bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Medication Overuse Headache and Applicability of the ICHD-II Diagnostic Criteria: 1-Year Follow-Up Study (CARE I Protocol)
Authors: Ghiotto N , Sances G , Galli F , Tassorelli C , Guaschino E , Sandrini G , Nappi G
Published: November 2008

Medication overuse headache (MOH) is a growing problem worldwide and a challenge for clinicians and investigators. This study aims to contribute to the ongoing debate surrounding the classification of MOH. Applying the revised diagnostic criteria for MOH contained in the updated International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-II), we enrolled 140 probable MOH (p-MOH) patients. They were submitted to an in-patient detoxification protocol and re-examined 2, 6 and 12 months later to confirm, or otherwise, the diagnosis of MOH and to observe the evolution of their headache. MOH diagnosis was confirmed 2 months after detoxification in 71% of patients, who reverted to an episodic headache pattern and stopped their drug overuse The overall clinical situation at 2 months closely reflected the 1-year trend. The 2-month period after drug withdrawal should be retained as a diagnostic criterion in the ICHD-II because it is useful not only as a diagnostic parameter, but also as predictor of a good outcome of 1-year drug withdrawal. In addition, the present findings point to the need for a more objective criterion to quantify headache frequency after drug withdrawal.
Exertional Headache—A Survey of 1963 Adolescents
Authors: Chen S-P , Fuh J-L , Lu S-R , Wang S-J
Published: November 2008

We employed a self-administered questionnaire to investigate exertional headache (EH) in students (ages 13–15 years) from two middle schools in Taiwan. In this study, the diagnosis of EH was made if the headache occurred during or immediately after exercise. In total, 1963 students completed the study (response rate 90.7%). The prevalence of EH was 30.4% ( n = 596), was higher in girls and decreased with age. EHs were commonly bilateral (51.4%), pulsating (59.4%) and short-lasting (≤ 1 h in 79%). Only 13.8% of the adolescents with EH took painkillers for the headache. Migraineurs were more likely to have EH than non-migraineurs (47.5% vs. 21.1%, P < 0.001) and their EH had more features of migraine and needed more frequent treatment with painkillers. Only 200 subjects (10.2%) fulfilled the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd edn criteria for primary EH excluding criterion C. Our study disclosed that EH was quite prevalent in adolescents. Migraineurs were vulnerable to EH and had more disabling attacks.
Clinical Review: The Surgical Treatment of Idiopathic Pseudotumour Cerebri (Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension)
Authors: Brazis PW
Published: November 2008

To review the literature on the surgical treatment of idiopathic pseudotumour cerebri (PTC) [idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH)]. When medical therapy fails or when visual dysfunction deteriorates, surgical therapies for PTC should be considered. The main procedures performed include lumboperitoneal shunt (LPS), ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) and optic nerve sheath fenestration (ONSF). Recently, venous sinus stenting procedures have been performed on selected patients with PTC, especially those with venous sinus occlusive disease. The literature is summarized and appraised in the form of a narrative review. It is evident that ONSF, LPS, VPS and, in selected cases, venous sinus stenting may improve vision and prevent deterioration of vision in patients with PTC. All of the procedures have their advantages and disadvantages and may fail with time no matter what procedure is used. Various authorities have vehemently advocated one or the other of these procedures. Until a prospective, randomized study comparing ONSF with LPS or VPS for PTC is performed, and until the role of venous sinus obstruction as the aetiology of PTC is better defined, the question of which surgical procedure is best for the treatment of PTC remains unanswered.
Commentary on Clinical Review: The Surgical Treatment of Idiopathic Pseudotumour Cerebri, by Paul Brazis
Authors: Atkinson JLD
Published: November 2008

Dr Brazis has written a review of the literature on the clinical manifestations of idiopathic intracranial hypertension, possible associated venous hypertension and intracranial dural venous sinus abnormalities, and a brief discussion of medical and surgical therapies. The preferred terminology for this condition is idiopathic intracranial hypertension, but pseudotumour cerebri is so engrained in the literature that it stubbornly remains (1). The manuscript covers the literature well, and the information reviewed serves as an excellent reference source for interested readers. Unfortunately, Dr Brazis has noted the conflicting expert opinions regarding success, failure and complications for each of the surgical procedures, and, as a result, his summary discussion is barren of any algorithm of management, or even recommendations in approaching these difficult patients.
Youth mental health in a populous city of the developing world: results from the Mexican Adolescent Mental Health Survey
Authors: Benjet Corina , Borges Guilherme , Medina‐Mora Maria Elena , Zambrano Joaquin , Aguilar‐Gaxiola Sergio
Published: November 2008

Background:  Because the epidemiologic data available for adolescents from the developing world is scarce, the objective is to estimate the prevalence and severity of psychiatric disorders among Mexico City adolescents, the socio‐demographic correlates associated with these disorders and service utilization patterns.

Methods:  This is a multistage probability survey of adolescents aged 12 to 17 residing in Mexico City. Participants were administered the computer‐assisted adolescent version of the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview by trained lay interviewers in their homes. The response rate was 71% (n = 3005). Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed considering the multistage and weighted sample design of the survey.

Results:  One in every eleven adolescents has suffered a serious mental disorder, one in five a disorder of moderate severity and one in ten a mild disorder. The majority did not receive treatment. The anxiety disorders were the most prevalent but least severe disorders. The most severe disorders were more likely to receive treatment. The most consistent socio‐demographic correlates of mental illness were sex, dropping out of school, and burden unusual at the adolescent stage, such as having had a child, being married or being employed. Parental education was associated with treatment utilization.

Conclusions:  These high prevalence estimates coupled with low service utilization rates suggest that a greater priority should be given to adolescent mental health in Mexico and to public health policy that both expands the availability of mental health services directed at the adolescent population and reduces barriers to the utilization of existing services.
Detection of aflatoxin M1 in milk and dairy products consumed in Adana, Turkey
Authors: VAR ISIL , KABAK BULENT
Published: November 2008

A total of 70 dairy products consisting of 20 sterilized milk, 10 butter, 20 white cheese and 20 Kashar cheese samples were analysed for aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The detection limit was 5 ng/L for milk and 25 ng/kg for butter, white cheese and Kashar cheese. Of the 70 dairy products analysed, AFM1 in 49 samples (70%) was found to range from 10 to 388 ng/kg. Moreover, AFM1 levels in three samples of milk, two samples of butter, one sample of white cheese and one sample of Kashar cheese were found to be higher than the Turkish legal limits.
De novo 16p13.11 microdeletion identified by high‐resolution array CGH in a fetus with increased nuchal translucency
Authors: Law LW , Lau TK , Fung TY , Leung TY , Wang CC , Choy KW
Published: November 2008

Objective  We investigated the application of high‐resolution microarray‐based comparative genomic hybridisation (array CGH) on a fetus showing increased nuchal translucency (NT).

Design  Case study.

Setting  Tertiary referral obstetrics unit.

Sample  Pregnant woman attended the antenatal clinic.

Methods  Conventional karyotyping and genetic test was carried out for the alpha‐globin gene. High‐resolution array CGH using the high‐density 244K Agilent microarray was performed on fetal blood sample by cordocentesis to investigate the possibility of any genomic imbalance.

Main outcome measures  Detection of chromosomal abnormality.

Results  Karyotyping analysis showed 46,XY. Molecular genetic diagnosis confirms the fetus has Hb‐H constant spring disease but cannot explain the increased NT to 3.2 mm. Array CGH analysis discovered a 1.32‐Mb microdeletion on chromosome 16p13.11. Deletion at 16p13.11 has been implicated to predispose to autism and/or mental retardation. Baby was delivered at 40 weeks of gestation, and follow up was carried out at 3 months of age without sign of mental retardation/developmental delay.

Conclusions  This case study demonstrated that array CGH can accurately calibrate the size and identify de novo interstitial chromosome imbalances. However, the presence of chromosome copy variants with unknown clinical significance currently limits its wider scale application in prenatal diagnosis and needs further investigations.
Glutamate receptors modulate sodium‐dependent and calcium‐independent vitamin C bidirectional transport in cultured avian retinal cells
Authors: Portugal Camila Cabral , Miya Vivian Sayuri , Calaza Karin da Costa , Santos Rochelle Alberto Martins , Paes‐de‐Carvalho Roberto
Published: November 2008

Vitamin C is transported in the brain by sodium vitamin C co‐transporter 2 (SVCT‐2) for ascorbate and glucose transporters for dehydroascorbate. Here we have studied the expression of SVCT‐2 and the uptake and release of [14C] ascorbate in chick retinal cells. SVCT‐2 immunoreactivity was detected in rat and chick retina, specially in amacrine cells and in cells in the ganglion cell layer. Accordingly, SVCT‐2 was expressed in cultured retinal neurons, but not in glial cells. [14C] ascorbate uptake was saturable and inhibited by sulfinpyrazone or sodium‐free medium, but not by treatments that inhibit dehydroascorbate transport. Glutamate‐stimulated vitamin C release was not inhibited by the glutamate transport inhibitor l‐β‐threo‐benzylaspartate, indicating that vitamin C release was not mediated by glutamate uptake. Also, ascorbate had no effect on [3H] d‐aspartate release, ruling out a glutamate/ascorbate exchange mechanism. 2‐Carboxy‐3‐carboxymethyl‐4‐isopropenylpyrrolidine (Kainate) or NMDA stimulated the release, effects blocked by their respective antagonists 6,7‐initroquinoxaline‐2,3‐dione (DNQX) or (5R,2S)‐(1)‐5‐methyl‐10,11‐dihydro‐5H‐dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten‐5,10‐imine hydrogen maleate (MK‐801). However, DNQX, but not MK‐801 or 2‐amino‐5‐phosphonopentanoic acid (APV), blocked the stimulation by glutamate. Interestingly, DNQX prevented the stimulation by NMDA, suggesting that the effect of NMDA was mediated by glutamate release and stimulation of non‐NMDA receptors. The effect of glutamate was neither dependent on external calcium nor inhibited by 1,2‐bis (2‐aminophenoxy) ethane‐N′,N′,N′,N′,‐tetraacetic acid tetrakis (acetoxy‐methyl ester) (BAPTA‐AM), an internal calcium chelator, but was inhibited by sulfinpyrazone or by the absence of sodium. In conclusion, retinal cells take up and release vitamin C, probably through SVCT‐2, and the release can be stimulated by NMDA or non‐NMDA glutamate receptors.
Endogenous serotonin and serotonin2Creceptors are involved in the ability of M100907 to suppress cortical glutamate release induced by NMDA receptor blockade
Authors: Calcagno Eleonora , Carli Mirjana , Baviera Marta , Invernizzi Roberto W.
Published: November 2008

Blockade of NMDA receptors by intracortical infusion of 3‐(R)‐2‐carboxypiperazin‐4‐propyl‐1‐phosphonic acid (CPP) increases glutamate (GLU) and serotonin (5‐HT) release in the medial prefrontal cortex and impairs attentional performance in the 5‐choice serial reaction time task. These effects are prevented by the 5‐HT2Areceptor antagonist, (R)‐(+)‐(2,3‐dimethoxyphenyl)‐1‐[2‐(4‐fluorophenyl)ethyl]‐4‐piperidine methanol (M100907). We explored the roles of endogenous 5‐HT and 5‐HT1Aand 5‐HT2Creceptors in the mechanisms by which M100907 suppresses CPP‐induced release of cortical GLU and 5‐HT usingin vivomicrodialysis. CPP raised extracellular GLU and 5‐HT by about 250% and 170% respectively. The 5‐HT synthesis inhibitor,p‐chlorophenylalanine (300 mg/kg), prevented M100907 suppressing CPP‐induced GLU release. The effect of M100907 on these rises of GLU and 5‐HT and attentional performance deficit was mimicked by the 5‐HT2Creceptor agonist, (S)‐2‐(6‐chloro‐5‐fluoroindol‐1‐yl)‐1‐methylethylamine fumarate, (Ro60‐0175, 30 μg/kg) while intra‐mPFC (SB242084, 6‐chloro‐5‐methyl‐1‐[[2‐[(2‐methyl‐3‐pyridyl)oxy]‐5‐pyridyl]carbamoyl]‐indoline, 0.1 μM), a 5‐HT2Creceptor antagonist, prevented the effect of M100907 on extracellular GLU. The 5‐HT1Areceptor antagonist,N‐[2‐[4‐(2‐methoxyphenyl)‐1‐piperazinyl]ethyl]‐N‐(2‐pyridinyl)cyclohexane carboxenide trihydrochloride (100 μM) abolished the effect of M100907 on the CPP‐induced 5‐HT release. The data show that blockade of 5‐HT2Areceptors is not sufficient to suppress the CPP‐induced rise of extracellular GLU and 5‐HT and suggest that M100907 suppresses GLU release induced by CPP by enhancing the action of endogenous 5‐HT on 5‐HT2Creceptors.
Heteromeric co‐assembly of two insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α subunits: influence on sensitivity to neonicotinoid insecticides
Authors: Liu Zewen , Han Zhaojun , Zhang Yixi , Song Feng , Yao Xiangmei , Liu Shuhua , Gu Jianhua , Millar Neil S.
Published: November 2008

Neonicotinoid insecticides, such as imidacloprid, are selective agonists of insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and are used extensively in areas of crop protection and animal health to control a variety of insect pest species. Here, we describe studies performed with nAChR subunits Nlα1 and Nlα2 cloned from the brown planthopperNilaparvata  lugens, a major insect pest of rice crops in many parts of Asia. The influence of Nlα1 and Nlα2 subunits upon the functional properties of recombinant nAChRs has been examined by expression inXenopusoocytes. In addition, the influence of a Nlα1 mutation (Y151S), which has been linked to neonicotinoid lab generated resistance inN. lugens, has been examined. As in previous studies of insect α subunits, functional expression has been achieved by co‐expression with the mammalian β2 subunit. This approach has revealed a significantly higher apparent affinity of imidacloprid for Nlα1/β2 than for Nlα2/β2 nAChRs. In addition, evidence has been obtained for the co‐assembly of Nlα1 and Nlα2 subunits into ‘triplet’ nAChRs of subunit composition Nlα1/Nlα2/β2. Evidence has also been obtained which demonstrates that the resistance‐associated Y151S mutation has a significantly reduced effect on neonicotinoid agonist activity when Nlα1 is co‐assembled with Nlα2 than when expressed as the sole α subunit in a heteromeric nAChR. These findings may be of importance in assessing the likely impact of the target‐site mutations such as Y151S upon neonicotinoid insecticide resistance in insect field populations.
NMDA‐mediated modulation of dopamine release is modified in rat prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens after chronic nicotine treatment
Authors: Grilli Massimo , Pittaluga Anna , Merlo‐Pich Emilio , Marchi Mario
Published: November 2008

In this study, we investigate the effects of chronic administration of (−)nicotine on the function of the NMDA‐mediated modulation of [3H]dopamine (DA) release in rat prefrontal cortex (PFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc). In the PFC synaptosomes NMDA in a concentration‐dependent manner evoked [3H]DA release in rats chronically treated with vehicle (14 days) with an EC50of 13.1 ± 2.0 μM. The NMDA‐evoked overflow of the [3H]DA in PFC nerve endings of rats treated with (−)nicotine was significantly lower (−43%) than in vehicle treated rats. The EC50was 9.0 ± 1.4 μM. Exposure of NAc synaptosomes of rats treated with vehicle to NMDA produced an increase in [3H]DA overflow with an EC50of 14.5 ± 5.5 μM. This effect was significantly enhanced in chronically treated animals. The EC50was 10.5 ± 0.5 μM. The K+‐evoked release of [3H]DA was not modified by the (−)nicotine administration. Both the changes of the NMDA‐evoked [3H]DA overflow in the NAc and PFC disappeared after 14 days withdrawal. The results show that chronic (−)nicotine differentially affects the NMDA‐mediated [3H]DA release in the PFC and NAc of the rat.
A pragmatic approach to resolving tensions between the educational validity of master's projects in healthcare settings and ethical and governance requirements
Authors: Gerrish Kate , Hill Cathy , Mawson Susan , Gerrish Paul
Published: November 2008

The concurrent realities of growing numbers of master's students in health and social care subjects, and developments in research governance processes in the public sector are discussed as a context for master's level dissertation projects.

Master's level continuing professional development of health and social care practitioners necessarily includes the development of skills in diverse approaches to research and systematic enquiry. The master's dissertation project gives an opportunity for extended applied learning and skills development in relation to this. Recent developments in National Health Service research governance processes, while essential to the protection of patients, have created difficulties for students in gaining the necessary governance and ethical approvals to carry out projects involving the collection of primary data within the timeframe of a master's dissertation project. The implications of this on opportunities for learning and development at this level are explored. The value of different types of master's dissertation projects and the appropriateness, respectively, of different types of governance processes are discussed. Approaches developed by one higher education/National Health Service partnership, to ensuring that the ethical approval of student project proposals is managed as expediently and appropriately as possible, are shared and discussed. These include the development of a toolkit to assist students and others in differentiating between, for example, research, audit and service evaluation activities. They also include consideration of appropriate governance frameworks and ethical review in relation to each of these potential project types.
STEPHEN HISLOP AND HIS 1860 CRETACEOUS CONTINENTAL MOLLUSCAN NEW SPECIES DESCRIPTIONS IN LATIN FROM THE DECCAN PLATEAU, INDIA
Authors: HARTMAN JOSEPH H. , ERICKSON DANIEL N. , BAKKEN ANNE
Published: November 2008

Abstract: In 1860, Stephen Hislop published a data‐rich document on the infra‐ and intertrappean strata of the Deccan Plateau of central India, along with numerous new taxa of continental and marine molluscs. His scholarship interestingly blended antiquated, contemporary, and ahead‐of‐his‐time palaeontological methods. Although his work established a completely adequate foundation upon which to build future end‐Cretaceous Deccan molluscan studies, effectively no substantive work ensued, with only incidental subsequent reference to his effort.
CALIBRATED DIVERSITY, TREE TOPOLOGY AND THE MOTHER OF MASS EXTINCTIONS: THE LESSON OF TEMNOSPONDYLS
Authors: RUTA MARCELLO , BENTON MICHAEL J.
Published: November 2008

Abstract: Three family‐level cladistic analyses of temnospondyl amphibians are used to evaluate the impact of taxonomic rank, tree topology, and sample size on diversity profiles, origination and extinction rates, and faunal turnover. Temnospondyls are used as a case study for investigating replacement of families across the Permo‐Triassic boundary and modality of recovery in the aftermath of the end‐Permian mass extinction. Both observed and inferred (i.e. tree topology‐dependent) values of family diversity have a negligible effect on the shape of the diversity curve. However, inferred values produce both a flattening of the curve throughout the Cisuralian and a less pronounced increase in family diversity from Tatarian through to Induan than do observed values. Diversity curves based upon counts of genera and species display a clearer distinction between peaks and troughs. We use rarefaction techniques (specifically, rarefaction of the number of genera and species within families) to evaluate the effect of sampling size on the curve of estimated family‐level diversity during five time bins (Carboniferous; Cisuralian; Guadalupian–Lopingian; Early Triassic; Middle Triassic–Cretaceous). After applying rarefaction, we note that Cisuralian and Early Triassic diversity values are closer to one another than they are when the observed number of families is used; both values are also slightly higher than the Carboniferous estimated diversity. The Guadalupian–Lopingian value is lower than raw data indicate, reflecting in part the depauperate land vertebrate diversity from the late Cisuralian to the middle Guadalupian (Olson’s gap). The time‐calibrated origination and extinction rate trajectories plot out close to one another and show a peak in the Induan, regardless of the tree used to construct them. Origination and extinction trajectories are disjunct in at least some Palaeozoic intervals, and background extinctions exert a significant role in shaping temnospondyl diversity in the lowermost Triassic. Finally, species‐, genus‐, and family trajectories consistently reveal a rapid increase in temnospondyl diversity from latest Permian to earliest Triassic as well as a decline near the end of the Cisuralian. However, during the rest of the Cisuralian family diversity increases slightly and there is no evidence for a steady decline, contrary to previous reports.
EARLY ORDOVICIAN CONODONTS FROM TARUTAO ISLAND, SOUTHERN PENINSULAR THAILAND
Authors: AGEMATSU SACHIKO , SASHIDA KATSUO , SALYAPONGSE SIROT , SARDSUD APSORN
Published: November 2008

Abstract:  Early Ordovician conodont faunas of the Thung Song Formation on Tarutao Island, southern peninsular Thailand, consist of 14 known species belonging to 17 genera, and eight undescribed species. Utahconus tarutaoensis and Filodontus tenuis are new species. Three conodont zones: the Rossodus manitouensis Zone, the Utahconus tarutaoensis Zone and the Filodontus tenuis Zone, in ascending order, are defined in the study sections. These are coeval with the interval from the Rossodus manitouensis Zone to the Acodus deltatus‐Oneotodus costatus Zone of the standard zonation in the North American Midcontinent. Based on the conodonts studied here and fossils previously reported from Tarutao Island, the Thung Song Formation is early Tremadocian to middle Arenig (Ibexian) in age. This formation is lithostratigraphically subdivided into the S1 to S5 members, and our study sections consist of the S1 to S3 members. These strata accumulated on a shelf in the Early Ordovician. The depositional environments of the limestones making up the S1 and S3 members were in deeper‐shelf conditions. Limestone and shale of the S2 member formed in a shallow‐water, high‐energy environment.
A NEW AZHDARCHOID PTEROSAUR FROM THE CRATO FORMATION (LOWER CRETACEOUS, APTIAN?) OF BRAZIL
Authors: WITTON MARK P.
Published: November 2008

Abstract: A partial pterosaur skull from the Nova Olinda Member of the Crato Formation (Lower Cretaceous, Aptian?) represents a new edentulous pterodactyloid,Lacusovagus magnificensgen. et sp. nov. The absence of teeth and a large nasoantorbital fenestra suggest assignment to Azhdarchoidea, and the combination of a particularly short, crestless and shallow rostrum and laterally flared jaw margins distinguish it from other azhdarchoid taxa. The position of the new form within Azhdarchoidea is problematic:Lacusovagusis distinguished from Tapejaridae in its straight, as opposed to ventrally displaced, jaw tip and absence of a premaxillary crest; from thalassodromids by the absence of a premaxillary crest; and from Azhdarchidae by the short length of the rostrum and shallow posterodorsal extension of the premaxilla.Lacusovagusshares a shallow, crestless rostrum and a slender posterodorsal premaxillary extension with Jiufotang Formation azhdarchoids such asChaoyangopterusandJidapterus. The position of these genera within Azhdarchoidea is controversial, but the suite of plesiomorphic and derived azhdarchoid characters in each suggests a placement between Tapejaridae and Neoazhdarchia. Further research is required, however, to determine the relationships of these genera both to each other and to other azhdarchoids. The new taxon elevates the faunal similarity found between the roughly contemporaneous Jiufotang and Crato formations and continues the pattern of Crato Formation azhdarchoids being much larger than those from the Jehol Group. It also has jaws at least 67 and 55 per cent longer, respectively, than those of the largest azhdarchoids and ornithocheirids from the Crato pterosaur assemblage, makingLacusovagusthe largest pterosaur known from this unit.
THE FOSSIL RECORD AND EVOLUTION OF MOUSEBIRDS (AVES: COLIIFORMES)
Authors: ZELENKOV NIKITA V. , DYKE GARETH J.
Published: November 2008

Abstract: Recent mousebirds are the smallest of the living neognathous bird orders – just two genera comprising six species. Understanding the evolutionary dynamics of this avian lineage is important because these birds occupy a critical position within Neoaves and can be used as a model for patterns of morphological diversification in other taxa. We present a review of all known fossil mousebirds (Aves: Coliiformes), which formed a diverse assemblage in the Paleogene (65–23.8 ma). We also present a new phylogenetic analysis including the living and fossil representatives of the order, on the basis of a larger character/taxon matrix. This analysis suggests that the Lower EoceneEocoliusis the most basal member of clade Coliiformes, while the Lower–Middle Eocene Sandcoleidae form a basal clade with respect to all other known coliiforms. We show that the Eocene taxonChascacocoliusis the sister group of the crown Coliidae, and that the Middle Eocene taxonSelmesis basal to a clade comprisingChascacocoliusand Coliidae. On the basis of this phylogenetic analysis, we propose a new classification for the order Coliiformes including two new families, Chascacocoliidae and Selmeidae. For all families (clades) of mousebirds we provide descriptive osteological diagnoses and discuss a number of functional considerations related to the evolution of their hindlimbs; these considerations can be extended across all extant and fossil perching birds because we show that the hindlimb morphology of Coliiformes is strongly related to their lifestyle, as reflected in their evolutionary history.
TESTATE AMOEBAE FROM THE EARLY JURASSIC OF THE WESTERN TETHYS, NORTH‐EAST ITALY
Authors: BASSI DAVIDE , FUGAGNOLI ANNA , POSENATO RENATO , SCOTT DAVID B.
Published: November 2008

Abstract:  Fossil testate amoebae and their non‐marine finds are rare so their ecological importance through Earth history is poorly understood. The Lower Jurassic shallow water black‐shales of Trento Platform (north‐east Italy) are rich in micro‐organisms and contain a thecamoebian and ostracod assemblage representing the first known record of Early Jurassic oligohaline forms from the European mainland. The thecamoebians are represented by the genera Difflugia, Pontigulasia and Centropyxis. The present discovery of Lower Jurassic thecamoebians in fine carbonate organic‐rich deposits indicates, for the first time, that these sediments can preserve testate amoebae very well. The occurrence of difflugid testate amoebians confirm a transitional marine‐terrestrial habitat, outside large bodies of water, and suggests occasional eutrophication in ephemeral restricted aquatic environment in the Sinemurian–Pliensbachian Trento Platform.
A NEW METRIORHYNCHID CROCODILIAN (MESOEUCROCODYLIA: THALATTOSUCHIA) FROM THE KIMMERIDGIAN (UPPER JURASSIC) OF WILTSHIRE, UK
Authors: WILKINSON LAURA E. , YOUNG MARK T. , BENTON MICHAEL J.
Published: November 2008

Abstract: Recent revision of the marine metriorhynchid crocodilians indicates that a partial skull previously assigned to the speciesMetriorhynchus superciliosusand newly discovered postcranial elements from the Kimmeridge Clay of Westbury, Wiltshire belong to a new species of metriorhynchid. This material is herein described and referred to a new species of the genusDakosaurus, characterised by four apomorphies: the size and shape of the enlarged supratemporal fossae; relatively large teeth, and half the number in relatives; the robust and unornamented cranium; and the angle that the prefrontal makes with the long axis of the skull. In a new phylogenetic analysis,Dakosaurus carpenterisp. nov. is the basal member of a clade containing alsoD. maximusandD. andiniensis: it is not so short‐snouted and its teeth are not so few and large as in the other two species, but the new form illustrates the ecological transition among metriorhynchids from a piscivorous diet to high‐order carnivory.
A CYAMODONTID PLACODONT (REPTILIA: SAUROPTERYGIA) FROM THE TRIASSIC OF SLOVENIA
Authors: BUFFETAUT ERIC , NOVAK MATEVŽ
Published: November 2008

Abstract:  An isolated dentary bone from the Triassic of Toško Čelo, near Ljubljana (Slovenia) is referred to the genus Cyamodus. It is the first record of a placodont from Slovenia. The specimen is late Ladinian or early Carnian in age, and is thus among the latest known representatives of the genus Cyamodus. The late survival of Cyamodus in the southern Alpine domain, while it disappeared from the Germanic Basin in the early Ladinian, is probably linked to the persistence of fully marine conditions in the southern part of its range, after environments had become less favourable to placodonts in the Germanic Basin with the advent of the Keuper facies.
QUALITY OF THE TRIASSIC–JURASSIC BIVALVE FOSSIL RECORD IN NORTHWEST EUROPE
Authors: MANDER LUKE , TWITCHETT RICHARD J.
Published: November 2008

Abstract:  The quality of the Triassic–Jurassic bivalve fossil record in northwest Europe has been measured using the Simple Completeness Metric (SCM). The SCM has been applied to the fossil record of total bivalve diversity and to the records of different ecological guilds. The Westbury and Lilstock Formations record high SCM values for most ecological groups. The ‘Pre‐Planorbis Beds’ of the lower Lias Group, however, witness a precipitous decline in the completeness of most guilds and emigration of taxa due to localized marine anoxia is a likely cause. Neither variation in lithofacies, shell mineralogy, sedimentary rock outcrop area, nor sequence architecture can convincingly explain the observed patterns of completeness. Our SCM data reveal that the Early Jurassic fossil record of infaunal suspension‐feeding bivalves is significantly poorer than that of epifaunal bivalves. Any differences in the apparent Rhaetian extinction rates between these two guilds should therefore be viewed with caution. Analyses of selectivity during the Late Triassic mass extinction based on studies of global databases appear robust in light of our SCM data. Nevertheless, future investigations of the Triassic–Jurassic benthic marine ecosystem undertaken at a finer‐resolution, may need to account for the poor quality of the Early Jurassic fossil records of certain ecological guilds, such as the infaunal suspension‐feeding taxa.
The role of hypoxia in canine cancer
Authors: Snyder S. A. , Dewhirst M. W. , Hauck M. L.
Published: November 2008

Human oncology has clearly demonstrated the existence of hypoxic tumours and the problematic nature of those tumours. Hypoxia is a significant problem in the treatment of all types of solid tumours and a common reason for treatment failure. Hypoxia is a negative prognostic indicator of survival and is correlated with the development of metastatic disease. Resistance to radiation therapy and chemotherapy can be because of hypoxia. There are two dominant types of hypoxia recognized in tumours, static and intermittent. Both types of hypoxia are important in terms of resistance. A variety of physiological factors cause hypoxia, and in turn, hypoxia can induce genetic and physiological changes. A limited number of studies have documented that hypoxia exists in spontaneous canine tumours. The knowledge from the human literature of problematic nature of hypoxic tumours combined with the rapid growth of veterinary oncology has necessitated a better understanding of hypoxia in canine tumours.
Association of Ki67 index with prognosis for intermediate‐grade canine cutaneous mast cell tumours*
Authors: Maglennon G. A. , Murphy S. , Adams V. , Miller J. , Smith K. , Blunden A. , Scase T. J.
Published: November 2008

Intermediate‐grade mast cell tumours (MCT) represent a heterogeneous population of tumours. The prognosis for the majority of dogs is excellent following surgical excision, but a minority die because of their disease. A previous study identified Ki67 expression as a predictor of prognosis in all three grades of MCT. The purpose of this study was to validate those results in a new group of dogs, with intermediate‐grade MCT only. Ki67 immunohistochemistry was performed on intermediate‐grade MCT from 163 dogs with known outcome. Digital microscopy images were taken from each tumour, and an index calculated of Ki67‐positive cells. Ki67 index as a binary variable with a cut‐off value of 1.8% was confirmed to be associated with prognosis (hazard ratio = 19.1, P < 0.0001) for this cohort of dogs. The 1‐year, 2‐year and 3‐year survival probabilities (with standard errors) of 127 dogs with a Ki67 index ≤1.8% were [0.95 (0.024), similar for all] and for 36 dogs with a Ki67 index >1.8% were 0.54 (0.100), 0.45 (0.101) and 0.33 (0.104), respectively.
Serum biomarker profiling in cancer studies: a question of standardisation?
Authors: Matharoo‐Ball B. , Miles A. K. , Creaser C. S. , Ball G. , Rees R.
Published: November 2008

Companion animals are exposed to similar environmental conditions and carcinogens as humans. In some animal cancers, there also appears to be the same genetic changes associated as in humans. However, little work has been carried out in cancer biomarker identification in animals. The recent dramatic advances in molecular medicine, genomics, proteomics and translational research will allow biomarker identification, which may provide the best strategies for veterinarians and clinicians to combat disease by early diagnosis and administration of effective treatments. Proteomics may have important applications in cancer diagnosis, prognosis and predictive clinical outcome that could directly change clinical practice by affecting critical elemen‐ts of care and management. This review summarizes the advances in proteomics that has propelled us to this exciting age of clinical proteomics, and highlights the future work that is required for this to become a reality. In this review, we will discuss the available proteomic technologies and their limitations, and highlight the key areas of research and how they have been used to discover cancer biomarkers. The principles described here are equally applicable to human and animal disease, but implementation of ‘omic’ technologies requires stringent guidelines for collection of clinical material, the application of analytical techniques and interpretation of the data.
Modern Education in Iran during the Qajar and Pahlavi Periods
Authors: Koyagi Mikiya
Published: November 2008

Historical writing on modern education in Iran has changed in the past few decades. Earlier works that focused on the top‐down feature of modern education were very much influenced by modernization theory, nationalist historiography, and the dichotomous notion of reform and reaction. First, this article suggests that one should analyze the view of specific individuals or groups on modern education rather than simply dividing them into reformists and reactionaries with clear‐cut attitudes. Then it surveys the shift from these earlier approaches to new ones that have taken various directions with generally more attention to state‐society relations and culture, including such issues as modern education as a site of nation‐building and constructing the new social order.
The Concentration Camps of the South African (Anglo‐Boer) War, 1900–1902
Authors: Van Heyningen Elizabeth
Published: November 2008

The concentration camps of the South African War or Anglo‐Boer War, where Boer women and children, as well as many black families, were interned as a result of the British military sweeps to clear the veld, incited controversy from their inception. The high mortality, primarily from measles, caused much bitterness but the history of the camps has never been properly investigated. Instead, a mythology was created by emergent Afrikaner nationalists who deployed the women's testimonies, in particular, to establish a ‘paradigm of suffering’. Recently a number of historians have demonstrated the way in which commemoration of the concentration camps in South Africa has also been politicised. This article surveys the literature on the camps, highlighting some of the omissions.
Preserved priming but insensitivity to perceptual fluency on recognition judgments in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: YANO Madoka , UMEDA Satoshi , MIMURA Masaru
Published: November 2008

Background:  Previous research on Alzheimer's disease (AD) has not yielded a consensus regarding the preservation of automatic memory processes, although there is a consensus that conscious recollection processes are impaired in AD.

Methods:  In the present study, we examined perceptual specificity effects (PSEs) in word recognition judgments (explicit memory task; Experiment 1) and word fragment completion (implicit memory task; Experiment 2) performed by individuals with mild AD and elderly adults without dementia (controls).

Results:  In recognition judgments, control subjects, but not individuals with AD, demonstrated PSEs (Experiment 1). In contrast, neither group showed PSEs on word fragment completion and their priming magnitudes were comparable (Experiment 2).

Conclusions:  The findings suggest that perceptually automatic processes in explicit memory judgments and implicit memory processes are different and that the former are specifically impaired in AD.
Beneficial and adverse effects of pharmacotherapy with risperidone on behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD)
Authors: OSHIMA Norihito
Published: November 2008

Background:  Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) increase the burden of caregiving. In 2004, the US Food and Drug Administration issued a warning on an increase in the mortality rate in elderly patients using antipsychotics. Thereafter, although the need for antipsychotics for BPSD has increased, discussions regarding their indication have continued.

Methods:  The present study was performed in 18 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and patients with vascular dementia (VaD) who were treated with risperidone because of BPSD. Changes in the dose of risperidone and the beneficial and adverse effects of risperidone were evaluated for 3 months after the start of antipsychotic therapy.

Results:  The mean starting dose of risperidone was 0.62 ± 0.30 mg (62 ± 30 mg chlorpromazine (CP) equivalents), which, after 3 months, increased to 0.99 ± 0.49 mg risperidone (99 ± 49 mg CP equivalents). The symptoms of BPSD at the beginning of treatment were delusions (48% of patients) and violence (22% of patients). In the 3‐month treatment period, an improvement in BSPD symptoms was recorded in 78% of patients. During the study period, adverse effects were observed in 65% of patients: 26% of patients reported falling and extrapyramidal symptoms were seen in 13%. There were no cardiovascular events or deaths.

Conclusion:  In the present study, low doses of risperidone were used for the treatment of BPSD and no serious side‐effects were observed. An atypical antipsychotic can be one of the treatment options if a thorough risk assessment of the cardiovascular system is made and informed consent is obtained.
Macrophage colony stimulating factor is associated with excretion of amyloid‐β peptides from cerebrospinal fluid to peripheral blood
Authors: JIANG Jingwei , OKOCHI Masayasu , TAGAMI Shinji , NISHITOMI Kouhei , YANAGIDA Kanta , NAKAYAMA Taisuke , TATSUMI Shin‐ichi , MORI Kohji , TAKEDA Masatoshi
Published: November 2008

Background:  The process of aggregation of brain amyloid‐β peptides (Aβ) is thought to be associated with the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Amyloid‐β peptides are produced by sequential endoproteolysis by β‐site amyloid‐β protein precursor‐cleaving enzyme (BACE) followed by presenilin (PS)/γ‐secretase. There are several species of Aβ due to cleavage diversity of PS/γ‐secretase. The predominant species in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or plasma is Aβ40, whereas Aβ42 is much more aggregatable and accumulated in senile plaques. The level of Aβ in the brain is determined by the balance between the generation and clearance of Aβ, including transport across the brain–blood barrier (BBB). Although the processes of Aβ generation and degradation have been studied in some detail, knowledge of the Aβ transport process across the BBB is limited. So far, low‐density lipoprotein receptor‐related protein (LRP1), P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp), and insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) have been identified to modify the excretion of brain Aβ to the blood.

Methods:  To investigate whether macrophage colony stimulating factor (M‐CSF) has a role in the Aβ transport process, human Aβ was injected into the lateral ventricle of the brain of M‐CSF‐deficient (op/op) mice. Then, plasma and brain Aβ levels were measured by ELISA to determine the time‐course of Aβ movement from the brain to the plasma.

Result:  When human Aβ40 was injected into mouse lateral ventricles, the efflux of Aβ from the CSF to the blood was transiently decreased and delayed in M‐CSF‐deficient mice. Moreover, endogenous plasma Aβ40 levels were lower in M‐CSF‐deficient mice.

Conclusion:  The results indicate that M‐CSF deficiency impairs excretion of human‐type Aβ40 from the CSF to blood. We propose that M‐CSF may be a novel factor that facilitates the excretion of Aβ from the CSF to the blood via the BBB.
Origin of Pleistocene outwash plains in various topographic settings, southern Poland
Authors: SALAMON TOMASZ
Published: November 2008

The style of Pleistocene outwash sedimentation in the foreland of the central European Mountains (the Carpathians and Sudetes) was controlled to a large extent by the topography. The deposits of three outwash plains formed in various morphological situations in front of the Upper Odra Lobe during the Odranian glaciation (older Saalian) are described here to show the conditions of their development and to reveal the relation between outwash plain sedimentology and proglacial topography. One outwash plain was formed between the mountain front and the ice‐sheet margin, which advanced into the zone of fore‐mountain alluvial fans. This outwash, deposited parallel to the ice margin, was under the considerable influence of extraglacial rivers flowing from the mountains. The second outwash was deposited in a small valley dipping away from the ice sheet and successively buried by glaciofluvial sediments. It evolved from a narrow valley sandur to an unconfined outwash plain. The third one was formed in a relatively broad, dammed valley dipping towards the ice sheet, where proglacial lake base level controlled the pattern of outwash channels as well as the character of the sedimentation. The studied outwash plains have different sedimentary successions. Their sedimentary profiles differ from each other even in the neighbouring valleys, indicating that distinct depositional conditions existed at the same time in closely spaced areas. It is suggested that the glaciomarginal deposition was controlled mostly by the orientation of the valleys and the inter‐valley areas relative to the ice‐sheet front. Size and morphology of valleys and interfluves were also important. Depending on their orientation, the outwash plains were fed by meltwaters in various ways; the dip of their surfaces was markedly different and the dynamics of the proglacial river systems were diverse.
Temperature variations recorded in Pinus tabulaeformis tree rings from the southern and northern slopes of the central Qinling Mountains, central China
Authors: LIU YU , LINDERHOLM HANS W. , SONG HUIMING , CAI QIUFANG , TIAN QINHUA , SUN JUNYAN , CHEN DELIANG , SIMELTON ELISABETH , SEFTIGEN KRISTINA , TIAN HUA , WANG RUIYUAN , BAO GUANG , AN ZHISHENG
Published: November 2008

The Qinling Mountain range constitutes a critical boundary for climate and vegetation distribution in eastern central mainland China owing to its importance as a geographic demarcation line. In this article, cores from 88 Chinese pines (Pinus tabulaeformis) from the southern (MW site) and northern (NWT site) slopes of the Qinling Mountains were used to reconstruct seasonal temperature variations. During the calibration period, significant correlations were found between ring width and the mean temperature from prior September to current April of 0.76 at the southern slope, and between ring width and the mean May–July temperature of 0.67 at the northern slope. The subsequent temperature reconstructions span 1760–2005 for the northern site and 1837–2006 for the southern site. Prior to the mid‐20th century, low September–April temperatures were, in general, followed by high May–July temperatures, probably reflecting variations in the winter and summer monsoon. However, since the mid‐20th century, both records show trends of a more pronounced increase in September–April temperature on the southern slope. The results provide independent support for the interpretation that recent warming is unusual in nature, coinciding with the observed record. The results compare well with tree‐ring based reconstructions from the surrounding regions, suggesting regional signals in the Qinling Mountain reconstructions.
Climate‐driven changes in lake conditions during late MIS 3 and MIS 2: a high‐resolution geochemical record from Les Echets, France
Authors: VERES DANIEL , LALLIER‐VERGÈS ELISABETH , WOHLFARTH BARBARA , LACOURSE TERRI , KÉRAVIS DIDIER , BJÖRCK SVANTE , PREUSSER FRANK , ANDRIEU‐PONEL VALéRIE , AMPEL LINDA
Published: November 2008

A new set of geochemical data obtained from a long sediment sequence from the Les Echets basin provides a new record of palaeoenvironmental change for western Europe. The sequence covers the late part of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 and MIS 2 (c. 46.1–15.0 cal. kyr BP) and extends over 30 m of sediment, allowing for high sampling resolution. Distinct cyclic fluctuations in aquatic productivity proxies suggest a tempo of environmental change at Les Echets that resembles the one established for Dansgaard‐Oeschger cycles and Heinrich events. Increases in organic carbon are paralleled by high hydrogenous contents and enriched δ13Corgand Corg/Ntotratios, implying a mixture of aquatic and land‐derived constituents. The stable isotope values are directly linked to primary aquatic productivity and the input of terrestrial organic matter, enriched during warm, productive, periods, and drastically depleted during cold periods, particularly Heinrich events. Phases of relatively high productivity correlate with Dansgaard‐Oeschger interstadials 8–2, while Heinrich events 3 and 2 are also clearly delineated by distinct lithological horizons with very low organic contents, high dry densities and enhanced organic matter oxidation. A large hiatus occurring about the time of Heinrich event 4 suggests that the cold and dry climate reconstructed for this event in the North Atlantic region also greatly affected Les Echets and its catchment.