bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A porcine model of acute quadriplegic myopathy: a feasibility study
Authors: Norman H. , Kandala K. , Kolluri R. , Zackrisson H. , Nordquist J. , Walther S. , Eriksson L. I. , Larsson L.
Published: August 2006

Background:  The mechanisms underlying acute quadriplegic myopathy (AQM) are poorly understood, partly as a result of the fact that patients are generally diagnosed at a late stage of the disease. Accordingly, there is a need for relevant experimental animal models aimed at identifying underlying mechanisms.

Methods:  Pigs were mechanically ventilated and exposed to various combinations of agents, i.e. pharmacological neuromuscular blockade, corticosteroids and/or sepsis, for a period of 5 days. Electromyography and myofibrillar protein and mRNA expression were analysed using sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE), confocal microscopy, histochemistry and real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Results:  A decreased compound muscle action potential, normal motor nerve conduction velocities, and intact sensory nerve function were observed. Messenger RNA expression, determined by real‐time PCR, of the myofibrillar proteins myosin and actin decreased in spinal and cranial nerve innervated muscles, suggesting that the loss of myosin observed in AQM patients is not solely the result of myofibrillar protein degradation.

Conclusion:  The present porcine AQM model demonstrated findings largely in accordance with results previously reported in patients and offers a feasible approach to future mechanistic studies aimed at identifying underlying mechanisms and developing improved diagnostic tests and intervention strategies.
Antibiotics modulate the stimulated cytokine response to endotoxin in a human ex vivo, in vitro model
Authors: Ziegeler S. , Raddatz A. , Hoff G. , Buchinger H. , Bauer I. , Stockhausen A. , Sasse H. , Sandmann I. , Hörsch S. , Rensing H.
Published: August 2006

Background:  Sepsis may lead to the suppression of stimulated cytokine release after Gram‐negative stimuli, correlating with a fatal outcome. Treatment of sepsis includes adequate therapy with antibiotics. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of antibiotics in the modulation of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐stimulated cytokine response of human monocytes.

Methods:  In this ex vivo, in vitro study, whole blood samples were taken from 10 healthy volunteers, stimulated with LPS in the presence or absence of various antibiotics (penicillin, amoxicillin, cefuroxime, ceftazidime, cefotaxime, piperacillin/tazobactam, imipenem/cilastatin, gentamicin, netilmicin, ciprofloxacin, vancomycin) and cultured for 24 h. Thereafter, tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) were measured in the supernatants by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Furthermore, CD14 and HLA‐DR expression on monocytes was assessed using flow cytometry.

Results:  All cephalosporins decreased LPS‐stimulated IL‐10 release. Cefuroxime and cefotaxime also decreased the expression density of the LPS recognition molecule CD14 on monocytes. An increase in LPS‐stimulated IL‐10 release was observed with vancomycin. A suppression of LPS‐stimulated TNF‐α and IL‐10 release was observed in the presence of ciprofloxacin.

Conclusion:  These results indicate a modulation of the expression density of CD14 on monocytes, together with a shift from a balanced to an inflammatory cytokine release pattern, by cefuroxime and cefotaxime. Vancomycin changes the response to an anti‐inflammatory release pattern. After ciprofloxacin, a profound unresponsiveness of immune‐competent cells to LPS stimulation is observed. Because of the critical role of a balanced innate immune response, these data may be of importance for the selection of antibiotics in septic patients.
Stroke volume variation does not predict fluid responsiveness in patients with septic shock on pressure support ventilation
Authors: Perner A. , Faber T.
Published: August 2006

Background:  Stroke volume variation (SVV) – as measured by the pulse contour cardiac output (PiCCO®) system – predicts the cardiac output response to a fluid challenge in patients on controlled ventilation. Whether this applies to patients on pressure support ventilation is unknown.

Methods:  Thirty consecutive patients with septic shock were included. All were on pressure support ventilation, monitored using the PiCCO® system and receiving 500 ml of colloid on clinical indications. Arterial pulse contour SVV and the transpulmonary thermodilution cardiac index were measured before and after fluid challenge.

Results:  Forty‐seven per cent of the patients were defined as fluid responders by an observed increase of > 10% in the cardiac index after fluid. Prior to fluid challenge, the cardiac index was lower in responders compared with non‐responders (mean ± SD, 3.0 ± 0.6 vs. 4.0 ± 1.2 l/min/m2, P < 0.01). In contrast, pre‐infusion values of SVV were similar between subsequent responders and non‐responders (13 ± 5 vs. 16 ± 6%, P =0.26). The mean areas under the ROC curves were 0.77 (95% confidence interval, 0.60–0.94) and 0.52 (0.30–0.73) for pre‐fluid cardiac index and SVV, respectively, indicating a predictive power of only the cardiac index.

Conclusions:  SVV did not predict the response in cardiac output to fluid challenge in patients with septic shock on pressure support ventilation.
Patterns in current anaesthesiological peri‐operative practice for colonic resections: a survey in five northern‐European countries
Authors: Hannemann P. , Lassen K. , Hausel J. , Nimmo S. , Ljungqvist O. , Nygren J. , Soop M. , Fearon K. , Andersen J. , Revhaug A. , Von Meyenfeldt M. F. , Dejong C. H. C. , Spies C.
Published: August 2006

Background:  For colorectal surgery, evidence suggests that optimal management includes: no pre‐operative fasting, a thoracic epidural analgesia continued for 2 days post‐operatively, and avoidance of fluid overload. In addition, no long‐acting benzodiazepines on the day of surgery and use of short‐acting anaesthetic medication may be beneficial. We examined whether these strategies have been adopted in five northern‐European countries.

Methods:  In 2003, a questionnaire concerning peri‐operative anaesthetic routines in elective, open colonic cancer resection was sent to the chief anaesthesiologist in 258 digestive surgical centres in Scotland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

Results:  The response rate was 74% (n = 191). Although periods of pre‐operative fasting up to 48 h were reported, most (> 85%) responders in all countries declared to adhere to guidelines for pre‐operative fasting and oral clear liquids were permitted until 2–3 h before anaesthesia. Solid food was permitted up to 6–8 h prior to anaesthesia. In all countries more than 85% of the responders indicated that epidural anaesthesia was routinely used. Except for Denmark, long‐acting benzodiazepines were still widely used. Short‐acting anaesthetics were used in all countries except Scotland where isoflurane is the anaesthetic of choice. With the exception of Denmark, intravenous fluids were used unrestrictedly.

Conclusion:  In northern Europe, most anaesthesiologists adhere to evidence‐based optimal management strategies on pre‐operative fasting, thoracic epidurals and short‐acting anaesthetics. However, premedication with longer‐acting agents is still common. Avoidance of fluid overload has not yet found its way into daily practice. This may leave patients undergoing elective colonic surgery at risk of oversedation and excessive fluid administration with potential adverse effects on surgical outcome.
Eugenic Family Politics and Social Democrats: “Positive” Eugenics and Marriage Advice Bureaus
Authors: GERODETTI NATALIA
Published: August 2006

Abstract  During the first half of the twentieth century eugenics became a mainstream body of thinking and an approach to the solution of social problems across Europe and North America. Fears of degeneration and certain notions of heredity and fertility had produced widespread discourses regarding threats to the nation's health and its reproductive capacities. Governing nations' procreative activities shaped social policies and practices thus placing gender and sexuality at the centre of analysis. The article examines how eugenics became an axis of intervention in family and reproductive politics through discourses and practices of “positive” eugenics. The substantive focus here is on the eugenic content of premarital advice and family politics in Switzerland assessing the impact of the eugenics movement as well as the women's movement. The article contributes to a growing body of scholarship on comparative historical analyses of eugenics by contextualising Switzerland in a eugenic international.
Crisis, Identity, and Social Distinction: Cultural Politics of Food, Taste, and Consumption in Late Colonial Bengal
Authors: PRASAD SRIRUPA
Published: August 2006

Abstract  This paper explores the culture of taste in the production of an urban, Hindu, Bengali middle class in late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries Bengal/India. It analyzes how the Bengali middle class, the bhadralok, attempted to construct a “doxa” of gastronomy in order to subsume a dominant position for itself and to classify hierarchically other classes and social groups. The aspirations of this class as the future guardians of an incipient nation were in reality a politics of self‐identity, which was based on ideas of a cultural exclusivity. This politics of self‐identity for the Bengali middle class were inextricably inter‐woven with issues of modernity, nationalism, and colonialism. Through my analysis, I stress the importance of the “historical” or the “collective”, particularly in the context of formation of the bhadralok, as a dominant class.
Social Constructionism and Sexual Desire
Authors: GILES JAMES
Published: August 2006

Various scholars argue that sexual desire is socially constructed. There is, however, little agreement surrounding the nature of social constructionism. Vance contrasts social constructionism here with a cultural influence model and distinguishes between degrees of social constructionism. There are, however, problems with this classification. These problems can similarly be found with Foucault whose arguments fail to support his claim that sexual desire is a social construction. Difficulties also appear in Simon and Gagnon's scripting theory of sexual desire, a theory that is commonly applauded as establishing a social constructionist account. This is because scripting theory depends entirely on theatrical metaphors. But there is much inconsistency involved in applying such metaphors to everyday life. This does not, however, imply a biological essentialist view of sexual desire must be true. For there is the further alternative that sexual desire has its origin in existential features of human awareness. Sexual desire arises simply because we are aware of both our own gender and the genders of others, and that gender phenomenologically presents itself to us as something in need of completion. This awareness is something that is fundamental to the human condition and thus has little to do with social construction.
Wittgenstein, Pretend Play and the Transferred Use of Language
Authors: TER HARK MICHEL
Published: August 2006

This essay sketches the potential implications of Wittgensteinian thought for conceptualizations of socalled fictive mental states, e.g. mental calculating, imagination, pretend play, as they are currently discussed in developmental psychology and philosophy of mind. In developmental psychology the young child's pretend play and make‐belief are seen as a manifestation of the command of an underlying individualistic “theory of mind”. When saying “This banana is a telephone” the child's mind entertains simultaneously two mental representations, a primary or veridical representation about the real properties of banana's and a pretend representation. It is the task of psychology to explain how this “double knowledge” does not result in conceptual chaos. Various sorts of internal mechanisms are postulated. In this essay it is argued that the threat of chaos is misconceived, and that the solutions are irrelevant. Following Wittgenstein's sparse remarks about the secondary sense of words, I argue that pretend language does not refer to underlying individual mental representations but to the child's creative transference of words used in one, primary, domain of application to another, secondary domain. The command and use of the secondary domain logically presupposes the command and use of the primary domain. Since the latter domain is necessarily public and social, fictive mental states cannot be dealt with purely individualistically as current mentalism assumes.
From Minds Hidden in the Heads of Individuals to the Use of Mind‐Talk between Us: Wittgensteinian Developmental Investigations1
Authors: SHOTTER JOHN
Published: August 2006

I criticize Carpendale and Lewis's (2004) attempt to produce a Wittgensteinian theory, as an alternative to work in the “theory of mind” (TOM) tradition, not because I disagree with it as theory, but because Wittgenstein would be critical of any attempt to make such a use of his work. Theories are concerned with discovering rules, principles, of lawful regularities hidden behind appearances. Wittgenstein's whole latter philosophy is inimical to such an aim. His concern is not with theories but with descriptions—which can be explanatory, but in a relational or orientational rather than a causal fashion. Below, I give some initial examples to show what Wittgensteinian investigations in developmental psychology might look like.
Oxidative stress in midpregnancy as a predictor of gestational hypertension and pre‐eclampsia
Authors: Rogers MS , Wang CCR , Tam WH , Li CY , Chu KO , Chu CY
Published: August 2006

Objectives  To explore the relationship between the levels of maternal oxidative stress and glycaemia during pregnancy and to compare the predictive values of 8‐epimer of prostaglandin F2alpha (8‐isoPGF2α) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) in midpregnancy for the development of hypertensive complications in later pregnancy.

Design  Prospective observational study as an ancillary study to the Hyperglycaemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome (HAPO) study.

Setting  Obstetric clinics and wards of a university teaching hospital in Hong Kong.

Population  Selected women with singleton pregnancies attending the antenatal clinic.

Methods  Pregnant women who met HAPO inclusion criteria were recruited for the study. Glucose tolerance was assessed by a 75‐g 2‐hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at 24–32 weeks of gestation. Fasting plasma samples for 8‐isoPGF2α estimation and urine samples for 8‐isoPGF2α and 2,3‐dinor 8‐isoPGF2α assays were collected and blood pressures measured during the OGTT visit. Random plasma and urine samples were also obtained at 34–37 weeks. Glucose results were unblinded to the attending obstetrician if limits preset under the HAPO protocol were met.

Main outcome measures  Maternal plasma 8‐isoPGF2α and urinary 8‐isoPGF2α and 2,3‐dinor 8‐isoPGF2α both at the time of OGTT (24–32 weeks) and at 34–37 weeks of gestation. Incidence of pre‐eclampsia and gestational hypertension.

Results  Of the 408 women who attended for OGTT at 24–32 weeks, two met the glucose criteria for unblinding and 25 had missing 8‐isoPGF2α values and thus were excluded from analysis. Of the 381 women, 338 (88.7%) attended for random plasma samples at 34–37 weeks. Significant correlations were observed between maternal fasting plasma isoprostane and both fasting (r= 0.20; P < 0.001) and 2‐hour (r= 0.39; P < 0.001) plasma glucose levels at the time of OGTT. Gestational hypertension/pre‐eclampsia occurred in 17 (4.2%) women, and at the time of OGTT, they had significantly higher fasting plasma 8‐isoPGF2α (P < 0.001), urine 8‐isoPGF2α (P < 0.005) and urine 2,3‐dinor 8‐isoPGF2α to creatinine ratios (P < 0.001), as well as higher MAP (P < 0.001) than women who remained normotensive. At 34–37 weeks, only random plasma 8‐isoPGF2α was significantly higher (P < 0.001) among the women with gestational hypertension/pre‐eclampsia.

Conclusions  Plasma markers of oxidative stress were positively correlated with plasma glucose at the time of OGTT (24–32 weeks). Women who subsequently developed gestational hypertension/pre‐eclampsia had significantly higher plasma and urine markers of oxidative stress at the time of OGTT but only higher plasma markers at 34–37 weeks. Plasma 8‐isoPGF2α appears to be a very good predictor of subsequent gestational hypertension/pre‐eclampsia when measured at the time of OGTT, but its ability to discriminate deteriorates as pregnancy advances.
Prenatal isolated mild ventriculomegaly: outcome in 167 cases
Authors: Ouahba J , Luton D , Vuillard E , Garel C , Gressens P , Blanc N , Elmaleh M , Evrard P , Oury JF
Published: August 2006

Objective  To define the contribution of prenatal investigation and evaluate the prognosis of isolated mild ventriculomegaly (IMV).

Design  Retrospective study.

Setting  University hospital between January 1992 and December 2002.

Population  One hundred and sixty‐seven cases of prenatal unilateral or bilateral IMV without any associated anomaly at the time of initial diagnosis.

Methods  Complementary investigations were performed: amniocentesis with karyotyping, screening for viruses and acetylcholinesterase electrophoresis, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasonography every 3–4 weeks.

Main outcome measures  Results of prenatal investigations, pregnancy outcome, and postnatal psychomotor development.

Results  IMV was diagnosed around 26.5 weeks. Amniocentesis revealed four chromosomal anomalies and two cytomegalovirus infections. MRI diagnosed brain‐associated anomalies in 15 cases and ultrasonographic monitoring highlighted malformations not initially diagnosed in 28 cases. Termination of pregnancy (TOP) was considered in 21 pregnancies (12.6%). Indications were aneuploidy, fetal infectious disease or associated malformations. In women for whom a TOP was considered, consanguinity, fetus of female sex and frontal horn enlargement were statistically more frequent, ventriculomegaly was more often bilateral and asymmetrical, atrial width, and the rate of progressive ventricular enlargement were significantly higher. One hundred and one children with prenatal IMV were assessed between 19 and 127 months (mean age 54.68 ± 2.87 months). Twelve children had neurological disease or psychomotor delay and 89 children had a normal psychomotor development. Poor neurological outcome was more often associated with atrial width greater than or equal to 12 mm, asymmetrical bilateral enlargement, and progression of the ventriculomegaly.

Conclusion  The detection of IMV raises the question of the child’s psychomotor development and justifies meticulous prenatal investigation. In addition to associated anomalies, three criteria are often associated with an unfavourable outcome: atrial width greater than 12 mm, progression of the enlargement, and asymmetrical and bilateral ventriculomegaly.
Short communication: Adjusting bladder neck sling length to maximise same‐day voiding
Authors: Marinkovic SP
Published: August 2006

The bladder neck fascial sling may become a more popular procedure if surgical modifications could ensure more rapid postoperative voiding, yet not compromising the 85% long‐term cure rate. In a study of 80 women, we found that increasing the distance from the Prolene knot to the rectus fascia, while simultaneously observing the closure of the bladder neck with a cystoscope, resulted in 92% of women voiding the same day and 93% experiencing no stress incontinence at 1 year.
Modulation of the age‐related nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) pathway by hesperetin
Authors: Kim Ji Young , Jung Kyung Jin , Choi Jae Sue , Chung Hae Young
Published: August 2006

Nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB), a redox‐sensitive transcription factor, plays an important role in the aging process. Thus, developing and identifying specific components that modulate NF‐κB without adverse side‐effects would be of major importance. Hesperetin, a flavanone abundant in citrus fruits, has a variety of pharmacological properties being antioxidant, cholesterol‐lowering, and anti‐inflammatory.

In this study, we investigated how hesperetin fed to 6‐ and 24‐month‐old rats modulates NF‐κB in their kidneys. Results showed that hesperetin suppressed NF‐κB activation and related gene expressions. An even more interesting finding is that hesperetin suppressed NF‐κB through four signal transduction pathways, NIK/IKK, ERK, p38, and JNK. Further evidence showed the remarkable efficacy of hesperetin to suppress the translocation of Trx/Ref‐1, indicating its beneficial effect on the redox status. The most significant findings of the current study report new information on the use of hesperetin as a potential anti‐aging agent.
Nicotinamide extends replicative lifespan of human cells
Authors: Kang Hyun Tae , Lee Hyung Il , Hwang Eun Seong
Published: August 2006

We found that an ongoing application of nicotinamide to normal human fibroblasts not only attenuated expression of the aging phenotype but also increased their replicative lifespan, causing a greater than 1.6‐fold increase in the number of population doublings. Although nicotinamide by itself does not act as an antioxidant, the cells cultured in the presence of nicotinamide exhibited reduced levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative damage products associated with cellular senescence, and a decelerated telomere shortening rate without a detectable increase in telomerase activity. Furthermore, in the treated cells growing beyond the original Hayflick limit, the levels of p53, p21WAF1, and phospho‐Rb proteins were similar to those in actively proliferating cells. The nicotinamide treatment caused a decrease in ATP levels, which was stably maintained until the delayed senescence point. Nicotinamide‐treated cells also maintained high mitochondrial membrane potential but a lower respiration rate and superoxide anion level. Taken together, in contrast to its demonstrated pro‐aging effect in yeast, nicotinamide extends the lifespan of human fibroblasts, possibly through reduction in mitochondrial activity and ROS production.
Bringing It Back Home: Perspectives on Gender and Family History in Modern Mexico
Authors: Blum Ann S.
Published: August 2006

Lately, study of the family as a special set of historical questions has fallen out of fashion in modern Latin American history. Yet in increasing numbers, gender historians are examining courtship and sexual behavior, marital conflict, reproductive health, women's domestic labor, institutions that intersect with families, like education, medicine, and welfare, and political deployment of family‐based ideologies. Has gender history replaced family history? This essay argues that it has not, but explores some of the ways that gender history has changed not only what we know about past families but also what we ask. Examining recent studies of the working classes in late‐nineteenth‐ and early‐twentieth‐century Mexico, the era punctuated by the revolution of 1910–1917, this essay finds that scholarly assessments of the impact on the gender order of the economic and political restructuring that preceded and followed that upheaval have expanded the frame of how we think about families while at the same time affirmed the centrality of family in the dynamics of social and ideological change.
Native Americans and National Identity in Early North America
Authors: Boulware Tyler
Published: August 2006

Nation as a concept has been applied to a variety of peoples and societies across time and space, and Native Americans during the colonial era are no exception. This essay offers a brief exploration into the uses and meanings of nation and national identity for the indigenous peoples of North America. It suggests that alternate definitions of collective identity might prove more suitable, which should remind us of the need to both clarify our conceptual framework and take into account the tremendous diversity that existed in early America.
Advanced Suction Detection for an Axial Flow Pump
Authors: Vollkron Michael , Schima Heinrich , Huber Leopold , Benkowski Robert , Morello Gino , Wieselthaler Georg
Published: August 2006

Abstract:  An automatic detection system for ventricular collapse was developed and tested in a first clinical trial as part of a physiological speed control concept for axial flow pumps. From this clinical experience, and based on the acquired data during this trial, an optimization of the developed system was performed. An already‐existing database of 784 individual cases was extended. For harmonization of this database an additional 412 snap files were extracted from continuous data recordings and classified manually using a standardized procedure. The already‐developed and clinically tested algorithms were supplemented by one additional indicator derived from a preexisting criterion. One threshold value was replaced by application of a numerically optimized nonlinear characteristic curve dependent on heart rate. Finally, in a multidimensional optimization process of the entire suction detection system, 7 individual indicators were adjusted by using 17 independent threshold values. The optimization criteria were applied using a three‐level hierarchical system.

Within the final database consisting of 1196 snap shots the overall amount of maldetections could be reduced to 23 cases including 5 false positive events (0.42%) and 18 false negative decisions (1.5%). By application of the clinical experience from the first clinical trial of a physiologic control system it became possible to optimize the sensitivity and specificity of the suction detection system to unprecedented accuracy.
Identification and Classification of Physiologically Significant Pumping States in an Implantable Rotary Blood Pump
Authors: Karantonis Dean M. , Lovell Nigel H. , Ayre Peter J. , Mason David G. , Cloherty Shaun L.
Published: August 2006

Abstract:  In a clinical setting it is necessary to control the speed of rotary blood pumps used as left ventricular assist devices to prevent possible severe complications associated with over‐ or underpumping. The hypothesis is that by using only the noninvasive measure of instantaneous pump impeller speed to assess flow dynamics, it is possible to detect physiologically significant pumping states (without the need for additional implantable sensors). By varying pump speed in an animal model, five such states were identified: regurgitant pump flow, ventricular ejection (VE), nonopening of the aortic valve over the cardiac cycle (ANO), and partial collapse (intermittent and continuous) of the ventricle wall (PVC‐I and PVC‐C). These states are described in detail and a strategy for their noninvasive detection has been developed and validated using (n = 6) ex vivo porcine experiments. Employing a classification and regression tree, the strategy was able to detect pumping states with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity: state VE—99.2/100.0% (sensitivity/specificity); state ANO—100.0/100.0%; state PVC‐I— 95.7/91.2%; state PVC‐C—69.7/98.7%. With a simplified binary scheme differentiating suction (PVC‐I, PVC‐C) and nonsuction (VE, ANO) states, both such states were detected with 100% sensitivity.
Construction of Functional Soft Tissues From Premodulated Smooth Muscle Cells Using a Bioreactor System
Authors: Cha Jae Min , Park Si‐Nae , Park Guen‐Oh , Kim Jeong Koo , Suh Hwal
Published: August 2006

Abstract:  Artificial smooth muscle tissues should be constructed with well‐differentiated and aligned smooth muscle cells (SMCs) for proper functioning. In a previous study, we produced cell/scaffold hybrids composed of consistently aligned SMCs in a contractile state using cyclic mechanical strain. In this study, the preconditioned hybrids were organized as functional smooth muscle constructs, which had a high cellular density, using a bioreactor system. We determined that the alignment and contractile phenotype of the initially generated SMCs would be retained after a 7‐day culture period in a bioreactor. Mechanical properties of the smooth muscle constructs were measured and compared with those of native smooth muscle tissues and acellular scaffolds. The constructs had a denser cell concentration than the preconditioned hybrids, although they were not fully filled with cells. The premodulated cell alignment and contractile phenotype were retained after culture in a bioreactor. The 7‐day‐cultured constructs had similar allowed stress levels to native tissues while their stiffness was much lower, suggesting that they had malleable and durable characteristics. These results suggest that functional smooth muscle tissues with mechanical stability can be produced using premodulated SMCs and a bioreactor system.
Interictal and Postictal Circadian and Ultradian Luteinizing Hormone Secretion in Men with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
Authors: Quigg Mark , Kiely James M. , Johnson Michael L. , Straume Martin , Bertram Edward H. , Evans William S.
Published: August 2006

Summary:  Purpose: Hypothalamic regulation of the reproductive axis in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), represented by the ultradian pulsatile secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH), has been shown to be altered interictally and postictally. Our objective is to determine if epilepsy or seizures disrupt normal circadian fluctuations of LH as well as circadian organization of ultradian bursts of LH.

Methods: We characterized LH secretion in 10 men with TLE during two 24‐h blocks: an interictal epoch and a postictal epoch initiated by a seizure. Serum LH was measured every 10 min and characterized by circadian and ultradian patterns with cosinor and deconvolution analysis.

Results: Mean peak serum concentrations of LH occurred at ∼0400 in controls, were significantly delayed ∼5 h interictally, and were randomly distributed postictally. Burst amplitudes differed significantly by phase among controls, with the largest amplitudes between 0101 and 0700 and the smallest between 1301 and 1900. No phase differences were present in interictal or postictal epochs. Burst frequency weakly but significantly was slowest between 0101 and 0700 in controls, but did not differ significantly by phase in either interictal or postictal epochs. Postictal LH burst frequencies, but not amplitudes, were significantly decreased immediately postictally.

Conclusion: The pulsatile secretion of LH in TLE is abnormal both in the circadian as well as the ultradian domain. Interictal effects consist mainly in loss of circadian fluctuations in LH burst amplitude, whereas postictal effects consist of altered burst timing. Altered daily patterns of neuroendocrine signals may underlie other disorders of homeostasis in TLE.
Event‐related fMRI of Myoclonic Jerks Arising from Dysplastic Cortex
Authors: Archer John S. , Waites Anthony B. , Abbott David F. , Federico Paolo , Jackson Graeme D.
Published: August 2006

Summary: Background:Malformations of cortical development can cause epileptiform activity and myoclonic jerks, yet EEG correlates of jerks can be difficult to obtain.

Methods:We studied a woman who had frequent episodes of persistent right‐foot jerking since childhood. Ictal and interictal EEG had shown no localizing epileptiform activity. Functional imaging experiments were performed with concurrent video monitoring to document the timing of foot jerks. These studies mapped brain regions controlling voluntary right‐ and left‐foot movements, and spontaneous right‐foot jerks.

Results:High‐resolution structural MR imaging revealed a dysplastic gyrus extending anteriorly off the left central sulcus. Event‐related analysis of spontaneous jerks revealed prominent activation of the left precentral gyrus (right‐foot motor area), bilateral medial frontal regions (supplementary motor area), and the dysplastic gyrus. Hemodynamic response modeling to foot jerks revealed the hemodynamic response peaked earlier in the dysplastic cortex and SMA regions than in the foot area.

Discussion:Event‐related fMRI in a patient with spontaneous and induced epileptic foot jerks revealed brain regions active during jerks. The results of this analysis allowed us to tailor subsequent intracerebral recordings. Analysis of the timing of the hemodynamic response showed certain brain regions with an earlier rise in BOLD signal, suggesting a possible initiating role, or different hemodynamic response functions. Hemodynamic response timing should be considered carefully when interpreting event‐related studies of epileptiform activity.
Prolonged Febrile Seizures Are Associated with Hippocampal Vasogenic Edema and Developmental Changes
Authors: Scott Rod C. , King Martin D. , Gadian David G. , Neville Brian G. R. , Connelly Alan
Published: August 2006

Summary:  Purpose: There is mounting evidence that a prolonged febrile seizure (PFS) can cause acute hippocampal edema although the nature of that edema remains uncertain. The principal aims of the current study were: (1) to use apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements to further characterize the hippocampal edema previously identified within 5 days of a PFS, and (2) to determine whether the age dependency of ADC in the hippocampus is different in patients when compared to a control population following a PFS.

Methods: Diffusion weighted imaging was acquired in 23 children within 5 days of a PFS, and in 14 of these children a mean of 5.5 months later. Twenty‐four control children were enrolled.

Results: There was a reduction in ADC between the acute and follow‐up investigations [mean reduction = 0.0072 mm2/s/month since PFS (95% confidence interval; 0.0001–0.014 mm2/s/month since PFS), p = 0.048] consistent with early vasogenic edema, followed by recovery in children investigated within 2 days of a PFS. In addition, the behavior of ADC with respect to age was different in patients when compared to control subjects [mean difference in slope =−0.155 mm2/s/log10 age (95% confidence interval; −0.290–0.0203 mm2/s/log10 age), p = 0.029], in that the expected age dependence was observed only in the control subjects.

Conclusion: We suggest that these latter findings are most consistent with a preexisting developmental hippocampal abnormality that may predispose individuals to having a PFS.
Nonconvulsive Seizures in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: Etiology, EEG, and Brain Imaging Findings
Authors: Saengpattrachai Montri , Sharma Rohit , Hunjan Amrita , Shroff Manohar , Ochi Ayako , Otsubo Hiroshi , Cortez Miguel A. , Carter Snead O.
Published: August 2006

Summary:  Purposes: To determine the occurrence of nonconvulsive seizures (NCS) in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU); to ascertain the relationship of NCS to past medical history, etiology, EEG, and brain imaging; and to determine the concordance between abnormal EEG findings and neuroimaging abnormalities.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of all pediatric patients who were admitted or transferred to the PICU from January 2000 to December 2003 with an unexplained decrease in level of consciousness, no overt clinical seizures, and EEG recordings performed within the 24 h of onset of an altered state of consciousness.

Results: Twenty‐three of 141 patients who met criteria for inclusion in the study (16.3%) were found to have NCS. The male to female ratio was 1.9:1. The largest group of patients (43%) had no preexisting neurological condition prior to the onset of NCS. In the remainder, the etiology of NCS included: acute structural brain lesion (48%), acute nonstructural brain lesion (22%), epilepsy‐related seizure (13%), and others (17%). Epileptic foci were lateralized to the right side in 39.2%, the left side in 30.4%, and were bilateral in 30.4%. Of 23 patients with NCS, 18 (78.3%) demonstrated abnormal neuroimaging. In 10 of 18 of these patients (55.6%), the findings on neuroimaging were concordant with the lateralization found on EEG (p < 0.05, Fisher's exact test).

Conclusions: NCS are not uncommon in pediatric patients with an altered state of consciousness. Almost half of the patients were previously healthy especially if they were under 6 months of age. This report highlights the importance of clinical awareness of NCS in the PICU.
The BOLD Effect of Interictal Spike Activity in Childhood Occipital Lobe Epilepsy
Authors: Leal Alberto , Dias Ana , Vieira José P , Secca Mário , Jordão Constança
Published: August 2006

Summary:  Purpose: Occipital lobe epilepsy (OLE) presents in childhood with different manifestations, age of onset and EEG features that form distinct syndromes. The ictal clinical symptoms are difficult to correlate with onset in particular areas in the occipital lobes, and the EEG recordings have not been able to overcome this limitation. The mapping of epileptogenic cortical regions in OLE remains therefore an important goal in our understanding of these syndromes.

Methods: In this work, three patients with two types of idiopathic childhood OLE were studied with EEG source analysis and also with mapping of the BOLD effect associated with spikes in simultaneous EEG/fMRI recordings.

Results: Two patients with late onset OLE provided EEG source localizations in the lateral parietal cortex and in the medial occipital areas. The BOLD activations were more consistent and restricted to the medial parietal‐occipital cortex in both cases. One patient with photosensitive idiopathic OLE presented with dipole sources in the medial parietal cortex, but the BOLD activations were widespread over inferior and bilateral occipital areas and also posterior temporal ones. There was little spatial overlap between the EEG and BOLD results, but the localizations suggested by the latter are more consistent with the ictal clinical manifestations of each type of epileptic syndrome.

Conclusions: Overall, the BOLD effect associated with interictal spikes maps epileptogenic areas to different localizations than the ones suggested by EEG source analysis. These maps are similar in two patients with late onset idiopathic OLE, but different from a case of photosensitive idiopathic OLE.
PROFITS, PAIN, AND PILLOWS: HOTELS AND HOUSEKEEPERS IN SAN DIEGO
Authors: Esbenshade Jill , Mitrosky Micah , Morgan Erica , Navarro Marilisa , Rotundi Matthew , Vazquez Cynthia
Published: August 2006

The accomodations industry is hitting record‐breaking profits nationally and locally, often with subsidies provided by government entities. Globalization is actually contributing to rising employment and a trade surplus in the tourism industry. However, increasing amenities and new work regimes are causing deteriorating conditions for many workers. In 2006, hotel workers across the country will be coordinating contract negotiations. Housekeepers, who make up almost a quarter of the hotel workforce, are the “face” of the national campaign. Through management interviews, analysis of government data, and a worker survey, this article provides a more complete picture of the living and working conditions of housekeepers in San Diego and nationally.
Debris retention and wear in three different nickel‐titanium rotary instruments
Authors: Elmsallati Elham A. , Wadachi Reiko , Ebrahim Aqeel Khalil , Suda Hideaki
Published: August 2006

The aim of this in vitro study was to compare three nickel‐titanium (Ni‐Ti) rotary instruments: EndoWave, K3 and ProFile, with respect to their debris retention and wear. Thirty simulated root canal models made from resin blocks with 40° canal curvature were used. They were divided into three groups of 10 samples each; EndoWave, K3 and ProFile were used in Groups A, B and C respectively. They were prepared with four serial size files. The weight of each file was measured to evaluate debris retention and wear at four representative time points: prior to root canal preparation (W1), immediately after root canal preparation (W2), after ultrasonic cleaning (W3), after further additional cleaning (W4). The weight of debris on each file after root canal instrumentation and ultrasonic cleaning was calculated as D1: (W2 – W4) and D2: (W3 – W4) respectively. Also, wear of the file was calculated as WF: (W1 – W4). There was a significant difference in the amount of debris remaining on the file among the three files; EndoWave retained more debris (D1) than K3 and ProFile (P < 0.001, one‐way anova). ProFile had the largest amount of debris (D2) remaining after ultrasonic cleaning (P < 0.001). Wear was not detectable in this study. Under the conditions of this study, immediately after root canal preparation, EndoWave retained the largest amount of debris, while ProFile retained the most debris even after ultrasonic cleaning.
Evaluation of the antibacterial substantivity of several intra‐canal agents
Authors: Khademi Abbas ali , Mohammadi Zahed , Havaee Asgar
Published: August 2006

The aim of this in vitro study was to compare the antimicrobial substantivity of 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX), 100 mg ml−1 doxycycline and 2.6% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) in bovine root dentine. Eighty dentine tubes prepared from bovine incisors were infected in vitro for 14 days with Enterococcus faecalis. The specimens were divided into five groups as follows: doxycycline HCl; CHX; NaOCl; infected dentine tubes (positive control); and sterile dentine tubes (negative control). Dentine chips were collected with round burs into tryptic soy broth. After culturing, the number of colony‐forming units (CFU) was counted. In all experimental groups, the number of CFU was minimum in the first cultures, and the results obtained were significantly different from each other at any time period (P < 0.05). In the first culture, the NaOCl group and doxycycline HCl group showed the lowest and highest number of CFU, respectively. In each group, the number of CFU increased significantly by time‐lapse (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the substantivity of CHX was significantly greater than NaOCl and doxycycline.
In vitro computer analysis of crown discolouration from commonly used endodontic sealers
Authors: Partovi Mandana , Al‐Havvaz Abdol H. , Soleimani Banafsheh
Published: August 2006

The aim of this study was to assess the degree of staining of tooth crowns by commonly used endodontic sealers using a computer analysis method. Crown discolouration by root canal sealers AH26, Endofill, Tubliseal, Zinc oxide eugenol (ZnOE), Apatite root canal sealer III as well as gutta‐percha and Cavizol (a filling material containing ZnOE) were tested on extracted human premolar teeth. The roots of the teeth were resected 3 mm below the cemento‐enamel junction. The pulp chambers were then cleaned and irrigated. The samples were divided into nine groups of five samples each and filled with test materials. Ten teeth were used as control groups: five positive (amalgam) and five negative (distilled water). The degree of tooth discolouration was analysed at 3, 6 and 9 months. The crown discolouration was assessed by computer analysis of digital images taken from the samples using the CIE Lab colour system. Statistical analysis was carried out using anova, repeated measure anova and Tukey’s HSD tests. All sealers caused a degree of tooth discolouration, which increased with time. Endofill and ZnOE caused the greatest discolouration and Apatite root canal sealer III caused the least discolouration after 9 months. The most discolouration during the test periods occurred in the cervical third of the crown.
Conversion from testosterone to oestradiol is required to modulate respiratory long‐term facilitation in male rats
Authors: Zabka A. G. , Mitchell G. S. , Behan M.
Published: August 2006

Sex hormones modulate plasticity in the central nervous system, including respiratory long‐term facilitation (LTF), a form of serotonin‐dependent respiratory plasticity induced by intermittent hypoxia. Since gonadectomy (GDX) attenuates LTF in male rats, we tested the hypotheses that: (1) testosterone replenishment restores LTF in gonadectomized male rats, and (2) that the conversion of testosterone to oestradiol (under the influence of aromatase) is required for these effects. Intact and sham operated male F344 rats were compared to gonadectomized rats implanted with Silastic tubing containing testosterone (T), T plus an aromatase inhibitor (ADT), or 5α‐dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a form of testosterone not converted to oestradiol. Seven days postsurgery, LTF was studied in anaesthetized, neuromuscularly blocked and ventilated rats while monitoring integrated phrenic and hypoglossal (XII) motor output. LTF was elicited by three 5 min hypoxic episodes (P= 35 − 45 mmHg). Although significant phrenic and XII LTF were observed in all rat groups, GDX reduced both phrenic and XII LTF, an effect reversed by T. In contrast, LTF was not restored in T + ADT or DHT‐treated gonadectomized rats. We conclude that the conversion of testosterone to oestradiol modulates phrenic and XII LTF in male F344 rats.
The afterhyperpolarization conductance exerts the same control over the gain and variability of motoneurone firing in anaesthetized cats
Authors: Manuel Marin , Meunier Claude , Donnet Maud , Zytnicki Daniel
Published: August 2006

Does the afterhyperpolarization current control the gain and discharge variability of motoneurones according to the same law? We investigated this issue in lumbar motoneurones of anaesthetized cats. Using dynamic clamp, we measured the conductance, time constant and driving force of the AHP current in a sample of motoneurones and studied how the gain was correlated to these quantities. To study the action of the AHP on the discharge variability and to compare it to its action on the gain, we injected an artificial AHP‐like current in motoneurones. This increased the natural AHP. In three motoneurones, we abolished most of the natural AHP with the calcium chelator BAPTA to investigate the condition where the discharge was essentially controlled by the artificial AHP. Our results demonstrate that both the gain and the coefficient of variation of the firing rate are inversely proportional to the magnitude and to the time constant of the artificial AHP conductance. This indicates that the AHP exerts the same control over the gain and the variability. This mechanism ensures that the variability of the discharge is modulated with the gain. This guarantees a great regularity of the discharge when the motoneurone is in a low excitability state and hence good control of the force produced.
Metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 1 regulates sodium currents in rat neocortical pyramidal neurons
Authors: Carlier Edmond , Sourdet Valérie , Boudkkazi Sami , Déglise Patrice , Ankri Norbert , Fronzaroli‐Molinieres Laure , Debanne Dominique
Published: August 2006

Brain sodium channels (NaChs) are regulated by various neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, serotonin and dopamine. However, it is not known whether NaCh activity is regulated by glutamate, the principal brain neurotransmitter. We show here that activation of metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) subtype 1 regulates fast transient (INaT) and persistent Na+ currents (INaP) in cortical pyramidal neurons. A selective agonist of group I mGluR, (S)‐3,5‐dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG), reduced action potential amplitude and decreased INaT. This reduction was blocked when DHPG was applied in the presence of selective mGluR1 antagonists. The DHPG‐induced reduction of the current was accompanied by a shift of both the inactivation curve of INaT and the activation curve of INaP. These effects were dependent on the activation of PKC. The respective role of these two regulatory processes on neuronal excitability was determined by simulating transient and persistent Na+ conductances (GNaT and GNaP) with fast dynamic‐clamp techniques. The facilitated activation of GNaP increased excitability near the threshold, but, when combined with the down‐regulation of GNaT, repetitive firing was strongly decreased. Consistent with this finding, the mGluR1 antagonist LY367385 increased neuronal excitability when glutamatergic synaptic activity was stimulated with high external K+. We conclude that mGluR1‐dependent regulation of Na+ current depresses neuronal excitability, which thus might constitute a novel mechanism of homeostatic regulation acting during intense glutamatergic synaptic activity.