bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinical Pattern of Celiac Disease Is Still Changing
Authors: Garampazzi Andrea , Rapa Anna , Mura Serena , Capelli Antonella , Valori Anna , Boldorini Renzo , Oderda Giuseppina 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTThe clinical presentation of celiac disease in children changed in the last decades of the 20th century. To ascertain whether changes are still in progress, we analyzed symptoms at presentation and age at diagnosis in 307 children receiving diagnoses of celiac disease for the past 20 years. The prevalence of typical forms of celiac disease decreased in the past decade, particularly in the past 5 years (from 76% in 1987–1990 to 44%, P < 0.0001). Age at diagnosis (5.9 y, P = 0.01) and silent forms (10.6%, P = 0.003) have significantly increased in the past 5 years. Histological examination showed decreased subtotal and increased partial villous atrophy prevalence (P = 0.02).
Liver Histology of Children With Chronic Hepatitis Treated With Interferon‐α Alone or in Combination With Lamivudine
Authors: Kuloğlu Zarife , Krsaçloğlu Ceyda Tuna , Kansu Aydan , Erden Esra , Girgin Nurten 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTAim:To evaluate histological changes with interferon monotherapy or interferon plus lamivudine combination therapy in children with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)–positive chronic hepatitis B.Patients and Methods:31 children aged 2–13 years were randomly treated with interferon (IFN) (group 1, n = 16) or IFN plus simultaneously started lamivudine (group 2, n = 15). IFN‐α2a was given 9 MU/m2 3 times per week for 6 months in each group; lamivudine was given 4 mg · kg−1 · day−1 for 24 months. Liver biopsy specimens were evaluated according to the Knodell score before therapy and after 24 months of therapy. Histological response was defined as a decrease in the histological activity index (HAI) score by at least 2 points. Efficacy of therapy was evaluated at 24 months of therapy in all children.Results:Alanine aminotransferase normalization, HbeAg, and hepatitis B virus DNA clearance were not different. Complete response and histological response were 37.5%/62.5% and 40%/46.7% in groups 1 and 2, respectively (P = NS). At baseline and at 24 months of therapy, total HAI and components of HAI were not different in the 2 groups. In comparison with baseline, a significant decrease in scores of periportal ± bridging necrosis was observed in group 1 (P = 0.01); periportal ± bridging necrosis, intralobular degeneration, focal necrosis, and necroinflammation scores significantly decreased in group 2 (P = 0.04 and P = 0.02) at 24 months of therapy.Conclusions:The addition of lamivudine to IFN‐α did not increase the effectiveness of the treatment in terms of complete and histological responses. Both therapies seemed to be effective in the regression of periportal ± bridging necrosis. In addition, combination therapy was also effective in the regression of intralobular degeneration, focal necrosis, and necroinflammatory activity index.
Effect of food on the pharmacokinetics of the oral phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor udenafil for the treatment of erectile dysfunction
Authors: Kim Tae‐Eun , Kim Bo‐Hyung , Kim Jung‐Ryul , Lim Kyoung Soo , Hong Jang Hee , Kim Kyu‐pyo , Kim Hwa‐Sook , Shin Sang‐Goo , Jang In‐Jin , Yu Kyung‐Sang 
Published: March 2009

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT • Udenafil is a newly marketed phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor.• Udenafil is safe and well tolerated in healthy subjects, and effective as treatment for erectile dysfunction.• The effect of food on the pharmacokinetics of PDE5 inhibitors varies. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS • This is the first study to determine the effect of food on the pharmacokinetics of udenafil.• Food generally does not affect the bioavailability of udenafil, although a low‐fat diet shows a tendency to decreases the absorption rate of udenafil.AIMSUdenafil is a cyclic guanosine 3′,5′‐monophosphate‐specific phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor developed for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. The aim was to evaluate the effect of food on the pharmacokinetics of udenafil.METHODSAn open, randomized, three‐way crossover study was conducted. Fifteen healthy male volunteers received a single 200‐mg oral dose of udenafil while fasting, after a low‐fat meal, and after a high‐fat meal separated by 7‐day washout periods. Serial blood samples were taken up to 48 h after oral administration.RESULTSUnder fasting conditions, udenafil was rapidly absorbed and tmax was observed typically 1.5 h after administration. The mean tmax values after a low‐fat meal and a high‐fat meal were 2.6 and 2.1 h, respectively. The ratios (90% confidence intervals) of the geometric means compared with the fasting condition for Cmax and AUClast were 0.79 (0.70, 0.90) and 0.96 (0.89, 1.03) in the low fat‐fed condition, respectively, and 1.01 (0.89, 1.15) and 1.03 (0.96, 1.11), respectively, in the high fat‐fed condition.CONCLUSIONSThe tmax of udenafil was delayed under the fed conditions. However, although the Cmax was reduced by approximately 21% in the low fat‐fed state, overall bioavailability was not affected when taken with food.
Risk factors of adverse reactions to food in German adults
Authors: Soost S. , Leynaert B. , Almqvist C. , Edenharter G. , Zuberbier T. , Worm M. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryBackground
Allergic diseases have been increasing during the last decades. Previous studies suggest an impact of a variety of risk factors on the prevalence of food hypersensitivity.Objective
Data of a cross‐sectional population‐based survey were analysed to study the prevalence of food hypersensitivity in females and males adjusted for age and education.Methods
A population aged 18–79 years from a representative, randomly sampled survey studying 13 300 inhabitants from Germany (Berlin) was analysed. The Berlin study data were weighted with regard to age, sex, education and allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis, rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma. Instruments for evaluation included mailed questionnaires, structured telephone interviews, physical examinations, detection of total IgE, skin prick tests and double‐blind, placebo‐controlled food challenge tests (DBPCFC).Results
Three thousand two hundred and twenty‐seven questionnaires were evaluated. The data show a significantly higher risk of self‐reported symptoms in the female group, among persons with higher education and in the age group of 18–39 years. Among individuals with clinical symptoms, females were at lower risk of having positive skin prick tests [aOR=0.32; 95% CI (0.21–0.50); P<0.01] and having a raised total IgE [aOR=0.37; 95% CI (0.24–0.56); P<0.01], but showed a higher risk of non‐IgE and IgE‐mediated food hypersensitivity [aOR=2.27; 95% CI (1.31–3.93); P<0.01] than males. Based on weighted data, the point prevalence of adverse reactions to food resulted in 3.3% [95% CI (2.4–4.5%)] for women and 1.8% [95% CI (1.2–2.7%)] for men after DBPCFC.Conclusion
From a general population survey conducted in Germany, we determined that women are at greater risk of having symptoms of food allergy and also at greater risk of having DBPCFC‐confirmed symptomatic food allergy. However, among individuals with symptoms of food allergy, men have a higher prevalence of food‐specific IgE‐sensitization and of raised total IgE than women.
The low prevalence of allergic disease in Eastern Europe
Authors: Kramer M. S. , Matush L. , Bogdanovich N. , Dahhou M. , Platt R. W. , Mazer B. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryBackground
The prevalence of allergic disease is known to be low in Eastern Europe.Objective
To assess the association of suspected risk factors, including several closely linked to the hygiene hypothesis, with allergic symptoms and atopic sensitization in young school‐aged children.Methods
Observational study of 13 889 Belarusian children followed up at age 6.5 years in the Promotion of Breastfeeding Intervention Trial (PROBIT). Allergic symptoms and diseases were based on parental responses to the International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood questionnaire, and prick tests to five common inhalant allergens were performed using standard methods.Results
Significantly increased risks of wheezing and hayfever symptoms in the past 12 months, and of recurrent itchy rash were observed in boys, children with a positive first‐degree family atopic history, and those who had received probiotics (especially as prophylaxis with antibiotic use). Pet ownership, contact with farm animals, the presence and number of younger and (especially) older siblings, and residency in rural areas of Western Belarus were associated with reduced risks. Maternal postnatal smoking was associated with wheezing and hayfever symptoms, while the duration of exclusive breastfeeding was not protective against any of the studied outcomes. The risk factors for allergic symptoms were similar in children with positive skin‐prick tests to those in the overall cohort.Conclusion
Many of the risk and protective factors we identified are consistent with those reported in Western countries and with the hygiene hypothesis. Further research on dietary and other environmental and genetic factors is necessary to understand the low prevalence of allergic disease in Belarus and other Eastern European countries.
Prevalence of allergic rhinitis in 3–6‐year‐old children in Wuhan of China
Authors: Kong W‐J , Chen J‐J , Zheng Z‐Y , Shi Q‐M , Zhou Y. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryBackground
Only a few prevalence studies of allergic rhinitis (AR) have been reported in China. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of AR in a population of 3–6‐year‐old children in Wuhan, China.Methods
Sixteen kindergartens in Wuhan City were randomly selected; for each kindergarten, there were three classes from three grades (top, middle and bottom grade, 3–6 years old, respectively). Questionnaires generated by the authors were distributed and filled out by parents of the selected children, with a telephone interview subsequently. Skin prick test (SPT) was carried out on the children after a written consent was signed by the parents.Results
A total of 1211 (89.5%) valid questionnaires were returned for evaluation. The adjusted current prevalence of AR in 3–6‐year‐old children was 10.8% with the diagnostic criterion of nasal symptoms(+) and SPTs(+). In the SPTs(+) children, the most common inhalant allergen was house dust mites (94.7%), followed by moulds (28.4%). The prevalence of AR was higher in males than that in females (13.0% vs. 7.7%, P<0.05). 15.8% and 23.2% of AR children were sensitive to egg and milk, respectively. The percentage of children sensitive to both inhalant and food allergens was 27.4%.Conclusions
We found an unexpectedly high prevalence of diagnosed AR in 3–6‐year‐old children within the investigated population. Dust mite was the most important allergen source for 3–6‐year‐old children in Wuhan.
Neurocognitive consequences of surgery and radiotherapy for tumours of the pituitary
Authors: Tooze Alana , Gittoes Neil J. , Jones Christopher A. , Toogood Andrew A. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThe management of patients with pituitary tumours requires a multidisciplinary approach utilizing a number of different treatment modalities that can impact upon pituitary function and may disrupt important areas of cerebral tissue that are important for normal neurocognitive function. Patients frequently report problems with memory and sustained attention that impact upon normal day‐to‐day life. At present it is unclear whether any causal link exists between treatments for pituitary tumours and abnormalities of memory and higher mental function.The domains of function affected in patients with pituitary tumours are memory and executive functions, which are involved in the control and direction of lower level, more automatic functions such as attention and motor skills. The evidence for disruption in these modalities is stronger for memory than for executive function. This may be due to variability in study design, insufficient tests and the potential inclusion of fundamentally different tumour types.The purpose of this review is to examine the available evidence to determine whether pituitary disease, its management, or subsequent complications are responsible for any neuropsychological deficits in pituitary patients. Furthermore we address methodological issues that may account for the apparent disparate neurocognitive data that exist in this patient group.
Remote sensing of sun‐induced fluorescence to improve modeling of diurnal courses of gross primary production (GPP)
Authors: DAMM ALEXANDER , ELBERS JAN , ERLER ANDRÉ , GIOLI BENIAMINO , HAMDI KARIM , HUTJES RONALD , KOSVANCOVA MARTINA , MERONI MICHELE , MIGLIETTA FRANCO , MOERSCH ANDRÉ , MORENO JOSE , SCHICKLING ANKE , SONNENSCHEIN RUTH , UDELHOVEN THOMAS , Van Der LINDEN SEBASTIAN , HOSTERT PATRICK , RASCHER UWE 
Published: March 2009

AbstractTerrestrial gross primary production (GPP) is an important parameter to explore and quantify carbon fixation by plant ecosystems at various scales. Remote sensing (RS) offers a unique possibility to investigate GPP in a spatially explicit fashion; however, budgeting of terrestrial carbon cycles based on this approach still remains uncertain. To improve calculations, spatio‐temporal variability of GPP must be investigated in more detail on local and regional scales. The overarching goal of this study is to enhance our knowledge on how environmentally induced changes of photosynthetic light‐use efficiency (LUE) are linked with optical RS parameters. Diurnal courses of sun‐induced fluorescence yield (FSyield) and the photochemical reflectance index of corn were derived from high‐resolution spectrometric measurements and their potential as proxies for LUE was investigated. GPP was modeled using Monteith's LUE‐concept and optical‐based GPP and LUE values were compared with synoptically acquired eddy covariance data. It is shown that the diurnal response of complex physiological regulation of photosynthesis can be tracked reliably with the sun‐induced fluorescence. Considering structural and physiological effects, this research shows for the first time that including sun‐induced fluorescence into modeling approaches improves their results in predicting diurnal courses of GPP. Our results support the hypothesis that air‐ or spaceborne quantification of sun‐induced fluorescence yield may become a powerful tool to better understand spatio‐temporal variations of fluorescence yield, photosynthetic efficiency and plant stress on a global scale.
Opening Pandora's box: comparative studies of genetic mating systems reveal reproductive complexity
Authors: WILSON ANTHONY B. 
Published: March 2009

Genetic analyses of realized reproductive success have fundamentally changed our understanding of mating behaviour in natural systems. While behavioural ecologists have long been interested in what factors influence mating behaviour, early studies were limited to direct observations of matings and thus provided an incomplete picture of reproductive activity. Genetic assessments of parentage have revolutionized the study of reproductive behaviour, revealing that many individuals engage in extra‐pair copulations (Griffith et al. 2002) and that social mating partners frequently invest substantial resources into raising offspring that are unrelated to one or both of them (Avise et al. 2002). While these findings have changed the way we think about reproductive behaviour, most investigations of genetic parentage have been restricted to single populations at a single point in time, obscuring spatial and/or temporal variation in mating behaviour and limiting our ability to determine how environmental changes can lead to shifts in mating strategies. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Mobley & Jones (2009) compare genetic mating behaviour across five populations of Syngnathus floridae (Fig. 1), a widespread species of pipefish distributed along the Gulf‐ and Atlantic Coasts of North America. The authors document how genetic mating behaviour varies across space in S. floridae and identify correlations between reproductive variation and particular ecological characteristics. Mobley & Jones’ paper is one of an increasing number of studies which address the question of how ecological variables influence mating behaviour, and highlights how our understanding of mating system variation and evolution is likely to expand through the wider application of high‐throughput parentage assessment in a comparative context.A pregnant male dusky pipefish (Syngnathus floridae) in its natural habitat. Photo credit: Joe O’Hop.image
Environmental, demographic, and genetic mating system variation among five geographically distinct dusky pipefish (Syngnathus floridae) populations
Authors: MOBLEY KENYON B. , JONES ADAM G. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractGenetic mating systems are expected to vary among and within populations in response to environmental and demographic factors. Despite the fact that mating system variation theoretically can have profound effects on important evolutionary processes such as sexual selection, extensive intraspecific surveys of geographical variation in mating systems are rare. We used microsatellite markers to characterize genetic mating systems of dusky pipefish, Syngnathus floridae, from five populations distributed from the mid‐Atlantic Coast to the Western Gulf of Mexico. We also measured a number of environmental and demographic variables to examine correlations between the ecological setting and mating behaviour. Our results show that dusky pipefish are polygynandrous throughout their USA distribution, but they exhibit a wide range of quantitative variation in male mating behaviour. In addition, these five populations varied substantially with respect to environmental and demographic variables, and some of these were significantly correlated with aspects of the genetic mating system. While causal relationships cannot be firmly diagnosed from this type of comparative study, our results do identify several ecological factors, such as water temperature, adult sex ratio, and seagrass biomass, which should be considered in future experimental and comparative work. Overall, this study confirms the expectation that geographical variation in mating systems is widespread and shows that the dusky pipefish is an excellent model for continued research into the factors affecting mating systems in nature.
Fog interception by Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) crowns decouples physiology from soil water deficit
Authors: SIMONIN KEVIN A. , SANTIAGO LOUIS S. , DAWSON TODD E. 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTAlthough crown wetting events can increase plant water status, leaf wetting is thought to negatively affect plant carbon balance by depressing photosynthesis and growth. We investigated the influence of crown fog interception on the water and carbon relations of juvenile and mature Sequoia sempervirens trees. Field observations of mature trees indicated that fog interception increased leaf water potential above that of leaves sheltered from fog. Furthermore, observed increases in leaf water potential exceeded the maximum water potential predicted if soil water was the only available water source. Because field observations were limited to two mature trees, we conducted a greenhouse experiment to investigate how fog interception influences plant water status and photosynthesis. Pre‐dawn and midday branchlet water potential, leaf gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence were measured on S. sempervirens saplings exposed to increasing soil water deficit, with and without overnight canopy fog interception. Sapling fog interception increased leaf water potential and photosynthesis above the control and soil water deficit treatments despite similar dark‐acclimated leaf chlorophyll fluorescence. The field observations and greenhouse experiment show that fog interception represents an overlooked flux into the soil–plant–atmosphere continuum that temporarily, but significantly, decouples leaf‐level water and carbon relations from soil water availability.
Ozone suppresses soil drying‐ and abscisic acid (ABA)‐induced stomatal closure via an ethylene‐dependent mechanism
Authors: WILKINSON SALLY , DAVIES WILLIAM J. 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTElevated atmospheric ozone concentrations (70 ppb) reduced the sensitivity of stomatal closure to abscisic acid (ABA) in Leontodon hispidus after at least 24 h exposure (1) when detached leaves were fed ABA, and (2) when intact plants were sprayed or injected with ABA. They also reduced the sensitivity of stomatal closure to soil drying around the roots. Such effects could already be occurring under current northern hemisphere peak ambient ozone concentrations. Leaves detached from plants which had been exposed to elevated ozone concentrations generated higher concentrations of ethylene, although leaf tissue ABA concentrations were unaffected. When intact plants were pretreated with the ethylene receptor binding antagonist 1‐methylcyclopropene, the stomatal response to both applied ABA and soil drying was fully restored in the presence of elevated ozone. Implications of ethylene's antagonism of the stomatal response to ABA under oxidative stress are discussed. We suggest that this may be one mechanism whereby elevated ozone induces visible injury in sensitive species. We emphasize that drought linked to climate change and tropospheric ozone pollution, are both escalating problems. Ozone will exacerbate the deleterious effects of drought on the many plant species including valuable crops that respond to this pollutant by emitting more ethylene.
The plasma membrane Na+/H+ antiporter SOS1 is essential for salt tolerance in tomato and affects the partitioning of Na+ between plant organs
Authors: OLÍAS RAQUEL , ELJAKAOUI ZAKIA , LI JUN , DE MORALES PAZ ALVAREZ , MARÍN‐MANZANO MARI CARMEN , PARDO JOSE M. , BELVER ANDRÉS 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTWe have identified a plasma membrane Na+/H+ antiporter gene from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), SlSOS1, and used heterologous expression in yeast to confirm that SlSOS1 was the functional homolog of AtSOS1. Using post‐transcriptional gene silencing, we evaluated the role played by SlSOS1 in long‐distance Na+ transport and salt tolerance of tomato. Tomato was used because of its anatomical structure, more complex than that of Arabidopsis, and its agricultural significance. Transgenic tomato plants with reduced expression of SlSOS1 exhibited reduced growth rate compared to wild‐type (WT) plants in saline conditions. This sensitivity correlated with higher accumulation of Na+ in leaves and roots, but lower contents in stems of silenced plants under salt stress. Differential distribution of Na+ and lower net Na+ flux were observed in the xylem sap in the suppressed plants. In addition, K+ concentration was lower in roots of silenced plants than in WT. Our results demonstrate that SlSOS1 antiporter is not only essential in maintaining ion homeostasis under salinity, but also critical for the partitioning of Na+ between plant organs. The ability of tomato plants to retain Na+ in the stems, thus preventing Na+ from reaching the photosynthetic tissues, is largely dependent on the function of SlSOS1.