bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Congenital hypothyroidism due to a new deletion in the sodium/iodide symporter protein
Authors: Tonacchera Massimo , Agretti Patrizia , De Marco Giuseppina , Elisei Rossella , Perri Anna , Ambrogini Elena , De Servi Melissa , Ceccarelli Claudia , Viacava Paolo , Refetoff Samuel , Panunzi Claudio , Bitti Maria Luisa Manca , Vitti Paolo , Chiovato Luca , Pinchera Aldo 
Published: September 2003

Summaryobjective  Iodide transport defect (ITD) is a rare disorder characterised by an inability of the thyroid to maintain an iodide gradient across the basolateral membrane of thyroid follicular cells, that often results in congenital hypothyroidism. When present the defect is also found in the salivary glands and gastric mucosa and it has been shown to arise from abnormalities of the sodium/iodide symporter (NIS).patient  We describe a woman with hypothyroidism identified at the 3rd month of life. The diagnosis of ITD was suspected because of nodular goitre, and little if any iodide uptake by the thyroid and salivary glands. Treatment with iodide partially corrected the hypothyroidism; however, long‐term substitution therapy with l‐thyroxine was started.measurements  Thyroid radioiodide uptake was only 1·4% and 0·3% at 1 and 24 h after the administration of recombinant human TSH. The saliva to plasma I− ratio was 1·1 indicating that the inability of the thyroid gland to concentrate I− was also present in the salivary glands.results  Analysis of the patient's NIS gene revealed a 15 nucleotide (nt) deletion of the coding sequence (nt 1314 through nt 1328) and the insertion of 15 nt duplicating the first 15 nt of the adjacent intron. The patient was homozygous for this insertion/deletion, while both consanguineous parents were heterozygous. This deletion predicts the production of a protein lacking the five terminal amino acids of exon XI (439–443) which are located in the 6th intracellular loop. COS‐7 cells transfected with a vector expressing the mutant del‐(439–443) NIS failed to concentrate iodide, suggesting that the mutation was the direct cause of the ITD in this patient.conclusion  In conclusion we describe the first Italian case of congenital hypothyroidism due to a new deletion in the NIS gene.
Circulating resistin levels in essential hypertension
Authors: Furuhashi Masato , Ura Nobuyuki , Higashiura Katsuhiro , Murakami Hideyuki , Shimamoto Kazuaki 
Published: September 2003

Summaryobjective  Resistin, a novel cysteine‐rich protein secreted by adipocytes, has been proposed to serve as a link between obesity and insulin resistance in rodents, but this has remained controversial. Most of the data obtained in previous studies are restricted to mRNA levels in tissues.design and patients  We examined the association between insulin resistance and circulating protein levels of resistin in 33 essential hypertensive patients (EHT) and 18 normotensive subjects (NT). insulin sensitivity (M‐value) was evaluated by the euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic glucose clamp technique.results  Using a cutoff point of mean – 1 SD of the M‐value in the NT, the EHT were divided into two groups: one group of 12 insulin‐resistant patients (EHT‐R) and one group of 21 noninsulin‐resistant patients (EHT‐N). There were no intergroup differences in age, gender, body mass index (BMI; range: 20·1–30·4 kg/m2), fasting glucose and total cholesterol. The EHT‐R had significantly higher levels of fasting insulin and triglyceride than did the NT and the EHT‐N. The EHT‐R had higher levels of free fatty acid and lower levels of high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol than did the EHT‐N. The M‐value was negatively correlated with fasting insulin, free fatty acid, and triglyceride. Circulating resistin levels were not significantly different among the three groups and were not correlated with the M‐value, BMI, blood pressure, or lipid variables.conclusions  Our results suggest that circulating resistin levels are not related to insulin resistance, at least in patients with essential hypertension, although disturbance of lipid metabolism may be associated with insulin resistance.
Interleukin‐13 gene polymorphisms in patients with Graves’ disease
Authors: Bednarczuk Tomasz , Placha Grzegorz , Jazdzewski Krystian , Kurylowicz Alina , Kloza Marta , Makowska Urszula , Hiromatsu Yuji , Nauman Janusz 
Published: September 2003

Summaryobjective  In patients with Graves’ disease (GD), an elevation of serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) has been recently reported to be associated with the severity of hyperthyroidism and ophthalmopathy. Interleukin 13 (IL‐13) is a major cytokine involved in IgE synthesis and therefore may be a potential candidate gene contributing to the development of GD or influencing the clinical course of the disease.design  In a case–control study, we examined IL‐13 gene single‐nucleotide polymorphisms in the 5′ promoter region at position −1112 (C to T change, termed as C−1112T) and in exon 4 at position 2044 (G to A change, G2044A, which results in an amino acid exchange Arg130Gln) in 261 patients with GD. The control groups consisted of healthy young subjects (n = 168) and subjects over 100 years old with no history of autoimmune or allergic diseases recruited from the Polish Centenarians Project (n = 50).measurements  C−1112T and G2044A polymorphisms were defined by fluorescent single‐strand conformational polymorphism and by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, respectively.results  In patients with GD, the distribution of IL‐13 alleles (−1112T 31%; 2044A 25%) and genotypes (−1112T/T 10%; 2044A/A 7%) did not differ significantly compared to control groups. Subdividing GD patients according to clinically evident ophthalmopathy (NOSPECS class III or higher, n = 93) revealed no significant differences in the frequencies of −1112T allele (33%vs. 29%; P = 0·4), −1112T/T genotype (13%vs. 8%; P = 0·3), 2044A allele (27%vs. 24%; P = 0·5) and 2044A/A genotype (9%vs. 7%; P = 0·7) between GD patients with and without eye involvement. In order to analyse the association with the severity of hyperthyroidism, we examined patients with a first onset of GD treated with antithyroid drugs (n = 32). IL‐13 genotypes were not associated with the laboratory findings at diagnosis (thyroid volume, serum levels of FT4, TRAb, TPOAb, TGAb) and with the outcome of antithyroid drug treatment.conclusions  Our results suggest that IL‐13 gene polymorphisms at positions −1112 (C → T) and 2044 (G → A): (1) do not confer genetic susceptibility to Graves’ disease; (2) do not contribute to the development of clinically evident ophthalmopathy; (3) are not associated with severity of hyperthyroidism.
Suppression and recovery of LH secretion by a potent and selective GnRH‐receptor antagonist peptide in healthy early follicular‐phase women are mediated via selective control of LH secretory burst mass
Authors: Gianotti L. , Veldhuis J. D. , Destefanis S. , Lanfranco F. , Ramunni J. , Arvat E. , Marzetto M. , Boutignon F. , Deghenghi R. , Ghigo E. 
Published: September 2003

Summaryaim  GnRH antagonists are competitive inhibitors of GnRH receptors. Their administration induces prompt suppression of the gonadal axis. In animals, GnRH antagonists upregulate the activity of GnRH‐secreting neurones, which could cause gonadotrophin rebound following inhibition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a potent GnRH antagonist, Teverelix (TEV), on the gonadal axis in healthy young women.subjects and measurements  In nine women [20–35 years old, body mass index (BMI) 19–25 kg/m2] in the early follicular phase, serum LH and FSH levels were evaluated every 10 min from 08·00 to 12·00 h before, and 24 h and 96 h after TEV injection (2·5 mg in 1 ml subcutaneusly on day 0). Serum gonadotrophin and oestradiol levels were also evaluated at baseline and at 6, 8, 12, 48, 72 h after TEV.results  The antagonist reduced both serum LH and FSH concentrations; LH levels were significantly and promptly reduced at +6 h (nadir at +8 h) until +48 h and recovered at +72 h, while FSH levels were reduced (P < 0·05) 24 h after the antagonist and normalized at +48 h. LH (but not FSH) concentrations at +96 h exceeded baseline (P < 0·05). TEV suppressed oestradiol concentrations (P < 0·05) with a nadir at +24 h, comparable reduction at +48 h and recovery to baseline at +72 h. Deconvolution analysis showed that the antagonist peptide suppressed (P < 0·02) the pulsatile production rate, burst mass and amplitude of LH on day 1. Pulsatile FSH secretion also fell at this time (P < 0·05). LH and FSH pulse frequency were not modified by TEV. At +96 h, LH pulsatility did not significantly differ from that at baseline. Suppression of mean LH or FSH concentrations did not affect the relative pattern regularity (approximate entropy) of LH and FSH secretion.conclusions  This study demonstrates that the acute administration of a potent GnRH antagonist induces prompt inhibition of the gonadal axis lasting for 2 days in women due to mechanistically specific suppression of LH secretory burst mass and the mean FSH secretion rate. The trend toward rebound release of LH following the end of the pharmacological effect of the antagonist could reflect a rise in endogenous GnRH activity.
The effect of parasitoid host‐size preference on host population growth rates: an example of Aphidius colemani and Aphis glycines
Authors: Lin Li A. , Ives Anthony R. 
Published: September 2003

Abstract.  1. Direct observations of Aphidius colemani foraging for Aphis glycines demonstrated that A. colemani attacks large aphid size classes selectively, in contrast to other Aphidiinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) species that generally prefer small or medium‐sized nymphs of different host species.2. To determine the effect of this size preference on the potential ability of A. colemani to control A. glycines outbreaks, the stage‐dependent survival and fecundity of A. glycines were measured to parameterise a stage‐structured demographic model for the density‐independent population growth rate of the aphid.3. Compared with hypothetical parasitoids that show either no size preference or preference for medium‐sized host nymphs, the preference of A. colemani for large hosts caused a greater reduction in the population growth rate of A. glycines. This occurs in the model because, by attacking reproductive adults, A. colemani kills those aphids that have the greatest immediate effect on the population growth rate.4. The strong effect of size preference by A. colemani is diminished somewhat by the continued reproduction of A. glycines adults, which can reproduce for up to 3 days following parasitism. Nonetheless, reproduction by parasitised aphids is not enough to compensate for the stronger, negative effect of the preference of A. colemani for large aphids, which removes individuals with the greatest reproductive value from the A. glycines population.
Adaptive significance of facultative infanticide in the semi‐solitary parasitoid Echthrodelphax fairchildii
Authors: Yamada Yoshihiro Y. , Ikawa Kenji 
Published: September 2003

Abstract.  1. This is the first work to show how imperfect kin recognition influences the behavioural strategy of parasitoids.2. The female of Echthrodelphax fairchildii lays an egg on the right or left side of the host thorax. When superparasitising on the side without the first offspring, it often probed the opposite side with its sting and killed the first offspring more than 50% of the time. The frequency of probing increased with increasing inter‐oviposition interval, and was higher in conspecific superparasitism than in self superparasitism.3. The adaptiveness of probing was assessed by the difference in fitness returns between superparasitism with probing and superparasitism without probing. Fitness returns from self‐superparasitism and those from conspecific superparasitism were assessed by the fitness performance of both first and second comers, and that of second comers respectively.4. In terms of the survival rate of immatures (one fitness component), probing under conspecific superparasitism guaranteed higher fitness returns than not probing for longer oviposition intervals, but under self‐superparasitism not probing guaranteed higher fitness returns for shorter intervals because superparasitism for such intervals often resulted in two‐adult emergence.5. In terms of head width (another fitness component), probing produced higher fitness returns for shorter oviposition intervals for both self and conspecific superparasitism.6. Assuming that offspring quantity contributes more to fitness returns than does offspring quality, the observed frequencies of probing were considered adaptive for parasitoids whose abilities to distinguish between self and conspecifically parasitised hosts and to estimate inter‐oviposition intervals are imperfect.
Effects of specialist parasitoids on oviposition preference of phytophagous insects: encounter–dilution effects in a tritrophic interaction
Authors: Shiojiri Kaori , Takabayashi Junji 
Published: September 2003

Abstract.  1. Host plant preferences of the female diamondback moth Plutella xylostella were studied.2. Female moths preferred conspecific‐damaged cabbage plants over undamaged cabbage plants. The performance of P. xylostella larvae on conspecific‐infested plants did not differ significantly from that of larvae on undamaged plants.3. Cotesia plutellae, the specialist parasitoid wasp of P. xylostella larvae, displayed equal preference for plants with differing levels of host‐larvae damage, and the wasp attacked only one or two hosts on average before leaving an infested plant, irrespective of the number of hosts on the plant. It is hypothesised that the oviposition preferences of P. xylostella females for host plants already damaged by conspecific larvae demonstrate an encounter–dilution effect against C. plutellae.
Effects of insects on primary production in temperate herbaceous communities: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Coupe Malcolm D. , Cahill James F. 
Published: September 2003

Abstract. 1. The effects of insects on primary production in temperate herbaceous communities were investigated in a meta‐analysis. The following hypotheses were tested: (1) the effect of insects on primary production depends on community type, (2) the effect of insects on primary production varies as a function of productivity, (3) insects have a greater effect on primary production in communities with low species diversity, and (4) insects have a larger effect on primary production during outbreaks.2. Data were collected from 24 studies in which insecticides were used to suppress insects in self‐sown or pastoral communities. Effect sizes were calculated from sprayed and control plot standing crop or yield, expressed as the log response ratio, ln (sprayed plot phytomass/control plot phytomass).3. There was a significant increase in primary production as a result of insect suppression. Forb‐dominated communities showed a more variable response than graminoid communities. During outbreaks, insects had a greater negative impact on primary production. Effect size was unaffected by productivity or plant species richness.4. Although insects lower primary production in a diversity of temperate herbaceous communities, the basic measures by which such communities are often described have little effect on the proportional impact that insects have on primary production. While outbreaks are significant predictors of higher negative impact on primary production, causes of outbreaks are not always related to traits of the plant community.
Movement patterns ofRhyssomatus lineaticollisSay (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) within and amongAsclepias syriaca(Asclepiadaceae) patches in a fragmented landscape
Authors: St Pierre Matthew J. , Hendrix Stephen D. 
Published: September 2003

Abstract. 1. Dispersal capabilities of organisms are critical in determining the landscape population structure of species as well as their likelihood of survival in fragmented landscapes. Using mark–recapture techniques on the monophagous weevilRhyssomatus lineaticollisSay (Curculionidae), within‐ and between‐patch dispersal capabilities, landscape level population structure, and the role of beetle density and host patch characteristics in setting distances, amounts, and timing of dispersal were studied.2. The data indicate thatR. lineaticollisis sedentary, with 50% of recaptured beetles moving < 1 m and the maximum distance moved < 1 km. Within‐ and between‐patch movement of beetles was unrelated to host plant patch characteristics and beetle densities.3. Despite limited dispersal,R. lineaticollisprobably functions as a patchy population in east‐central Iowa, U.S.A. because dispersals between patches are common and because all host patches surveyed contained this herbivore, indicating a lack of suitable vacant patches, a prerequisite for metapopulation structure.4. Between‐patch distances are well within the dispersal capabilities ofR. lineaticollis, although this may be the result of an increase in the density of patches of its host,Asclepias syriaca, in the landscape over the last 150 years as a result of human disturbance and this species' weedy habit.5. Metapopulation structure in monophagous prairie herbivores may be most likely in species whose non‐weedy host plants form highly predictable resources in space and time, but which are now widely scattered in habitat fragments.
Effect of emigration on cannibalism and intraguild predation in aphidophagous ladybirds
Authors: Sato Satoru , Dixon Anthony F. G. , Yasuda Hironori 
Published: September 2003

Abstract.  1. The incidence and timing of emigration, cannibalism, and intraguild predation of larvae of three aphidophagous ladybirds (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), Harmonia axyridis Pallas, Coccinella septempunctata brucki Mulsant, and Propylea japonica Mulsant, relative to the presence of prey was determined in the laboratory in single‐ and mixed‐species populations.2. In single‐species populations, 80% of the larvae of C. s. brucki emigrated prior to the extinction of the aphid population and no larvae were lost due to cannibalism; however > 80% of the larvae of the other two species were still present when the aphid became extinct and the losses due to cannibalism for H. axyridis and P. japonica were 25% and 14% respectively. Finally, 28% of the P. japonica larvae completed their development, whereas no larvae of the other two species became adult.3. In mixed‐species populations, mortality of P. japonica attributable to cannibalism or intraguild predation increased greatly to 60%, whereas that of the other two species remained about the same. Consequently, survival of H. axyridis larvae improved and survival of P. japonica worsened; however the survival of C. s. brucki larvae was not affected by the other two species. Early emigration by C. s. brucki larvae may have enabled them to escape intraguild predation by H. axyridis in this system.
Interactions with native mosquito larvae regulate the production of Aedes albopictus from bromeliads in Florida
Authors: Lounibos L. P. , O'Meara G. F. , Nishimura N. , R. L. Escher  
Published: September 2003

Abstract. 1. Immatures of the invasive container mosquito Aedes albopictus occur in water‐holding tanks and axils of ornamental bromeliads in Florida, where this species established and became abundant in the late 1980s and early 1990s.2. The numbers of A. albopictus in bromeliads in gardens vary geographically in Florida, being significantly higher in northern sites where two species of Wyeomyia mosquitoes, native specialists of this microhabitat, are absent.3. Causes of the negative relationship between abundances of A. albopictus and Wyeomyia spp. were investigated experimentally using Billbergia pyramidalis, an introduced bromeliad popular in Florida gardens.4. Egg laying by A. albopictus in B. pyramidalis confined in a large outdoor cage was unaffected by the presence or absence of Wyeomyia spp. fourth instars, indicating that immatures of the native bromeliad mosquito species do not deter oviposition by the invasive species in this microhabitat.5. Growth and survivorship of A. albopictus first instars in tanks of B. pyramidalis were negatively affected by the presence of fourth instar, but not first instar, Wyeomyia spp. larvae at natural densities. Stimulative effects of leaf litter on A. albopictus growth and survivorship in this microhabitat were independent of the presence or absence of Wyeomyia spp. immatures.6. These results demonstrate that interspecific larval interactions regulate the production and explain the geographic patterns in abundance of A. albopictus from ornamental bromeliads in Florida.
Impact of avian and arthropod predation on lepidopteran caterpillar densities and plant productivity in an ephemeral agroecosystem
Authors: Hooks Cerruti R. R. , Pandey Raju R. , Johnson Marshall W. 
Published: September 2003

Abstract.  1. Most studies evaluating the combined impact of spiders and other predators on herbivore densities in agroecosystems have focused primarily on their trophic connections with invertebrate predators (e.g. carabids, chrysopids); however linkages among spiders and vertebrate predators may also help structure the population dynamics of insect herbivores. A field experiment was conducted to examine the impact of avian and spider predation on lepidopteran caterpillar densities and plant productivity within a Brassica agroecosystem.2. Arthropod abundance, leaf‐chewing damage, and final plant productivity associated with broccoli, Brassica oleracea L. (var. italica), were recorded for four treatments: (1) bird present but spiders removed; (2) both birds and spiders present; (3) birds excluded, spiders present; and (4) birds and spiders both excluded.3. Densities of Artogeia rapae L. (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) and Trichoplusia ni Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) large caterpillars and post feeding stages were reduced significantly by bird predation. The abundance of large caterpillars was also reduced on spider‐inhabited plants during early plant growth; however the assemblage of birds and spiders did not suppress caterpillar densities more significantly than either predator alone.4. Plants protected by birds, spiders, and birds plus spiders sustained less folivory attributable to leaf chewing caterpillars than check plants. Plant productivity was also greater for predator‐protected plants than check plants.5. Although spiders and parasitoids were responsible for some of the mortality inflicted upon lepidopteran caterpillars, it was concluded that in this study system, birds are the most important natural enemies of folivores.