bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Growth of Bauhinia thonningii trees and saplings over a decade in a savanna in Zambia: interactions of climate, fire and source of regeneration
Authors: Chidumayo Emmanuel Ngulube 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThe present study investigated how climate and plant size affect the growth of Bauhinia thonningii and how fire and source of regeneration (grown from coppice versus seedlings) might modify the results. The study was conducted over a period of 10 y, from 1997 to 2007, at a savanna site in central Zambia. Trees were marked and monitored throughout the entire period; they showed a phase of declining growth (1998–2003) and a phase of low growth (2004–2007). During the phase of declining growth autocorrelation was high but either weakened or disappeared during the phase of low growth. After adjusting data for autocorrelation, climate factors and tree size accounted for between 14% and 35% of the variation in annual tree radial growth. However, the growth responses of trees to climate factors and tree size varied with the source of regeneration (i.e. coppice or seedling) and fire treatment. Trees of seedling origin were only affected by climate factors and tree size when exposed to annual burning whereas all trees of coppice origin were significantly affected by climate factors and tree size, regardless of the fire treatment. However, basal radial growth of saplings that were monitored for 4 y (2003–2007) was significantly influenced by maximum temperature and rainfall that accounted for 33–47% of the variance in annual radial growth under fire protection. Saplings recovered from shoot die-back during the cool dry season by resprouting in the hot dry season and this annual die-back slowed the height growth of B. thonningii saplings.
Annual flooding, survival and recruitment in a rodent population from the Niger River plain in Mali
Authors: Crespin Laurent , Papillon Yves , Abdoulaye Doukary , Granjon Laurent , Sicard Bruno 
Published: July 2008

AbstractMultimammate rats of the genusMastomysare among the most widespread pest species in Africa. Previous studies ofMastomyspopulation dynamics have generally reported variation in abundance but few have investigated the demographic parameters underlying this variation, and in particular recruitment. Capture-mark-recapture data were collected forMastomys erythroleucusseveral times a year from 2000 to 2004 at a site annually flooded by the Niger River in Mali. Closed-population models were used to estimate population abundance. Both seniority (a parameter inversely linked to recruitment) and survival probabilities were estimated by capture-mark-recapture models. The impacts of water level, population abundance and cumulative rainfall were assessed for each demographic parameter. Survival probabilities (local survival) were negatively correlated with water level, suggesting that rodents emigrated out of the study zone during flooding. As for seniority probabilities, 86% of temporal variation was explained by a model with season, abundance, water level and the interaction between abundance and water level. This suggests that density-dependence in recruitment was mediated by intraspecific competition for food or refuge from floodwaters, or by predation. The flood of the Niger River greatly impactsMastomys erythroleucuspopulation dynamics, affecting both survival and seniority probabilities.
Effects of land-use/land-cover changes on land crab,Cardisoma guanhumi, abundance in Puerto Rico
Authors: Govender Yogani , Sabat Alberto M. , Cuevas Elvira 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThe land crabCardisoma guanhumipopulations have been on the decline in Puerto Rico for the last three decades. While some studies suggest overexploitation and pesticides as causing the observed population declines, the effect of land-use/land-cover (LULC) changes have not been investigated. In this study we compared the abundance and size ofCardisoma guanhumiin five different LULC types (mangroves, grasslands, forest, urban and industrial), and investigated the relationship between differences in physical microhabitat conditions among the LULC types with crab abundance and size. Although no significant differences in size were found among the different LULC types, crabs were significantly less abundant in grassland sites. Surface soil temperature, depth to groundwater and air temperature were found to vary significantly among the LULC types. Of these, only surface soil temperatures had a significant negative relationship with crab abundance. It appears that high variation in soil temperature and a high groundwater table observed in the grasslands is most detrimental to crabs. Interestingly, during the time when land crab populations declined there was corresponding change of LULC from agriculture to grasslands.Cardisoma guanhumiis resilient to changes in LULC, however, changes that alter their access to groundwater and escape from high soil temperature reduce their habitat.
Ant community structure along an extended rain forest–savanna gradient in tropical Australia
Authors: van Ingen Laura T. , Campos Ricardo I. , Andersen Alan N. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractIn mixed tropical landscapes, savanna and rain-forest vegetation often support contrasting biotas, and this is the case for ant communities in tropical Australia. Such a contrast is especially pronounced in monsoonal north-western Australia, where boundaries between rain forest and savanna are often extremely abrupt. However, in the humid tropics of north-eastern Queensland there is often an extended gradient between rain forest and savanna through eucalypt-dominated tall open forest. It is not known if ant community structure varies continuously along this gradient, or, if there is a major disjunction, where it occurs. We address this issue by sampling ants at ten sites distributed along a 6-km environmental gradient from rain forest to savanna, encompassing the crest and slopes of Mt. Lewis in North Queensland. Sampling was conducted using ground and baited arboreal pitfall traps, and yielded a total of 95 ant species. Mean trap species richness was identical in rain forest and rain-forest regrowth, somewhat higher in tall open forest, and twice as high again in savanna woodland. The great majority (78%) of the 58 species from savanna woodland were recorded only in this habitat type. MDS ordination of sites based on ant species composition showed a continuum from rain forest through rain-forest regrowth to tall open forest, and then a discontinuity between these habitat types and savanna woodland. These findings indicate that the contrast between rain forest and savanna ant communities in tropical Australia is an extreme manifestation of a broader forest-savanna disjunction.
A weak relationship between crown architectural and leaf traits in saplings of eight tropical rain-forest species in Indonesia
Authors: Takahashi Koichi , Mikami Yumi 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThere are two trade-offs at the levels of leaves and crowns, i.e. assimilation capacity per leaf mass is greater for shorter-lived leaves, and unbranched species grow faster in height by allocating carbon more to trunk than to leaves and branches compared with highly branched species. The hypotheses were tested that the degree of branching (LTB) correlates with leaf traits and that height growth rate is negatively correlated with the degree of branching and leaf life span (LLS) by examining saplings of five canopy and subcanopy species, two shrub species and one invasive subshrub species (Clidemia hirta) in a tropical rain forest, West Java, Indonesia. Of the eight species, the most and least branched species wereCastanopsis acuminatissimaandMacaranga semiglobosa, respectively. Leaf traits examined were leaf size, LLS, leaf mass per area (LMA), leaf nitrogen concentration per mass (Nmass) and per area. LLS tended to be positively correlated with LMA, and negatively correlated withNmass. Leaf size was negatively correlated withLTB, but the other leaf traits were not correlated withLTB. The height growth of the eight species was low, irrespective ofLTBand LLS, for understorey individuals. The height growth of gap individuals was negatively correlated with LLS for the eight species, and also negatively withLTBfor the seven species other than one subshrub species. Thus, the degree of branching was correlated with leaf size only among the five leaf traits, and both leaf life span and the degree of branching affected the height growth of gap individuals, except for the subshrub species.
Renal oxidative stress and nitric oxide production in streptozotocin‐induced diabetic nephropathy in rats: the possible modulatory effects of garlic (Allium sativumL.)
Authors: Mariee Amr D. , Abd‐Allah Gamil M. , El‐Yamany Mohamad F. 
Published: July 2008

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of garlic (Allium sativumL.) on the diabetic nephropathy and oxidative stress induced by STZ (streptozotocin) in rats. Diabetes was induced in Male Sprague–Dawley rats by administering a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (60 mg/kg of body weight). Administration of garlic, prepared as FGH (fresh garlic homogenate) significantly attenuated STZ‐induced diabetic nephropathy as evaluated by assessment of serum glucose, insulin, total TAG (triacylglycerol), TC (total cholesterol) and Ccr (creatinine clearance) in control and STZ‐induced diabetic rats. Urinary excretions of albumin and NAG (N‐acetyl‐β‐D‐glucosaminidase) were also reduced following the treatment with FGH. In addition, significant inhibition of TBARSs (thiobarbituric acid‐reacting substances) with a marked improvement of GSH content in the kidney homogenates was also observed. Moreover, renal tissue content and urinary excretion of nitrites were markedly decreased in this model, and virtually enhanced to the same levels as in the non‐diabetic kidney following FGH supplementation. These data revealed that FGH has the ability to ameliorate STZ‐induced diabetic nephropathy possibly through participation in the inhibition of oxidative damage to kidney and/or increased kidney nitric oxide bioavailability.
Functional analysis of the SRY—KRAB interaction in mouse sex determination
Authors: Polanco Juan Carlos , Wilhelm Dagmar , Mizusaki Hirofumi , Jackson Andrew , Browne Catherine , Davidson Tara , Harley Vincent , Sinclair Andrew , Koopman Peter 
Published: July 2008

Background information. SRY (sex‐determining region Y), the master regulator of male development in mammals, has been studied extensively for more than 17 years, but how the SRY protein triggers the chain of events leading to testis development remains unclear. SRY probably requires a partner protein to elicit its molecular function. KRAB‐O, a novel protein containing a KRAB (Krüppel‐associated box) domain only, was suggested recently as a candidate SRY partner. In order to investigate the possible role of KRAB‐O in sex determination, we studied its expression and conducted functional assays of the SRY—KRAB interaction.Results. More than 100 KRAB genes were found to be expressed in mouse developing gonads, including 19 transcripts encoded by the KRAB‐O cluster that were found to be expressed in somatic cells at 11.5 dpc (days post‐coitum). Loss‐of‐function analysis in Sry‐expressing cultured cells, using shRNA (small hairpin RNA) constructs directed against KRAB‐O and its homologous genes, resulted in a reduced ability to up‐regulate Sox9 [SRY‐related HMG (high‐mobility group)‐box 9]; however, KRAB‐knockdown mice exhibited normal testis development.Conclusions. Reduced Sox9 expression in KRAB‐knockdown cells supports a role for KRAB‐O and perhaps other KRAB genes in mediating SRY function. Overlapping expression and potential redundancy between members of the large KRAB‐O gene cluster may mask any loss‐of‐function in vivo, presenting clear challenges for further functional analysis.
α Isoforms of soluble and membrane-linked folate-binding protein in human blood
Authors: Høier-Madsen Mimi , Holm Jan , Hansen Steen I. 
Published: July 2008

The high-affinity FBP/FR (folate-binding protein/folate receptor) is expressed in three isoforms. FRα and FRβ are attached to cell membranes by hydrophobic GPI (glycosylphosphatidylinositol) anchors, whereas FBPγ is a secretory protein. Mature neutrophil granulocytes contain a non-functional FRβ on the surface, and, in addition, nanomolar concentrations of a secretory functional FBP (29 kDa) can be present in the secondary granules. A statistically significant correlation between the concentrations of functional FBP, probably a γ isoform, in granulocytes and serum supported the hypothesis that serum FBP (29 kDa) mainly originates from neutrophils. The presence of FBP/FRα isoforms were established for the first time in human blood using antibodies specifically directed against human milk FBPα. The α isoforms identified on erythrocyte membranes, and in granulocytes and serum, only constituted an almost undetectable fraction of the functional FBP. The FBPα in neutrophil granulocytes was identified as a cytoplasmic component by indirect immunofluorescence. Gel filtration of serum revealed a peak of FBPα (&gt;120 kDa), which could represent receptor fragments from decomposed erythrocytes and granulocytes. The soluble FBPs may exert bacteriostatic effects and protect folates in plasma from biological degradation, whereas FRs on the surface of blood cells could be involved in intracellular folate uptake or serve as signal proteins. The latter receptors have also been used for therapeutic targeting in malignancy.
The NgAOX1a gene cloned from Nicotiana glutinosa is implicated in the response to abiotic and biotic stresses
Authors: Wang Jian , Wang Xia , Liu Cheng , Zhang Jiedao , Zhu Changxiang , Guo Xingqi 
Published: July 2008

A novel gene, named NgAOX1a, was isolated from Nicotiana glutinosa by RT-PCR (reverse transcription-PCR). The full-length cDNA of NgAOX1a was 1448 bp, including a 1062-bp ORF (open reading frame), a 124 bp 5′ UTR (untranslated region) and a 262 bp 3′ UTR. The ORF encodes a 353-amino-acid protein which contains two conserved cysteine residues, four iron-binding motifs, five α-helix regions and six conserved histidine residues. The phylogenetic tree showed that NgAOX1a belongs to the AOX1 (alternative oxidase 1)-type group. Alignment analysis showed that NgAOX1a shares a high similarity with other known AOXs. Four exons and three introns were detected in the genomic DNA sequence, and Southern-blotting analysis suggested that NgAOX1a is a single-copy gene. A series of putative cis-acting elements were examined in the 5′-flanking region of NgAOX1a. Northern-blotting analysis showed that the transcript levels of NgAOX1a can be markedly accumulated when tobacco seedlings are treated with various abiotic stimuli, such as exogenous signalling molecules for plant defence response, salicylic acid and H2O2, and the exogenous TCA (tricarboxylic acid) cycle metabolite citrate. However, it could be suppressed by abiotic stress, such as CoCl2, an inhibitor of ethylene, which indicates that the expression of NgAOX1a may be regulated by ethylene. In addition, NgAOX1a can also be strongly induced by three viral pathogens, tobacco mosaic virus, potato virus X and potato virus Y. These results indicate that NgAOX1a may be involved in multi-signal transduction pathways and may play an important role in defence response.
Procedures for Using Clinical Practice Guidelines
Authors: Hargrove Patricia , Griffer Mona , Lund Bonnie 
Published: July 2008

Purpose
This article provides information about clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) to facilitate their application to the practice of speech-language pathology. CPGs are sets of recommendations based on evidence, including expert clinical opinion, that have been developed by a panel of reviewers. In this article, CPGs are defined and their components and rationale for use are discussed. A guide for analyzing CPGs critically and recommendations for applying them to clinical practice are also described.

Method
Two of the authors and 1 graduate student in speech-language pathology independently evaluated a CPG from the early intervention literature using the guide described in the article. An illustrative evaluation of a CPG is presented to facilitate application of the proposed critiquing guide.

Results
The guide was revealed to have high interrater reliability. However, analysis of the raters' responses to the individual items revealed problems with 3 items. The authors present possible resolutions and/or explanations for the problems.

Conclusion
By using the proposed guide, speech-language pathologists can increase their application of research to clinical practice, thereby enhancing their skills in informed clinical decision making.
Effect of Minimal Hearing Loss on Children’s Ability to Multitask in Quiet and in Noise
Authors: McFadden Brittany , Pittman Andrea 
Published: July 2008

Purpose
The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of minimal hearing loss (HL) on children’s ability to perform simultaneous tasks in quiet and in noise.

Method
Ten children with minimal HL and 11 children with normal hearing (NH) participated. Both groups ranged in age from 8 to 12 years. The children categorized common words (primary task) while completing dot-to-dot games (secondary task) in quiet as well as in noise presented at 0 dB and +6 dB signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). It was hypothesized that the children’s progression through the dot-to-dot games would slow as they encountered more difficult listening environments. This hypothesis was based on the theory that listeners have limited cognitive resources to allocate to any combination of tasks.

Results
The dot rate of both groups decreased similarly in the multitasking conditions relative to baseline. However, no other differences between groups or listening conditions were revealed. Significantly poorer word categorization was observed for the children with minimal HL in noise.

Conclusion
These data suggest that children with minimal HL may be unable to respond to a difficult listening task by drawing resources from other tasks to compensate.
Considering Linguistic Input in a Bilingual Situation: Implications for Acquisition
Authors: Jacobson Peggy F. , Cairns Helen S. 
Published: July 2008

One aspect of linguistic input that may vary in bilingual speech communities is the use of overregularization (e.g.,catched). In an earlier study, typically developing bilingual Spanish/English-speaking children were noted to use overregularizations in an elicited production task, accept these forms in a grammaticality judgment task, and reject standard irregular forms (e.g.,caught) at surprising rates in favor of the overregularization (P. F. Jacobson, 2002).PurposeThis study examined the extent to which bilingual adult speakers reported hearing and using overregularized forms.MethodThirty Spanish/English-speaking adults who worked in settings with bilingual children served as informants. The stimuli included 15 regular and 15 irregular verbs—each as a correct irregular form and as an overregularization (e.g.,caughtandcatched) or as a correct regular form and as an irregularization (e.g.,helpedandholp). Employing a modified grammaticality judgment task, the informants were instructed to state whether they heard these forms produced by bilingual adults and whether or not they themselves ever used the forms.ResultsAlthough monolingual English speakers overwhelmingly rejected hearing or using overregularizations, the bilingual adults responded differently. They acknowledged hearing the correct regular and irregular forms in 96% of the instances presented. However, they also reported hearing 62%, and using 20%, of the overregularizations.DiscussionThese results prompt speculation regarding possible variation in the nature of linguistic input in the bilingual community and address learnability issues in the acquisition of the English past tense by bilingual children. The challenges facing speech-language pathologists who work with children from bilingual communities are discussed.
The Use of Nonspeech Oral Motor Treatments for Developmental Speech Sound Production Disorders: Interventions and Interactions
Authors: Powell Thomas W. 
Published: July 2008

PurposeThe use of nonspeech oral motor treatments (NSOMTs) in the management of pediatric speech sound production disorders is controversial. This article serves as a prologue to a clinical forum that examines this topic in depth.MethodTheoretical, historical, and ethical issues are reviewed to create a series of clinical questions that should be considered before one incorporates new methods into clinical practice.ConclusionSpeech production disorders are complex and multifaceted. Speech-language pathologists are encouraged to advocate on behalf of clients by adopting the highest standards of clinical practice and by evaluating treatment options in a systematic, critical, and ethical manner.
A Nationwide Survey of Nonspeech Oral Motor Exercise Use: Implications for Evidence-Based Practice
Authors: Lof Gregory L. , Watson Maggie M. 
Published: July 2008

Purpose
A nationwide survey was conducted to determine if speech-language pathologists (SLPs) use nonspeech oral motor exercises (NSOMEs) to address children’s speech sound problems. For those SLPs who used NSOMEs, the survey also identified (a) the types of NSOMEs used by the SLPs, (b) the SLPs' underlying beliefs about why they use NSOMEs, (c) clinicians' training for these exercises, (d) the application of NSOMEs across various clinical populations, and (e) specific tasks/procedures/tools that are used for intervention.

Method
A total of 2,000 surveys were mailed to a randomly selected subgroup of SLPs, obtained from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) membership roster, who self-identified that they worked in various settings with children who have speech sound problems. The questions required answers that used both a forced choice and Likert-type scales.

Results
The response rate was 27.5% (537 out of 2,000). Of these respondents, 85% reported using NSOMEs to deal with children’s speech sound production problems. Those SLPs reported that the research literature supports the use of NSOMEs, and that they learned to use these techniques from continuing education events. They also stated that NSOMEs can help improve the speech of children from disparate etiologies, and “warming up” and strengthening the articulators are important components of speech sound therapy.

Conclusion
There are theoretical and research data that challenge both the use of NSOMEs and the efficacy of such exercises in resolving speech sound problems. SLPs need to follow the concepts of evidence-based practice in order to determine if these exercises are actually effective in bringing about changes in speech productions.
An Integrated Evaluation of Nonspeech Oral Motor Treatments
Authors: Powell Thomas W. 
Published: July 2008

Purpose
This article functions as an epilogue to the clinical forum examining the use of nonspeech oral motor treatments (NSOMTs) to remediate speech sound disorders in children.

Method
Conclusions to eight clinical questions are formed based on the findings that were reported in the clinical forum. Theoretical and clinical challenges are also identified.

Conclusion
NSOMTs have serious theoretical and empirical shortcomings. At present, there is insufficient evidence to support the routine clinical application of these procedures to remediate developmental speech sound disorders.