bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Wide‐range analysis of genetic structure of Betula maximowicziana, a long‐lived pioneer tree species and noble hardwood in the cool temperate zone of Japan
Authors: TSUDA Y. , IDE Y. 
Published: October 2005

Abstract Betula maximowicziana is a long‐lived pioneer tree species in Japanese cool temperate forests that plays an important role in maintenance of the forest ecosystem and has high economic value. Here we assess the wide‐range genetic structure of 23 natural populations of B. maximowicziana using 11 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci. Genetic diversity within populations was relatively low in all populations (mean HE, 0.361; mean allelic richness, 2.80; mean rare allelic richness, 1.02). The population differentiation was also relatively low (FST, 0.062). Genetic distance‐based and Bayesian clustering analysis revealed that the populations examined here could be divided into a southern group and a northern group. Analysis of rare allelic richness and Bayesian clustering revealed evidence for both southern and northern refugia during the last glacial period. Furthermore, a comparison of regional genetic diversity revealed significant clines in allelic richness. In spatial genetic structure evaluation, significant isolation by distance (IBD) was detected among the 23 populations, but not within regions. Moreover, significant population bottlenecks were found in all populations under infinite allele model (IAM) assumptions. These unusual, significant bottlenecks might be because of the processes of postglacial colonization and the species’ characters and/or life history as a long‐lived pioneer tree species. The wide‐range, regional genetic structure found in this study provides an important baseline for conservation and forest management, including the identification of evolutionarily significant units (ESUs) and/or management units (MUs) of B. maximowicziana.
The significance of facultative scavenging in generalist predator nutrition: detecting decayed prey in the guts of predators using PCR
Authors: FOLTAN PAVEL , SHEPPARD SAMUEL , KONVICKA MARTIN , SYMONDSON WILLIAM O. C. 
Published: October 2005

AbstractGut‐content analyses using molecular techniques are an effective approach to quantifying predator–prey interactions. Predation is often assumed but scavenging is an equally likely route by which animal DNA enters the gut of a predator/scavenger. We used PCR (polymerase chain reaction) to detect scavenged material in predator gut homogenates. The rates at which DNA in decaying slugs (Mollusca: Pulmonata) and aphids (Homoptera: Aphididae) became undetectable were estimated. The detectability of DNA from both carrion types in the guts of the generalist predator Pterostichus melanarius (Coleoptera: Carabidae) was then determined. The effects of carrion age and weight, as well as beetle sex, on detection periods, were quantified. Laboratory trials measured prey preference of beetles between live and decaying prey. Further experiments measured, for the first time, feeding by P. melanarius on dead slugs and aphids directly in the field. In both field and laboratory, P. melanarius preferentially fed on dead prey if available, but preference changed as the prey became increasingly decayed. Disappearance rates for slug carrion in wheat fields and grasslands were estimated and P. melanarius was identified as the main scavenger. Comparison of the retention time for dead slugs in the field, with the detection period for decaying slug material in the guts of the predators, showed that PCR‐based techniques are not able to distinguish between predated and scavenged food items. This could potentially lead to overestimation of the impact of predation on slugs (and other prey) by carabids. Possible implications of facultative scavenging by invertebrate predators for biocontrol and food‐web research are discussed.
Dynamics of water transport and storage in conifers studied with deuterium and heat tracing techniques
Authors: MEINZER F. C. , BROOKS J. R. , DOMEC J.‐C. , GARTNER B. L. , WARREN J. M. , WOODRUFF D. R. , BIBLE K. , SHAW D. C. 
Published: October 2005

ABSTRACTThe volume and complexity of their vascular systems make the dynamics of long‐distance water transport in large trees difficult to study. We used heat and deuterated water (D2O) as tracers to characterize whole‐tree water transport and storage properties in individual trees belonging to the coniferous species Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco and Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg. The trees used in this study spanned a broad range of height (13.5–58 m) and diameter (0.14–1.43 m). Sap flow was monitored continuously with heat dissipation probes near the base of the trunk prior to, during and following injection of D2O. The transit time for D2O transport from the base of the trunk to the upper crown and the tracer residence time were determined by measuring hydrogen isotope ratios in water extracted from leaves sampled at regular intervals. Transit times for arrival of D2O in the upper crown ranged from 2.5 to 21 d and residence times ranged from 36 to 79 d. Estimates of maximum sap velocity derived from tracer transit times and path length ranged from 2.4 to 5.4 m d−1. Tracer residence time and half‐life increased as tree diameter increased, independent of species. Species‐independent scaling of tracer velocity with sapwood‐specific conductivity was also observed. When data from this study were combined with similar data from an earlier study of four tropical angiosperm trees, species‐independent scaling of tracer velocity and residence time with sapwood hydraulic capacitance was observed. Sapwood capacitance is an intrinsic tissue‐level property that appears to govern whole‐tree water transport in a similar manner among both tracheid‐ and vessel‐bearing species.
Distinctive clinical presentation of a NF‐1 patient with loss of heterozygosity of PTCH in his epithelial tumors
Authors: Jacobson Elizabeth , Toms Catherine , Huang Conway , Skelton Henry , Smith Kathleen 
Published: October 2005

AbstractAlthough patients with neurofibromatosis (NF) have an increased incidence of tumors, there is only one study that suggests that NF1 patients may have an increased risk for epithelial malignancies.We present a patient with known NF1 who had developed multiple epithelial tumors since early in his life. All but one of these tumors were morphologically most consistent with trichoepitheliomas. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) for Patched 1 gene (PTCH) was demonstrated within two of the trichoepitheloma‐like tumors and one tumor diagnosed as basal cell carcinoma, and the patient was show to have a PTCH gene deletion.To our knowledge, a patient presenting with both NF1 and multiple trichoepitheliomas (MTE) has not previously been reported. The dysregulation in cellular proliferation and signaling induced by decreased NF1 along with the PTCH gene mutation may explain the pattern of immunohistochemical staining within these tumors, and the rare association of NF1 with epithelial neoplasms.
Onychomycosis in Adana, Turkey: A 5‐year study
Authors: Ilkit Macit 
Published: October 2005

AbstractBackground  Onychomycosis results from invasion of the nail plate by dermatophytes, yeasts or mould species of fungi. This report documents the etiological agents of onychomycosis in Adana, Turkey.Methods  Results of mycological tests of nail clippings or subungal scrapings collected in the period between 1998 and 2002 were analyzed. Both the direct microscopy and the cultures of the nail material were performed to identify the causative agent.Results  Out of a total of 388 cases examined, finger (12.4%) and toenail (87.6%) involvement, 155 (39.9%), were mycologically proven cases of onychomycosis (15 finger, 140 toenail). Among the 98 specimens from positive fungal cultures, dermatophytes were isolated in 74 (75.5%), and yeasts in 24 (24.5%). Trichophyton rubrum was the most common causative agent (48.0%), followed by T. mentagophytes var. interdigitale (26.6%), Candida tropicalis (11.2%), C. albicans (9.2%), C. glabrata (2.0%), C. krusei (2.0%) and Epidermophyton floccosum (1.0%).Conclusions  Dermatophyte fungi, especially T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes var. interdigitale, were responsible for most of the infections.
Transmission potential of the human head louse, Pediculus capitis (Anoplura: Pediculidae)
Authors: Takano‐Lee Miwa , Edman John D. , Mullens Bradley A. , Clark John M. 
Published: October 2005

AbstractBackground  Millions of people are infested by head lice every year. However, louse transfer between hosts is not well‐understood. Our goals were to determine: (1) which stages were most likely to disperse and why, (2) the likelihood of fomites transmission, and (3) if host blood gender affects louse development.Methods  Various life stages of lice at differing densities were permitted to cross over a 15‐cm hair bridge placed between two artificial blood‐feeding arenas. Louse transfer caused by hot air movements, combing, toweling, and passive transfer to fabric was investigated. The ability of lice to oviposit on different foreign substrates and the hatching potential of eggs intermittently incubated for 8 h/night on a host were likewise investigated. Louse in vitro development following feeding on human female or male donor blood was compared.Results  Adult lice were the most likely to disperse. Neither population density nor hunger significantly affected dispersal tendencies. Lice were dislodged by air movement, combs and towels, and passively transferred to fabric within 5 min. Females oviposited on a variety of substrates and 59% of eggs incubated for 8 h/night hatched after 14–16 days. There was no survivorship difference between lice artificially fed on female vs. male blood.Conclusions  Adult lice are the most mobile, indicating that they are most likely to initiate new infestations. Although head‐to‐head contact may be the primary route of transmission, less direct routes involving fomites may play a role and need further evaluation. Blood‐borne factors do not appear to cause any gender‐biased host preference.
Decubitus ulcers: A review of the literature
Authors: Bansal Cheryl , Scott Ron , Stewart David , Cockerell Clay J. 
Published: October 2005

Decubitus ulcers are a worldwide health care concern affecting tens of thousands of patients and costing over a billion dollars a year. Susceptibility to pressure ulcers comes from a combination of external factors (pressure, friction, shear force, and moisture), and internal factors (e.g. fever, malnutrition, anaemia, and endothelial dysfunction). Often, enough damage is done to create the basis for a decubitus ulcer after as little as 2 h of immobility, a situation which may be difficult to avoid if the patient must undergo prolonged surgery or remain bedridden. Damage owing to pressure may also occur hours before the patient receives medical attention, especially if the patient falls or becomes immobilized owing to a vascular event. Several classification systems for decubitus ulcers have been described, based on where injury first occurs. The histologic progression of decubitus ulcers is a dynamic process involving several stages, each having characteristic histologic features. A team‐focused approach integrating all aspects of care, including pressure relief, infection control, nutrition, and surgery, may improve healing rates. With accurate risk assessment and preventative care, we can hope to minimize complications and mortality owing to decubitus ulcers.
Airway inflammation and cough sensitivity in cough‐variant asthma
Authors: De Diego A. , Martínez E. , Perpiñá M. , Nieto L. , Compte L. , Macián V. , Senent L. 
Published: October 2005

Background:  Mechanisms underlying cough and bronchoconstriction in patients with cough‐variant asthma (CVA) are not well established. Differences in location or degree of activation of eosinophils and allergic cytokines have been suggested as the likely causes. To address this issue, we have carried out a comparative study of airway inflammatory markers between patients with CVA and classic asthma (CA). The relationship between these markers with airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and cough sensitivity has also been studied.Methods:  Twenty‐seven non‐smokers and steroid‐naive patients with CVA (12) and CA (15) were examined. Capsaicin challenge, histamine bronchoprovocation test, nitric oxide levels in exhaled air and sputum induction were performed in all of them. Differential cell sputum recount and supernatant concentrations of eosinophil granule‐derived cationic proteins (ECP), interleukin (IL)5, IL8 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α were also measured.Results:  There were no significant differences in either the inflammatory pattern of soluble markers or differential cell counts between CA and CVA. Histamine PC20 was correlated with IL‐5 in CVA, whereas it was associated with sputum eosinophilia in CA. Cough sensitivity (log C5) and histamine PC20 were inversely related in CA.Conclusions:  Although the pattern of inflammatory sputum markers in patients with asthma and cough‐variant asthma is similar, its relation with bronchial hyperreactivity and cough sensitivity is different in each group.
Differential pattern of CCR1 internalization in human eosinophils: prolonged internalization by CCL5 in contrast to CCL3
Authors: Elsner J. , Dulkys Y. , Gupta S. , Escher S. E. , Forssmann W.‐G. , Kapp A. , Forssmann U. 
Published: October 2005

Background:  Whereas recent studies underlie the fundamental importance of the CC chemokine receptor 3 (CCR3) for the recruitment of eosinophils in allergic diseases, controversial data exist about the relevance of CCR1 on eosinophils. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the expression and regulation of CCR1 on eosinophils.Methods:  Flow cytometric analysis of whole blood eosinophils and CD16‐negative selected eosinophils from healthy nonatopic donors and from patients with atopic disorders was performed and CCR1 receptor internalization and re‐expression were studied.Results:  Flow cytometric analysis of whole blood eosinophils revealed that 17.8% of the donors expressed high levels of CCR1 (CCR1high) and 82.2% low levels of CCR1 (CCR1low). A significant down‐regulation of CCR1 was induced by 24 h preincubation of isolated eosinophils from CCR1high donors either with IL‐3, CC chemokine ligand 3 (CCL3), CCL5, CCL7, or CCL13. Internalization experiments using eosinophils from CCR1high donors revealed that CCL5 is more effective to induce CCR1 internalization than CCL3. Whereas CCR1 re‐expression after stimulation with CCL3 reached prestimulation levels (120 min: 81.3% relative CCR1 surface expression) CCL5 induced a prolonged CCR1 internalization (120 min: 15.7%).Conclusions:  This study demonstrates a distinct pattern of CCR1 internalization and re‐expression in human eosinophils between CCL3 and CCL5, as CCL5 induces a prolonged CCR1 internalization and the basic value is not reached after 24 h. Since prolonged receptor internalization plays a central role in chemokine‐mediated inhibition of receptor function, CCR1 seems to be an attractive target on human eosinophils for chemokine receptor blockade besides CCR3.
High sensitivity of basophils predicts side‐effects in venom immunotherapy
Authors: Kosnik M. , Silar M. , Bajrovic N. , Music E. , Korosec P. 
Published: October 2005

Background:  Systemic side‐effects of venom immunotherapy (VIT) represent a considerable problem in the treatment of patients allergic to Hymenoptera venom. We examined the hypothesis whether basophil responsiveness might be connected with the adverse reactions to VIT.Methods:  Basophil surface expression of activation marker CD63 induced by different concentrations of honeybee and wasp venom (0.1 and 1 μg/ml) was measured by flow cytometry in 34 patients with history of systemic anaphylactic reactions to Hymenoptera sting just before rush honeybee or wasp VIT.Results:  Eleven of 34 patients had systemic anaphylactic reaction (Mueller grades I–III) and one patient a large local reaction to VIT. In those 12 patients, median percentage of activated basophils after stimulation with VIT‐specific venom in concentration of 0.1 μg/ml was 99% (range: 17–195) of value reached with stimulation with 1 μg/ml. Side‐effects occurred in all patients with 0.1/1 ratios over 92% (eight of 12). In contrast, in 22 patients with no side‐effects, the median 0.1/1 ratio was 25% (range: 2–92). These concentration‐dependent activation ratios were significantly different between the groups with and without side reactions (P < 0.0001). We also show significant positive correlation of the occurrence/clinical grade of the side‐effects with individual ratios of CD63 basophil response (r = 0.73, P < 0.0001).Conclusion:  The results suggest that increased basophil sensitivity to allergen‐specific in vitro stimulation is significantly associated with major side‐effects of VIT.
Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in house dust mite allergic patients and healthy controls
Authors: Riechelmann H. , Essig A. , Deutschle T. , Rau A. , Rothermel B. , Weschta M. 
Published: October 2005

Background:  Staphylococcal colonization may influence the course of allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis or allergic rhinitis. The frequency of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) nasal carriage and its possible influence on persistent allergic rhinitis was investigated.Methods:  In nasal lavages from 22 patients with house dust mite allergy and 18 healthy controls, the number of SA colony forming units per ml were assessed and related to nasal symptom scores, the concentrations of three inflammatory cell activation markers, nasal total IgE and 17 cytokines in nasal secretions.Results:  SA was found in 15/22 allergic patients and 4/18 controls (P < 0.01). Comparing allergic SA carriers with allergic noncarriers, nasal symptom scores tended to be higher (P < 0.1), and the cell activation markers ECP (102.23±0.33vs 101.45±0.50 ng/ml; P < 0.05) and elastase (102.70±0.21vs 102.12±0.34 ng/ml; P < 0.01), and nasal total IgE‐levels (101.66±0.38vs 101.2±0.28 kU/ml; P < 0.05) were significantly higher in allergic SA carriers. Nasal SA carriers had a higher nasal IL‐13/IFN‐γ ratio (P < 0.01), and this was correlated with higher nasal total IgE in allergic patients (r = 0.6, P < 0.05).Conclusion:  Nasal SA carriage is frequent in patients with persistent allergic rhinitis. The data of this study suggest that they are not only secondary bystanders, but actively modulate the disease by promoting local IgE production.
Evolution of handling time can destroy the coexistence of cycling predators
Authors: Kisdi É. , Liu S. 
Published: October 2005

Abstract
Several consumers (predators) with Holling type II functional response may robustly coexist even if they utilize the same resource (prey), provided that the population exhibits nonequilibrium dynamics and the handling time of predators is sufficiently different. We investigate the evolution of handling time and, in particular, its effect on coexistence. Longer handling time is costly in terms of lost foraging time, but allows more nutrients to be extracted from a captured prey individual. Assuming a hyperbolically saturating relationship between handling time and the number of new predators produced per prey consumed, we obtain three results: (i) There is a globally evolutionarily stable handling time; (ii) At most two predator strategies can coexist in this model; (iii) When two predators coexist, a mutant with intermediate handling time can always invade. This implies that there is no evolutionarily stable coexistence, and the evolution of handling time eventually leads to a single evolutionarily stable predator. These results are proven analytically and are valid for arbitrary (not only small) mutations; they however depend on the relationship between handling time and offspring production and on the assumption that predators differ only in their prey handling strategy.
Tempo, mode and phylogenetic associations of relative embryo size evolution in angiosperms
Authors: Verdú M. 
Published: October 2005

AbstractRelative embryo size (E : S, the ratio of embryo to seed) is a key trait related to germination ecology and seed plant evolution. A small, underdeveloped embryo is a primitive feature of angiosperms, which has led to the hypothesis that an evolutionary trend towards increasing E : S has occurred. Here, I examine first the tempo and mode of E : S evolution in angiosperms; then I test for phylogenetic associations of E : S with traits hypothetically related to anagenetic (germination time) and cladogenetic (number of species per family and differential speciation) change, and finally I test the existence of a directional increasing trend in E : S. The analysis of the evolutionary tempo suggests that E : S changed very fast early in evolutionary time and remained stable later, which is consistent with early radiations and fits well with the history of angiosperms consisting of rapid spread associated with great diversification rates soon after their origin. E : S evolution in angiosperms has not followed a punctuational mode of evolution but a scaled-gradualism evolution in which stasis has occurred in longer branches of the phylogeny. An evolutionary trend towards increasing E : S has not been actively driven by anagenesis nor cladogenesis, although large E : S is associated with high levels of diversification (i.e. number of species per family). This rapid ecological diversification occurring in the early radiation probably produced an increasing phenotypic variance in the E : S. Because the ancestral embryo was so small, an increase in variance might have produced a passive trend towards the only direction allowed for the ancestral embryo to evolve. Thus, a passive diffusion away from a lower bound may explain the average increase in E : S.
Implications of the difference between true and predicted breeding values for the study of natural selection and micro-evolution
Authors: Postma E. 
Published: October 2005

Abstract
The ability to predict individual breeding values in natural populations with known pedigrees has provided a powerful tool to separate phenotypic values into their genetic and environmental components in a nonexperimental setting. This has allowed sophisticated analyses of selection, as well as powerful tests of evolutionary change and differentiation. To date, there has, however, been no evaluation of the reliability or potential limitations of the approach. In this article, I address these gaps. In particular, I emphasize the differences between true and predicted breeding values (PBVs), which as yet have largely been ignored. These differences do, however, have important implications for the interpretation of, firstly, the relationship between PBVs and fitness, and secondly, patterns in PBVs over time. I subsequently present guidelines I believe to be essential in the formulation of the questions addressed in studies using PBVs, and I discuss possibilities for future research.
Estimates of relative contribution of biomass, harvest index and yield components to soybean yield improvements in China
Authors: Cui S. Y. , Yu D. Y. 
Published: October 2005

AbstractA method was developed to estimate the relative contribution of increased biomass, harvest index and yield components to seed yield gain of soybean. Data from four field experiments conducted in three soybean production regions in China were used to measure the role of different traits (such as harvest index) in seed yield improvement by applying this method. The results indicated that harvest index was a larger contributor to the progress of soybean yield improvements than biomass in China. However, the estimates of improvements of yield components suggested that there could be several strategies for obtaining high yield. High yielding would be achieved by improving all of the three yield components (pods per plant, seeds per pod and seed weight) simultaneously, or significantly improving one or two of the three components.