bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Responding to the crisis in sub-Saharan Africa: the role of nutrition
Authors: Chopra Mickey , Darnton-Hill Ian 
Published: June 2008

AbstractIn the chapter dealing with education and health, the report of the influential Commission for Africa prioritises basic health systems, HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. In contrast, nutrition is given less than half a page and is reduced to parasite control and micronutrient support. Such neglect of nutrition is hard to understand in the context of increasing hunger and malnutrition across the continent. Sub-Saharan Africa is the only region in the world where the proportion of underweight children has stagnated and the absolute numbers have actually increased in the last decade. It has been pointed out that if current trends continue sub-Saharan Africa will achieve the Millennium Development Goal for child mortality around 2115 – one century after the target date. Quite clearly those concerned with nutrition need to more powerfully advocate the role of nutrition in lifting Africa out of the spiral of poverty. The present paper argues that to achieve this requires an understanding not just of the critical role of nutrition for health and development (both individual and national), but also of how recent global changes are interacting with changes in food production and supply, other determinants of maternal and child health, and the role and capacity of the state to tackle malnutrition in Africa. It concludes by suggesting some responses that nutritionists could now be making.
Position‐specific residue preference features around the ends of helices and strands and a novel strategy for the prediction of secondary structures
Authors: Duan Mojie , Huang Min , Ma Chuang , Li Lun , Zhou Yanhong 
Published: June 2008

AbstractIt has been many years since position‐specific residue preference around the ends of a helix was revealed. However, all the existing secondary structure prediction methods did not exploit this preference feature, resulting in low accuracy in predicting the ends of secondary structures. In this study, we collected a relatively large data set consisting of 1860 high‐resolution, non‐homology proteins from the PDB, and further analyzed the residue distributions around the ends of regular secondary structures. It was found that there exist position‐specific residue preferences (PSRP) around the ends of not only helices but also strands. Based on the unique features, we proposed a novel strategy and developed a tool named E‐SSpred that treats the secondary structure as a whole and builds models to predict entire secondary structure segments directly by integrating relevant features. In E‐SSpred, the support vector machine (SVM) method is adopted to model and predict the ends of helices and strands according to the unique residue distributions around them. A simple linear discriminate analysis method is applied to model and predict entire secondary structure segments by integrating end‐prediction results, tri‐peptide composition, and length distribution features of secondary structures, as well as the prediction results of the most famous program PSIPRED. The results of fivefold cross‐validation on a widely used data set demonstrate that the accuracy of E‐SSpred in predicting ends of secondary structures is about 10% higher than PSIPRED, and the overall prediction accuracy (Q3 value) of E‐SSpred (82.2%) is also better than PSIPRED (80.3%). The E‐SSpred web server is available at http://bioinfo.hust.edu.cn/bio/tools/E‐SSpred/index.html.
Pain relief model for a COX‐2 inhibitor in patients with postoperative dental pain
Authors: Rohatagi Shashank , Kastrissios Helen , Sasahara Kunihiro , Truitt Kenneth , Moberly James B. , Wada Russell , Salazar Daniel E. 
Published: June 2008

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT • Modelling and simulation are being increasingly used to support decision‐making in new drug development.• Novel modelling methods are required to capture the complexity of multiple end‐points for a disease and to address questions such as dose selection in various populations.• The focus of this study was to present a novel pain relief model to address such questions. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS • New contributions of this work to the literature include: (a) application of pain relief models to COX‐2 inhibitors (b) modelling of the time to meaningful pain relief (c) scaling pain relief data from Westerners to Japanese (d) use of multiple dose–response curves to facilitate dose selection decisions.AIM To develop a pain relief model for a cyclooxygenase (COX)‐2 inhibitor, CS‐706, that permits prediction of doses for acute pain relief in Japanese and Western populations.METHODS A categorical response model was developed to describe the probability of pain relief (PR) over time for a Phase 2a study. Models were also developed to describe patient's use of rescue medication and onset of pain relief.RESULTS The placebo response was described by a first‐order increase in PR that achieved a stable response after 4 h. The effect of CS‐706 on PR was described using an Emax model; the plasma concentration of CS‐706 producing 50% of the maximum response was estimated to be 87 ng ml−1, the median peak plasma concentration achieved after a 50‐mg oral dose. The probability of rescue medication (REMD) decreased over time and was a function of the last observed PR score. This probability was < 16% for patients with a PR score ≥2. The probability of experiencing meaningful PR was 98% in patients who did not require REMD and 47% in those who required REMD. For patients who did not require REMD, the median onset time of meaningful pain relief (TMPR) decreased with increasing doses. In patients who required REMD, there was a saturable decline in TMPR, with the greatest improvement occurring from placebo to 50‐mg doses.CONCLUSIONS The set of models developed permitted compilation of multiple dose–response curves for dose selection of CS‐706 in Westerners and facilitated scaling of doses to a Japanese population.
Management of low‐grade cervical abnormalities detected at screening: which method do women prefer?
Authors: Whynes D. K. , Woolley C. , Philips Z. ,   for the TOMBOLA Group
Published: June 2008

Objective:  To establish whether women with low‐grade abnormalities detected during screening for cervical cancer prefer to be managed by cytological surveillance or by immediate colposcopy.Methods:  TOMBOLA (Trial of Management of Borderline and Other Low‐grade Abnormal smears) is a randomized controlled trial comparing alternative management strategies following the screen‐detection of low‐grade cytological abnormalities. At exit, a sample of TOMBOLA women completed a questionnaire eliciting opinions on their management, contingent valuations (CV) of the management methods and preferences. Within‐trial quality of life (EQ‐5D) data collected for a sample of TOMBOLA women throughout their follow‐up enabled the comparison of self‐reported health at various time points, by management method.Results:  Once management had been initiated, self‐reported health in the colposcopy arm rose relative to that in the surveillance arm, although the effect was short‐term only. For the majority of women, the satisfaction ratings and the CV indicated approval of the management method to which they had been randomized. Of the minority manifesting a preference for the method which they had not experienced, relatively more would have preferred colposcopy than would have preferred surveillance.Conclusions:  The findings must be interpreted in the light of sample bias with respect to preferences, whereby enthusiasm for colposcopy was probably over‐represented amongst trial participants. The study suggests that neither of the management methods is preferred unequivocally; rather, individual women have individual preferences, although many would be indifferent between methods.
Cardiovascular events and all‐cause mortality by albuminuria and decreased glomerular filtration rate in patients with vascular disease
Authors: Vlek A. L. M. , Van Der Graaf Y. , Spiering W. , Algra A. , Visseren F. L. J. ,   the SMART study group
Published: June 2008

Abstract.Objectives.  Albuminuria and decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) are associated with increased cardiovascular risk, but do not necessarily coexist and have different pathophysiological mechanisms. This study aims to evaluate separate and combined effects of decreased eGFR and albuminuria on the occurrence of vascular diseases and mortality in patients with vascular disease.Design.  Prospective cohort study.Setting.  University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.Subjects and main outcome measures.  2600 patients with vascular disease were followed for vascular events, vascular and all‐cause mortality. Cox regression analysis was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) according to eGFR (MDRD) and albuminuria (albumin‐to‐creatinine ratio >3 mg mmol−1).Results.  In this population, 14.0% had albuminuria, 15.6% had eGFR <60 ml min−1 1.73 m−2 and 5.2% had both. Nonalbuminuric decreased eGFR and albuminuria with normal eGFR generated moderately increased risks on all outcomes. eGFR <60 ml min−1 1.73 m−2 without albuminuria mainly influenced the risk of vascular events (HR 1.50; 1.05–2.15) whilst albuminuria with eGFR ≥60 ml min−1 1.73 m−2 principally affected all‐cause mortality (HR 1.53; 1.04–2.26). The combination of eGFR <60 ml min−1 1.73 m−2 and albuminuria was associated with an increased risk for vascular events (HR 2.27; 1.54–3.34), vascular mortality (HR 2.22; 1.40–3.52) and all‐cause mortality (HR 1.84; 1.25–2.69). Comparable results were found in additional analyses amongst 759 diabetic patients.Conclusions.  The combination of decreased eGFR with albuminuria is associated with the highest risks of vascular events, vascular and all‐cause mortality in patients with vascular diseases. To adequately estimate vascular risk associated with impaired renal function, both eGFR and urinary albumin should be considered.
Comparing the neurocognitive effects of 40 h sustained wakefulness in patients with untreated OSA and healthy controls
Authors: WONG KEITH K. H. , MARSHALL NATHANIEL S. , GRUNSTEIN RONALD R. , DODD MICHAEL J. , ROGERS NAOMI L. 
Published: June 2008

SummaryWe hypothesized that individuals with untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) would exhibit greater vulnerability to sleep deprivation than healthy controls, due to the additional neurobiological ‘load’ of chronic sleep fragmentation. After baseline sleep with 8 h time in bed, participants remained awake for 40 h. Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT, mean slowest 10% 1/RT), AusEd Driving Simulator task (steering and speed deviation), and subjective sleepiness (Karolinska Sleepiness Scale, KSS) were assessed every 2 h. Nonlinear mixed‐effects models were used to characterize individual differences in baseline/average performance, the linear effect of increasing hours awake, circadian amplitude and phase. Eight participants with untreated OSA with mean (SD) age 44.6 (8.4), apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) 49.8 (24.7), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) 11.9 (4.8) and nine healthy controls age 27.8 (3.7), AHI 4.5 (2.7), ESS 7.3 (2.1) completed the protocol. Baseline KSS was significantly higher (1.4 units, P = 0.03) in the OSA group and there was a trend toward lower baseline speed deviation on the AusEd (P = 0.05). After adjusting for the significant effects of accumulated time awake, circadian amplitude and phase (all P < 0.005), there was no difference in performance decrements between those with and without sleep apnea in PVT, driving simulator performance and subjective sleepiness (P > 0.5). Random‐effects modeling confirmed the presence of significant inter‐individual variability in vulnerability to sleep deprivation. Patients with OSA did not respond differently to sleep deprivation than healthy controls. As expected, total sleep deprivation led to significant worsening in performance and subjective sleepiness in both groups.
Diversification on an ecologically constrained adaptive landscape
Authors: WELLBORN GARY A. , BROUGHTON RICHARD E. 
Published: June 2008

AbstractWe used phylogenetic analysis of body‐size ecomorphs in a crustacean species complex to gain insight into how spatial complexity of ecological processes generates and maintains biological diversity. Studies of geographically widespread species ofHyalellaamphipods show that phenotypic evolution is tightly constrained in a manner consistent with adaptive responses to alternative predation regimes. A molecular phylogeny indicates that evolution ofHyalellaecomorphs is characterized by parallel evolution and by phenotypic stasis despite substantial levels of underlying molecular change. The phylogeny suggests that species diversification sometimes occurs by niche shifts, and sometimes occurs without a change in niche. Moreover, diversification in theHyalellaecomorphs has involved the repeated evolution of similar phenotypic forms that exist in similar ecological settings, a hallmark of adaptive evolution. The evolutionary stasis observed in clades separated by substantial genetic divergence, but existing in similar habitats, is also suggestive of stabilizing natural selection acting to constrain phenotypic evolution within narrow bounds. We interpret the observed decoupling of genetic and phenotypic diversification in terms of adaptive radiation on an ecologically constrained adaptive landscape, and suggest that ecological constraints, perhaps acting together with genetic and functional constraints, may explain the parallel evolution and evolutionary stasis inferred by the phylogeny.
Molecular evidence for broad‐scale distributions in bdelloid rotifers: everything is not everywhere but most things are very widespread
Authors: FONTANETO DIEGO , BARRACLOUGH TIMOTHY G. , CHEN KIMBERLY , RICCI CLAUDIA , HERNIOU ELISABETH A. 
Published: June 2008

AbstractThe Baas‐Becking's hypothesis, also known by the term ‘everything is everywhere’ (EisE), states that microscopic organisms such as bacteria and protists are globally distributed and do not show biogeographical patterns, due to their high dispersal potential. We tested the prediction of the EisE hypothesis on bdelloid rotifers, microscopic animals similar to protists in size and ecology that present one of the best cases among animals for the plausibility of global dispersal. Geographical range sizes and patterns of isolation by distance were estimated for global collections of the genera Adineta and Rotaria, using different taxonomic units: (i) traditional species based on morphology, (ii) the most inclusive monophyletic lineages from a cytochrome oxidase I phylogeny comprising just a single traditional species, and (iii) genetic clusters indicative of independently evolving lineages. Although there are cases of truly cosmopolitan distribution, even at the most finely resolved taxonomic level, most genetic clusters are distributed at continental or lower scales. Nevertheless, although ‘everything is not everywhere’, bdelloid rotifers do display broad distributions typical of those of other microscopic organisms. Broad dispersal and large population sizes might be factors lessening the evolutionary cost of long‐term abstinence from sexual reproduction in this famous group of obligate parthenogens.
Influence of habitat discontinuity, geographical distance, and oceanography on fine‐scale population genetic structure of copper rockfish (Sebastes caurinus)
Authors: JOHANSSON M. L. , BANKS M. A. , GLUNT K. D. , HASSEL‐FINNEGAN H. M. , BUONACCORSI V. P. 
Published: June 2008

AbstractThe copper rockfish is a benthic, nonmigratory, temperate rocky reef marine species with pelagic larvae and juveniles. A previous range‐wide study of the population‐genetic structure of copper rockfish revealed a pattern consistent with isolation‐by‐distance. This could arise from an intrinsically limited dispersal capability in the species or from regularly–spaced extrinsic barriers that restrict gene flow (offshore jets that advect larvae offshore and/or habitat patchiness). Tissue samples were collected along the West Coast of the contiguous USA between Neah Bay, WA and San Diego, CA, with dense sampling along Oregon. At the whole‐coast scale (~2200 km), significant population subdivision (FST = 0.0042), and a significant correlation between genetic and geographical distance were observed based on 11 microsatellite DNA loci. Population divergence was also significant among Oregon collections (~450 km, FST = 0.001). Hierarchical amova identified a weak but significant 130‐km habitat break as a possible barrier to gene flow within Oregon, across which we estimated that dispersal (Nem) is half that of the coast‐wide average. However, individual‐based Bayesian analyses failed to identify more than a single population along the Oregon coast. In addition, no correlation between pairwise population genetic and geographical distances was detected at this scale. The offshore jet at Cape Blanco was not a significant barrier to gene flow in this species. These findings are consistent with low larval dispersal distances calculated in previous studies on this species, support a mesoscale dispersal model, and highlight the importance of continuity of habitat and adult population size in maintaining gene flow.
Multiple population structure of the giant mottled eel, Anguilla marmorata
Authors: MINEGISHI YUKI , AOYAMA JUN , TSUKAMOTO KATSUMI 
Published: June 2008

AbstractThe population structure of the giant mottled eel, Anguilla marmorata, was investigated with mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA analyses using 449 specimens from 13 localities throughout the species range. Control region F‐statistics indicated the North Pacific (Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, Sulawesi), South Pacific (Tahiti, Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea), eastern Indian Ocean (Sumatra), western Indian Ocean (Réunion, Madagascar), Ambon, and Guam regions were significantly different (ΦST = 0.131–0.698, P < 0.05) while only a few differences were observed between localities within the South Pacific. These regions were roughly clustered in the neighbour‐joining tree, although Ambon individuals were mainly divided into North and South Pacific groups. Analysis with eight microsatellite loci showed almost identical results to those of the control region, except no genetic difference was observed between the western and eastern Indian Ocean (FST = 0.009, P > 0.05). The Bayesian cluster analysis of the microsatellite data detected two genetic groups. One included four North Pacific localities, and the other included eight localities in the South Pacific, Indian Ocean, and Guam, but Ambon individuals were evenly assigned to these two groups. These results showed that A. marmorata has four genetically different populations (North Pacific, South Pacific, Indian Ocean, Guam region). The North Pacific population is fully panmictic whereas the South Pacific and Indian Ocean populations have a metapopulation structure. Interestingly, Guam was suggested to be inhabited by a reproductive population restricted to that region, and the individuals from the North and South Pacific populations co‐exist in Ambon.
Deep supercooling xylem parenchyma cells of katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) contain flavonol glycosides exhibiting high anti‐ice nucleation activity
Authors: KASUGA JUN , HASHIDOKO YASUYUKI , NISHIOKA ATSUSHI , YOSHIBA MEGUMI , ARAKAWA KEITA , FUJIKAWA SEIZO 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACTXylem parenchyma cells (XPCs) of boreal hardwood species adapt to sub‐freezing temperatures by deep supercooling to maintain a liquid state of intracellular water near −40 °C. Our previous study found that crude xylem extracts from such tree species exhibited anti‐ice nucleation activity to promote supercooling of water. In the present study, thus, we attempted to identify the causative substances of supercooling. Crude xylem extracts from katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum), of which XPCs exhibited deep supercooling to −40 °C, were prepared by methanol extraction. The crude extracts were purified by liquid–liquid extraction and then by silica gel column chromatography. Although all the fractions obtained after each purification step exhibited some levels of anti‐ice nucleation activity, only the most active fraction was retained to proceed to the subsequent level of purification. High‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of a fraction with the highest level of activity revealed four peaks with high levels of anti‐ice nucleation activity in the range of 2.8–9.0 °C. Ultraviolet (UV), mass and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra revealed that these four peaks corresponded to quercetin‐3‐O‐β‐glucoside (Q3G), kaempferol‐7‐O‐β‐glucoside (K7G), 8‐methoxykaempferol‐3‐O‐β‐glucoside (8MK3G) and kaempferol‐3‐O‐β‐glucoside (K3G). Microscopic observations confirmed the presence of flavonoids in cytoplasms of XPCs. These results suggest that diverse kinds of anti‐ice nucleation substances, including flavonol glycosides, may have important roles in deep supercooling of XPCs.
Complex phenotypic profiles leading to ozone sensitivity in Arabidopsis thaliana mutants
Authors: OVERMYER KIRK , KOLLIST HANNES , TUOMINEN HANNELE , BETZ CHRISTIAN , LANGEBARTELS CHRISTIAN , WINGSLE GUNNAR , KANGASJÄRVI SAIJALIISA , BRADER GÜNTER , MULLINEAUX PHIL , KANGASJÄRVI JAAKKO 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACTGenetically tractable model plants offer the possibility of defining the plant O3 response at the molecular level. To this end, we have isolated a collection of ozone (O3)‐sensitive mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana. Mutant phenotypes and genetics were characterized. Additionally, parameters associated with O3 sensitivity were analysed, including stomatal conductance, sensitivity to and accumulation of reactive oxygen species, antioxidants, stress gene‐expression and the accumulation of stress hormones. Each mutant has a unique phenotypic profile, with O3 sensitivity caused by a unique set of alterations in these systems. O3 sensitivity in these mutants is not caused by gross deficiencies in the antioxidant pathways tested here. The rcd3 mutant exhibits misregulated stomata. All mutants exhibited changes in stress hormones consistent with the known hormonal roles in defence and cell death regulation. One mutant, dubbed re‐8, is an allele of the classic leaf development mutant reticulata and exhibits phenotypes dependent on light conditions. This study shows that O3 sensitivity can be determined by deficiencies in multiple interacting plant systems and provides genetic evidence linking these systems.