bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Differential gene expression in incipient species of Anopheles gambiae
Authors: CASSONE BRYAN J. , MOULINE KARINE , HAHN MATTHEW W. , WHITE BRADLEY J. , POMBI MARCO , SIMARD FREDERIC , COSTANTINI CARLO , BESANSKY NORA J. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractA speciation process is ongoing in the primary vector of malaria in Africa, Anopheles gambiae. Assortatively mating incipient species known as the M and S forms differentially exploit larval breeding sites associated with different ecological settings. However, some ongoing gene flow between M and S limits significant genomic differentiation mainly to small centromere‐proximal regions on chromosomes X and 2L, termed ‘speciation islands’ with the expectation that they contain the genes responsible for reproductive isolation. As the speciation islands exhibit reduced recombination and low polymorphism, more detailed genetic analysis using fine‐scale mapping is impractical. We measured global gene expression differences between M and S using oligonucleotide microarrays, with the goal of identifying candidate genes that could be involved in this ongoing speciation process. Gene expression profiles were examined in two independent colonies of both forms at each of three developmental periods of interest: fourth instar larvae, virgin females, and gravid females. Patterns were validated on a subset of genes using quantitative real‐time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction of RNA samples from laboratory colonies and wild mosquitoes collected from Cameroon and Burkina Faso. Considered across all three developmental periods, differentially expressed genes represented ~1–2% of all expressed genes. Although disproportionately represented in the X speciation island, the vast majority of genes were located outside any speciation island. Compared to samples from the other developmental periods, virgin females were characterized by more than twice as many differentially expressed genes, most notably those implicated in olfaction and potentially, mate recognition.
Speciation in the highlands of Mexico: genetic and phenotypic divergence in the Mexican jay (Aphelocoma ultramarina)
Authors: McCORMACK J. E. , PETERSON A. T. , BONACCORSO E. , SMITH T. B. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThe pine‐oak woodlands of the Mexican highlands harbour significant biological diversity, yet little is known about the evolutionary history of organisms inhabiting this region. We assessed genetic and phenotypic differentiation in 482 individuals representing 27 populations of the Mexican jay (Aphelocoma ultramarina) — a widespread bird species of the Mexican highlands — to test whether populations in the central and northern Mexican sierras display discrete breaks between groups, which would be consistent with a role for the different mountain chains in divergence and speciation. We found abrupt breaks in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA; ND2 and control region) delineating four major genetic groups found in the Sierra Madre Occidental, Sierra Madre Oriental, southern Central Plateau (Bajio), and Transvolcanic Belt. These mtDNA groups were largely corroborated by data from nuclear microsatellites and phenotypic data, except that clades from the Central Plateau and Sierra Madre Oriental showed clinal change in these data sets. Uncertainty about the mutation rate for our mitochondrial markers warrants considerable caution with regard to estimating divergence times, but the major genetic groups appear to have split before the most extreme period of glacial cycling that marked the last 0.7 million years and after Mexico's period of major mountain formation. The fact that some genetic breaks do not coincide with well‐known geographic barriers suggests a role for ecology in divergence and speciation, and we discuss implications for taxonomy and conservation.
The expansion and radio spectral index of G21.5−0.9: is PSR J1833−1034 the youngest pulsar?
Authors: Bietenholz M. F. , Bartel N. 
Published: April 2008

Abstract
We report on new 5-GHz Very Large Array (VLA) radio observations of the pulsar-powered supernova remnant G21.5−0.9. These observations have allowed us to make a high-quality radio image of this remnant with a resolution of ∼0.7 arcsec. It has a filamentary structure similar to that seen in the Crab Nebula. Radio structure suggestive of the torus seen around the Crab pulsar is tentatively identified. We also compared the new image with one taken ∼15 yr earlier at 1.5 GHz, both to find the expansion speed of the remnant and to make a spectral index image. Between 1991 and 2006, we find that the average expansion rate of the remnant is 0.11 ± 0.02 per cent yr−1, corresponding, for a distance of 5 kpc, to a speed of 910 ± 160 km s−1 with respect to the centre of the nebula. Assuming undecelerated expansion, this expansion speed implies that the age of G21.5−0.9 is 870+200−150 yr, which makes PSR J1833−1034 one of the youngest, if not the youngest, known pulsars in the Galaxy.
Characterization of T‐cell immune responses of Echinococcus multilocularis‐infected C57BL/6J mice
Authors: EMERY ISABELLE , LIANCE MARTINE , DERIAUD EDITH , VUITTON DOMINIQUE ANGELE , HOUIN RENE , LECLERC CLAUDE 
Published: April 2008

SUMMARYSpecific and non‐specific parasite‐induced changes in lymphocyte responses were analysed in C57BL/6J mice after intrahepatic infection with Echinococcus multilocularis. Spleen cells harvested at selected times after infection were in vitro stimulated with mitogens or a crude soluble parasitic extract (EmAg) at an optimized dose. Cell proliferative responses to Con‐A were not modified by the infection over the first 22 weeks. In contrast, LPS‐induced responses were decreased from the 13th week. A strong CD4 + proliferative T‐cell response to the parasitic extract of infected mouse spleen cells was observed at the early stage of infection. This response then progressively decreased but remained significantly higher than that of control mice until the 19th week of infection. Cytokine production was investigated after in vitro EmAg stimulation of spleen cells. IFN‐γ, IL‐2. IL‐5 were produced within the first weeks after infection whereas the detection of IL‐10 was slightly delayed. Thus, the promotion of the disease does not appear associated with the expansion of one rather than another T‐cell subset in C57BL/6J mice. A general immunosuppression affecting both mitogenic and parasite‐specific T‐cell responses was observed at the end of the infection.
Microfilarial clearance in loiasis involves elevation of Th1 and Th2 products and emergence of a specific pattern of T‐cell populations
Authors: WINKLER STEFAN , PAIHA SABINE , WINKLER HEIDI , GRANINGER WOLFGANG , MARBERGER MICHAEL , STEINER GEORG E. 
Published: April 2008

SUMMARYDiethylcarbamazine (DEC) induced clearance of microfilaraemia in loiasis is associated with severe posttreatment reactions. To define the switch from hypo‐ to hyper‐responsiveness associated with DEC treatment, phenotypic alterations of T‐lymphocytes, characterized by flow cytometry, and cytokines, determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, were monitored in a microfilaraemic patient. In contrast to reports on onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariases, no elevation of interleukin (IL)‐6 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α was observed. The most severe side effects coincided with an elevation of interferon (IFN)‐γ on day 3, followed by IL‐10, transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β2 and macrophage inflammatory protein‐1α (MIP‐1α) peaking on day 5. Phenotypieally, T‐cell activation markers CD38, CD54 and CD25 were significantly expressed before treatment, with high CD38 expression still existing one year after clearance of microfilaraemia. Treatment‐related increases were observed with anti‐CD 122, anti‐HLA‐DR and anti‐CD69. CD28 was expressed before treatment on almost 100% qf'CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and dropped to 20% by day 5, reaching again baseline levels on day 21. Furthermore, there emerged 20% TCRαβ‐/CD3+ T cells and 10%) anti‐βV5(e) + T cells, altogether indicating a specific pattern of T‐helper (Th)1 and Th2 cytokines as well as expansion of certain pauciclonal T‐cell populations in response to microfilarial clearance.
Virtual community consultation? Using the literature and weblogs to link community perspectives and health technology assessment
Authors: Street Jackie M. , Braunack‐Mayer Annette J. , Facey Karen , Ashcroft Richard E. , Hiller Janet E. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractBackground  Community views, expressed in social impact assessments and collected through community consultation, should play an important role in health technology assessment (HTA). Yet HTA methodologists have been slow to include outcomes of these forms of inquiry in analyses, in part because collecting community views is time‐consuming and resource intensive.Objective  To explore how community views sourced from published studies, grey literature and informal internet web pages can inform HTA.Methods  A technology reviewed by Adelaide HTA in 2004 was selected: retinal photography for detection of diabetic retinopathy. Published literature, ‘grey’ literature and informal web pages were searched to examine the availability of evidence about service community and user community views with respect to this technology. Particular efforts were made to source evidence relating to rural, remote and Aboriginal populations.Results  We found that journal articles, reports from the grey literature and informal internet web pages (including blogs and discussion forums) can provide valuable insight into community views. Although there was little empirical evidence relating to the experience of diabetes and diabetes management in rural, remote and Aboriginal communities, there were indications that some evidence may be transferable from other populations.Conclusions  Community perspectives on selected health technologies can be gauged from available resources in published and grey literature and perspectives collected in this way can provide insight into whether the introduction of the technology would be acceptable to the community. The limitations of this approach are discussed.
Excised shoots of top‐pruned red pine seedlings, a source of inoculum of the Diplodia blight pathogen
Authors: Munck I. A. , Stanosz G. R. 
Published: April 2008

Summary Diplodia pinea causes shoot blight and collar rot diseases of pines in forest tree nurseries and sporulates on colonized seedling needles and stems. In late summer 2005, pycnidia of D. pinea were observed on shoots that had been excised by top pruning red pine seedlings earlier that summer during the third season of growth. This observation prompted surveys to determine the incidence and abundance of D. pinea conidia on excised shoots. At each of two nurseries, excised shoots were collected from the seedling canopy and adjacent alleyway soil in two subplots in each of five beds (plots). Excised shoots from both nurseries bore pycnidia with conidia of D. pinea. A water washing and filtration technique was used to quantify D. pinea conidia extracted from these shoots. Excised shoots collected from the seedling canopy yielded more D. pinea conidia than shoots collected from adjacent alleyway soil. Collection and removal of excised shoots resulting from top pruning of pine nursery seedlings should be considered as a means of reducing inoculum in areas where D. pinea is present.
Auswirkungen differenzierter Bodenbearbeitung auf das Bodengefüge und die Stickstoffdynamik von Lößböden bei viehloser und viehstarker Bewirtschaftung
Authors: Maidl F. X. , Fischbeck G. 
Published: April 2008

Abstract Effect of different tillage practices on soil structure and nitrogen dynamic in loess soils with and without longterm application of farmyard manure Field trials were conducted in 1979 and 1980 on two farms with and without longterm application of farmyard manure respectively, to study the effect of different tillage practices (ploughing at low soil moisture in summer and autumn and ploughing at highsoil moisture in autumn) on soil structure and nitrogen dynamic. Soil structure measurements showed great differences between ploughing at low and high soil moisture contents. Ploughing soil at high moisture contents caused a rise in penetrometer resistance as in bulk density and a decrease of macropors as well as in oxygen concentration in top soil and in tillage pan. But little differences were observed between ploughing in summer and autumn at low soil moisture contents.Ploughing soil at high moisture contents caused a higher soil compaction on the farm without longterm application of farmyard manure compared to the farm with longterm application of farmyard manure.The differences in soil nitrate content were strongly correlated with soil compaction. Very large differences in soil nitrate content between ploughing at low and high soil moisture contents were always observed in May, when the soil temperature was higher than 15°C These differences in soil nitrate content are due to reduced nitrogen mineralization and an increase of denitrification activity after ploughing at high soil moisture contents.
Einfluß des schwermetallhaltigen Bodens auf die Getreidekultur
Authors: Babalonas D. , Karagiannakidou V. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractInfluence of metalliferous soil on grain cultivationThe effect of metalliferous soil (rich in Zn and Pb) over development and productivity of cultivated Triticum aestivum L. is considered. After statistical elaboration of the morphological parameters of the above mentioned species is concluded that the height of the plant, the length of spike, the number of seeds per spike, the weight of seeds per spike, the width and the length of seeds, are diminished.
White matter lesions as a feature of cognitive impairment, low vitality and other symptoms of geriatric syndrome in the elderly
Authors: Sonohara Kazuki , Kozaki Koichi , Akishita Masahiro , Nagai Kumiko , Hasegawa Hiroshi , Kuzuya Masafumi , Yokote Koutaro , Toba Kenji 
Published: April 2008

Aim:  White matter lesions (WML) are common findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in elderly persons. In this study, we analyzed the relation of WML with global cognitive function, depression, vitality/volition, and 19 symptoms of geriatric syndrome in Japanese elderly patients who attended three university geriatric outpatient clinics.Methods:  Two hundred and eighty‐six subjects (103 men and 183 women; mean ± standard deviation age, 74.5 ± 7.8 years) were included in this study. MRI scans were performed for the diagnosis of WML, and the severity of periventricular and deep white matter hyperintensities (PVH and DWMH) was rated semiquantitatively. Concurrently, all subjects underwent tests of cognitive function, depressive state and vitality, and were examined for 19 symptoms of geriatric syndrome.Results:  The study subjects showed cognitive decline, depression and low vitality, all to a mild extent. Univariate linear regression analysis showed a negative correlation between the severity of WML and cognitive function or vitality. Multiple logistic analysis revealed that the severity of WML was a significant determinant of cognitive impairment and low vitality, after adjustment for confounding factors such as age, sex and concomitant diseases. PVH and/or DWMH score was significantly greater in subjects who exhibited 13 out of 19 symptoms of geriatric syndrome. Logistic regression analysis indicated that WML were associated with psychological disorders, gait disturbance, urinary problems and parkinsonism.Conclusion:  WML were associated with various symptoms of functional decline in older persons. Evaluating WML in relation to functional decline would be important for preventing disability in elderly people.
Biocontrol strain Pseudomonas fluorescens WCS365 inhibits germination of Fusarium oxysporum spores in tomato root exudate as well as subsequent formation of new spores
Authors: Kamilova Faina , Lamers Gerda , Lugtenberg Ben 
Published: April 2008

Summary Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.radicis‐licopersici (Forl) is a soilborne pathogenic fungus which can cause tomato foot and root rot (TFRR). Tomato root exudate is a good source of nutrients for both Forl and the TFRR‐suppressing biocontrol bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens strain WCS365. Incubation of Forl microconidia in tomato root exudate stimulates their germination. This phenomenon is observed, to a lesser extent, upon incubation in plant nutrient solution supplemented with citrate or glucose, the major organic acid and sugar components, respectively, of tomato root exudate. Here we show that induction of germination of microconidia is significantly reduced in the presence of P. fluorescens WCS365 in all tested media. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that P. fluorescens WCS365 colonizes developing hyphae. Efficient colonization correlates with low nutrient availability. Eventually, new microconidia are formed. The presence of P. fluorescens WCS365 reduces the number of newly formed microconidia. This reduction does not depend on physical contact between bacteria and hyphae. We discuss that the ability of P. fluorescens WCS365 to slow down the processes of microconidia germination and development of new microconidia of the phytopathogen, and therefore the ability to reduce fungal dissemination, is likely to contribute to the biocontrol efficacy of this strain.
Glycaemic control and adverse events in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with metformin + sulphonylurea: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Belsey J. , Krishnarajah G. 
Published: April 2008

Aim:  The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of a sulphonylurea on glycaemic control and the risk adverse events when incorporated into the treatment regimen of patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled on metformin.Methods:  A systematic review was carried out to identify randomized controlled trials of sulphonylurea therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes whose glycaemic control was inadequate after maximal treatment with metformin. Data on reductions in haemoglobin A1C (HbA1C), fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and risk of hypoglycaemic events were extracted from each study and pooled in meta‐analyses. Data on weight change were also extracted and tabulated.Results:  Six studies including 1364 patients were identified. Based on random effects meta‐analysis, the pooled estimate of change in HbA1C from baseline was 0.9% (95% CI 0.7–1.1, p = 0.00011 vs. baseline) and for change in FPG from baseline was 1.8 mmol/l (95% CI 1.1–2.5, p = 0.0026 vs. baseline). The odds of experiencing a hypoglycaemic event was significantly higher in sulphonylurea‐treated patients than in those on comparator treatments (OR = 5.3, 95% CI 1.7–16.3, p = 0.03). Mean weight change ranged from +2.5 to −0.1 kg, depending on the comparator treatment.Conclusions:  This analysis has demonstrated that, in patients with type 2 diabetes whose control is inadequate on metformin monotherapy, the magnitude of incremental HbA1C reduction achieved by the addition of a sulphonylurea is unlikely to exceed 1%, even after titration to maximum tolerated doses. Additionally, clinically relevant side‐effects such as symptomatic hypoglycaemia and weight gain may be experienced.
Land Privatization and Pastoralist Well‐being in Kenya
Authors: Lesorogol Carolyn K. 
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACTEast African pastoralists have well‐developed systems of communal land management that have been challenged by recent demands from some pastoralists for land privatization. This article analyses the impact on household well‐being of privatizing land among a community of Samburu pastoralists in northern Kenya. Using longitudinal data from household surveys conducted in 2000 and 2005, trends in wealth, income, stratification and livelihood strategies are analysed comparing the privatized community and a community where land remains communally managed. Results indicate few significant differences in wealth and income between the privatized and communal areas, although cultivation has become an important additional strategy in the privatized community. Significant levels of wealth stratification are present in both communities but are mitigated to some extent by mobility across wealth quintiles over time. Wealthy and poor groups exhibit different livelihood strategies with wealthier groups relying more on livestock trade and home consumption while poorer groups depend on wage labour and trade for their income. Policy implications of this analysis include the need for development strategies specific to different wealth groups, greater investment in education and infrastructure, and more attention to employment creation in pastoral areas.
Gender, Caste and Matchmaking in Kerala: A Rationale for Dowry
Authors: Kodoth Praveena 
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACTThe matrilineal castes of northern Kerala consider dowry demeaning and resort to it only in ‘exceptional’ circumstances. In local discourse, dowry is transacted when women are considered ‘old’ by the standards of the marriage market, where over‐age is a condition reached usually on account of what is considered a deficit of a normative conception of femininity. Dowry is practised openly only by poor and socially vulnerable households, as the relatively affluent could mask dowry with hidden compensations. This article explores the ways in which gender mediates matchmaking and generates a residual category of women for whom dowry is openly negotiated. Open negotiation on the margins of the marriage market expose the terms of exchange in ‘respectable’ society, where matchmaking strategies reveal the emphasis placed on conjugality and on caste in the social construction of women's interests and identity. Up to the mid‐twentieth century, matrilineal women derived their identity from their natal families. The political economy of marriage in Kerala brought a new emphasis to bear on conjugality and on caste, which generated new restrictions on women and produced a rationale for dowry.
The Prehistory of the Crusades: Toward a Developmental Taxonomy
Authors: Reynolds Burnam W. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThe Crusades are frequently depicted as if they materialized without sufficient antecedence in the late eleventh century. On those occasions when the lines of development that produced this epochal movement are discussed, they are often examined in a piece‐meal and non‐chronological fashion. The end result is to downplay the important conceptual preconditions necessary for a Crusade and to convey the impression that the endeavor either sprang ‘full blown’ from nowhere or was created on the fly. This article suggests that the components of crusading must be identified and ordered into a type of chronological taxonomy so that the full import of the movement might be understood. While there are numerous, and excellent, histories of the Crusades, I suggest a workable prehistory of this trans‐epochal phenomenon is not only desirable, but essential. Borrowing from the well‐established field of prehistory, I seek to place the antecedents for crusading into paleo‐, meso‐, and neo‐prehistory categories. In this way the sequential emergence of the preconditions of crusading may better illuminate its eventual emergence.