or more years of residence, P. megacephala and L. humile have come to occupy only a small part of Madeira, and appear to have had little impact.5. Most of Madeira may be too cool for P. megacephala and perhaps too moist for L. humile to dominate. Also, Madeira’s vast natural areas may generally lack weedy vegetation that can support high densities of plant‐feeding Hemiptera critical for the ecological dominance of invasive ants. Finally, a dominant native ant, Lasius grandis, inhabiting ≈ 84% of Madeira, may actively exclude P. megacephala and L. humile.
Foraging trip duration of bumblebees in relation to landscape‐wide resource availability
Authors: WESTPHAL CATRIN , STEFFAN‐DEWENTER INGOLF , TSCHARNTKE TEJA 
Published: July 2006

Abstract 1. The study tested the hypotheses that bumblebees have shorter foraging trips in environments that provide abundant resources than in environments that provide sparse resources, and that shorter foraging trips translate into greater colony growth.2. Six even‐aged Bombus terrestris colonies were established in contrasting resource environments. Three colonies had access to abundant resources (Phacelia tanacetifolia fields with high flower densities), and three colonies were placed in an environment with sparse resources (scattered semi‐natural habitats with food plants at lower densities).3. A total of 870 foraging trips of 220 marked B. terrestris foragers were observed using automated camcorder recordings.4. The duration of foraging trips was shorter in environments with abundant resources (66 ± 4.6 min) than in environments with sparse resources (82 ± 3.7 min). Within 34 days colonies that had access to abundant resources gained significantly more weight (129 ± 40 g) than colonies foraging on sparse resources (19 ± 7 g).5. Thus, the spatial distribution and quality of resources at landscape level affected the duration of foraging trips and the colony growth. It was concluded that future conservation schemes need to improve the spatial and temporal availability of resources in agricultural landscapes to counteract the ongoing decline of bumblebees.
Statin therapy in patients with chronic kidney disease: to use or not to use
Authors: Steinmetz O. M. , Panzer U. , Stahl R. A. K. , Wenzel U. O. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractDyslipdemia is a common complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and contributes to high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality of CKD patients. Experimental studies have demonstrated that lipids induce glomerular and tubulointerstitial injury and that lipid‐lowering treatments ameliorate renal injury. Therapy with statins not only has the potential to lower cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with CKD but also to slow progression of renal disease. Whereas the guidelines for treatment of hyperlipidaemia in nonrenal patients are based on prospective, randomized, placebo‐controlled mega‐trials, such data are not available for CKD patients. This review outlines the limited information currently available on the effect of statins among patients with CKD and summarizes the ongoing randomized trials designed to address this question.
Anti‐emetic prophylaxis with oral tropisetron and/or dexamethasone
Authors: Eberhart L. H. J. , Büning E. Kleine , Folz B. , Maybauer D. M. , Kästner M. , Kalder M. , Koch T. , Kranke P. , Wulf H. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractBackground  The corticosteroid dexamethasone and the serotonine3‐antagonist tropisetron are both effective drugs for the prophylaxis of post‐operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) when given intravenously. The aim of this trial was to evaluate the oral use of both drugs as part of a routine oral premedication and to compare their single and combined effectiveness.Materials and methods  In this randomized, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind study, 320 inpatients with a moderate–high risk of PONV (≥ 40% according to two validated risk scores) received an oral premedication 1–2 h pre‐operatively with placebo, a fixed dose of tropisetron 5 mg, dexamethasone 8 mg, or a combination of both drugs. A standardized general anaesthesia was performed, including benzodiazepine premedication, propofol, rocuronium, desflurane in air/O2, fentanyl or sufentanil followed by a continuous infusion of remifentanil. Post‐operative analgesia and anti‐emetic rescue medication were standardized. The main outcome measures were the severity of PONV within the first 24 h (rated by a standardized scoring algorithm). The incidence of PONV was used as the secondary outcome.Results  Data from 310 patients were analyzed. The mean severity score in the placebo‐, tropisetron‐, dexamethasone‐ and the combined‐groups was 1·37, 0·8, 0·8 and 0·38, respectively. The incidence of PONV of any severity was 59·2%, 37·5%, 40% and 22·8%, respectively. The reduction of the incidence and the severity of PONV were statistically significant with all three interventions. Results from additional analyses suggested that both drugs were equally effective and that there was a simple additive effect of tropisetron and dexamethasone compared with placebo.Conclusion  Oral tropisetron and dexamethasone were both equally effective in reducing the severity and incidence of post‐operative nausea and vomiting. The latter could be reduced by approximately 35% in a population of moderate–high risk for PONV. Both drugs had an additive effect. However, even in the combination group there still remained an unacceptably high incidence of PONV of more than 20%. This highlighted the need for a multimodal anti‐emetic approach in high‐risk patients and the importance of treatment of PONV.
Comparison of different cellular models measuring in vitro the whole human serum cholesterol efflux capacity
Authors: Mweva S. , Paul J. L. , Cambillau M. , Goudouneche D. , Beaune P. , Simon A. , Fournier N. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractBackground  Fu5AH rat hepatoma cells and cAMP (cyclic AMP)‐pretreated J774 mouse macrophages are commonly used as models for SR‐BI (scavenger receptor class B type I) and ABCA1 (ATP binding cassette transporter 1)‐mediated free cholesterol efflux to whole serum, respectively. However, the responsiveness of Fu5AH, control or cAMP pretreated J774 cells to the various lipids and HDL (high‐density lipoprotein)‐parameters from both normo‐ and dyslipidaemic subjects has never been compared within the same study.Materials and methodsFifty‐eight men were classified into four groups: type IIa hypercholesterolaemic (n = 12), type IIb dyslipidaemic (n = 13), type IV hypertriglyceridaemic (n = 18) and normolipidaemic (n = 15) were recruited. A complete lipid profile including preβ‐HDL was performed. Cholesterol efflux from Fu5AH cells as well as from control or cAMP pretreated J774 cells were measured; the difference between these two latter values being taken as the ABCA1‐mediated efflux.ResultsThe Fu5AH and the control J774 cells delivered cholesterol to mature HDLs, especially to phospholipid (PL)‐rich HDL. Using cAMP pretreated cells, the ABCA1‐dependent efflux was highly sensitive to preβ‐HDL, which appeared to be a factor in determining the efflux. Consistent with the dependence of the SR‐BI‐mediated efflux on HDL‐PL levels, which are not different between groups, all sera displayed similar efflux capacities from the Fu5AH cells. Conversely, in accordance with their high preβ‐HDL levels, the ABCA1‐dependent efflux highlighted the efficiency of type IV sera.ConclusionTwo complementary cellular models providing SR‐BI and ABCA1‐dependent efflux should be used to measure the capacity of a biological fluid which contains a wide variety of components to promote cholesterol efflux.
Is the pattern of solid‐phase gastric emptying different between genders?
Authors: Sanaka M. , Yamamoto T. , Anjiki H. , Osaki Y. , Kuyama Y. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractBackground  In the 13C‐octanoate breath test, the shape of the 13CO2 excretion curve in the ascending portion reflects a pattern of gastric emptying (GE). Recent scintigraphic studies have revealed an overall delay in solid GE in fertile women compared with men. However, it remains unknown whether women have a different GE pattern compared with men. As a symptomatic delay in solid GE is specific to the female gender, it could be hypothesized that the 13CO2 excretion curve is different in shape between genders.Materials and methods  Because the ascending gradient of the 13CO2 excretion curve is often biphasic, the dual function of was applied to fit the breath data, where a1, b1, a2, b2, and K are constants. Assessed on the 4h‐based breath samples obtained after ingestion of a 320‐kcal muffin containing 100 mg 13C‐octanoate, the time versus 13CO2 excretion curve was created from 31 adult volunteers (15 men and 16 women). The curve shape was characterized by the dual function, and was compared between genders.Results  In both genders, the ascending gradient exhibited the biphasic feature, characterized by an initial steep rise and the subsequent blunted increase, while the descending gradient followed the monotonous decay. The initial rise was steeper and the subsequent increase was more blunted in women than in men.Conclusions  Women exhibit a gender‐specific pattern of the 13CO2 excretion profile. A possible explanation for this gender difference is that the post‐gastric feedback regulation is more potent in women than in men.
Antibody response in patients with endocarditis caused by Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Rindi S. , Cicalini S. , Pietrocola G. , Venditti M. , Festa A. , Foster T. J. , Petrosillo N. , Speziale P. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractBackground  Staphylococcus aureus expresses a variety of adhesins involved in the colonization of host tissues. This study aimed to evaluate the role of staphylococcal surface proteins in the aetiology of infective endocarditis (IE) and the host immune response to infection.Materials and methods  The ELISA assays were used to assess the adherence of S. aureus isolates recovered from the blood cultures of 19 patients with IE (16 were drug abusers) to subendothelial matrix proteins. Anti‐adhesin antibody titre was measured incubating surface‐coated bacterial antigens with patients’ IgG. S. aureus effects on platelet aggregation were evaluated with an aggregometer.Results  Staphylococcus aureus isolates, from the patients with IE, exhibited a high expression of several surface components recognizing extracellular matrix proteins: clumping factors A and B (ClfA and ClfB) and fibronectin‐binding proteins (FnbpA and FnbpB), whereas only four strains expressed the collagen‐binding protein CNA. Bacteria also interacted with platelets both in the absence or presence of fibronectin or fibrinogen and some strongly supported platelet aggregation. Almost all patients presented significantly higher antibody reactivity to ClfA, ClfB, FnbpA, CNA and MAP (MHC class II analogous protein) than in sera from healthy individuals. On the contrary, the reactivity to CNA was remarkable only in three patients. The IgG preparations weakly inhibited the binding of bacteria to fibronectin, whereas they exhibited considerable blocking activity on staphylococcal attachment to fibrinogen or collagen.Conclusions  Adhesins ClfA, ClfB and FnbpA are produced in vivo and appear important factors both in valve colonization and in promoting host immune responses.
Atorvastatin or fenofibrate on post‐prandial lipaemia in type 2 diabetic patients with hyperlipidaemia
Authors: Iovine C. , Lilli S. , Gentile A. , Patti L. , Di Marino L. , Cipriano P. , Riccardi G. , Rivellese A. A. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractBackground  Post‐prandial lipid abnormalities might contribute to the excess of cardiovascular risk typical of type 2 diabetic patients. The study evaluated the effects of atorvastatin (20 mg d−1) vs. fenofibrate (200 mg d−1) on post‐prandial lipids in type 2 diabetic patients with mixed hyperlipidaemia.Materials and methods  Eight type 2 diabetic patients, male/female (M/F) 6/2, age 58 ± 5 years, body mass index (BMI) 28 ± 3 kg m−2 with cholesterol of low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) between 100–160 mg dL−1 and triglycerides between 150–400 mg dL−1, participated in a randomized, cross‐over study (3 months on atorvastatin and 3 months on fenofibrate). At baseline and at the end of the two treatments, the patients were given a standard fat meal; blood samples were taken before the meal and every 2 h after for the assay of cholesterol, triglycerides, apoB‐48 and apoB‐100 (determined by sodium dodecyl sulphate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) in plasma lipoproteins and very low‐density lipoprotein (VLDL) subfractions (large and small VLDL), separated by density gradient ultracentrifugation.Results  Data on fasting lipids confirmed that atorvastatin was more effective on the reduction of LDL‐cholesterol, whereas fenofibrate was a better triglyceride‐lowering agent. Concerning the post‐prandial phase, the incremental areas under the curve (IAUC) for chylomicrons and large VLDL were reduced after both treatments, reaching statistical significance for cholesterol, triglyceride and apoB‐100 content of chylomicrons only after fenofibrate administration [IAUC, (5·2 ± 4·6 vs. 10·7 ± 9·3) mg dL−1 h−1, P = 0·03; (131·3 ± 95·1 vs. 259·1 ± 201·5) mg dL−1 h−1, P = 0·02; (0·46 ± 1 vs. 3 ± 3·7) mg dL−1 h−1, P = 0·025, all respectively].Conclusion  During the post‐prandial state fenofibrate appeared to be more effective than atorvastatin in reducing the chylomicron response.
Undiagnosed dysglycaemia and inflammation in cardiovascular disease
Authors: Johansen O. E. , Birkeland K. I. , Brustad E. , Aaser E. , Lindahl A. K. , Midha R. , Ueland T. , Aukrust P. , Gullestad L. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractBackground  Cardiovascular (CV) disease is associated with increased levels of glucose, but the prevalence of dysglycaemia in CV diseases is not fully known. The study examined the prevalence of unknown dysglycaemia and its association with inflammation in Caucasian patients with ischaemic vascular complications, i.e. coronary artery disease (CAD), cerebrovascular disease (CVD) and peripheral artery disease (PAD).Materials and methods  This case‐controlled study involved 149 patients (mean age 68 years) hospitalized for CAD, PAD or CVD and 59 control‐subjects (CTR) free from CV‐disease. The prevalence of dysglycaemia according to WHO/ADA criteria (impaired fasting glycaemia, impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes mellitus) was assessed by a 75‐g oral glucose tolerance test. Inflammatory parameters were analyzed in fasting samples.Results  Dysglycaemia was found in 49%, 55% and 57% of patients with CAD, CVD and PAD, respectively; all were significantly higher than among the controls (29%). The odds ratio (95% CI) for being dysglycaemic were 1·7 (1·04–2·77), 1·9 (1·19–3·06) and 2·0 (1·25–3·19) for CAD, CVD and PAD, respectively. Inflammatory markers (the total leucocyte count, soluble tumour necrosis factor‐receptor type I, C‐reactive protein) were elevated in patient groups and tended to increase with increasing blood glucose levels in all groups. The levels of the anti‐inflammatory cytokine transforming growth factor‐β1 and insulin‐like growth factor binding protein 3 were lowered in patients with CAD and, in patients with PAD, the former was inversely related to the levels of the blood glucose.Conclusions  Undiagnosed dysglycaemia was common in patients with ischaemic CV manifestations regardless of vascular bed involved. Inflammation was associated in a dosage‐related manner to glucose levels.
The role of soil properties in regulating non‐equilibrium macropore flow and solute transport in agricultural topsoils
Authors: Jarvis N. , Larsbo M. , Roulier S. , Lindahl A. , Persson L. 
Published: July 2006

SummaryDual‐permeability models can account for the strong influence of soil macropores on contaminant transport, but their predictive application is hampered by the difficulty in estimating a priori values for the rate coefficient controlling lateral mass exchange between the two flow domains. Our aim was to investigate the possibility of estimating the mass transfer coefficient in the dual‐permeability model MACRO from fundamental soil properties. To this end, we calibrated MACRO against transient chloride leaching tests carried out on 33 undisturbed soil columns taken from the topsoils of three agricultural fields, characterized by a wide range of texture and organic matter content. The global search algorithm SUFI was used to derive optimum values of the mass transfer coefficient in each column. A Monte Carlo procedure was carried out on two columns to investigate the stability of the estimates in the presence of potential errors in fixed parameters. Despite such errors, c. 50% of the variation in mass transfer for this data set could be explained by two fundamental soil properties: the geometric mean particle size and the organic matter content. Soils of coarser texture and larger organic matter content were characterized by stronger lateral mass exchange and therefore weaker macropore flow. Harrowing and a 6‐year grass ley also reduced the extent of non‐equilibrium transport. Our results suggest that a robust functional description of the effects of soil structure on chemical transport is possible for predictive management applications of dual‐permeability models across larger areas (i.e. mapping leaching risks at field, farm and catchment scales).
Carbon steady‐state model of the planktonic food web of Lake Biwa, Japan
Authors: NIQUIL NATHALIE , BARTOLI GRETTA , URABE JOTARO , JACKSON GEORGE A. , LEGENDRE LOUIS , DUPUY CHRISTINE , KUMAGAI M. 
Published: July 2006

Summary1. A steady‐state model of carbon flows was developed to describe the summer planktonic food web in the surface mixed‐layer of the North Basin in Lake Biwa, Japan. This model synthesised results from numerous studies on the plankton of Lake Biwa.2. An inverse analysis procedure was used to estimate missing flow values in a manner consistent with known information. Network analysis was applied to characterise emergent properties of the resulting food web.3. The system strongly relied on flows related to detrital particles. Whereas primary production was mainly by phytoplankton >20 μm, microzooplankton were active and mainly ingested detritus and bacteria.4. The main emergent property of the system was strong recycling, through either direct ingestion of non‐living material by zooplankton, or ingestion of bacteria after degradation of detritus to release dissolved organic carbon.
Social skills knowledge and performance among adolescents with bipolar disorder
Authors: Goldstein Tina R , Miklowitz David J , Mullen Kimberley L 
Published: July 2006

Objectives:  This study investigated social skills deficits among adolescents with bipolar disorder.Methods:  Adolescents with DMS‐IV bipolar disorder (n = 18) and their parents completed social skills assessments when they were experiencing minimal mood symptoms. The control group (n = 18) consisted of adolescents with no history of psychiatric disorders. Participants and their parents rated the adolescents’ social performance using the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters. We measured the adolescents’ knowledge of appropriate social skills using the Interpersonal Negotiation Strategy Interview. Raters ‘blind’ to psychiatric status rated the adolescents’ responses and their social interactions with an examiner during the assessment.Results:  Adolescents with bipolar disorder displayed significantly more social skills performance deficits than controls. No significant differences emerged between the groups in social skills knowledge. Ratings of social interactions with the examiner failed to distinguish bipolar from control teens, but raters were successful in guessing the psychiatric status of the participants.Conclusions:  These findings indicate that bipolar adolescents lag behind their peers in social skills performance, but not social skills knowledge. Results support the hypothesis that difficulties with emotion regulation interfere with the consistent exhibition of appropriate social behaviors.
Concurrent tracking of alcohol use and bipolar disorder symptoms
Authors: Fleck David E , Arndt Stephan , DelBello Melissa P , Strakowski Stephen M 
Published: July 2006

Objectives:  Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are common co‐occurring conditions in patients with bipolar disorder (BD), but it is unclear whether or not AUD and BD symptoms are temporally correlated. The primary aim of this analysis was to examine concurrent symptom tracking and how the relative onsets of AUD and BD influence the concurrent tracking of symptoms.Methods:  Participants met DSM‐IV criteria for bipolar I disorder, manic or mixed, with no prior hospitalizations and minimal treatment. Patients were rated for alcohol use and bipolar symptom severity on a weekly basis for up to 7 years. For analysis purposes, patients were placed into groups with no AUD (BD Only; n = 21), onset of AUD either concurrent with or after the onset of bipolar symptoms (BD First; n = 32), and onset of AUD at least 1 year before the onset of bipolar symptoms (AUD First; n = 18).Results:  None of the patient groups demonstrate consistent positive or negative temporal correlations between alcohol use and affective symptoms. However, there were significant between‐group differences on the relationship of symptom tracking and age of BD onset. For the AUD First group, the correlation between age of BD onset and symptom tracking was positive 0.41. However, for the BD First and BD Only groups the correlations were negative (−0.32 and −0.41, respectively). Moreover, for patients whose BD onset was ≤18 years old, the correlation between age of onset and tracking was −0.47.Conclusions:  These findings suggest that although there is no direct temporal correlation of AUD and BD symptoms in subgroups of BD patients, age at illness onset contributes to the complex relationship between BD and AUD. For younger patients there may be a greater likelihood that alcohol use and bipolar symptoms increase or decrease in unison.