bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Habitat exploration and use in dispersing juvenile flying squirrels
Authors: SELONEN VESA , HANSKI ILPO K. 
Published: October 2006

SummaryVariation in behaviours involved in habitat selection is important for several evolutionary and ecological processes. For example, habitat use during dispersal may differ from breeding habitat use, and for dispersers the scale of habitat familiarity is determined by exploratory behaviour. We studied habitat use and exploration of 56 radio‐collared juvenile flying squirrelsPteromys volansL. within natal home range and during dispersal, and compared habitat use between juveniles and 37 adults within breeding home range.Before dispersal, young flying squirrels actively moved around the natal site. Surprisingly, long‐distance dispersers explored less than short‐distance dispersers, but philopatric individuals explored similar distances as dispersers. Females explored less than males, although females are the more dispersive sex in flying squirrels.For most of the individuals the settlement area was unfamiliar due to long dispersal distance. Consequently, direction and distance of exploration were not very strong predictors of settlement location. However, individuals familiar with the settlement area concentrated exploration to that area. Exploration did not correlate with short‐term survival.Dispersers preferred breeding habitat while dispersing, but were found more often in matrix habitat than juveniles within natal, or adults within breeding, home ranges.We conclude that familiarity does not determine settlement as much as, for example, availability of the habitat for flying squirrels. Based on our results, it also seems clear that data on adult habitat use are not enough to predict habitat use of dispersing individuals. In addition, our results support the recent view that short‐ and long‐distance dispersers may need to be analysed separately in ecological and evolutionary analyses.
Turkish physicians’ perception of allergic rhinitis and its impact on asthma
Authors: Civelek E. , Soyer O. U. , Gemicioglu B. , Şekerel B. E. 
Published: October 2006

Background:  The clinical association of rhinitis and asthma has been recognized for centuries, leading to a current definition of ‘one airway, one disease’. Current findings indicate that the optimal treatment of rhinitis might improve coexisting asthma.Objectives:  To evaluate perception of the asthma–rhinitis association and to determine their capability in managing rhinitis.Methods:  Participants of three national asthma meetings, in 2004, were asked to complete a questionnaire which, aside from demographic queries, elicited responses in order to reflect agreement or not with the given statements.Results:  Of the 354 attendees, 220 (62%) responded to the questionnaire. Although over 80% reported good perception of the asthma–rhinitis association, only one‐third were examining nasal mucosa of asthmatics, and over 70% believed sinus X‐ray, blood eosinophil count, and determination of total serum IgE were required to diagnose allergic rhinitis. Between 20% and 40% of the physicians reported misuse of medications for rhinitis.Conclusions:  This survey documented that the asthma–rhinitis association is generally recognized by physicians treating asthma in Turkey. However, there are certain training needs in terms of attitude towards examinations and appropriate use of laboratories and medications for rhinitis. Improved understanding/management of rhinitis may contribute to asthma care as well as patient satisfaction and adherence to treatment.
Functional demonstration of the ability of a primary spermatogonium as a stem cell by tracing a single cell destiny in Xenopus laevis
Authors: Kawasaki Toshihiro , Imura Fumito , Nakada Akira , Kubota Hiroshi , Sakamaki Kazuhiro , Abe Shin‐Ichi , Takamune Kazufumi 
Published: October 2006

In Xenopus, although primary spermatogonium (PG), the largest cell in the testis, is believed to be spermatogonial stem cell by histological observations, functional evidence has never been obtained. In the present study, we first indicated that culture of juvenile testis in a medium supplemented with follicle stimulating hormone resulted in no proliferation of PG. In this culture system, early secondary spermatogonia could undergo mitotic divisions with a concomitant decrease in their size, so that they became distinguishable in size from PG. Because the subcutaneous environment of juveniles permitted aggregates of the dissociated testicular cells to reconstruct the normal testis structure, we next inserted a genetically marked PG isolated from cultured testes into the aggregate and transplanted it subcutaneously. In this system, 73.9% of the aggregates contained a marked PG. When we observed the aggregates 12 weeks after transplantation, most aggregates (70.0%) contained marked PG that had self‐renewed. Among these, fully growing aggregates contained many spermatogenic cells at the later developmental stage. These results suggested that isolated PG from the cultured testes had the ability as stem cells, and that purification of the spermatogenic stem cells became reliable in Xenopus.
Giant cell arteritis with spontaneous remission
Authors: Purvin Valerie , Kawasaki Aki 
Published: October 2006

AbstractBackground:  Clinical manifestations of giant cell arteritis (GCA) are variable. Whether signs and symptoms present in an explosive fashion or insidiously, once manifest the course is usually progressive unless treatment is initiated.Methods:  A retrospective review of patients with GCA seen in an outpatient neuro‐ophthalmology clinic.Results:  We report four patients with biopsy‐proven GCA who experienced spontaneous remission. Clinical manifestations consisted of headache and diplopia in two patients, constitutional symptoms in one patient and facial pain in another.Conclusions:  Clinicians should be aware of this aspect of the disease in order to avoid a delay in diagnosis and treatment.
Risk of second primary colorectal cancer with particular reference to age at diagnosis
Authors: O’Dwyer S. T. , Renehan A. G. , Zwahlen M. , Egger M. 
Published: October 2006

Objective:  Patients with a history of colorectal cancer are considered at increased risk of second metachronous colorectal cancer (SM‐CRC), for which they frequently receive intensive colonoscopic surveillance. In view of the ambiguous nature of the existing evidence and the growing interest in targeted surveillance, we sought to quantify long‐term risk with particular reference to age at diagnosis.Method:  The Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database was used to estimate risk of SM‐CRC after first incident colorectal cancer diagnosed between 1975 and 1999. We calculated time‐dependent rates using Kaplan–Meier estimates and relative risk compared with the US general population.Results:  From 311 689 eligible patients, there were 6387 SM‐CRCs. At 15‐years following initial diagnosis, the SM‐CRC rate was 6.3% (95% CI, 6.1–6.5). For patients with synchronous primary cancers (n = 9936, 3.2%), the 15‐year SM‐CRC rate increased to 10.5% (95% CI, 9.1–12.2). Younger age predicted for increased relative risks but absolute cumulative rates at 15 years were low (Table).Conclusion:  The long‐term cumulative risk of SM‐CRCs after first colorectal cancer is low, even among younger age patients. These data do not support the routine use of high‐frequency colonoscopy surveillance in patients with a history of colorectal cancer.

Age groups (years)
20–29
30–39
40–49
50–59
60–69
70–79
80+

Relative risk – men
60.4
15.1
4.52
1.87
1.34
1.28
1.15

Relative risk – women
18.4
9.63
4.08
2.29
1.72
1.46
1.24

Absolute risk – both sexes
3.53
3.74
4.29
4.70
6.15
7.59
7.26
Total pelvic clearance for advanced pelvic malignancy
Authors: Leon R. , O’Dwyer S. T. , Wilson M. S. 
Published: October 2006

Objective:  Advanced pelvic tumours require multidisciplinary care to improve outcome. This is an audit of one specialist unit's experience.Method:  Consecutive patients referred from 2001 to 2005 for consideration of pelvic clearance were evaluated by retrospective review.Results:  Of 100 patients assessed, 55 were considered unsuitable for surgery. Exclusions included unresectable pelvic side‐wall disease (25), widespread disease (23) and severe co‐morbidity (7). Forty‐five patients were operated on; 22 had locally advanced disease, 14 had recurrence and nine had residual disease following previous surgery. The primary cancers were colorectal in 24, gynaecological in 10 and urogenital in 10; one patient had non‐neoplastic disease. Preoperatively 39 (87%) had examination under anaesthetic (87%) and all had MR and CT imaging. Neoadjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy was given in 27 and 18 patients respectively. Following resection by a multi‐speciality team, surgery was considered curative in 40 (90%) of cases as judged by a histologically negative margin. All patients received level 2 care postoperatively with only two requiring level 3 care. There was no 30‐day mortality but there were 17 complications treated conservatively and five that required surgery.Conclusion:  Advanced pelvic tumours require careful multidisciplinary assessment and treatment. This study shows that this can be performed safely with high levels of histological clearance of tumour.
Stereological evaluation of treatment response in patients with non‐resectable hepatic alveolar echinococcosis using computed tomography via the Cavalieri method
Authors: Aydinli Bulent , Kantarci Mecit , Polat Kamil Yalcin , Unal Bünyami , Atamanalp Sabri Selcuk , Durur Irmak , Unal Deniz , Akgun Metin 
Published: October 2006

Abstract: Introduction: The purposes of this study were to describe and adapt the relevant methods of computed tomography (CT) and stereology to estimate parasitic volume in the liver, to compare the efficiency of benzimidazole treatment in hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (AE), and to determine whether the response rates measured by the stereological method are correlated with those measured by simple volumetric measurements (SVM).Methods: Nine eligible patients with non‐resectable AE were included in the study. By using their abdominal CT at the baseline and after a year of treatment, treatment responses of the cases were evaluated both by the stereological method via a software and by SVM, retrospectively. The volume estimation was performed in our study using a different approach that consisted of three separate stages combined with the Cavalieri method of modern design stereology.Results: The response rates were −17±55% and −12±37% by the Cavalieri method and SVM, respectively; however, they were not statistically significant (P=0.59 and 0.21 for the Cavalieri method and SVM, respectively). Although some cases had comparable results, others had different response rates, and the two methods showed no significant correlation (r=−0.31, P=0.41).Conclusions: Because this modified method provides accurate results by reducing margin of errors, even in case of bizarre shape of AE, a correct, unbiased, and reliable management of the cases with AE via this method may be possible. Owing to lack of a correlation with SVM, it is suggested that a measurement via SVM may be wrong and its use in the evaluation of the treatment response in such cases will not be sufficient and completely true.
Human secretory phospholipase A2, group IB in normal eyes and in eye diseases
Authors: Kolko Miriam , Prause Jan U. , Bazan Nicolas G. , Heegaard Steffen 
Published: October 2006

Abstract.Purpose:  Secretory phospholipases A2 (sPLA2) are enzymes involved in lipid turnover. We recently identified sPLA2 group IB (GIB) in the rat retina as well as in cerebral neurons and found upregulation to occur in response to light damage and seizures, respectively. The purpose of the present study was to identify human GIB (hGIB) in the normal human eye and investigate the pattern of expression in patients with eye diseases involving hGIB‐rich cells.Methods:  Human GIB mRNA was identified in the human retina by means of in situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction. Antibodies against hGIB were obtained and immunohistochemical staining was performed on paraffin‐embedded sections of normal and pathological eyes. Donor eyes from patients with descemetization of the cornea, Fuchs' corneal endothelial dystrophy, age‐related macular degeneration, malignant choroidal melanoma, retinitis pigmentosa and glaucoma were evaluated.Results:  Expression of hGIB was found in various cells of the eye. The most abundant expression was found in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells, the inner photoreceptor segments, ganglion cells and the corneal endothelium. We explored diseases involving hGIB‐rich cells and found downregulation of hGIB in proliferating RPE cells as well as in diseased corneal endothelial cells.Conclusions:  Human GIB is highly expressed in cells with neurodermal origin. The pattern of expression of hGIB in diseases involving hGIB‐rich cells demonstrated a downregulation of hGIB in migrating RPE cells and in diseased corneal endothelium.
RANKL and cathepsin K in diffuse sclerosing osteomyelitis of the mandible
Authors: Montonen M. , Li T‐F. , Lukinmaa P‐L. , Sakai E. , Hukkanen M. , Sukura A. , Konttinen Y.T. 
Published: October 2006

Background:  Diffuse sclerosing osteomyelitis (DSO) of the mandible is characterized by mixed bone resorption and formation.Methods:  Immunohistopathology of DSO in the clinically acute and subacute phases was compared with healthy bone.Results:  Receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) was found in DSO lesions. When it was used in vitro to stimulate monocytes, cathepsin K expression was observed in mononuclear prefusion precursors and in multinuclear giant cells. Similarly, exacerbations of DSO were characterized by RANKL and induction of cathepsin K in mononuclear precursor cells, which subsequently seem to differentiate into osteoclasts or foreign body giant cells. The proportion of bone to soft tissue increased with the duration of disease.Conclusions:  RANKL‐driven osteoclastogenesis and acidic cysteine endoproteinase cathepsin K seem to play important roles in DSO as osteoclast‐mediated bone resorption may represent the primary disease process later followed by new bone formation.
VARIANCE RATIO TESTS OF THE RANDOM WALK HYPOTHESIS FOR SOUTH AFRICAN STOCK FUTURES
Authors: Smith Graham , Rogers Gillian 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe hypothesis that stock futures follow a random walk is tested for four stock index futures and a sample of 36 single stock futures traded on the JSE Securities Exchange, South Africa, using joint variance ratio tests based on (i) ranks and signs and (ii) wild bootstrapping. Overall, there is a high degree of weak‐form efficiency: all four stock index futures and twenty‐five of the sample of 36 single stock futures follow a random walk.
Threonine-Rich Repeats Increase Fibronectin Binding in the
Candidaalbicans
Adhesin Als5p
Authors: Rauceo Jason M. , De Armond Richard , Otoo Henry , Kahn Peter C. , Klotz Stephen A. , Gaur Nand K. , Lipke Peter N. 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

Commensal and pathogenic states of
Candida albicans
depend on cell
surface-expressed adhesins, including those of the Als family. Mature Als proteins consist of a 300-residue N-terminal region predicted to have an immunoglobulin (Ig)-like fold, a 104-residue conserved Thr-rich
region (T), a central domain of a variable number of tandem repeats
(TR) of a 36-residue Thr-rich sequence, and a heavily glycosylated
C-terminal Ser/Thr-rich stalk region, also of variable length
(N. K. Gaur and S. A. Klotz, Infect. Immun. 65:
5289-5294, 1997). Domain deletions in
ALS5
were
expressed in
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
to excrete soluble
protein and for surface display. Far UV circular dichroism indicated
that soluble Ig-T showed a single negative peak at 212 nm, consistent
with previous data indicating that this region has high β-sheet
content with very little α-helix. A truncation of Als5p with
six tandem repeats (Ig-T-TR
6
) gave spectra with additional
negative ellipticity at 200 nm and, at 227 to 240 nm, spectra
characteristic of a structure with a similar fraction ofβ
-sheet but with additional structural elements as
well. Soluble Als5p Ig-T and Ig-T-TR
6
fragments
bound to fibronectin in vitro, but the inclusion of the TR region
substantially increased affinity. Cellular adhesion assays with
S.
cerevisiae
showed that the Ig-T domain mediated adherence to
fibronectin and that TR repeats greatly increased cell-to-cell
aggregation. Thus, the TR region of Als5p modulated the structure of
the Ig-T region, augmented cell adhesion activity through increased
binding to mammalian ligands, and simultaneously promoted fungal
cell-cell
interactions.
Cooperation between Reverse Transcriptase and Integrase during Reverse Transcription and Formation of the Preintegrative Complex of Ty1
Authors: Wilhelm Marcelle , Wilhelm F.-X. 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

Reverse transcriptase (RT) and integrase (IN) play a central role in the replication and transposition of retroelements. Increasing evidence suggests that the interaction between these two enzymes is functional and plays an important role in replication. In the yeast
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
retrotransposon Ty1, the interaction of IN with RT is critical for the formation of an active conformation of RT. We show here that the RT associated with VLPs is active only if it is in close interaction with IN. To probe the IN-RT
cis-trans
relationship, we have used a complementation assay based on coexpressing two transposons. We show that IN acts in
cis
to activate RT and that a functional integrase provided in
trans
is not able to complement replication and transposition defects of IN deletion or IN active-site mutant elements. Our data support a model in which IN not only interacts closely with RT during reverse transcription but also remains associated with RT during the formation of the preintegrative complex.
The SH3/PH Domain Protein AgBoi1/2 Collaborates with the Rho-Type GTPaseAgRho3 To Prevent Nonpolar Growth at Hyphal Tips of
Ashbyagossypii
Authors: Knechtle Philipp , Wendland Jürgen , Philippsen Peter 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

Unlike most other cells, hyphae of filamentous fungi permanently elongate and
lack nonpolar growth phases. We identified AgBoi1/2p in the filamentous
ascomycete
Ashbya gossypii
as a component required to prevent
nonpolar growth at hyphal tips. Strains lacking AgBoi1/2p frequently
show spherical enlargement at hyphal tips with concomitant
depolarization of actin patches and loss of tip-located actin cables.
These enlarged tips can repolarize and resume hyphal tip extension in
the previous polarity axis. AgBoi1/2p permanently localizes to hyphal
tips and transiently to sites of septation. Only the tip localization
is important for sustained elongation of hyphae. In a yeast two-hybrid
experiment, we identified the Rho-type GTPase AgRho3p as an interactor
of AgBoi1/2p. AgRho3p is also required to prevent nonpolar growth at
hyphal tips, and strains deleted for both Ag
BOI1/2
and Ag
RHO3
phenocopied the respective
single-deletion strains, demonstrating that AgBoi1/2p and AgRho3p
function in a common pathway. Monitoring the polarisome of growing
hyphae using AgSpa2p fused to the green fluorescent protein as a
marker, we found that polarisome disassembly precedes the onset of
nonpolar growth in strains lacking AgBoi1/2p or AgRho3p. AgRho3p locked
in its GTP-bound form interacts with the Rho-binding domain of the
polarisome-associated formin AgBni1p, implying that AgRho3p has the
capacity to directly activate formin-driven actin cable nucleation. We
conclude that AgBoi1/2p and AgRho3p support polarisome-mediated actin
cable formation at hyphal tips, thereby ensuring permanent polar tip
growth.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DETECTING PITCH VIA BONE-CONDUCTED ULTRASOUND AND EIGENFREQUENCIES OF HUMAN HEAD
Authors: FUJISAKA YOH-ICHI , NAKAGAWA SEIJI , TONOIKE MITSUO 
Published: October 2006

This paper describes the relationship between the eigenfrequencies of CT scanned realistic human head model and the subjective detecting pitch, which is given by providing the bone-conducted ultrasound. Our goal is to develop the optimal bone-conducted ultrasonic hearing aid for profoundly hearing-impaired persons. An ascent of a speech intelligibility is the requirement of hearing aid. To improve it, the perception mechanism of the bone-conducted ultrasound must be clarified, but the conclusive agreement of it has not been reached yet, although many hypotheses were reported. The authors feel an interest in the detecting pitch of bone-conducted ultrasound with no frequency-dependence and predict that the cochleae are related to the perception mechanism for bone-conducted ultrasound, since it has been verified that the auditory cortex responds to bone-conducted ultrasound by MEG study. In this paper, waves propagating from the mastoid to both cochleae are numerically analyzed and the characteristics of transfer functions are estimated as a first step to clarifying the perception mechanism for detecting pitch of bone-conducted ultrasonic stimuli.
Nematodes of Lake Constance, Germany, with special reference to littoral communities of a river mouth area
Authors: Witthöft-Mühlmann André , Traunspurger Walter , Rothhaupt Karl Otto 
Published: October 2006

AbstractSix sites within the littoral habitat of Lake Constance in Germany were studied from February 1999 to January 2000 in order to determine the influence of the inflowing River Schussen on local nematode assemblages. The sites were selected to represent a gradient of river influence within the broader river mouth area. The area as a whole was found to be rich in nematode diversity, with 106 nematode species identified. The nematode communities recorded ranged in density from 121 to 165 individuals/10 cm2 and in biomass from 108 to 503 μg wet weight/10 cm2. They were also shown to vary in terms of feeding ecology, with significant differences in the proportions of feeding types occurring among site. Deposit feeders were most abundant, followed by chewers, although the latter dominated in terms of biomass. Epistrate feeders were less common and suction feeders rare. The occurrence of epistrate feeders was linked to the concentration of algal pigment, whereas records of deposit feeders and chewers correlated with bacterial density and organic carbon content. The characters of the different nematode communities in the vicinity of the river mouth were found to reflect the transitional nature of the study area.
Re-establishment of Hemicriconemoides promissus (Nematoda: Criconematoidea) as a valid species, with additional data for H. ortonwilliamsi from Spain and H. wessoni from Florida
Authors: Castillo Pablo , Palomares Rius Juan , Liébanas Gracia , Vovlas Nicola 
Published: October 2006

AbstractSystematic nematode surveys for criconematids in the coastal sand dunes of southern Spain and on the Atlantic coast of Florida, USA, revealed the presence of three populations of sheathoid nematodes identified as Hemicriconemoides promissus, H. ortonwilliamsi and H. wessoni. All of them belong to the fourth group proposed by Decraemer and Geraert (1992) as they are characterised by wide body annuli ca ≥ 5 μm wide and a stylet ca 50 μm long, although all have a distinctly different female tail shape. Comparative SEM studies on H. cocophillus, H. mangiferae, H. brachyurus and H. promissus were done. SEM studies from paratype material and female specimens of a newly discovered population from Spain, confirmed the absence of lateral vulval flaps for both H. promissus populations, justifying the rejection of the synonymy proposed by Germani and Anderson (1991), and the re-establishment of H. promissus as a species distinct from H. brachyurus. The present records of H. promissus and H. ortonwilliamsi extend their geographical distribution from Italy to an additional Mediterranean country and constitute the first reports of both species in Spain. Additional morphometric data and illustrations of a Pensacola, FL, USA, population of H. wessoni, the type species of the genus, are also presented.