bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The efficacy of the non‐stress test in preventing fetal death in post‐term pregnancy
Authors: Li Tong , Rhoads George G. , Demissie Kitaw , Smulian John 
Published: March 2003

SummaryWe conducted a case–control study to examine the efficacy of non‐stress testing in preventing fetal death in post‐term pregnancy. The analysis was based on data from the 1988 National Maternal and Infant Health Survey, which was a nationally representative sample of live births, fetal deaths and infant deaths that occurred in 1988. Information on whether a woman had non‐stress testing was obtained from a questionnaire sent to prenatal care providers and hospitals. Cases were post‐term women (with 42 weeks or more gestation) who had fetal deaths. Three post‐term controls, who had live births and who delivered at the same time or later than the cases, were randomly chosen and individually matched to each case by maternal race. The proportion of women who had one or more non‐stress tests during pregnancy was compared between cases and controls. Non‐stress testing was used in 30.9% of the 126 cases and in 28.5% of the 375 controls. The race‐adjusted odds ratio for exposure to non‐stress test was 1.12 [95% CI 0.72, 1.75]. After controlling for other important confounding variables the odds ratio was 1.05 [95% CI 0.57, 1.91]. These results do not support the efficacy of non‐stress testing in post‐term pregnancies. A more detailed evaluation of this widely used screening procedure is needed.
The epidemiology of infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis in Greater Glasgow area, 1980–96
Authors: Sule Sa'adatu T. , Stone David H. , Gilmour Harper 
Published: March 2003

SummaryThe annual incidence of infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS) in Greater Glasgow area from 1980 to 1996 was calculated. An increasing incidence was observed between 1980 and 1988 but not thereafter. There is a suggestion that environmental factors may play a role in the aetiology of this condition.
An epidemiological study of childhood disability in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Shawky Sherine , Abalkhail Bahaa , Soliman Nadia 
Published: March 2003

SummaryChildhood disability is a major health problem that is pronounced in developing countries. The objectives of this study were to identify the maternal risk factors present in our society and their impact on acquiring a disabled child. Data were collected from the six governmental rehabilitation institutes and a sample of normal non‐disabled school children in Jeddah City. Information on sociodemographic factors and maternal risk factors was collected by in‐person interview and copied from the children’s institute records. Logistic regression models were fitted to calculate the adjusted odds ratios in order to demonstrate the impact for the various maternal risk factors on having a disabled child. Our results have shown that certain modifiable maternal risk factors affecting child health still exist in our community, such as early and late‐age marriage and childbearing, as well as low education, unemployment, multiparity and consanguineous marriages. All these risks were shown to put the mother at higher risk of having an auditory disabled child. Also, older‐age childbearing (≥30 years), low education level and multiparity were the maternal risk factors identified that influenced the risk of visual disability in children. Similar maternal risk factors, in addition to unemployment, were more observed among mothers of mentally disabled children. A huge effort is required to discourage the potential risk factors in our community that influence child health.
The effect of the change in air temperature on the number of newborns in Vienna 1984–99
Authors: Waldhoer Thomas , Klein Matthias , Haidinger Gerald 
Published: March 2003

SummaryThe number of daily births depends on a wide range of sociodemographic, temporal as well as many other mostly unknown factors, resulting in non‐random patterns. We tested the hypothesis of the influence of the change in air temperature on the daily number of all newborns in Vienna (n = 254 797) in the period 1984–99
(n = 5843 days). We found a significant association of sudden changes in temperature with the daily number of births. The observed effect is responsible for up to 0.27% of the explained variation in the regression model.
Epidemiology of neonatal group B streptococcal disease in The Netherlands 1997–98
Authors: Trijbels‐Smeulders Monique , Gerards Leo J. , M. Pieternel C. , Jong Pasker‐de , Lingen Richard A. van , Adriaanse Albert H. , Jonge Guus A. de , Kollée Louis A. A. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryGroup B streptococcal (GBS) infection is still an important cause of morbidity and mortality in newborn infants. In The Netherlands, there are no published data on the incidence of neonatal GBS infection. We collected data of all infants with GBS disease during the first 3 months of life, as reported to the Dutch Paediatric Surveillance Unit (DPSU) during a period of 2 years (1997–98). Neonates with early‐onset GBS disease (both sepsis and probable sepsis) were included for further analysis. The level of completeness of the DPSU data was determined by capture–recapture techniques. The incidence of early‐onset GBS disease in The Netherlands in 1997–98, as calculated from the DPSU data, was 0.9 per 1000 live births. After correction for under‐reporting, the incidence was estimated to be 1.9 per 1000 live births. The case fatality rate of early‐onset GBS disease was only 5%. Despite the decrease in the mortality rate during the last decades, it remains a serious condition with potential irreversible brain damage. Therefore, formal guidelines for the prevention of neonatal early‐onset GBS disease in The Netherlands were introduced in 1999. The data collected in this study may serve as baseline data for evaluation of the effect of these guidelines.
Vaccination with neutrophil inhibitory factor reduces the fecundity of the hookworm Ancylostoma ceylanicum
Authors: Ali F. , Brown A. , Stanssens P. , Timothy L.M. , Soule H.R. , Pritchard D.I. 
Published: March 2003

Neutrophil inhibitory factor (NIF), a protein isolated from hookworms of the genus Ancylostoma, inhibits CD11b/18‐dependent leucocyte function, binding to the I domain of CD11b. Historically, NIF was serendipitously isolated from whole worm extracts during a search for novel antihaemostatic agents, and little is known of its source or biological significance to the parasite. NIF has also been identified as a possible hookworm vaccine candidate. Ancylostomaceylanicum recombinant NIF, expressed in its active form in Pichia pastoris, was purified and its functional activity confirmed using neutrophil adhesion assays and confirmatory immunoassay. Recombinant NIF was subsequently used in vaccination trials in the A. ceylanicum‐hamster model system for human hookworm infection. Vaccinated and challenged animals were not protected in terms of worm burden or haematocrit values, despite the presence of high levels of specific antibody against NIF. However, adult worms resident in vaccinated animals showed a significant reduction in fecundity (85·8% by day 21 postinfection), indicating a degree of protection against subsequent transmission by vaccination. These data indicate that targeted vaccination with recombinant subunit material, derived from a known and effective immune suppressant secreted by the parasite, may offer partial protection against the transmission of hookworm infection. Furthermore, we can also report that a biological activity characteristic of NIF is detectable in the secretions of A.ceylanicum using two complementary bioassays. Complete neutralization of this secreted activity by vaccination in combination with other vaccine candidates may result in improved protection against A. ceylanicum infection.
Physiological age‐grading and ovarian physiology of Prostephanus truncatus
Authors: SCHOLZ D. , BORGEMEISTER C. , MARKHAM R. H. , POEHLING H.‐M. 
Published: March 2003

Abstract. The reproductive tracts of male and female Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) were described for beetles between emergence and 30 days old in order to determine age‐grading criteria. Seminal vesicles were bigger among non‐mated males than among mated males due to accumulation of sperm; no age‐specific differences were found for male P. truncatus. Ovaries (germarium size, number of follicles and follicle size) were similarly developed for females between 5 and 30 days old and did not differ between mated and non‐mated females. Starved females were found to resorb follicles. Yellow body formation was strongly dependent on age, and was used as an age‐grading criterion for female P. truncatus.Females flying off maize cobs and caught with pheromone traps were of varying physiological age and mated, and their ovarian development was suspended. All migrating females were mated, indicating that lone females may act as colonizers, independently of males. The applicability of migration theories to P. truncatus and adaptive inter‐reproductive dispersal as part of its life history strategy are discussed.
Electrophysiological and behavioural identification of host kairomones as olfactory cues for Culicoides impunctatus and C. nubeculosus
Authors: Bhasin A. , (luntz) A. J. Mordue , Mordue W. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryElectroantennograms (EAGs) were recorded from wild‐caught parous, female Culicoides impunctatus (Goetghebuer) in response to components of host odour. Nine synthetic compounds were found to be electrophysiologically active, eliciting EAGs which were significantly different from solvent control. An EAG hierarchy was established, in which 1‐octen‐3‐ol elicited the highest amplitude EAGs, followed by acetone, lactic acid and butanone. The overall responses to phenolic compounds were reduced compared to the non‐phenolics.Subsequent behavioural analyses of the effects of these compounds when tested singly revealed 1‐octen‐3‐ol, acetone and butanone to be attractive over specific stimulus doses. Exposure to supra‐optimal doses modified the insects’ behaviour; insects either ceased to respond or were repelled. Lactic acid was attractive at the lowest dose tested but was repellent at high doses. Behavioural responses to the phenolic components of host odour and lactic acid were similar, generally causing arrestment at low doses and repelling at the higher doses tested.A comparison of EAG profiles and behavioural assays between laboratory‐reared Culicoides nubeculosus (Meigen) and C. impunctatus suggested that the same kairomones are utilized by both species, with C. nubeculosus being less sensitive than C. impunctatus. The EAG hierarchy of C. nubeculosus to the four non‐phenolics was identical to that of C. impunctatus.
Allatotropic and nervous control of corpora allata in the adult male loreyi leafworm, Mythimna loreyi (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Authors: Kou Rong , Chen Shu J. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryAllatotropic activity is found in methanolic extracts of the brain–suboesophageal ganglion (SOG)–corpora cardiaca (CC) complex from virgin males of Mythimna loreyi Duponchel (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). Corpora allata (CA) from 6‐day‐old virgin males exhibit low rates of release of Juvenile Hormone (JH) acid (JHA) in vitro. Release of JHA can be activated by the addition of an extract of brain–SOG–CC complex in a dose‐dependent manner, and this allatotropic activation can be sustained consistently in the continuous presence of such extracts. Based on its trypsin sensitivity and heat stability, the allatotropic factor is most likely a peptide. The allatotropic activity is dependent on the concentration of calcium ions in the medium, with the highest activation achieved beyond 2 m
m. The results of nerve transection experiments suggest that both nervi corporis allati I (NCA I) and NCA II are involved in mediating the allatotropic control of CA in vitro. Isolated CA alone show significantly higher rates of release of JHA than the intact brain–SOG–CC–CA complex during the first 3 h of incubation, but the release of JHA reaches almost the same range in both groups by the end of the fourth hour of incubation.
The response of grass‐cutting ants to natural and synthetic versions of their alarm pheromone
Authors: Hughes W. O. H. , Howse P. E. , Vilela E. F. , Goulson D. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryThe responses of the grass‐cutting ants Atta bisphaerica (Forel) and Atta capiguara (Gonçalves) to the main components of their alarm pheromones were examined in simple field bioassays. Both species react most strongly to 4‐methyl‐3‐heptanone, which causes the full range of alarm behaviour and a large increase in the number of individuals near the sources. In later experiments with A. capiguara, this increase was found to be due primarily to attraction, with some arrestment also occurring. The ant response to 4‐methyl‐3‐heptanone was compared with that to crushed heads and to that with whole ants with crushed heads. The pheromone 4‐methyl‐3‐heptanone by itself stimulates the same level of attraction as crushed heads, but results in far less alarm behaviour and arrests fewer ants. Whole ants with crushed heads attract a greater number of ants than the other sources and also cause more alarm behaviour. Bodies alone attract ants, but do not result in alarm behaviour. The main component in both species is the same, supporting the view that alarm pheromones lack species specificity. However, it appears that other components may also be important either as synergists of the main compound, or by stimulating behaviours that would not be observed in its absence.
Measuring and modelling the radiation balance of a heterogeneous shrubland
Authors: Domingo F. , Villagarcía L. , Brenner A. J. , Puigdefábregas J. 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACTThe accurate quantification of the energy available for sensible and latent heat transfer from plant canopies is essential for the prediction of impacts of climate on vegetation water use and growth. Unlike agricultural fields and extensive forests of more humid zones, vegetation growing in semi‐arid climates is usually sparse creating a heterogeneous surface of shrubs, annuals and bare soil. Under these conditions many of the assumptions of the basic equations used in microclimatology, which assume a uniform vegetated surface, may be violated. It is proposed here that heterogeneous canopies may require a formulation of their energy balance that includes a measure of the canopy complexity in order to both interpret field measurements and be used in predictive models. This paper explores the need for a more complex formulation of the vegetation energy balance through a series of experiments on a sparse clumped shrubland of Retama sphaerocarpa in the Tabernas Desert, Almería, south‐east Spain. These experiments investigated the importance of the radiative properties of each surface on energy balance of soil, annuals and shrubs individually, and the surface as a whole. The study evaluated the use of the fractional vegetative cover (f) and the radiative characteristics of each surface (reflection coefficients and emissivities) for calculating net radiation partitioning between shrubs and bare soil. Results indicated that partitioning of net radiation between components could be accurately calculated from values of fractional vegetative cover, reflection coefficients and emissivities for both bare soil and plant surfaces. A sensitivity analysis showed the importance of specific radiation properties of each surface. Measurements of horizontal long‐wave fluxes between components showed that the location of a plant with respect to other plants made little difference to its long‐wave energy balance. The results also emphasized the importance of soil water content on the energy balance, through its influence on albedo and soil heat storage. This was particularly true when measurements of soil heat flux were used to measure the available energy for soil under shrubs and bare soil because of strong hysteresis cycles. These cycles were larger in the bare soil than in the substrate under shrubs.
Acid phosphomonoesterase and phytase activities of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) roots and utilization of organic phosphorus substrates by seedlings grown in sterile culture
Authors: Richardson A. E. , Hadobas P. A. , Hayes J. E. 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACTWheat seedlings exhibited a differential ability to utilize P from a range of organic P substrates when grown in agar culture under sterile conditions. Plants showed limited ability to obtain P from inositol hexaphosphate (IHP), whereas other monoester substrates such as glucose 1‐phosphate (G1P), were equivalent sources of P for plant growth as compared with inorganic phosphate (Pi). Poor utilization of IHP was exemplified by significantly lower rates of dry matter accumulation and reduced P content of tissues, which were generally not significantly different to control plants that were grown in the absence of added P. The inability of wheat seedlings to obtain P from IHP was not associated with poor substrate availability but was due to either insufficient root phytase activity or inappropriate localization of phytase within root tissues. Phytase activities of 4 and 24 mU g−1 root fresh weight (FW) were determined for crude root extracts prepared from plants that were grown with either adequate P or under deficient conditions, respectively. Similar levels of phytase activity (approximately 12 mU g−1 FW) were observed in assays using intact roots, although no secreted activity was detected. By comparison, a secreted acid phosphomonoesterase activity was observed, and activities of between 466 and 1029 mU phosphomonoesterase g−1 root FW were measured for intact roots. On the basis of the differences in enzyme activity, and the observed differences in the ability of wheat seedlings to utilize G1P and IHP, it is evident that low intrinsic levels of phytase activity in wheat roots is a critical factor that limits the ability of wheat to obtain P from phytate when supplied in agar under non‐limiting conditions. This hypothesis was further supported by the observation that the ability of wheat to obtain P from IHP was significantly improved when the seedlings were inoculated with a soil bacterium (Pseudomonas sp. strain CCAR59) that possesses phytase activity.
Carbon and nitrogen deposition in expanding tissue elements of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) leaves during non‐steady growth after defoliation
Authors: Schäufele R. , Schnyder H. 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACTThe effect of defoliation on the deposition of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) and the contribution of reserves and current assimilates to the use of C and N in expanding leaf tissue of severely defoliated perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) was assessed with a new material element approach. This included 13C/12C‐and 15N/14N‐steady‐state labelling of all post‐defoliation assimilated C and N, analysis of tissue expansion and displacement in the growth zone, and investigation of the spatial and temporal changes in substrate and label incorporation in the expanding elements prior to and after defoliation. The relationship between elemental expansion and C deposition was not altered by defoliation, but total C deposition in the growth zone was decreased due to decreased expansion of tissue at advanced developmental stages and a shortening of the growth zone. The N deposition per unit expansion was increased following defoliation, suggesting that N supply did not limit expansion. Transition from reserve‐ to current assimilation‐derived growth was rapid (<1 d for carbohydrates and approximately 2 d for N), more rapid than suggested by label incorporation in growth zone biomass. The N deposition was highest near the leaf base, where cell division rates are greatest, whereas carbohydrate deposition was highest near the location of most active cell expansion. The contribution of reserve‐derived relative to current assimilation‐derived carbohydrates (or N) to deposition was very similar for elements at different stages of expansion
Co‐permeability of 3H‐labelled water and 14C‐labelled organic acids across isolated Prunus laurocerasus cuticles: effect of temperature on cuticular paths of diffusion
Authors: Schreiber L. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractCo‐permeability of 3H‐labelled water and 14C‐labelled benzoic acid or 2,4‐dichlorophenoxyacetic acid across isolated cuticular membranes of Prunus laurocerasus L. was measured at temperatures ranging from 15 to 50 °C. The water and benzoic acid permeances were highly correlated over the whole temperature range investigated, whereas water and 2,4‐dichlorophenoxyacetic acid permeances were only correlated between 15 and 30 °C. The activation energies of cuticular permeability calculated from Arrhenius plots were 40 kJ mol−1 for water and benzoic acid and 115 kJ mol−1 for 2,4‐dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. The slopes of the Arrhenius plots of 2,4‐dichlorophenoxyacetic acid were linear between 15 and 50 °C, whereas pronounced phase transitions around 30 °C were observed for water and benzoic acid permeability. However, with isolated polymer matrix membranes, where cuticular waxes forming the transport‐limiting barrier of cuticles have been extracted, phase transitions were not observed for water and benzoic acid. It is concluded that temperatures above 30 °C caused structural changes in the transport‐limiting barrier of the cuticles leading to additional paths of diffusion for water and benzoic acid but not for 2,4‐dichlorophenoxyacetic acid.
Expression and promoter activity of the desiccation‐specific Solanum tuberosum gene, StDS2
Authors: Dóczi R. , Csanaki C. , Bánfalvi Z. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractEnvironmental stresses induce the expression of several plant genes via multiple and cross‐talking signalling pathways. Previously it was shown that ScDS2, a gene of the wild potato species, Solanum chacoense, is highly inducible by dehydration but not by abscisic acid (ABA), the mediator of many plant stress responses. Herein it is shown that ScDS2‐related genes are present in the cultivated potato, Solanum tuberosum (StDS2) and also in the non‐tuberizing Solanum species, Solanum brevidens (SbDS2). We show that expression of StDS2 is dehydration‐specific, is not inducible by cold, heat, salt, hypoxia or oxidative stresses, and is independent of ABA. Signalling of StDS2 induction, however, is dependent on the synthesis of novel proteins because cycloheximide can block StDS2 expression. To analyse the promoter region of StDS2 a genomic library of Solanum tuberosum was established and 1140 and 498 bp regions of the StDS2 promoter were isolated. The promoter fragments were fused to the β‐glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene and tested in transgenic potato plants. Both promoter fragments were able to induce GUS activity in response to dehydration. This result suggests that drought‐specific cis‐elements are located within 498 bp upstream to the StDS2 coding sequence.