bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Validation of species–climate impact models under climate change
Authors: Araújo Miguel B. , Pearson Richard G. , Thuiller Wilfried , Erhard Markus 
Published: August 2005

AbstractIncreasing concern over the implications of climate change for biodiversity has led to the use of species–climate envelope models to project species extinction risk under climate‐change scenarios. However, recent studies have demonstrated significant variability in model predictions and there remains a pressing need to validate models and to reduce uncertainties. Model validation is problematic as predictions are made for events that have not yet occurred. Resubstituition and data partitioning of present‐day data sets are, therefore, commonly used to test the predictive performance of models. However, these approaches suffer from the problems of spatial and temporal autocorrelation in the calibration and validation sets. Using observed distribution shifts among 116 British breeding‐bird species over the past ∼20 years, we are able to provide a first independent validation of four envelope modelling techniques under climate change. Results showed good to fair predictive performance on independent validation, although rules used to assess model performance are difficult to interpret in a decision‐planning context. We also showed that measures of performance on nonindependent data provided optimistic estimates of models' predictive ability on independent data. Artificial neural networks and generalized additive models provided generally more accurate predictions of species range shifts than generalized linear models or classification tree analysis. Data for independent model validation and replication of this study are rare and we argue that perfect validation may not in fact be conceptually possible. We also note that usefulness of models is contingent on both the questions being asked and the techniques used. Implementations of species–climate envelope models for testing hypotheses and predicting future events may prove wrong, while being potentially useful if put into appropriate context.
The Branchiopoda (Crustacea: Anomopoda, Ctenopoda and Cyclestherida) of the rain forests of Cameroon, West Africa: low abundances, few endemics and a boreal–tropical disjunction
Authors: Chiambeng George Y. , Dumont Henri J. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractAim  We provide the first in‐depth study of the Branchiopoda of the rain forests of Cameroon and also of the African continent.Location  Surface water environments, Cameroon.Methods  Qualitative plankton samples were collected in all types of surface water environments present, ranging from big lakes to water collected in rock crevices or fallen fruit cavities. A tow or hand‐held plankton net of mesh size 100 μm was used, and water volumes filtered were at least several m3 in large water bodies, or half to whole water volume in small water bodies.Results  We recorded 61 species (53 first records for the country), based on 700+ samples collected between September 1998 and March 2002. Anomopoda (92%) was the dominant order, followed by Ctenopoda (6.5%) and Cyclestherida (1.5%). Chydoridae (67%) was the most speciose family followed by Macrothricidae (6.5%) and Daphniidae (5%). Alona (11%) was the dominant genus followed by Chydorus (10%) and Pleuroxus (8%). Several species of Chydorinae, especially of the genus Pleuroxus, are shared with continental Eurasia–North America, but are absent from the Mediterranean and desert–steppe–savanna zones of Africa (boreal–tropical disjunction). Daphnia was absent, as in most tropical lowlands. No single species was really abundant, and a majority were rare to very rare, and of restricted occurrence within the rain forest patches. Comparing Africa, South America and Southeast Asia, we found a current total of 196 species for the combined rain forest areas, out of a world total of 500+ species. Systematic trends in richness at three taxonomic levels were the same for all continents: Anomopoda–Ctenopoda–Cyclestherida at ordinal level, Chydoridae–Daphniidae–Macrothricidae–Sididae at family level and Alona–Chydorus–Macrothrix–Diaphanosoma at genus level. Southeast Asia was richest (111 species, 14 endemics) with South America a close second (110 species, 27 endemics). Africa was the most species‐poor (95 species, of which only 5 are endemics).Main conclusions  We hypothesize that the post‐Miocene cooling and aridization of the world climate hit the freshwater biota of Africa particularly hard, with more extinction here than elsewhere, and little recolonization. Most extinction occurred in the savanna‐desert belt, and eight disjunct boreal species (four Pleuroxus, Picripleuroxus laevis, Kurzia latissima, Alonella exigua, and Monospilus dispar) survive morphologically unchanged since pre‐Pleistocene times in the Cameroon rain forest. Slow evolution thus appears typical of these cyclic parthenogenetic branchiopods in which sexual recombination occurs only at intervals. Illustrative of the same slow evolution is the fact that the two endemic cladocerans of Cameroon (Nicsmirnovius camerounensis and Bryospilus africanus) belong to tropicopolitan genera of Gondwanan age.
Tree growth response to drought and temperature in a mountain landscape in northern Arizona, USA
Authors: Adams Henry D. , Kolb Thomas E. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractAim To understand how tree growth response to regional drought and temperature varies between tree species, elevations and forest types in a mountain landscape.Location Twenty‐one sites on an elevation gradient of 1500 m on the San Francisco Peaks, northern Arizona, USA.Methods Tree‐ring data for the years 1950–2000 for eight tree species (Abies lasiocarpavar.arizonica(Merriam) Lemm.,Picea engelmanniiParry ex Engelm.,Pinus aristataEngelm.,Pinus edulisEngelm.,Pinus flexilisJames,Pinus ponderosaDougl. ex Laws.,Pseudotsuga menziesiivar.glauca(Beissn.) Franco andQuercus gambeliiNutt.) were used to compare sensitivity of radial growth to regional drought and temperature among co‐occurring species at the same site, and between sites that differed in elevation and species composition.Results ForPicea engelmannii,Pinus flexilis,Pinus ponderosaandPseudotsuga menziesii, trees in drier, low‐elevation stands generally had greater sensitivity of radial growth to regional drought than trees of the same species in wetter, high‐elevation stands. Species low in their elevational range had greater drought sensitivity than co‐occurring species high in their elevational range at the pinyon‐juniper/ponderosa pine forest ecotone, ponderosa pine/mixed conifer forest ecotone and high‐elevation invaded meadows, but not at the mixed conifer/subalpine forest ecotone. Sensitivity of radial growth to regional drought was greater at drier, low‐elevation compared with wetter, high‐elevation forests. Yearly growth was positively correlated with measures of regional water availability at all sites, except high‐elevation invaded meadows where growth was weakly correlated with all climatic factors. Yearly growth in high‐elevation forests up to 3300 m a.s.l. was more strongly correlated with water availability than temperature.Main conclusions Severe regional drought reduced growth of all dominant tree species over a gradient of precipitation and temperature represented by a 1500‐m change in elevation, but response to drought varied between species and stands. Growth was reduced the most in drier, low‐elevation forests and in species growing low in their elevational range in ecotones, and the least for trees that had recently invaded high‐elevation meadows. Constraints on tree growth from drought and high temperature are important for high‐elevation subalpine forests located near the southern‐most range of the dominant species.
The provenance of the Greek land snail species Isabellaria pharsalica: molecular evidence of recent passive long‐distance dispersal
Authors: Uit de Weerd Dennis R. , Schneider Dennis , Gittenberger Edmund 
Published: August 2005

AbstractAim  The slowly dispersing Greek land snail species Isabellaria (Carinigera) pharsalica (Nordsieck, 1974) can be readily distinguished from related species of the subgenus Carinigera on biogeographical grounds, i.e. by a separation of nearly 200 km. Nevertheless, I. pharsalica shows overlap in shell morphology with Isabellaria (Carinigera) buresi (A. J. Wagner, 1927). The aim of this paper is to study the interrelationships and phylogeography of I. pharsalica and selected I. buresi subspecies, in order to reconcile these apparently contradictory observations.Location  Northern Greece, Macedonia, Serbia and southern Bulgaria.Methods  Mitochondrial COI genealogical interrelationships were studied for specimens of I. pharsalica, selected I. buresi subspecies and other related Isabellaria species.Results  COI sequences of I. pharsalica constitute a clade nested among sequences of I. buresi from north‐eastern Greece and adjacent Bulgaria. The genetic divergence among the I. pharsalica sequences is remarkably low compared to the divergence among the I. buresi sequences.Main conclusions  I. pharsalica descended from specimens of I. buresi that dispersed into Thessaly, and it should therefore be classified as a subspecies within I. buresi. This find is in line with the conchological similarities between I. buresi pharsalica and other I. buresi subspecies. Given the low vagility of the snails in question and the c. 200‐km separation by land and sea between the ranges of I. buresi pharsalica and the combined range of the other I. buresi subspecies, passive dispersal of the I. pharsalica ancestors is most likely. Since the inferred area of origin of these hypothetical ancestors of I. buresi pharsalica nearly coincides with an ancient marble quarry, human‐aided dispersal during marble transport offers a possible explanation for I. buresi pharsalica's erratic distribution.
Modulation in aquaglyceroporin AQP1 gene transcript levels in drug‐resistant Leishmania
Authors: Marquis Nathalie , Gourbal Benjamin , Rosen Barry P. , Mukhopadhyay Rita , Ouellette Marc 
Published: August 2005

SummaryAntimonial‐containing drugs are the first line of treatment against the parasite Leishmania. Resistance to antimonials has been correlated to its reduced accumulation. We used a dominant negative functional cloning strategy where a Leishmania mexicana expression cosmid bank was transfected in cells resistant to trivalent antimony (SbIII). Cells were selected for increased sensitivity to SbIII. One cosmid was isolated that could bestow SbIII sensitivity to resistant cells. The gene part of this cosmid that is responsible for increased SbIII sensitivity corresponds to AQP1, an aquaglyceroporin. AQP1 was recently shown to be a route by which SbIII can accumulate in Leishmania cells. Transport studies have shown that the L. mexicana AQP1 can restore SbIII transport in resistant cells. Southern blot analysis indicated that the copy number of neither the AQP1 gene nor the other AQP homologues was changed in antimony‐resistant mutants of several Leishmania species. The AQP1 gene sequence was also unchanged in mutants. However, the AQP1 RNA levels were downregulated in several Leishmania promastigote species resistant to antimonials. In general, but not always, the level of AQP1 transcript levels correlated well with the accumulation of SbIII and resistance levels in Leishmania cells. AQP1 thus appears to be a key determinant of antimonials accumulation and susceptibility in Leishmania.
Regulation of traJ transcription in the Salmonella virulence plasmid by strand‐specific DNA adenine hemimethylation
Authors: Camacho Eva M. , Casadesús Josep 
Published: August 2005

SummaryThe traJ gene of the virulence plasmid of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (pSLT) encodes a transcriptional activator of the transfer operon. The leucine‐responsive regulatory protein (Lrp) is an activator of traJ transcription. The upstream‐activating‐sequence  of  the  pSLT traJ  promoter  contains  two  Lrp binding sites (LRP‐1 and LRP‐2), both necessary for transcriptional activation. The promoter‐proximal site (LRP‐2) contains a GATC site (GATC‐II) whose methylation state affects Lrp binding: GATC‐II methylation in both DNA strands decreases the affinity of Lrp for the LRP‐2 site, while efficient Lrp binding occurs to a non‐methylated GATC‐II site. The effect of GATC‐II hemimethylation on Lrp binding is strand‐specific: methylation of the traJ non‐coding strand permits formation of the major Lrp–DNA retardation complex, but methylation of the coding strand does not. This asymmetry supports a model in which passage of the replication fork may permit Lrp‐mediated activation of conjugal transfer in one daughter plasmid molecule but not in the other. A remarkable trait of this regulatory design is that hemimethylation of a single GATC site can generate distinct epigenetic signals in otherwise identical plasmid DNA molecules.
Psychological trauma associated with the World Trade Center attacks and its effect on pregnancy outcome
Authors: Engel Stephanie Mulherin , Berkowitz Gertrud S. , Wolff Mary S. , Yehuda Rachel 
Published: August 2005

SummaryThe destruction of the World Trade Center (WTC) on 11 September 2001 was a source of enormous psychological trauma that may have consequences for the health of pregnant women and their fetuses. In this report, we describe the impact of extreme trauma on the birth outcomes of women highly exposed to the WTC. We enrolled 187 women who were pregnant and living or working within close proximity to the WTC on 11 September. Among women with singleton pregnancies, 52 completed at least one psychological assessment prior to delivery. In adjusted multivariable models, both post‐traumatic stress symptomatology (PTSS) and moderate depression were associated with longer gestational durations, although only PTSS was associated with decrements in infant head circumference at birth (β = −0.07, SE = 0.03, P = 0.01). The impact of stress resulting from extreme trauma may be different from that which results from ordinary life experiences, particularly with respect to cortisol production. As prenatal PTSS was associated with decrements in head circumference, this may influence subsequent neurocognitive development. Long‐term follow‐up of infants exposed to extreme trauma in utero is needed to evaluate the persistence of these effects.
The prevalence of pleural effusions in pre‐eclampsia: an ultrasound study
Authors: WALLIS M. G. , McHUGO J. M. , CARRUTHERS D. A. , CRAWFORD J. SELWYN 
Published: August 2005

SummaryA prospective ultrasound study was undertaken to investigate the prevalence of pleural effusion in patients with moderate or severe pre‐eclampsia. The costophrenic angles of 34 consecutive patients were scanned postpartum with a real‐time sector scanner. Six patients had pleural effusions. These patients did not have a greater degree of hypertension or proteinuria than the group without pleural effusion but had early severe disease requiring early delivery. The prematurity of these infants resulted in tenfold increase in perinatal death.
Ultrasound and pulsed electromagnetic energy treatment for perineal trauma. A randomized placebo‐controlled trial
Authors: GRANT ADRIAN , ASHURST HAZEL , SLEEP JENNIFER , McINTOSH JEANNE 
Published: August 2005

SummaryUltrasound and pulsed electromagnetic energy therapies arc increasingly used for perineal trauma sustained during childbirth. The study included 414 women with moderate or severe perineal trauma randomly allocated to receive active ultrasound, or active pulsed electromagnetic energy, or corresponding placebo therapies; the allocation was double‐blind for each machine. Overall, more than 90% thought that treatment made their problem better. There were no clear differences between the groups in outcome either immediately after treatment, or 10 days or 3 months postpartum, other than more pain associated with pulsed electromagnetic energy treatment at 10 days. Bruising looked more extensive after ultrasound therapy but then seemed to resolve more quickly. Neither therapy had an effect on perineal oedema or haemorrhoids. The place of these new therapies in postnatal care should be clarified by further controlled trials before they become part of routine care.
Medroxyprogesterone acetate in the treatment of pelvic pain due to venous congestion
Authors: BEARD R. W. , FRANKS S. , REGINALD P. W. , WORTH J. WADS , ADAMS J. 
Published: August 2005

SummaryOvarian function was suppressed with 30 mg of medroxy‐progesterone acetate, daily for 6 months, in 22 women with lower abdominal pain due to pelvic congestion. There was reduction in pelvic congestion demonstrated by venography in 17 of the 22 women, and in 16 this was associated with induction of amenorrhoea which suggests that effective ovarian suppression is an important component of successful treatment. In the 17 women who showed a reduction in veno‐gram score, the median change in pain score was 75% compared with only 29% in the five women with no change in venogram score (P<0·01). This significant association between reduction in pelvic congestion and pain indicates that pelvic congestion is likely to be the cause of pain in these women and that treatment with medroxyprogesterone acetate could be of value.
Epidemiology and trends in hospital discharges for pelvic inflammatory disease in England, 1975 to 1985
Authors: BUCHAN HEATHER , VESSEY MARTIN 
Published: August 2005

SummaryHospital Inpatient Enquiry data were analysed to determine trends in hospital discharges for pelvic inflammatory disease in England from 1975 to 1985. Cases where the disease was thought to be related to another condition, e.g. appendicitis, were excluded from the analysis. Discharge rates for both acute and chronic disease increased over the review period and there was a 28% increase in the discharge rate for total disease. Women in their 20s were most likely to be involved and this group showed the greatest increase in the discharge rate, both for acute and chronic disease. In the 20–24‐year age group the rate of discharge for acute disease rose by 50%, from 125.6/100 000 in 1975 to 189·0/100 000 in 1985. Patients with a diagnosis of chronic pelvic inflammatory disease tended to be older than those with acute disease. Women who were divorced were more at risk of both acute and chronic forms of the disease than single or married women. Increase in the use of surgery to confirm the diagnosis occurred only for those with chronic disease. About a quarter of patients with acute disease had the diagnosis confirmed surgically, and this proportion did not change in the period studied, although laparoscopy increased as laparotomy decreased.
Neonatal thyrotrophin and mode of delivery
Authors: LAO T. T. , PANESAR N. S. 
Published: August 2005

SummaryThis study was performed to assess the association between labour and the mode of delivery with the umbilical cord plasma thyroxine (T4) and thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations in full‐term uncomplicated pregnancies delivered in our hospital. Babies born vaginally had statistically significantly higher umbilical cord plasma TSH but similar T4 concentrations than babies born by caesarean section. Labour was not associated with either higher TSH or T4 concentrations. All the babies with an elevated TSH concentration (>20 miu/1) were born vaginally. Our findings indicate that the mode of delivery should be taken into consideration in the interpretation of umbilical cord plasma TSH results.
The development and implementation of a computerized on‐line obstetric record
Authors: GONZALEZ F. A. , FOX H. E. 
Published: August 2005

SummaryWe developed and implemented a completely paperless and on‐line obstetric record in the high‐risk obstetric clinics at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. Patient care and interactions are input directly into the computer by the health care providers. Laboratory information is transferred automatically from the Laboratory Information Service into the computerized prenatal record. The system has been in continuous operation for 2 years and is highly regarded. Problems such as illegible handwriting, missing records, and missing laboratory data have disappeared. Research and data query capabilities have been facilitated. The feasibility and applicability of a computerized record replacing the paper record has been demonstrated.
The efficacy of paracervical injections of lignocaine before laser ablation of the cervical transformation zone. A randomized placebo‐controlled double‐blind clinical trial
Authors: JOHNSON N. , CROMPTON A. C. , RAMSDEN S.V.E. 
Published: August 2005

SummaryIn a prospective double‐blind randomized placebo‐controlled clinical trial the efficacy of paracervical lignocaine was compared with saline in reducing pain in 70 women undergoing laser ablation of the cervical transformation zone. Paracervical lignocaine had no significant measurable effect on reducing the pain experience during the laser procedure. The mean subjective visual linear analogue pain score in the lignocaine and saline groups was 27% (95% CI 17 to 38) and 30% (95% CI 24 to 41) respectively (t= 1·0; P = 0·35). The median (quartiles) objective pain scores for the same groups were 0 (0‐2) and 0 (0‐1) respectively (P= 0·58).
Is GIFT (gamete intrafallopian transfer) the best treatment for unexplained infertility?
Authors: MURDOCH A. P. , HARRIS M. , MAHROO M. , WILLIAMS M. , DUNLOP W. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractObjective— To compare the cumulative pregnancy rates after gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) with the cumulative spontaneous pregnancy rates in couples with unexplained infertility.Design— A contemporaneous study in a single group of patients.Setting— Northern Regional Fertility Centre.Subjects— 76 couples with unexplained infertility of more than 3 years durationInterventions— Successful pregnancies were recorded during at least 3 months before GIFT and up to 21 months after a maximum of three cycles of GIFT treatment.Main outcome measures— Pregnancy resulting in a live birth.Results— Average monthly fecundability without treatment was 0.021 and after GIFT was 0.14 (P<0.001). This was reflected as a cumulative pregnancy rate of 52% after three cycles of GIFT and 30% after 24 months without treatmentConclusions— The chance of having a baby after one cycle of GIFT is significantly greater than the chance in a spontaneous cycle. However, considering the cumulative pregnancy rates, we suggest that if GIFT is to be a realistic treatment option, it should be offered for more than one cycle.