bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Null model analysis of communities on gradients
Authors: Sanderson James G. 
Published: May 2004

AbstractAim  I employed a novel null model and metric to uncover unusual species co‐occurrence patterns in a herpetofaunal assemblage of 49 species collected at discrete elevations along a gradient.Location  Mount Kupe, Cameroon.Methods  Using a construction algorithm that started from a matrix of 0s, a sample null space of 25,000 unique null matrices was generated by simultaneously conserving (1) the number of occurrences of each species, (2) site richness and (3) species range spans derived from the observed incidence matrix. I then compared the number of times each pair of confamilial species co‐occurred in the null space with the same number derived from the observed incidence matrix. Two cases dealing with embedded absences in species ranges were tested: (1) embedded absences were maintained, and (2) embedded absences were assumed to be sampling omissions and were replaced by presences.Results  In the observed absence/presence assemblage there were 147 possible confamilial species pairs. Therefore, 5% or eight were expected by chance alone to have co‐occurrence patterns that differed from chance expectations by chance alone. Of these confamilial species pairs, 38 were congeneric and so 5% or two were expected to differ from chance expectations. For case (1) 16, and for case (2) 17 confamilial species pairs’ co‐occurrence patterns differed significantly from chance expectations. For case (1) nine congeneric species pairs, and for case (2) 10 congeneric pairs differed significantly from chance expectations. For case (1) four, and for case (2) five congeneric species pairs formed checkerboards (patterns of mutual exclusion). Results from case (1) were a proper subset of case (2) indicating that sampling omissions did not alter greatly the results.Main conclusions  I have demonstrated that null models are valuable tools to analyse ecological communities provided that proper models are employed. The choice of the appropriate null space to analyse distributions is critical. The null model employed to analyse birds on islands of an archipelago can be adapted to analyse species along gradients provided an additional range constraint is added to the null model. Moreover, added precision to results can be obtained by analysing each species pair separately, particularly those in the same family or genus, as opposed to applying a community‐wide metric to the faunal assemblage. My results support some of the speculations of previous authors who were unable to demonstrate their suspicions analytically.
A new land‐cover map of Africa for the year 2000
Authors: Mayaux Philippe , Bartholomé Etienne , Fritz Steffen , Belward Alan 
Published: May 2004

AbstractAim  In the framework of the Global Land Cover 2000 (GLC 2000), a land‐cover map of Africa has been produced at a spatial resolution of 1 km using data from four sensors on‐board four different Earth observing satellites.Location  The map documents the location and distribution of major vegetation types and non‐vegetated land surface formations for the entire African continent plus Madagascar and the other surrounding islands.Methods  The bulk of these data were acquired on a daily basis throughout the year 2000 by the VEGETATION sensor on‐board the SPOT‐4 satellite. The map of vegetation cover has been produced based upon the spectral response and the temporal profile of the vegetation cover. Digital image processing and geographical information systems techniques were employed, together with local knowledge, high resolution imagery and expert consultation, to compile a cartographic map product. Radar data and thermal sensors were also used for specific land‐cover classes.Results  A total of 27 land cover categories are documented, which has more thematic classes than previously published land cover maps of Africa contain. Systematic comparison with existing land cover data and 30‐m resolution imagery from Landsat are presented, and the map is also compared with other pan‐continental land cover maps. The map and digital data base are freely available for non‐commercial uses from http://www.gvm.jrc.it/tem/africa/products.htmMain conclusions  The map improves our state of knowledge of the land‐cover of Africa and presents the most spatially detailed view yet published at this scale. This first version of the map should provide an important input for regional stratification and planning purposes for natural resources, biodiversity and climate studies.
Molecular biogeography of the arctic‐alpine disjunct burnet moth species Zygaena exulans (Zygaenidae, Lepidoptera) in the Pyrenees and Alps
Authors: Schmitt Thomas , Hewitt Godfrey M. 
Published: May 2004

AbstractAim  The phylogeography of ‘southern’ species is relatively well studied in Europe. However, there are few data about ‘northern’ species, and so we studied the population genetic structure of the arctic‐alpine distributed burnet moth Zygaena exulans as an exemplar.Location and methods  The allozymes of 209 individuals from seven populations (two from the Pyrenees, five from the Alps) were studied by electrophoresis.Results  All 15 analysed loci were polymorphic. The mean genetic diversities were moderately high (A: 1.99; He: 11.5; P: 65%). Mean genetic diversities were significantly higher in the Alps than in the Pyrenees in all cases. FST was 5.4% and FIS was 10%. Genetic distances were generally low with a mean of 0.022 between large populations. About 62% of the variance between populations was between the Alps and the Pyrenees. The two samples from the Pyrenees had no significant differentiation, whereas significant differentiation was detected between the populations from the Alps (FST = 2.8%, P = 0.02).Main conclusion  Zygaena exulans had a continuous distribution between the Alps and the Pyrenees during the last ice age. Most probably, the species was not present in Iberia, and the samples from the Pyrenees are derived from the southern edge of the glacial distribution area and thus became genetically impoverished. Post‐glacial isolation in Alps and Pyrenees has resulted in a weak genetic differentiation between these two disjunct high mountain systems.
Correlates of species richness in North American bat families
Authors: Patten Michael A. 
Published: May 2004

AbstractAim  A near universal truth in North America is that species richness increases from the Arctic Circle to the Central American tropics. Latitude is regarded as a major explanatory variable in species density, although it is only a surrogate for underlying ecological variables. I aimed to elucidate those underlying ecological variables that are associated with variation in bat species richness across the entire North American continent, providing a portrait of the macroecology of the order Chiroptera and its familial components.Methods  I determined the number of bat species recorded for every state in Mexico and the United States, every province or territory in Canada, and every country in Central America. For each of these entities (n = 99), I also gathered basic data on mean annual precipitation, variation across the year (July vs. January) in mean temperature, mean January temperature, range in elevation (topographic relief), per cent vegetative cover and median latitude. Using a variety of linear regression and model‐fitting techniques, I analysed the strength and direction of the relationship between species richness and environmental variables for the order Chiroptera as a whole and separately for each of four familial groups: Molossidae (free‐tailed bats), Phyllostomidae (New World leaf‐nosed bats), Vespertilionidae (evening bats), and a set of six families (the Desmodontidae, Emballonuridae, Furipteridae, Natalidae, Noctilionidae, and Thyropteridae) represented in North America relatively poorly.Results and main conclusions  Save for the Vespertilionidae, species richness of bats increased towards the Panamanian Isthmus. The Phyllostomidae and the set of miscellaneous families are particularly speciose in tropical Central America, with many fewer species occurring through subtropical Mexico into (in some cases) the southernmost United States. The Molossidae extends farther north, sparingly into the middle of the United States. Species density of the Vespertilionidae peaks in central and western Mexico and the southernmost United States, declining south through tropical southern Mexico and Central America and north through the central United States into Canada. Annual precipitation, January temperature, and topography are good predictors of species richness in the Chiroptera and the Molossidae, precipitation, topography, and temperature range in the Phyllostomidae, January temperature and topography in the Vespertilionidae, and precipitation alone in the collection of families. Vegetative cover explained little variation in the Chiroptera as a whole or in any family. After accounting for the effects of the environmental variables, latitude explained an insignificant amount of the residual variation in species richness. Bat families differ in their ecology, so studies of bat biogeography in North America may be misleading if they are examined only at the ordinal level.
Genetic variation and geographical structure of five mouse‐sized opossums (Marsupialia, Didelphidae) throughout the Guiana Region
Authors: Steiner Cynthia , Catzeflis François M. 
Published: May 2004

AbstractAim and location  To study the patterns of genetic variation and geographical structure of five forest‐dwelling didelphid species distributed throughout the Guiana Region (Marmosops parvidens, M. pinheiroi, Monodelphis brevicaudata, Marmosa murina, Micoureus demerarae) and place the results for wide‐ranging species (M. murina, M. demerarae) in the broader geographical context of the rest of the taxon ranges based on published data.Methods  Variation in the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene were analysed in order to assess intra‐specific sequence divergence as well as haplotypic and nucleotide diversity among populations. Relationships between haplotypes were inferred by cladistic (maximum parsimony) and probabilistic (maximum likelihood) approaches, allowing comparisons between tree topologies and patterns of populations geographical distribution.Results  Phylogenetic analysis of the Guiana Region populations suggest the lack of common patterns of geographical structure among mouse‐sized opossums except for both Marmosops species. Marmosops parvidens and M. pinheiroi showed individuals from Surinam strongly related with those from Guyana, and haplotypes from French Guiana having a basal position. Concerning Micoureus demerarae, haplotypes from Venezuela were positioned as ancestral, in contrast with Monodelphis brevicaudata, whose French Guiana haplotypes were clustered in a basal position. No evidence of geographical structure was observed for Marmosa murina. Genetic variation within Guiana Region populations fluctuated between 1% for M. murina and 7% in the case of M. brevicaudata. Regarding the widely distributed species, phylogeographical structure at the scale of the Amazon Basin suggests that Guiana Region populations are the sister group of south‐eastern Amazonian and Atlantic Forest populations, thus resulting in an eastern clade well separated from the western Amazonian regions.Main conclusions  Monophyly of mouse‐sized opossums haplotypes over the Guiana Region confirms the presence of a well‐differentiated zoogeographical area relative to other Amazonia bioregions. Low genetic diversity among Guiana Region samples suggests a relatively recent origin of populations dating from later Miocene and Pleistocene periods. Moreover, nucleotide and haplotypic diversity values suggest an evolutionary scenario of rapid population growth and dispersal over the Guiana territory, from an ancestral population with small effective size. Dispersal events – rather than vicariance – seem to be responsible for the present genetic and phylogeographical patterns observed in the Guiana Region.
The effect of a dietary preload on estimation of usual food portion size by photograph in female volunteers
Authors: Beasley L. J. , Hackett A. F. , Maxwell S. M. , Stevenson L. 
Published: May 2004

AbstractBackground  The aim of this study was to investigate whether a subject's level of satiety influences perception of their usual portion size.Methods  A total of 62 school children were recruited for the pilot study. Half of the group assessed food photographs for their usual portion size before lunch, and half after lunch. For the main study, 55 female students were recruited to test within‐subject variation in perception of usual portion size before and after consuming a preload.Results  Significant differences in perception of portion size were found for four of the six foods used.Conclusion  Some subjects’ perception of their usual portion size was influenced by their level of satiety. Further study is needed to investigate this using a wider variety of food photographs and an alternative preload.
Perceived role of fibre in a healthy diet among Finnish consumers
Authors: Lyly M. , Soini E. , Rauramo U. , Lähteenmäki L. 
Published: May 2004

AbstractObjective  The aim was to study how Finnish consumers perceive the role of fibre in the diet, which foods are regarded as good sources of fibre and the relationship between the respondents’ self‐estimated fibre intake and their measured intake.Methods  A semistructured interview was conducted with 125 volunteers, including a background information questionnaire and an easy‐to‐use self‐administered paper‐and‐pencil form estimating fibre intake.Results  According to the self‐administered form about half of the respondents had adequate fibre intake. Among those who estimated their fibre intake as adequate/maybe adequate, only 61% belonged to the highest fibre intake group. Most of the respondents defined their diet as being healthy. The key elements for a healthy diet were ‘vegetables’, ‘low in fat’, ‘fruit and berries’ and ‘variety’. Only 5% of the respondents mentioned fibre spontaneously here. However, fibre was considered important for health because of its effect on bowel function and general well‐being. The recommended intake of fibre could not be described in nutritional terms, but respondents could identify relevant sources of fibre in the diet.Conclusion  Finnish consumers considered fibre important for health and could recognize the sources of fibre correctly although they did not mention it spontaneously as a part of a healthy diet.
Retrospective analysis of the impact of a low glycaemic index diet on hospital stay following coronary artery bypass grafting: a hypothesis
Authors: Patel V. C. , Aldridge R. D. , Leeds A. , Dornhorst A. , Frost G. S. 
Published: May 2004

AbstractObjective  Glucose tolerance and insulin resistance influence medical outcome in subjects with coronary artery disease, these metabolic parameters also influence general perioperative surgical outcome. We hypothesize that glucose tolerance and insulin resistance can be favourably modified by reducing the glycaemic index of the diet.Design  The present study is a retrospective analysis of a low and high glycaemic index diet on glucose tolerance, insulin resistance and perioperative outcome, as assessed by the length of hospital stay following coronary artery bypass surgery. Thirty‐five adults awaiting bypass surgery were randomized, for the 4 weeks prior to surgery, to either a low glycaemic index diet (17 subjects) or high glycaemic index diet (18 subjects). Glucose and insulin responses during a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test were assessed before and after dietary intervention and insulin‐mediated glucose uptake was assessed in isolated adipocytes obtained at surgery.Results  The patients who consumed a low glycaemic diet had improved glucose tolerance and significantly greater in vitro adipocyte insulin sensitivity at the time of surgery compared with the high glycaemic diet group (78.87 ± 10.64% versus 41.11 ± 7%, respectively). The total length of stay in the patients on the low glycaemic diet was less than patients consuming the high glycaemic diet (7.06 ± 0.38 days versus 9.53 ± 1.44 days, P < 0.5).Conclusion  This study provides further support that carbohydrate and fat metabolism influence cardiac outcome and provides new evidence that dietary modification prior to coronary artery bypass surgery can shorten hospital stay.
Intentional mis‐reporting of food consumption and its relationship with body mass index and psychological scores in women
Authors: Lara J. J. , Scott J. A. , Lean M. E. J. 
Published: May 2004

AbstractBackground  The reasons for mis‐reporting food consumption warrant investigation.Objective  To document intention to mis‐report food consumption and its associations with psychological measures in women.Design  A total of 184 female volunteers aged 18–65 years, comprising 50 seeking help in primary care to lose weight with a body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg m−2 (obese‐clinical group) and 134 nurses (nonclinical groups) (BMI <25 kg m−2, n = 52; BMI 25–29.9 kg m−2, n = 45; BMI ≥30 kg m−2, n = 37) were studied. A questionnaire was administered containing three psychological tests (self‐esteem, psychological well‐being and Stunkard's three‐factor eating questionnaire) and new items to address food intake mis‐reporting.Results  Overall, 68% of participants declared an inclination to mis‐report (64% nonclinical, 78% clinical). Inclination to under‐report was 29, 33 and 51% in the three nonclinical groups; and 46% among the obese clinical patients. Among the same groups, inclination to over‐report were 39, 29, 11 and 32%. After adjusting for social deprivation and BMI, women inclined to mis‐report had higher hunger (P = 0.008) and disinhibition (P = 0.005) scores than those intending to report accurately. These variables were associated with current dieting, frequency of dieting, self‐reported bingeing and dissatisfaction with body weight.Conclusions  These findings indicate that intentional under‐reporting and over‐reporting of food consumption are common in women of all BMI categories and are associated with eating behaviour. Current dieting, frequency of dieting in the past, self‐reported bingeing and dissatisfaction with body weight seem to mediate this relationship.
Effect of changing to a self‐selected vegetarian diet on anthropometric measurements in UK adults
Authors: Phillips F. , Hackett A. F. , Stratton G. , Billington D. 
Published: May 2004

AbstractBackground  Vegetarians are often a little leaner compared with nonvegetarians and suffer less from obesity and its associated complications than nonvegetarians. Whether this is because of not eating meat specifically is unclear.Objective  We investigated whether changing to a self‐selected vegetarian diet resulted in changes to anthropometric measurements.Design  Subjects (n = 33; seven males and 26 females) who were in the earliest stages of becoming vegetarian were observed for 6 months. Data on dietary intake, using a 3‐day estimated dietary diary, and body composition were obtained at baseline and after 6 months of following a self‐selected vegetarian diet.Results  Dietary calculations showed that on changing to a self‐selected vegetarian diet, there was a significant reduction (P < 0.05) in energy intake (8.9 MJ day−1 versus 8.1 MJ day−1), and in the proportion of energy from saturated fatty acids (12.9% versus 11.3%) and a significant increase (P < 0.05) in the proportion of energy from carbohydrates (44.9% versus 47.5%) and in intake of nonstarch polysaccharides (NSP) (1.6 g MJ−1 versus 2.0 g MJ−1). Significant reductions in mid‐upper arm circumference, calculated body fat, biceps and triceps skinfolds and waist and hip circumferences were observed. No reduction in body weight was observed.Conclusion  The findings of our study suggest that significant dietary changes, helping people to conform more closely to current dietary recommendations, occurred when people became vegetarian. In this study we did not find any significant change in body weight, but significant reductions were observed in skinfold thickness and waist : height ratio which imply that on changing to a self‐selected vegetarian diet, the subjects became leaner.
Nutrition in the community – an exploratory study of oral nutritional supplements in a health board area in Ireland
Authors: Loane D. , Flanagan G. , de Siún A. , Mc Namara E. , Kenny S. 
Published: May 2004

AbstractBackground  A review of the General Medical (Payments) Scheme data in the Midland Health Board (MHB) Ireland identified a spend of just over € 0.5 million on enteral nutritional supplements (oral and tube feeds) in an 11‐month period in 1998 [General Medical Services (Payments) Board, 1998, MHB Clinical Nutritional Products: January–December 1998, Dublin]. In 2000, a figure of €5 million was reported as the annual spend (oral and tube feeds) [General Medical Services (Payments) Board, 2000, MHB Clinical Nutritional Products: January–December 2000, Dublin].Research has shown that a high proportion of Oral Nutritional Supplements (ONS) are inappropriately prescribed by primary care practitioners (Gall et al., 2001).The role of General Practitioners (GPs) and Public Health Nurses (PHNs) in prescribing ONS to patients aged 65 years and older was examined, as they are directly involved in the delivery of primary health care.Aim  (i) Assess current trends, decision‐making processes and monitoring procedures in the use of ONS for older patients in the community. (ii) Identify whether nutritional assessments and appropriate nutritional criteria are standard practice in determining selection of ONS.Methods  A study was conducted among 99 GPs and 120 PHNs in the MHB. All GPs were selected to participate and 50% (60) of PHNs were randomly selected. A telephone questionnaire was administered to each subject over a 2‐week period.Results  Both GPs (78%) and PHNs (47%) reported that their prescription of/recommendations for ONS had increased in the last 4 years. None conducted a full nutritional assessment, but 25% of PHNs used a Nutrition Screening Tool when trying to ascertain whether a patient requires an ONS. Only 19.6% of GPs and 6.8% of PHNs surveyed were aware of the calorie content of a standard 200 mL ONS (sip‐feed). In addition, a very significant proportion of both GPs and PHNs do not appear to give appropriate dietary advice to patients who may be at risk of malnutrition. Only 55% of GPs stated that they would specifically review a patient's ONS prescription. All GPs said that they would not conduct a full nutritional assessment at the review appointment.Conclusion  The results of this study raise concerns as to the appropriateness of current ONS prescription and monitoring in the community. They also highlight the need for further intervention in the primary care setting in order to ensure that elderly malnourished patients are detected, treated and monitored in an appropriate and cost‐effective manner.
Manipulating angiogenesis in medicine
Authors: Carmeliet Peter 
Published: May 2004

Abstract.Blood vessels nourish organs with vital nutrients and oxygen and, thus, new vessels form when the embryo needs to grow or wounds are to heal. However, forming new blood vessels is a complex and delicate process, which, unfortunately, is often derailed. Thus, when insufficient vessels form, the tissue becomes ischaemic and stops to function adequately. Conversely, when vessels grow excessively, malignant and inflamed tissues grow faster. It is now becoming increasingly evident that abnormal vessel growth contributes to the pathogenesis of numerous malignant, ischaemic, inflammatory, infectious and immune disorders. With an in‐depth molecular understanding, we should be better armamented to combat such angiogenic disorders in the future. That such therapeutic strategies might change the face of medicine is witnessed by initial evidence of success in the clinic.