bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Colonial Collecting Expeditions and the Pursuit of Opportunities in the Amazonian Sertão, c. 1750–1800
Authors: Roller Heather Flynn
Published: March 2010

Every year during the second half of the eighteenth century, as river levels dropped, an average of 1,500 Indian crewmen departed nearly 50 villages for the remote interior forests and waterways of the Amazoniansertão. During the next six to eight months, as they searched for cacao, sarsaparilla, nuts, or turde eggs, the crewmen might experience all manner of hardships—epidemics, tribal attacks, famine, mutinies, or the loss of the village canoe and its cargo, to name just a few. Then, upon arriving home, they might find their families reduced to utter poverty or sickness, their wives taken in by other men, or their crops abandoned and devoured by pests. Yet despite the arduousness of the state-sponsored collecting expeditions and the hardships imposed upon those left behind, the trips offered a range of opportunities that other kinds of compulsory labor did not. Some of those who were not required to participate, such as the native officials, even did so voluntarily.
BATACLANISMO!Or, How Female Deco Bodies Transformed Postrevolutionary Mexico City
Authors: Sluis Ageeth
Published: March 2010

In the spring of 1925, Santa Anita's Festival of Flowers seemed to follow its tranquil trend of previous years. The large displays of flowers, the selection ofindias bonitas(as the contestants of beauty pageants organized in an attempt to stimulate indigenism were known) and the boat-rides on the Viga Canal, all communicated what residents of neighboring Mexico City had come to expect of the small pueblo in the Federal District since the Porfiriato: the respite of a peaceful pastoral, the link to a colorful past, and the promise thatmexicanidadwas alive and well in thecampo. Unfortunately, wrote Manuel Rámirez Cárdenas ofEl Globo, “the modern newspaper,” the next day, this idyllic tradition was rudely interrupted by a group of audacious, scantily clad women. The culprits were actresses of Mexico City's Lirico theater, who walked around Santa Anita's streets in “picaresque clothing”—stage outfits that left little to the imagination, particularly in broad daylight—and upset visitors and campesinos alike. According to Cardenas, abuelitas and mamas were shocked by the display, averting their eyes from the female spectacle in fear of “elpecado mortal.” Thankfully, for the mothers and grandmothers in the audience, the festival continued in predictable fashion after the initial uproar. Organizers continued with the traditional dances, and judges selected an india bonita from a pool of young, decente mestizo girls to represent the pueblo and the festival.
Imagining Citizenship: The Shanghai Tabloid Press, 1897-1911
Authors: Wang Juan
Published: March 2010

This paper examines the idea of citizenship in the Shanghai tabloid press between 1897 and 1911. Tabloid writers, editors, and, to a lesser degree, readers appropriated and challenged Liang Qichao's (粱啟超1873-1929) discourse on citizenship. The paper shows that modern Chinese discourses on polity and "the people" came in multiple shapes and from diverse sources. Liang Qichao, the most influential of Chinese intellectual elites, did not however monopolize the construction of modern Chinese discourses on citizenship in the last decades of the Qing.
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: Foreign Intervention and the Limiting of Fragmentation in the Late Qing and Early Republic, 1893-1922
Authors: Chong Ja Ian
Published: March 2010

This article examines why and how persistent political fragmentation existed alongside continued centralization in late Qing and early Republican China. By analyzing new archival material and existing scholarship, the piece argues that external intervention helped preserve the viability of a single Chinese state even as the same phenomenon also spurred ongoing fractionalization. Because major powers' governments generally saw China as an area of secondary strategic import, they tried to avoid armed conflict over the polity and seek accommodation. Since outside powers diverged in their objectives, they settled on sponsoring indigenous partners, notably various militarists as well as the Chinese Nationalists, to sustain a degree of central government rule alongside substantial regional autonomy. In reconsidering the effects of foreign intervention, this article engages the discussion on political consolidation in the late Qing and early Republic, and suggests that overly stressing integration or division tends to present incomplete accounts of the issue.
From Borderland to Heartland: The Discourse of the North-West In Early Republican China
Authors: Tighe Justin
Published: March 2010

The issue of the North-West, its developmental potential and significance as a national place, gained great attention in early and mid-1930s China. Early twentieth-century Chinese understandings of the North-West as a geographical region derived from Qing imperial order in the Inner Asian frontier lands of the empire but the term became more complex semantically in the Republic and by the 1930s it had gained a range of different meanings. Such complexity bespoke some of the tensions involved in conceptualizing the relationship between former Qing Inner Asian frontier lands and the Chinese heartland within the new territorial form of the Chinese Republic. This article traces changing meanings and uses of the term from the late Qing into the 1930s. It identifies and examines key areas of its discursive content and reveals the growing centrality of ideas of the frontier and North-West in Chinese nationalist discourse. This research highlights the importance of the frontier in post-imperial Chinese visions of the nation.
Fragmente des Testamentum Domini in georgischer Übersetzung
Authors: Chronz Tinatin , Brakmann Heinzgerd
Published: March 2010

Liturgical books of the oriental churches transmit not a few prayers of the Testamentum Domini. They echo its lost Greek text and its translation in nearly all languages of the Oriens Christianus. A Georgian translation is represented not only by the ordinale in Codex A-86 (10th/11th century) of the National Centre of Manuscripts, Tibilisi (Georgia) but also by the Prayer on healing oil and water in the Palestinian Codex Sinaiticus ibericus O.12 (10th century), here edited for the first time. A different Georgian redaction of this same prayer, used during a penitential celebration, is found in younger manuscripts and may represent the translation of a Greek model not yet identified.
Contradicit apostolus. A particular use of Rom 9,11 in Augustine's Sermo 165
Authors: Partoens Gert
Published: March 2010

Der Artikel befasst sich mit den §§ 6-8 aus Augustins Sermo 165, einer Predigt, die der Bischof von Hippo während der Pelagianischen Streitigkeiten in der Basilica Maiorum in Karthago gehalten hat (vermutlich im Jahre 417). Die Textpassage stellt einen lebhaften, fiktionalen Dialog zwischen Augustin und einigen Pelagianern dar, die die erstaunliche Auffassung vertreten, jeder Mensch werde unsterblich geboren und sterbe aufgrund der persönlich begangenen Sünde. Mittels einer reductio ad absurdum zeigt Augustin, dass aus dieser Annahme folge, dass Ungeborene bereits im Mutterleib zur Sünde fähig sein müssten. Mit dieser Idee, so Augustin, widersprächen die von ihm erfundenen Pelagianer der Aussage in Röm 9,11, wo die Möglichkeit vorgeburtlicher Sünde gerade verneint wird. Augustin vergleicht diese pelagianische Auffassung mit derjenigen der „Origenisten“, wonach die menschliche Seele vor der Geburt eines Menschen eine himmlische, körperlose Existenz besäße; die Einschließung in die körperliche Existenz durch Geburt sei erst die Folge von im Himmel begangenen Sünden. Diese Verbindung von Pelagianismus und der „origenistischen“ Theorie von den gefallenen Seelen findet sich auch im Dialogus aduersus Pelagianos des Hieronymus aus dem Jahr 415 – wenngleich dieser die Ansichten seiner Gegner mit Hilfe einer anderen reductio ad absurdum zu widerlegen versucht. Der vorliegende Beitrag versteht Augustin, Sermo 165,6-8 als einen rhetorisch durchwirkten Text, dem nicht an einer authentischen Wiedergabe pelagianischer Lehre gelegen ist. Augustin zielt hier nicht auf eine gründliche und ausgewogene Widerlegung verbreiteter pelagianischer Lehren, sondern auf die vollständige Vernichtung seiner Gegner.
A Pause in Nucleus Accumbens Neuron Firing Is Required to Initiate and Maintain Feeding
Authors: Krause Michael , German P. Walter , Taha Sharif A. , Fields Howard L.
Published: March 2010

Nucleus accumbens (NAc) inactivation increases food intake, indicating that NAc neurons exert ongoing inhibition of feeding. We previously described a subpopulation of NAc neurons that pause during sucrose licking and proposed that the pause permits consumption. We tested this hypothesis by first recording NAc neurons during sucrose consumption, and then electrically stimulating through the same electrodes. A large proportion of NAc shell and core neurons were inhibited during sucrose consumption, and local electrical stimulation abruptly interrupted licking. Effective stimulation sites were more anterior than ineffective sites in NAc. At low stimulus intensities, licking resumed immediately on stimulation offset. The latency to lick resumption from NAc neuron inhibition onset (∼460 ms) was very similar to that after electrical stimulation offset (∼440 ms). These results directly support the hypothesis that a significant subpopulation of NAc neurons inhibit palatable food consumption and that a pause in their firing is required to initiate and maintain consumption.
Differential Regulation of Dopaminergic Gene Expression byEr81
Authors: Cave John W. , Akiba Yosuke , Banerjee Kasturi , Bhosle Shivraj , Berlin RoseAnn , Baker Harriet
Published: March 2010

A recent study proposed that differentiation of dopaminergic neurons requires a conserved “dopamine motif” (DA-motif) that functions as a binding site for ETS DNA binding domain transcription factors. In the mammalian olfactory bulb (OB), the expression of a set of five genes [includingtyrosine hydroxylase(Th)] that are necessary for differentiation of dopaminergic neurons was suggested to be regulated by the ETS-domain transcription factor ER81 via the DA-motif. To investigate this putative regulatory role of ER81, expression levels of these five genes were compared in both olfactory bulbs of adult wild-type mice subjected to unilateral naris closure and the olfactory bulbs of neonatalEr81wild-type and mutant mice. These studies found that ER81 was necessary only forThexpression and not the other cassette genes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) experiments showed that ER81 bound directly to a consensus binding site/DA-motif in the rodentThproximal promoter. However, the ER81 binding site/DA-motif in theThproximal promoter is poorly conserved in other mammals. Both ChIP assays with canine OB tissue and EMSA experiments with the humanThproximal promoter did not detect ER81 binding to theThDA-motif from these species. These results suggest that regulation ofThexpression by the direct binding of ER81 to theThpromoter is a species-specific mechanism. These findings indicate that ER81 is not necessary for expression of the OB dopaminergic gene cassette and that the DA-motif is not involved in differentiation of the mammalian OB dopaminergic phenotype.
Mismatched Decoding in the Brain
Authors: Oizumi Masafumi , Ishii Toshiyuki , Ishibashi Kazuya , Hosoya Toshihiko , Okada Masato
Published: March 2010

“How is information decoded in the brain?” is one of the most difficult and important questions in neuroscience. We have developed a general framework for investigating to what extent the decoding process in the brain can be simplified. First, we hierarchically constructed simplified probabilistic models of neural responses that ignore more thanKth-order correlations using the maximum entropy principle. We then computed how much information is lost when information is decoded using these simplified probabilistic models (i.e., “mismatched decoders”). To evaluate the information obtained by mismatched decoders, we introduced an information theoretic quantity,I*, which was derived by extending the mutual information in terms of communication rate across a channel. We showed thatI* provides consistent results with the minimum mean-square error as well as the mutual information, and demonstrated that a previously proposed measure quantifying the importance of correlations in decoding substantially deviates fromI* when many cells are analyzed. We then applied this proposed framework to spike data for vertebrate retina using short natural scene movies of 100 ms duration as a set of stimuli and computing the information contained in neural activities. Although significant correlations were observed in population activities of ganglion cells, information loss was negligibly small even if all orders of correlation were ignored in decoding. We also found that, if we inappropriately assumed stationarity for long durations in the information analysis of dynamically changing stimuli, such as natural scene movies, correlations appear to carry a large proportion of total information regardless of their actual importance.
The Range of Intrinsic Frequencies Represented by Medial Entorhinal Cortex Stellate Cells Extends with Age
Authors: Boehlen Anne , Heinemann Uwe , Erchova Irina
Published: March 2010

In both humans and rodents, the external environment is encoded in the form of cognitive maps. Neurons in the medial entorhinal cortex (mEC) represent spatial locations in a sequence of grid-like patterns scaled along the dorsal–ventral axis. The grid spacing correlates with the intrinsic resonance frequencies of stellate cells in layer II of mEC. We investigated the development of frequency preferences in these cells from weaning to adulthood using patch-clamp and sharp microelectrode recordings. We found that the dorsal–ventral gradient of stellate cell properties and frequency preferences exists before animals are able to actively explore their environment. In the transition to adulthood, cells respond faster and become less excitable, and the range of intrinsic resonance frequencies in the population expands in the dorsal direction. This is likely to reflect both the growth of the brain and the expansion of the internal representation caused by new exploratory experience.
Early Spatial Attentional Modulation of Inputs to the Fovea
Authors: Frey Hans-Peter , Kelly Simon P. , Lalor Edmund C. , Foxe John J.
Published: March 2010

Attending to a specific spatial location modulates responsivity of neurons with receptive fields processing that part of the environment. A major outstanding question is whether attentional modulation operates differently for the foveal (central) representation of the visual field than it does for the periphery. Indeed, recent animal electrophysiological recordings suggest that attention differentially affects spatial integration for central and peripheral receptive fields in primary visual cortex. In human electroencephalographic recordings, spatial attention to peripheral locations robustly modulates activity in early visual regions, but it has been claimed that this mechanism does not operate in foveal vision. Here, however, we show clear early attentional modulation of foveal stimulation with the same timing and cortical sources as seen for peripheral stimuli, demonstrating that attentional gain control operates similarly across the entire field of view. These results imply that covertly attending away from the center of gaze, which is a common paradigm in behavioral and electrophysiological studies of attention, results in a precisely timed push–pull mechanism. While the amplitude of the initial response to stimulation at attended peripheral locations is significantly increased beginning at 80 ms, the amplitude of the response to foveal stimulation begins to be attenuated.
Epigenetic Gene Silencing Underlies C-Fiber Dysfunctions in Neuropathic Pain
Authors: Uchida Hitoshi , Ma Lin , Ueda Hiroshi
Published: March 2010

Peripheral nerve injury causes neuropathic pain, which is characterized by the paradoxical sensations of positive and negative symptoms. Clinically, negative signs are frequently observed; however, their underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. Dysfunction of C-fibers is assumed to underlie negative symptoms and is accompanied by long-lasting downregulation of Nav1.8 sodium channel and μ-opioid receptor (MOP) in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG). In the present study, we found that nerve injury upregulates neuron-restrictive silencer factor (NRSF) expression in the DRG neurons mediated through epigenetic mechanisms. In addition, chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that nerve injury promotes NRSF binding to the neuron-restrictive silencer element within MOP and Nav1.8 genes, thereby causing epigenetic silencing. Furthermore, NRSF knockdown significantly blocked nerve injury-induced downregulations of MOP and Nav1.8 gene expressions, C-fiber hypoesthesia, and the losses of peripheral morphine analgesia and Nav1.8-selective blocker-induced hypoesthesia. Together, these data suggest that NRSF causes pathological and pharmacological dysfunction of C-fibers, which underlies the negative symptoms in neuropathic pain.
The Angiogenic Factor Angiopoietin-1 Is a Proneurogenic Peptide on Subventricular Zone Stem/Progenitor Cells
Authors: Rosa Alexandra I. , Gonçalves Joana , Cortes Luísa , Bernardino Liliana , Malva João O. , Agasse Fabienne
Published: March 2010

In the adult mammalian brain, the subventricular zone (SVZ) hosts stem cells constantly generating new neurons. Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) is an endothelial growth factor with a critical role in division, survival, and adhesion of endothelial cells via Tie-2 receptor activity. Expression of Tie-2 in nonendothelial cells, especially neurons and stem cells, suggests that Ang-1 may be involved in neurogenesis. In the present work, we investigated the putative role of Ang-1 on SVZ neurogenesis. Immature cells from SVZ-derived neurospheres express Ang-1 and Tie-2 mRNA, suggesting a role for the Ang-1/Tie-2 system in the neurogenic niche. Moreover, we also found that Tie-2 protein expression is retained on differentiation in neurons and glial cells. Ang-1 triggered proliferation via activation of the ERK1/2 (extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase pathway but did not induce cell death. Accordingly, coincubation with an anti-Tie-2 neutralizing antibody prevented the pro-proliferative effect of Ang-1. Furthermore, Ang-1 increased the number of NeuN (neuronal nuclear protein)-positive neurons in cultures treated for 7 d, as well as the number of functional neurons, as assessed by monitoring [Ca2+]irises after application of specific stimuli for neurons and immature cells. The proneurogenic effect of Ang-1 is mediated by Tie-2 activation and subsequent mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin kinase) mobilization. In agreement, neuronal differentiation significantly decreased after exposure to an anti-Tie-2 neutralizing antibody and to rapamycin. Moreover, Ang-1 elicited the activation of the SAPK (stress-activated protein kinase)/JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) MAPK, involved in axonogenesis. Our work shows a proneurogenic effect of Ang-1, highlighting the relevance of blood vessel/stem cell cross talk in health and disease.
Aberrant Rab11-Dependent Trafficking of the Neuronal Glutamate Transporter EAAC1 Causes Oxidative Stress and Cell Death in Huntington's Disease
Authors: Li Xueyi , Valencia Antonio , Sapp Ellen , Masso Nicholas , Alexander Jonathan , Reeves Patrick , Kegel Kimberly B. , Aronin Neil , DiFiglia Marian
Published: March 2010

Oxidative stress contributes to neurodegeneration in Huntington's disease (HD). However, the origins of oxidative stress in HD remain unclear. Studies in HD transgenic models suggest involvement of mitochondrial dysfunction, which would lead to overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Impaired mitochondria complexes occur in late stages of HD but not in presymptomatic or early-stage HD patients. Thus, other mechanisms may account for the earliest source of oxidative stress caused by endogenous mutant huntingtin. Here, we report that decreased levels of a major intracellular antioxidant glutathione coincide with accumulation of ROS in primary HD neurons prepared from embryos of HD knock-in mice (HD140Q/140Q), which have humanhuntingtinexon 1 with 140CAGrepeats inserted into the endogenous mousehuntingtingene. Uptake of extracellular cysteine through the glutamate/cysteine transporter EAAC1 is required forde novosynthesis of glutathione in neurons. We found that, compared with wild-type neurons, HD neurons had lower cell surface levels of EAAC1 and were deficient in taking up cysteine. Constitutive trafficking of EAAC1 from recycling endosomes relies on Rab11 activity, which is defective in the brain of HD140Q/140Qmice. Enhancement of Rab11 activity by expression of a dominant-active Rab11 mutant in primary HD neurons ameliorated the deficit in cysteine uptake, increased levels of intracellular glutathione, normalized clearance of ROS, and improved neuronal survival. Our data support a novel mechanism for oxidative stress in HD: Rab11 dysfunction slows trafficking of EAAC1 to the cell surface and impairs cysteine uptake, thereby leading to deficient synthesis of glutathione.
Synaptic Mechanism for Functional Synergism between δ- and μ-Opioid Receptors
Authors: Zhang Zhi , Pan Zhizhong Z.
Published: March 2010

By sustained activation of μ-opioid receptors (MORs), chronic opioids cause analgesic tolerance, physical dependence, and opioid addiction, common clinical problems for which an effective treatment is still lacking. Chronic opioids recruit δ-opioid receptors (DORs) to plasma membrane through exocytotic trafficking, but the role of this new DOR and its interaction with existing MOR in brain functions and in these clinical problems remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms underlying synaptic and behavioral actions of chronic morphine-induced DORs and their interaction with MORs in nucleus raphe magnus (NRM) neurons important for opioid analgesia. We found that the emerged DOR inhibited GABAergic IPSCs through both the phospholipase A2(PLA2) and cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathways. MOR inhibition of IPSCs, normally mediated predominantly by the PLA2pathway, was additionally mediated by the cAMP/PKA pathway, with MOR potency significantly increased after chronic morphine treatment. Isobologram analysis revealed a synergistic DOR–MOR interaction in their IPSC inhibition, which was dependent on upregulated activities of both the PLA2and cAMP/PKA pathways. Furthermore, DOR and MOR agonists microinjected into the NRMin vivoalso produced a PLA2-dependent synergism in their antinociceptive effects. These findings suggest that the cAMP/PKA pathway, upregulated by chronic opioids, becomes more important in the mechanisms of both MOR and DOR inhibition of GABA synaptic transmission after chronic opioid exposure, and DORs and MORs are synergic both synaptically and behaviorally in producing analgesic effects in a PLA2-dependent fashion, supporting the potential therapeutic use of DOR agonists in pain management under chronic opioid conditions.
SAP102 Is a Highly Mobile MAGUK in Spines
Authors: Zheng Chan-Ying , Petralia Ronald S. , Wang Ya-Xian , Kachar Bechara , Wenthold Robert J.
Published: March 2010

Membrane-associated guanylate kinases (MAGUKs), which are essential proteins in the postsynaptic density (PSD), cluster and anchor glutamate receptors and other proteins at synapses. The MAGUK family includes PSD-95, PSD-93, SAP102, and SAP97. Individual family members can compensate for one another in their ability to recruit and retain receptors at the postsynaptic membrane as shown through deletion and knock-down studies. SAP102 is highly expressed in both young and mature neurons; however, little is known about its localization and mobility at synapses. Here, we compared the distribution, mobility, and turnover times of SAP102 to the well studied MAGUK PSD-95. Using light and electron microscopy, we found that SAP102 shows a broader distribution as well as peak localization further away from the postsynaptic membrane than PSD-95. Using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), we found that 80% of SAP102 and 36% of PSD-95 are mobile in spines. Previous studies showed that PSD-95 was stabilized at the PSD by N-terminal palmitoylation. We found that stabilization of SAP102 at the PSD was dependent on its SH3/GK domains but not its PDZ interactions. Furthermore, we showed that stabilizing actin or blocking NMDA/AMPA receptors reduced the mobile pool of SAP102 but did not affect the mobile pool of PSD-95. Our results show significant differences in the localization, binding mechanism, and mobility of SAP102 and PSD-95. These differences and the compensatory properties of the MAGUKs point out an unrecognized versatility of the MAGUKs in their function in synaptic organization and plasticity.
Interleukin-15 Receptor Is Essential to Facilitate GABA Transmission and Hippocampal-Dependent Memory
Authors: He Yi , Hsuchou Hung , Wu Xiaojun , Kastin Abba J. , Khan Reas S. , Pistell Paul J. , Wang Wei-Hsung , Feng Jiming , Li Zengbiao , Guo Xiaochuan , Pan Weihong
Published: March 2010

Interleukin-15 (IL15) is a cytokine produced by normal brain, but the functions of the IL15 system in normal adults are not yet clear. The hypothesis that the hippocampal IL15 system is essential for memory consolidation was tested by use of IL15Rα knock-out mice in behavioral, biochemical, immunohistological, and electron microscopic analyses. The knock-out mice showed deficits in memory, determined by the Stone T-maze and fear conditioning. In their hippocampi, the concentration of GABA was significantly lower. There were region-specific changes of the GABA-synthesizing enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), with increased GAD-67-immunopositive interneurons in the stratum oriens of the CA1 region of the hippocampus, accompanied by nonsignificant reduction of GAD-67 synapses in the CA3 region. Western blotting showed an increase of GAD-65, but not GAD-67, in the hippocampal homogenate. The ultrastructure of the hippocampus remained intact in the knock-out mice. To further test the hypothesis that IL15 directly modulates GABA turnover by reuptake mechanisms, the dose–response relationship of IL15 on3H-GABA uptake was determined in two neuronal cell lines. The effective and nontoxic dose was further used in the synaptosomal uptake studies. IL15 decreased the uptake of3H-GABA in synaptosomes from the forebrain of wild-type mice. Consistent with this, IL15Rα knock-out mice had increased synaptosomal uptake of3H-GABA. Overall, the results show novel functions of a unique cytokine in normal hippocampal activity by regulating GABA transmission.
ClC-2 Voltage-Gated Channels Constitute Part of the Background Conductance and Assist Chloride Extrusion
Authors: Rinke Ilka , Artmann Judith , Stein Valentin
Published: March 2010

The function of voltage-gated chloride channels in neurons is essentially unknown. The voltage-gated chloride channel ClC-2 mediates a chloride current in pyramidal cells of the hippocampus. We directly show that ClC-2 assists chloride extrusion after high chloride load. Furthermore, the loss of this chloride channel leads to a dramatic increase of the input resistance of CA1 pyramidal cells, making these cells more excitable. Surprisingly, basal synaptic transmission, as judged from recordings of field EPSPs, was decreased. This difference was eliminated when GABAergic inhibition was blocked. Recordings from hippocampal interneurons revealed ClC-2-mediated currents in a subset of these cells. An observed increase in GABAergic inhibition could thus be explained by an increase in the excitability of interneurons, caused by the loss of ClC-2. Together, we suggest a dual role for ClC-2 in neurons, providing an additional efflux pathway for chloride and constituting a substantial part of the background conductance, which regulates excitability. In ClC-2 knock-out mice, an increased inhibition seemingly balances the hyperexcitability of the network and thereby prevents epilepsy.
Role of G-Proteins in Odor-Sensing and CO2-Sensing Neurons in Drosophila
Authors: Yao C. Andrea , Carlson John R.
Published: March 2010

A central question in insect chemoreception is whether signaling occurs via G-proteins. Two families of seven-transmembrane-domain chemoreceptors, the odor (Or) and gustatory receptor (Gr) families, have been identified inDrosophila(Clyne et al., 1999, 2000; Vosshall et al., 1999). Ors mediate odor responses, whereas two Grs, Gr21a and Gr63a, mediate CO2response (Hallem et al., 2004; Jones et al., 2007; Kwon et al., 2007). Using single-sensillum recordings, we systematically investigate the role of Gα proteinsin vivo, initially with RNA interference constructs, competitive peptides, and constitutively active Gα proteins. The results do not support a role for Gα proteins in odor sensitivity. In parallel experiments, manipulations of Gαq, but not other Gα proteins, affected CO2response. Transient, conditional, and ectopic expression analyses consistently supported a role for Gαqin the response of CO2-sensing neurons, but not odor-sensing neurons. Genetic mosaic analysis confirmed that odor responses are normal in the absence of Gαq. Gγ30A is also required for normal CO2response. The simplest interpretation of these results is that Gαqand Gγ30A play a role in the response of CO2-sensing neurons, but are not required for Or-mediated odor signaling.
Genotype and year effects on morphological and agronomical traits of silage maize ( Zea mays L.) hybrids
Authors: Tóthné Zsubori Z. , Pók I. , Hegyi Z. , Marton C.
Published: March 2010

Leafy hybrids represent a new direction in the breeding of silage maize. Not only does the increased number of leaves above the ear in these hybrids lead to an increase in dry matter production, but the large quantity of carbohydrates formed and stored in the leaves results in silage with better chemical quality. Many papers have been published abroad on this subject, but few data have been reported in Hungary.The present work aimed to examine the effect of genotype and year on six leafy and non-leafy silage maize hybrids over a period of four years (2002–2005), with special emphasis on the plant height, ear attachment height, leaf number, and fresh and dry matter yield.The results showed that the number of leaves above the ear was much higher for the two leafy hybrids (8.00 and 9.35) than the average of the other hybrids (5.56, averaged over the years). This trait was in close negative correlation (r
2
= −0.7346) with the ratio of ear attachment height to total plant height, a trait with strong genetic determination, little influenced by the year. In leafy hybrids the main ear was located far lower down, but the total plant height was similar to that of the other hybrids. The ratio of ear attachment height to plant height was 0.36 for the leafy hybrids, but ranged from 0.41 to 0.45 for the other hybrids (averaged over the years). In wetter years the hybrids were taller and had greater dry matter production per plant than in the dry year.
Morphological and physiological studies on the effect of salinity and growth promoters on rice plants
Authors: Afifi M. , Saker M. , Ahmed M. , Khatab S.
Published: March 2010

This study aimed to reveal changes in morphological and physiological characters during growth and mature stages of rice plants in response to salinity stress and growth promoters. Salinity stress caused a decrease in vegetative growth, yield and yield components, while growth substances enhanced the leaf area and crop yield of rice plants under salinity stress. It could be concluded that growth promoters can partially alleviate the harmful effect of salinity stress on rice.
Appearance of microfungi in maize stalks due to injuries caused by the European corn borer ( Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn.)
Authors: Pál-Fám F. , Varga Z. , Keszthelyi S.
Published: March 2010

A better understanding of the relationships between insects and microfungi could help to identify the unknown factors reducing yields in maize. As the first step in current research, the aim was to isolate the microfungal species that can be found in the larval cavity of the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalisHbn.Lepidoptera. Pyraustidae) (ECB), one of the most important insect pests of maize. In this way, the scale of potential phytopathogens spread by intermediate hosts could be reduced.Fifty stalk sections damaged by ECB larvae were collected in autumn and fifty in spring on a 20-hectare plot in Ráksi (Somogy county). These were placed in wet chambers and incubated at room temperature under natural light. Identification was done from a pure culture inoculated into potato dextrose agar. Twenty-one species from 14 fungus genera were identified, the majority of which were mitosporic fungi. Species belonging to theFusarium, AcremoniellaandCladosporiumgenera were predominant. Most of the species were saprotrophic, though some phytopathogenic species (Gibberella, Colletotrichum, NigrosporaandFusarium) were also identified. The number of genera and the incidence of fungi were much higher in spring samples than in autumn ones, except forFusarium, where incidence was lower in spring. It was found that failing to harvest the maize significantly enhanced the spread of several fungus species, especially phytopathogenic species, the following year, thereby serving as a source of infection.
Stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation: Is the transcatheter occlusion of left atrial appendage already an alternative to anticoagulation?
Authors: Park Jai-Wun , Leithäuser Boris
Published: March 2010

Cardiac emboli in patients with atrial fibrillation are one of the major causes of ischemic stroke. Because the vast majority of these cardiac emboli descend from the left atrial appendage (LAA), the therapeutic strategy of percutaneous transcatheter occlusion of the LAA by means of a mechanical implant was a logical consequence. Three different devices have been developed and used in humans: PLAATO, WATCHMAN, and ACP. The PLAATO implant, a “soccer ball” shaped self-expanding nitinol cage has demonstrated stroke prevention capability in small, uncontrolled studies. The WATCHMAN implant, a “half rugby ball” shaped self-expanding nitinol cage, has demonstrated non inferiority compared to warfarin treatment in the randomized, controlled PROTECT AF trial. The ACP implant is also a self-expanding nitinol cage. However, its design is of fundamental difference compared to the other two implants. ACP consists of two parts connected by a short waist, which are an “ice-hockey puck” shaped body for the implant fixation in the appendage wall, and a flexible disc for sealing the appendage ostium. Due to the very flexible connecting waist between the two parts, ACP implant adapts itself to the LAA, which appears in significant individual structural variabilities. The currently unpublished initial experience with ACP in Europe is encouraging. Transcatheter occlusion of the LAA offers an appealing way to reduce the incidence of cardioembolic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. However, the concerns about procedural safety and the need for long-term follow up should be addressed before this potentially important technology is deployed widely. The transcatheter occlusion of left atrial appendage, therefore, has the potential to become, but is not yet a real alternative to anticoagulation.
Preoperative coronary revascularization for the reduction of perioperative ischemic complications in patients undergoing major vascular surgery
Authors: Kertai Miklós D. , Gál János
Published: March 2010

Patients undergoing vascular surgery are at increased risk for perioperative cardiac complications related to the frequent prevalence of underlying coronary artery disease. Cardiac evaluation and noninvasive tests may often identify patients at increased cardiac risk in whom coronary angiography is often considered with subsequent coronary revascularization for the purpose of improving perioperative and long-term cardiac outcomes. However, there has been controversy as to the indications and efficacy for type of revascularization and how coronary revascularization may add to the effect of optimized medical therapy for the reduction of cardiac complications. The aim of this review is to summarize the role of preoperative coronary revascularization in the reduction of perioperative cardiac complications in patients with coronary artery disease undergoing major vascular surgery.
Combination of post mortem coronary angiography, corrosion cast method and multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) for diagnostic improvement in pathology and forensics
Authors: Nemeskéri Á. , Matlakovics B. , Dudás I. , Molnár B. , Bartykowski A. , Kiss M. , Kristóf I. , Törő K. , Karlinger K.
Published: March 2010

In recent years, post mortem multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) is increasingly applied for forensic and pathologic examination. However, classical dissection remains dominant in everyday practice. Lack of quantifiable data on the coronary system has become a disadvantageous attribute of traditional autopsy. Therefore, post mortem MSCT angiography was performed in 80 ex corpo hearts with the aim of improving the accuracy and quantitative documentation of pathologic and forensic diagnoses of coronary artery disease (CAD). Hearts were perfused by introducing a new oily or synthetic resin, or using both contrast materials successively. Then the perfused organs were processed for imaging. Detailed angiographic analysis enabled us to localize, map and quantify coronary calcifications, stenoses, and to characterize the types of atherosclerotic plaques. Significant early or late complications of widely used percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) and coronary bypass surgery (CABS) could be revealed using CT analysis. Furthermore, by using our oily contrast material and CT imaging, we could identify and visualize the clinically important small caliber nodal arteries (diameter 0.4–2.0 mm). The present work suggests that post mortem CT angiography and post-processing of the data may improve the quality of pathologic and forensic diagnosis. Our collection of coronary casts including digital data are available for further analysis.
Expression pattern of molecular chaperones after liver transplantation in hepatitis C positive recipients. Relation to serum HCV-RNA titers
Authors: Nemes B. , Doros A. , Holczbauer Á. , Sárváry E. , Nagy P. , Lengyel G. , Kiss A. , Schaff Zs.
Published: March 2010

Hepatitis C (HCV) is one of the main causes of liver transplantation (OLT). Previously we have reported that high serum C RNA level correlates with the severity of histopathological signs and poor clinical outcome. The core antigen of virus C is known to interfere with chaperones in the hepatocytes, results in an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. In this study HCV positive liver transplanted patients were evaluated, whether there are correlations among chaperone expression, recurrence and viral titer. Patients were enrolled after surviving the first month following OLT. Sera were collected regularly, and biopsies were taken on demand following OLT. The diagnosis of recurrent HCV was proven by Knodell-Ishak scoring. In this case ribavirin+interferon were initiated, and maintained for one year. All chaperones were upregulated in the transplanted liver graft showing recurrent hepatitis C disease. ATF6, GP96, GRP78, CNX and CLR chaperones were upregulated significantly compared to their levels in normal livers. Except for one chaperone, the level of upregulation did not correlate with the serum's HCV-RNA titre: the only difference between Group1 and 2 (RNA titre above and below 8.78 106 respectively) was that the level of ATF6 was 1.6 times higher in Group1 compared to Group2. The expression of all chaperones was reduced, and some even became downregulated after the interferon treatment. In accordance with the literature our results suggest that hepatitis C might induce apoptosis through ER-stress. Those cells exposed to a high C viral load, had a lower chance to be eliminated.
MR imaging FOLLOW UP after MR-guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery for uterine leiomyomas — Early and mid term results
Authors: Várallyay Csanád , Balázs György , Lénárd Zsuzsanna , Bérczi Viktor , Belics Zorán , Bajzik Gábor , Wragg Paul , Hüttl Kálmán , Jolesz Ferenc
Published: March 2010

Rationale and Objectives: MR-guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery (MRgFUS) is an evolving thermoablative technique for treatment of benign and malignant soft tissue tumors. The feasibility and effectiveness of this non-invasive method has been tested by several investigators by treating uterine fibroid. The aim of the present study was to evaluate early and mid-term efficacy of MRgFUS treatment using MR imaging follow-ups. Materials and Methods: 38 patients with uterine fibroids were enrolled and treated by MRgFUS in a single center. MRI follow-up exams were performed 3 and 6 months after the procedure. Total fibroid volumes (FV) and non-perfused volumes (NPV) were compared and evaluated over time. Results: There was a significant reduction of FV at 3- and 6-month follow-ups (10±19%, p=0.022 and 19±29%, p<0.001, respectively). In the subgroup of fibroids smaller than 5.4 cm in diameter a 35±18% volume reduction was found after 6 months. There was also a positive correlation found between the early NPV and the FV decrease at 3- and 6-months follow-ups. Conclusion: This study suggests that MRgFUS can effectively coagulate uterine fibroid tissue. Smaller UFs can be most effectively treated within reasonable time with the used equipment.
Determination of coronary in-stent restenosis using dual source computed tomography angiography
Authors: Szelid Zsolt , Kerecsen G. , Maurovich-Horvat P. , Lux Á. , Marosi E. , Kovács A. , Kiss R. G. , Préda I. , Merkely B.
Published: March 2010

Diagnostic accuracy of 64-slice CT angiography in the evaluation of in-stent restenosis is improved compared to previous CT methods. The image quality and exact diagnostic performance is, however, limited by several method, stent and patient-related factors. In this retrospective multicenter study the first results with dual source 64-slice scanner are presented in a Hungarian post PCI patient population (n=99). Radiation dose was 11.3±5.2 mSv (average±STD) using a helical scan. In 5.6% of all (n=142) examined stents clinicians were not able to give a final diagnosis using CT scan. This limitation showed correlation with the stent diameter. Nondiagnostic stents were smaller compared to the diagnostic stents (diameter 2.4±0.2 mm versus 3.2±0.5 mm, average±STD, respectively,P<0.01). Despite its high negative predictive value in the detection of restenosis, positive predictive value of CTA is lower, than that of invasive angiography. CT was not powerful enough in our study to distinguish vessel occlusion from severe restenosis. Heart rate was decreased by administration of intravenous metoprolol and in 75.8% of the patients scan was performed at a heart rate over 70 beats/minute, which did not have a significant influence on the diagnostic value.
Influence of thiopental on MAPK and NF-κB activation in A549 cells
Authors: Bundy R. E. , Falusi B. , Marczin Nandor
Published: March 2010

Thiopental (TP) along with being an intravenous anaesthetic is frequently used in high doses to treat increased intracranial hypertension. Long-term treatments result in its accumulation in the lungs and an increased incidence of nosocomial infections. Since TP has been shown to modulate TNF-induced inflammatory pathways in lymphocytes, we hypothesised that TP may modulate pro-inflammatory events in human pulmonary epithelial cells. We investigated the potential influence of TP on MAPK and NF-κB signal transduction pathways in the absence and presence of TNF. TP at 1 mg/ml concentrations produced a 10-fold increase in p38 activation as assessed by Western blotting using monoclonal antibodies specific for double phosphorylated, thereby activated form of p38. This increase in p38 MAPK phosphorylation was evident as early as 10 minutes (4.5-fold), peaked at 60 minutes (11.3-fold) with return towards baseline (3.6-fold) in 2 hours. This response was specific for p38, since there was no evidence for activation of NF-κB pathway by TP as judged from Western blot analysis of steady-state IκB levels. TNF activated both p38 (2.4–11.4-fold increases) and depleted IκB (64–35% of control) in a concentration dependent manner (0.1–10 ng/ml). Interestingly, in the presence of TP, TNF did not produce a further increase in p38 activation. In addition, TP tended to attenuate TNF-induced NF-κB activation. These data suggest that high dose TP has the capacity to specifically alter p38MAPK activation and to modulate TNF signalling in epithelial cells, which might have implications to immunological responses in the lung.
Noncompacted cardiomyopathy in infants and children. Clinical findings and diagnostic techniques
Authors: Kádár Krisztina , Tóth Attila , Tóth Levente , Símor Tamás
Published: March 2010

A noncompacted cardiomyopathia a myocardium fejlődésének egy sajátos morfológiai rendellenessége, amely csecsemő- és gyermekkorban igen ritkán kerül felismerésre. Elnevezésüket illetően korábban többféle, leggyakrabban spongiosus megjelölést használtak, az embrionális cardiomyopathia azonban jól kifejezi a betegség embriópatológiai eredetét. A prevalencia nem ismert, és hosszú távú irodalmi nyomon követési adatok sem állnak rendelkezésre.
Célunk
a jelentős számúnak tekinthető, 20 év alatt 23 betegben echokardiográfiával diagnosztizált betegekben történt vizsgálatok adatait értékelni. (Életkor: 3 nap–17 év, átlag: 60,3 hó, 11 beteg volt 1 éves életkor alatti.) Nyomon követési idő 0,5–16 év, átlag 6,3 év volt. A hagyományos echokardiográfiás szisztolés-diasztolés funkció paraméterei mellett szöveti Doppler- és a gyermekekben hazánkban ezen betegekben először végzett MR-vizsgálatokat értékeltük.
Eredmények:
Az echo/MR vizsgálatok jól korreláltak a diagnózis megállapításában és a szisztolés funkció paramétereiben. Kiemeljük a kombinált szisztolés és diasztolés funkció paraméter (TEI-index) szerepét (TEI-index MRI-EF-korreláció r: 0,96, p<0,01). Csecsemőkorban felismert betegek társult vitiummal, de a nélkül is, igen súlyos prognózisúak: a betegek 43%-a fél éven belül meghalt vagy szívátültetésre került. A nagyobb gyermekek hosszabb ideig vannak stabil hemodinamikai állapotban. A korai diagnózis, adekvát kezelés, vitiummal társult betegekben a műtét előtti felismerés javíthat a betegség prognózisán, a műtét kilátásain. Adataink várhatóan hozzájárulnak a hazai prevalencia megismeréséhez, illetve a családvizsgálatok elindításához is.
Ultrasound in the diagnostics of fatty liver in obesity
Authors: Szebeni Ágnes , Tolvaj Gyula , Stotz Gyula
Published: March 2010

Ultrahangvizsgálattal a krónikus diffúz májbetegségekre jellemző fényes máj két típusa különíthető el a csillapítás alapján, az alacsony és a magas csillapítású típus. Előzőleg bebizonyosodott, hogy a magas csillapítás – amelyet a zsírmáj okoz – korrelációt mutat a bőr alatti zsírszövet vastagságával. A csillapítás és a bőr alatti zsírszövetvastagság „cut-off” értékét kerestük a fényes máj két csillapítástípusa, valamint a kóros és egészséges máj elkülönítésére. 441 (szövettannal igazolt) beteget vizsgáltunk ultrahanggal. 132 normális májat, 176 alacsony és 133 magas csillapítású fényes májat találtunk. A gyakoriságeloszlás analízisével a zsírmáj és az alacsony csillapítású, illetve az egészséges máj között „cut-off”-érték, 1,1 dB/cm/MHz, definiálható. A bőr alatti zsírszövetvastagság esetében „cut-off”-értéket megállapítani nem lehetett, de 2,5 cm feletti érték csak zsírmáj mellett fordult elő. Az eredményekből azt a következtetést vonhatjuk le, hogy a csillapítás „cut-off” értéke használatával a zsírmáj májbiopszia nélkül is megbízhatóan kórismézhető. A bőr alatti zsírszövetvastagság a kórismét megerősítő kiegészítő adatot szolgáltat.