bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of the phytotherapeutic agent Eviprostat® on 17β‐estradiol‐induced nonbacterial inflammation in the rat prostate
Authors: Oka Michiko , Ueda Makoto , Oyama Tatsuya , Kyotani Junko , Tanaka Mitsushi
Published: June 2009

BACKGROUND

Anti‐inflammatory medications have been used for the treatment of chronic prostatitis. The phytotherapeutic agent Eviprostat®, a popular treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia in Japan and Germany, has antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory activity. We investigated the effects of the phytotherapeutic agent Eviprostat® on prostate inflammation induced in castrated rats by the injection of 17β‐estradiol.

METHODS

Ten‐month‐old male Wistar rats were divided into five groups. Nonbacterial prostatitis was experimentally induced in groups 2–5 by castration followed by daily subcutaneous injection of 17β‐estradiol for 30 days. The rats were orally administered 0.1% Tween‐80 (group 2), low‐dose Eviprostat (group 3), high‐dose Eviprostat (group 4), or cernitin pollen extract (group 5) for the last 2 weeks of 17β‐estradiol administration. Sham‐operated rats (group 1) were orally administered 0.1% Tween‐80. On the 31st day after surgery, the weight of the prostate and the levels of prostatic proinflammatory cytokines as well as the oxidative‐stress marker malondialdehyde were determined and histological alterations noted.

RESULTS

Experimentally induced nonbacterial prostatitis led to a significant decrease in prostate weight and increases in malondialdehyde and proinflammatory cytokine levels. Eviprostat significantly suppressed the increases in malondialdehyde and cytokine levels without affecting prostate weight. Histologically, nonbacterial prostatitis was evident in the lateral lobe of the prostate, and Eviprostat treatment significantly suppressed the severity of the lesion.

CONCLUSIONS

Eviprostat, which has effective antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory activities in the prostate, may be useful for the clinical treatment of chronic prostatitis. These activities of Eviprostat may also contribute to the amelioration of prostate inflammation in BPH patients. Prostate 69: 1404–1410, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
First‐principles calculations on elasticity and the thermodynamic properties of TaC under pressure
Authors: Peng Feng , Han Ligang , Fu Hongzhi , Cheng Xinlu
Published: June 2009

First‐principles calculations on the elastic and the thermodynamic properties of TaC have been carried out with the plane‐wave pseudopotential density functional method. The calculated values are in very good agreement with experimental data as well as with some of the existing model calculations. The dependence of the elastic constants cij, the aggregate elastic moduli (B, G, E), and the elastic anisotropy on pressure have been investigated. Moreover, the variation of the Poisson ratio and Debye temperature with pressure have been investigated for the first time. Through the quasi‐harmonic Debye model, the thermodynamic properties were also obtained successfully. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Valence band fine structure of copper phthalocyanine thin films: Effect of molecular orientation
Authors: Toader Teodor , Gavrila Gianina , Braun Walter , Ivanco Jan , Zahn Dietrich R. T.
Published: June 2009

The electronic structure of highly‐ordered copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) thin films is unravelled. The deconvolution of the well‐resolved valence band spectra allowed an extraction of energy levels of particular molecular orbitals in the low binding energy part of the π‐band, an approach which is often neglected in the data analysis. Quantitative analysis of the incidence photon energy dependence of the particular orbitals was exerted to address their character in terms of the contribution of constituent atoms. The line shape of the valence band was found to be closely related to the molecular orientation in the films. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Photoelectrical Response in Single‐Layer Graphene Transistors
Authors: Shi Yumeng , Fang Wenjing , Zhang Keke , Zhang Wenjing , Li Lain‐Jong
Published: June 2009

The illumination of single‐layer graphene (SLG) transistors with visible light causes a negative shift in their transfer curves, attributable to the desorption of oxygen. However, their hysteresis is not affected by illumination, which suggests that charge traps are not affected by the visible‐light exposure. When SLG transistors are covered with a layer of photoactive polymer, the photodesorption‐induced current change in the transistors becomes less significant than the effects caused by the surrounding photoactive polymer. These observations demonstrate that the photoelectrical response of SLG transistors is dominated by extrinsic mechanisms rather than by the direct photocurrent process. The results suggest a new strategy for achieving light detection. The large cross section of SLG films for receiving photons and the capability of tailoring photoelectrical properties on them is potentially useful for optoelectronic applications.
A framework for environmental analyses of fish food production systems based on systems engineering principles
Authors: Magerholm Fet Annik , Schau Erwin M. , Haskins Cecilia
Published: June 2009

The demand for environmentally responsible food production is increasing; this is also valid for fish food products. To assess the environmental performance of a fish food product system, contributions from both the life cycle of the fishing vessel and the value chain of the fish, from catch to final product, should be investigated. Few environmental life cycle investigations of the fish value chain, the so‐called fish food production system, have been performed. This paper uses systems engineering methods with input from life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to create a framework for performing environmental analysis on fish food production in the North Sea. In order to test the proposed framework, life cycle environmental data from a medium‐sized Norwegian fishing vessel has been used. The framework demonstrates a systematic way to analyze and provide environmental information for the fish food product system. This can be extended to other food products and thereby become a framework for the analysis and comparison of different food products. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng
Quantitative Adjustment of the Influence of Depression on the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) Questionnaire
Authors: Calderón Santiago A. Lozano , Zurakowski David , Davis James S. , Ring David
Published: June 2009

Upper extremity specific disability as measured with the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire varies more than expected based upon variations in objective impairment influenced by depression. We tested the hypothesis that adjusting for depression can reduce the mean and variance of DASH scores. Five hundred and sixteen patients (352 men, 164 women) with an average of 58 years of age (range, 18–100) were asked to simultaneously complete the DASH and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) scores at their initial visit to a hand surgeon. Pearson's correlations between each of the DASH items and the CES-D score were obtained. The DASH score was then adjusted for the influence of Depression for women and men using ordinary least-squares regression and subtracting the product of the regression coefficient and the CES-D score from the raw DASH score. The average DASH score was 24 points (SD, 19; range, 0–91), and the average CES-D score was 10 points (SD, 8; range, 0–42). Fourteen of the 30 items of the DASH demonstrated correlation greater than r=0.20. Adjustment of these DASH items for the depression effect led to significant reductions in the mean (5.5 points; p<0.01) and standard deviation (0.8 points; p<0.01) of DASH scores. Adjustment for depression alone had a significant but perhaps clinically marginal effect on the variance of DASH scores. Additional research is merited to determine if DASH score adjustments for the most important subjective and psychosocial aspects of illness behavior can improve correlation between DASH scores and objective impairment.
Characterization of Both Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Biosynthetic Pathways in Schizochytrium sp.
Authors: Lippmeier J. Casey , Crawford Kristine S. , Owen Carole B. , Rivas Angie A. , Metz James G. , Apt Kirk E.
Published: June 2009

Schizochytrium produces long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) via a PUFA synthase. Targeted mutagenesis of one gene of this synthase was conducted to confirm PUFA synthase function and determine its metabolic necessity. The resulting mutants were auxotrophic and required supplementation with PUFAs. In vivo labeling experiments with radioactive fatty acids demonstrated the presence of several elongase and desaturase activities associated with the standard pathway of PUFA synthesis. However, this system was missing a critical Δ12 desaturase activity and was therefore not capable of synthesizing PUFAs from the 16‐ or 18‐carbon saturated fatty acid products of the fatty acid synthase. Because Schizochytrium uses a PUFA synthase system for the production of PUFAs, the existence of a partial desaturase‐elongase system (if not a simple vestige) is suggested to be either a scavenging mechanism for intermediate fatty acids prematurely released by the PUFA synthase or for PUFAs found in the organism's native environment.
Evaluating carbon fluxes in orange orchards in relation to planting density
Authors: LIGUORI G. , GUGLIUZZA G. , INGLESE P.
Published: June 2009

Orange (Citrus sinensisL.) is one of the main fruit crops worldwide and its evergreen orchards may have a great potential for carbon (C) sequestration, but no data are currently available. In order to understand carbon fluxes in orange orchards, an experiment was undertaken on traditional and intensive planting systems.

The experiment usedC. sinensisscions grafted ontoCitrus aurantium(bitter orange) rootstock. One orchard contained 14-year-old trees of the cv. Tarocco Scirè (a blood orange) grown in a traditional system with 494 trees/ha. The second orchard contained 12-year-old trees of the cv. Newhall (a seedless navel orange) grown in an intensive system with 1000 trees/ha. Net primary productivity (NPP) was obtained by measuring the annual canopy growth of single orange trees and the above ground dry biomass of the ground cover; soil respiration seasonal pattern was measured with an infrared gas analyser (EGM-4, PP System) from June 2005 to May 2006, every 2 weeks from 12·00 noon to 15·00 h for maximum respiration and from 02·00 to 05·00 h for minimum respiration; a 24 h cycle measurement of soil respiration was made every 3 months.

Carbon fixation in the fruits and in the canopy of single trees was almost twice as much (10·7 kg C/tree) in the traditional than in the intensive system (5·5 kg C/tree); however, total NPP of the orchard did not change with planting density, being 5·3 t C/ha/year in the traditional system and 5·5 t C/ha/year in the intensive one. Carbon fixation by the ground cover was higher in the traditional (1·1 t C/ha/year) than in the intensive system (0·5 t C/ha/year). Annual soil respiration was 5·9 t C/ha/year in the traditional system and 4·2 t C/ha/year in the intensive one. The carbon balance was almost four times higher in the intensive system (1·8 t C/ha/year) than in the traditional one (0·5 t C/ha/year), due to large differences in soil respiration.
Changes in the composition and structure of a molluscan assemblage due to eelgrass loss in southern Spain (Alboran Sea)
Authors: Rueda José L. , Marina Pablo , Urra Javier , Salas Carmen
Published: June 2009

The composition and structure of a molluscan assemblage was studied in a deep subtidal eelgrass bed located in southern Spain before and after the eelgrass decline experienced during 2005 and 2006 due to illegal trawling by fishermen. Sampling was undertaken in summer 2004 (with eelgrass) and summer 2007 (without eelgrass) in an extensive eelgrass bed located in Cañuelo Bay (12–14 m depth) and in the same area once the eelgrass bed disappeared. Eelgrass was completely absent in those samples of summer 2007 and an increase of the organic content and mud was registered in the sediment between 2004 and 2007. The density and the richness of molluscan species decreased significantly in summer 2007, especially for epifaunal gastropods associated with the leaf and sediment stratum. Some species disappeared completely in summer 2007 such as the dominant periphyton grazersJujubinus striatusandRissoaspp., the egg feederMitrella minorand the seagrass feederSmaragdia viridisas well as the infaunal bivalveSolemya togata. Other species increased their densities such as the carnivoresCylichna crosseiorC. cylindraceaas well as the bivalveNucula nitidosa. Some dominant infaunal species, such asChamelea gallina, Spisula subtruncataorTellina fabuladid not significantly change their densities. The composition and structure of the assemblages in summer 2004 and summer 2007 was significantly different according to the Bray–Curtis similarity index using qualitative and quantitative data and considering the entire assemblage (epifaunal and infaunal species) or only the infaunal species. The registered changes in the molluscan assemblage may have produced cascade effects in higher trophic levels because molluscs generally represent an important food source for some decapods and fish. Urgent conservation measures are needed for protecting the remaining fragmented eelgrass beds of southern Spain from further illegal fisheries activities and other types of human impacts (e.g. sand extraction and coastal infrastructures), because they support the most diverse faunistic communities for eelgrass beds in Europe due to their bathymetry and geographical location.
Assemblage of benthic macrofauna in the aggregates of the tubiculous worm Phyllochaetopterus socialis in the Mar del Plata harbour, Argentina
Authors: Albano Mariano J. , Obenat Sandra M.
Published: June 2009

The assemblage and the temporal changes of benthic macrofauna inhabiting the Phyllochaetopterus socialis (Polychaeta: Chaetopteridae) aggregates were analysed during 2004 and May 2005 in the Mar del Plata harbour, Buenos Aires (Argentina). Species composition, abundance, richness and diversity were estimated from monthly or bimonthly samples obtained by SCUBA diving. Multivariate (MDS) and SIMPER analyses were applied to analyse the structure of benthic communities. In the mats, a total of 57 species (invertebrates and chordates) belonging to 11 phyla were associated to P. socialis: crustaceans and molluscs were the most abundant species and crustaceans and polychaetes were the most diverse groups (14 and 11 species richness, respectively). The mean abundance ranged from 79.67±57.47 ind/250 ml to 718.75 ind/250 ml (mean±SD). The amphipod Monocorophium insidiosum, the gastropod Anachis isabellei and the tanaidacean Leptognathia sp. were the most representative species in the mats. Richness and diversity in P. socialis aggregates were higher than in surrounding sediments. Results show significant differences among months in composition, abundance and feeding guilds of the macrofauna associated with the mats. The assemblage of benthic macrofauna with permanent and temporary organisms in P. socialis aggregates suggests the existence of microhabitats in the mats that provide substrate, refuges for predation and availability of food increasing richness and diversity. These results allow considering P. socialis as an autogenic ecosystem engineer in the Mar del Plata harbour.
Six new marine species of the genus Paulinella (Rhizopoda: Filosea, or Rhizaria: Cercozoa)
Authors: Nicholls Kenneth H.
Published: June 2009

Six new marine species of the testate amoebid genus Paulinella are described using light and electron microscopic observations of material from Canada's Pacific Ocean coastal waters. In order of test (shell) size, from smallest to largest, the following new species are proposed: P. carsoni sp. nov., P. agassizi sp. nov., P. suzukii sp. nov., P. lauterborni sp. nov., P. multipora sp. nov. and P. gigantica sp. nov. Included in this survey are new observations on P. indentata Hannah, Rogerson & Anderson, from Canadian Pacific Ocean locations, but previously known only from Scottish coastal waters, and the common brackish/freshwater species P. chromatophora, from Ontario (Canada). These new discoveries more than double the number of previously known species of Paulinella, a genus significant for its role as a secondary producer in marine benthic ecosystems and for the possible role of its type species (P. chromatophora) as a model system for the endosymbiosis hypothesis of the evolution of chloroplast-bearing organisms.
On the identity and origin of Anadara demiri (Bivalvia: Arcidae)
Authors: Albano Paolo G. , Rinaldi Emidio , Evangelisti Francesca , Kuan Michela , Sabelli Bruno
Published: June 2009

Anadara demiri (Piani, 1981) is an alien species in the Mediterranean Sea extending its range from Turkey westernly to the Adriatic Sea, where it is locally abundant. The species was first identified as Arca amygdalum Philippi, 1847 in the 1970s. The locus typicus of A. amygdalum is China. This first identification has never been discussed and the species has been thought to be of Indo-Pacific origin to date. However, in the Indo-Pacific province no Anadara shows any similarity with A. demiri. Morphological and molecular data suggest A. demiri is closely related to Anadara transversa (Say, 1822), a common species of the eastern coasts of North America. Anadara demiri is hence considered a junior synonym of A. transversa and the origin of this immigration has to be searched in the southern range of this species, maybe the Gulf of Mexico coasts of Florida.
Notes on oviposition and demography of a shallow water population of the edible snail Zidona dufresnei (Caenogastropoda: Volutidae) living in San Antonio Bay (northern Patagonia, Argentina)
Authors: Pereyra Patricio Javier , Narvarte Maite Andrea , Martín Pablo Rafael
Published: June 2009

Zidona dufresnei (Donovan, 1823) is a big-sized and long-lived snail endemic to the south-western Atlantic where it dwells in sandy bottoms between five and 115 m; females lay big egg capsules from which crawling juveniles emerge. An unusual population of Z. dufresnei inhabits the low intertidal and shallow subtidal zone of San Antonio Bay, the southernmost location of the species, where it faces many threats. The aim of this study is to describe some of the demographic and reproductive characteristics of this population and to compare them to those located in northern zones. Monthly samples of adults and egg capsules were obtained from October to April and their position was recorded; snails and capsules were gathered for examination in the laboratory. Sex-ratio was near 1:1 for the whole sampling period and the size–frequency distributions were similar for both sexes; females were wider and heavier than males at the same shell length. Maximum shell length was 120.5 mm in our study and so no female reached the minimum size at first gonadal maturity reported for other populations (128 mm); female size seems to limit the capsule diameter and the number and size of embryos that are lower than in other populations. Egg capsule and adult densities in the intertidal zone peaked in February and March respectively, averaging 1.34 capsules and 1.91 snails by 100 m2 during the sampling period; egg capsule deposition elapsed from November to March and peaked in December; females select cobble by size to lay egg capsules. Due to its restricted distribution and the low juvenile and adult dispersal, the unusual Z. dufresnei population dwelling in San Antonio Bay seems to be quite vulnerable to diverse anthropogenic impacts.
Predatory and reproductive responses of the estuarine whelk Thais gradata (Caenogastropoda: Muricidae) to novel colonization by Musculista senhousia (Bivalvia: Mytilidae)
Authors: Marshall David J.
Published: June 2009

Novel predator–prey interactions are becoming increasingly relevant to investigate in the context of current geographical range expansions and biological invasions. This study describes a vigorous attack by a muricid whelk, Thais gradata on a mud-inhabiting mytilid mussel, Musculista senhousia, following new colonization of the mussel in the Brunei estuarine system (Borneo, South-East Asia). This represents only the second reported attack by a gastropod on this globally important invasive mussel species, and the first such attack in its native environment. Whelks migrated from their typical hard surface habitat and barnacle feeding to the sediment, where they aggregated and fed on the mussels. Field data suggest no selection by the whelks of the part of the mussel bed colonized or of the prey size attacked (median shell length = 21 mm). In addition to forming feeding aggregations, the whelks formed non-feeding resting aggregations off the mussel bed (sometimes of more than 80 individuals). These apparently facilitated synchronized mating and consequently the formation of large communal nests of egg capsules (involving approximately 3500 contributing females). During the investigation, the newly-formed mussel colony underwent mass mortality, and the whelks either redistributed on the sediment or returned to feeding on barnacles. The population-level response by the whelks described here maximizes energy transfer from prey resource to whelk propagation. In addition to the whelk's generality of habitat use and feeding behaviour, this is likely to contribute to sustaining populations in a system where prey abundance and distribution is limited by highly variable and extreme physicochemical conditions.
A new species of Sphaerosyllis (Annelida: Polychaeta: Syllidae) from Cuba, with a list of syllids from the Guanahacabibes Biosphere Reserve (Cuba)
Authors: Álvarez Patricia , San Martín Guillermo
Published: June 2009

Sphaerosyllis sandrae sp. nov. (Annelida: Polychaeta: Syllidae) is described as a new species from shallow sandy bottoms off Guanahacabibes Biosphere Reserve (Cuba). Thirteen more syllid species belonging to nine genera (Exogone, Myrianida, Opisthosyllis, Parexogone, Plakosyllis, Salvatoria, Syllides, Sphaerosyllis and Syllis) have been found from algal and sand bottom samples from the same area; four species that belong to the genera Myrianida, Syllides and Parexogone are only identified at the generic level.
Helminth species richness in wild wood mice,Apodemus sylvaticus, is enhanced by the presence of the intestinal nematodeHeligmosomoides polygyrus
Authors: BEHNKE J. M. , EIRA C. , ROGAN M. , GILBERT F. S. , TORRES J. , MIQUEL J. , LEWIS J. W.
Published: June 2009

We analysed 3 independently collected datasets of fully censused helminth burdens in wood mice,Apodemus sylvaticus, testing thea priorihypothesis of Behnkeet al.(2005) that the presence of the intestinal nematodeHeligmosomoides polygyruspredisposes wood mice to carrying other species of helminths. In Portugal, mice carryingH. polygyrusshowed a higher prevalence of other helminths but the magnitude of the effect was seasonal. In Egham, mice withH. polygyrusshowed a higher prevalence of other helminth species, not confounded by other factors. In Malham Tarn, mice carryingH. polygyruswere more likely to be infected with other species, but only among older mice. Allowing for other factors, heavy residualH. polygyrusinfections carried more species of other helminths in both the Portugal and Egham data; species richness in Malham was too low to conduct a similar analysis, but asH. polygyrusworm burdens increased, so the prevalence of other helminths also increased. Our results support those of Behnkeet al.(2005), providing firm evidence that at the level of species richness a highly predictable element of co-infections in wood mice has now been defined: infection withH. polygyrushas detectable consequences for the susceptibility of wood mice to other intestinal helminth species.
Familial aggregation of human helminth infection in the Poyang lake area of China with a focus on genetic susceptibility to schistosomiasis japonica and associated markers of disease
Authors: ELLIS M. K. , McMANUS D. P.
Published: June 2009

Human helminthiases are common in China, especially in rural areas where sanitation conditions are poor. Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are predominantly found in the southern provinces.Schistosoma japonicumis also endemic to southern China. Here we review the prevalence of helminth infections and polyparasitism in China, and discuss the interactions between helminth parasites in the co-infected host. It is clear that STHs are more prevalent in rural China than previously suggested emphasizing the need for systematic control of STHs. Further, the need for improved sanitation and hygiene conditions to prevent parasite transmission is highlighted. We provide supporting evidence for human genetic susceptibility to both single helminth infection and polyparasitism, and suggest that susceptibility to helminths infections may not be independent of one or the other. We demonstrate an association between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variants in IL-5 and symptomaticS. japonicuminfection and discuss the potential role of IL-5 in other helminth infections. Fundamental to disease and morbidity control is adequate and effective diagnosis and surveillance of disease. We discuss the role of sICAM-1 and TNFR-I and -II as candidate markers for schistosome-induced hepatomegaly and fibrosis, and their potential for assessing disease stage and progression in schistosomiasis.
Ecological Immunology of mosquito-malaria interactions: Of non-natural versus natural model systems and their inferences
Authors: TRIPET F.
Published: June 2009

There has been a recent shift in the literature on mosquito/Plasmodiuminteractions with an increasingly large number of theoretical and experimental studies focusing on their population biology and evolutionary processes. Ecological immunology of mosquito-malaria interactions – the study of the mechanisms and function of mosquito immune responses toPlasmodiumin their ecological and evolutionary context – is particularly important for our understanding of malaria transmission and how to control it. Indeed, describing the processes that create and maintain variation in mosquito immune responses and parasite virulence in natural populations may be as important to this endeavor as describing the immune responses themselves. For historical reasons, Ecological Immunology still largely relies on studies based on non-natural model systems. There are many reasons why current research should favour studies conducted closer to the field and more realistic experimental systems whenever possible. As a result, a number of researchers have raised concerns over the use of artificial host-parasite associations to generate inferences about population-level processes. Here I discuss and review several lines of evidence that, I believe, best illustrate and summarize the limitations of inferences generated using non-natural model systems.
Anticipating the End: Thoughts on the Spectator and the Temporality of Dasein.
Authors: WIHSTUTZ BENJAMIN
Published: June 2009

This article examines the relation between the anticipating spectator and the transitoriness of theatre from an existentialist viewpoint. Referring to Heidegger's concept of ‘the anticipation of death’ (Vorlaufen), it is argued that any anticipation of the end of a performance is capable of reflecting temporality as a whole. In this regard, the performances of the English live art group Forced Entertainment exemplify how to bring the temporality of Dasein into the limelight.
Experiencing Expectation: Perceiving the Future in Performance
Authors: KALU JOY KRISTIN
Published: June 2009

This article examines the realization of the future in performance through aesthetic experience. Following the historian Reinhardt Koselleck, who introduces the category of ‘experience’ as the present past, and ‘expectation’ as the present future, in order to formulate a theory of possible histories, I examine the interconnection of different time layers and the potentiality of a performance. I argue that every performance constitutes a space of possibility, defined by a permeation of traces of the past and the future, emergent phenomena characteristic of performance, and a dimension of future inherent in the performative materiality. Hamlet by New York's Wooster Group serves as an example for an analysis focusing on the aesthetic experience of the future in performance. The Hamlet performance proves exceptionally suitable, since the staging is based on a theatrical repetition of the film document of a Hamlet performance long past, and unfolds a complex system of past and future bound time layers.
Calbindin and calretinin localization in retina from different species
Authors: Pasteels Brigitte , Rogers John , Blachier François , Pochet Roland
Published: June 2009

Calbindin-D28K and calretinin are homologous calcium-binding proteins localized in many neurons of the central nervous system. We have compared polyclonal antibodies against calbindin and calretinin and have shown by western blots using purified calbindin and calretinin from rat that (1) anti-calretinin does not recognize calbindin and (2) anti-calbindin presents some cross-reactivity with calretinin.

In this report, we have compared by immunohistochemistry the localization of both calcium-binding proteins in the retina of monkey, pig, sheep, rat, cat, pigeon, and salamander. These results are compared with previous data for chick. There are many differences between species and not within species, but some aspects of the distribution are conserved. All species, except rat and monkey, have some cones which contain calbindin only. Most species also have some bipolar cells containing calbindin only. Calretinin is rarely seen in photoreċeptors or bipolar cells. All species have horizontal cells which contain calretinin or calbindin or both. All species have amacrine cells and ganglion cells containing one or other protein.

In the cat ganglion cell layer, the calretinin antisera define a new, asymmetric, type of cell.
Independent eye movements in the turtle
Authors: Ariel M.
Published: June 2009

In order to evaluate the normal eye movements of the turtle, Pseudemys scripta elegans, the positions of each eye were recorded simultaneously using two search-coil contact lenses. Optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) was strikingly unyoked in this animal such that one eye's slow-phase velocity was substantially independent of that of the other eye. On the other hand, the fast-phase motions of both eyes occurred more or less in synchrony.

An eye's slow-phase gain is primarily dependent on the direction and velocity of the stimulus to that eye. Using monocular stimuli, the highest mean gain (0.54 ± 0.047; mean ± standard error of mean) occurred using temporal-to-nasal movement at 2.5 deg/s. The mean OKN gain for nasal-to-temporal movement was only 0.13 ± 0.015 at that velocity. Additionally, using the optimal monocular stimulus (temporal-to-nasal stimulation at 2.5 deg/s) only drove the occluded eye to move nasal-to-temporally at 0.085 deg/s, equivalent to a “gain” of only 0.034 ± 0.011.

The binocular OKN gain during rotational stimuli was higher than monocular gain, especially during nasal-to-temporal movement at high velocities. Also the difference in slow-phase eye velocity between the two eyes was smaller during binocular rotational stimuli. In contrast, when each eye simultaneously viewed its temporal-to-nasal stimulus at an equal velocity, two behaviors were observed. Often, OKN alternated between an animal's left eye and right eye. Occasionally, both eyes moved at equal but opposite velocities.

These behavioral data provide a quantitative baseline to interpret the properties of the retinal slip information in the turtle's accessory optic system. Those properties are similar to the behavior of the turtle in that both are tuned to direction and velocity independently for each eye (Rosenberg & Ariel, 1990).
A burst of differentiation in the outer posterior retina of the eleven-week human fetus: An ultrastructural study
Authors: Linberg Kenneth A. , Fisher Steven K.
Published: June 2009

Many studies on human retinal development have cited the third gestational month as a period when the posterior retina undergoes rapid differentiation and maturation, including a lining up of cone precursors. Ultrastructural data on the posterior retina during the third month are very limited, and totally lacking for the cone monolayer. We have examined two human fetal retinas between ten and 11 gestational weeks. Before the appearance of the cone monolayer, the outer neural retina consists of a homogeneous population of undifferentiated neuroblasts. Mitotic figures are still evident, even posteriorally. There is no outer plexiform layer (OPL). The interface of neural retina to retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is largely featureless. By 11 weeks, the posterior retina has a thin OPL that separates the many rows of cells in the developing inner nuclear layer from the single tier of macular cone precursors. The RPE monolayer consists of cuboidal cells whose apical surface elaborates ridges of cytoplasm and branched processes that project into the subretinal space. The large, cuboidal cones are linked to each other and Müller cells at the outer limiting membrane. They show definitive signs of the structural polarity typical of vertebrate photoreceptors. Their apical cytoplasm contains many organelles common to the inner segment, while the basal cytoplasm has synaptic ribbons and vesicles, and receives invaginating contacts from processes in the OPL neuropil arising from differentiating second-order neurons. Lateral cone surfaces are mutually underlain by large subsurface cisterns.
Antibody labeling of functional subdivisions in visual cortex: Cat-301 immunoreactivity in striate and extrastriate cortex of the macaque monkey
Authors: Deyoe Edgar A. , Hockfield Susan , Garren Hideki , Van Essen David C.
Published: June 2009

We have examined the distribution of immunoreactivity for the monoclonal antibody Cat-301 in visual cortex of the macaque monkey. Remarkably, those portions of striate cortex (V1) and extrastriate cortex that are most immunoreactive for Cat-301 are anatomically interconnected and are dominated by inputs arising from the magnocellular layers of the LGN (which are themselves highly immunoreactive). In particular, we found that a band of Cat-301 labeled neurons known to exist in layer 4 of V1 is centered on the boundary between layers 4Cα and 4B and thus includes portions of both the primary target of the magnocellular LGN and its subsequent relay through layer 4B. We also demonstrated consistently strong Cat-301 immunoreactivity in all three extrastriate targets of layer 4B: areas V3, MT, and the cytochrome-oxidase (CO) enriched thick stripes of V2. In V2, there was a close correlation between Cat-301 labeling and clusters of cells projecting to MT but not to V4. This was true even in regions where the CO pattern was equivocal or irregular, indicating that Cat-301 is a more reliable marker than CO for the thick-stripe subregions of V2. Finally, we found strong Cat-301 immunoreactivity in at least parts of areas V3A, the MST complex, and the posterior parietal complex, but not in area V4 or inferotemporal cortex. The molecular specificity revealed by this single marker thus correlates with functionally specific subdivisions at each hierarchical level over nearly the entire known extent of the visual pathway in macaques. This supports the notion that these subdivisions form an anatomically, physiologically, and now molecularly distinct pathway known as the M-stream.
Distribution of uncrossed and crossed retinofugal axons in the cat optic nerve and their relationship to patterns of fasciculation
Authors: Jeffery Glen
Published: June 2009

The course of optic axons that take different routes at the chiasm have been traced through horizontally sectioned optic nerves in the cat, after unilateral injections of horseradish peroxide into the optic tract. Behind the eye and for most of the course of the nerve, nearly all of the axons that remain uncrossed at the chiasm are located in a retinotopically appropriate position, in the lateral aspect of the nerve. However, in the most caudal segment of the nerve an increasing proportion of these axons are located in regions that are retinotopically inappropriate. Just before the nerve joins the chiasm, uncrossed axons can be found across the full medio-lateral extent of the nerve, although there is still a relative increase in their density laterally.

Labeled axons that cross at the chiasm course in a relatively parallel manner along the greater proportion of the nerve. However, in the caudal segment of the nerve their relative positions change and they appear to course in an irregular manner. This occurs where the uncrossed projection becomes increasingly more widespread.

Axons in the optic nerve are grouped into fascicules. This pattern of organization also changes in the caudal region of the nerve. Although clear fascicular patterns are present along the greater part of the nerve, they become progressively less distinct caudally. The change in the pattern of fasciculation occurs over the same region of the nerve as the relative changes in axon trajectory and distribution.

These results demonstrate that irrespective of chiasmatic route, optic axons in the cat are reorganized in the caudal segment of the nerve. This reorganization is not confined to changes in relative axon position, but is reflected in the structure of the nerve by the change of axon grouping from a fascicular to a non-fascicular arrangement.
Short latency ocular-following responses in man
Authors: Gellman R.S. , Carl J.R. , Miles F.A.
Published: June 2009

The ocular-following responses elicited by brief unexpected movements of the visual scene were studied in human subjects. Response latencies varied with the type of stimulus and decreased systematically with increasing stimulus speed but, unlike those of monkeys, were not solely determined by the temporal frequency generated by sine-wave stimuli. Minimum latencies (70–75 ms) were considerably shorter than those reported for other visually driven eye movements. The magnitude of the responses to sine-wave stimuli changed markedly with stimulus speed and only slightly with spatial frequency over the ranges used. When normalized with respect to spatial frequency, all responses shared the same dependence on temporal frequency (band-pass characteristics with a peak at 16 Hz), indicating that temporal frequency, rather than speedper se, was the limiting factor over the entire range examined. This suggests that the underlying motion detectors respond to the local changes in luminance associated with the motion of the scene. Movements of the scene in the immediate wake of a saccadic eye movement were on average twice as effective as movements 600 ms later: post-saccadic enhancement. Less enhancement was seen in the wake of saccade-like shifts of the scene, which themselves elicited weak ocular following, something not seen in the wake of real saccades. We suggest that there are central mechanisms that, on the one hand, prevent the ocular-following system from tracking the visual disturbances created by saccades but, on the other, promote tracking of any subsequent disturbance and thereby help to suppress post-saccadic drift. Partitioning the visual scene into central and peripheral regions revealed that motion in the periphery can exert a weak modulatory influence on ocular-following responses resulting from motion at the center. We suggest that this may help the moving observer to stabilize his/her eyes on nearby stationary objects.
Preoccipital cortex receives a differential input from the frontal eye field and projects to the pretectal olivary nucleus and other visuomotor-related structures in the rhesus monkey
Authors: Leichnetz G. R.
Published: June 2009

The bidirectional axonal transport capabilities of the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) technique facilitated the study of the frontal-eye-field (FEF) input and pretectal output of two regions of extrastriate preoccipital cortex (POC). Following horseradish peroxidase (HRP) gel implants into the middle and dorsal POC in two rhesus monkeys, the middle POC implant demonstrated retrograde frontal cortical labeling largely restricted to the inferior frontal eye field (iFEF) and adjacent inferior prefrontal convexity, whereas the dorsal POC implant showed labeling in the caudal ventral bank of the superior ramus of the arcuate sulcus (sas) and middle-to-dorsal region of the rostral bank of the concavity of the arcuate sulcus (dorsal FEF). Prominent anterogradely labeled efferent preoccipital projections were observed to the ipsilateral pretectal olivary nucleus (PON) and to a lesser extent the anterior pretectal nucleus. Although the middle POC case had heavier projections to the lateral PON, the dorsal case projected more heavily to the medial PON. In addition, both implants demonstrated subcortical connections with the lateral and dorsal inferior pulvinar nuclei, central superior lateral thalamic intralaminar nucleus, caudate nucleus, and middle-to-ventral claustrum. However, while the middle POC implant had efferent projections to the superficial superior colliculus (SC), pregeniculate nucleus (PGN), lateral terminal accessory optic nucleus (LTN), and dorsolateral pontine nucleus (DLPN), resembling those previously reported for the middle temporal (MT) visual area (Maunsell & Van Essen, 1982; Ungerleider et al., 1984), the dorsal implant had projections to the lateral intermediate SC, zona incerta (ZI), PGN, a notably lesser projection to the LTN, and basilar pontine projections to the lateral and lateral dorsal pontine subnuclei (not including the extreme dorsolateral DLPN).

These preliminary results suggest that the preoccipital cortex, which reportedly functions in pupillary constriction, accommodation, and convergence, entertains connections with the PON and other visuomotorrelated structures, and thus could act as an intermediary in the pathway between the iFEF and PON, and provide a possible explanation for pupillary effects that occur with stimulation of the FEF (Jampel, 1960) and within the context of other oculomotor activities. The findings shed light on certain differences in connections of middle vs. dorsal POC with visuomotor-related nuclei, and appear to suggest that the middle region, which receives input from the iFEF, has greater access to the optokinetic (OKN) system by virtue of its projection to the LTN, and to the smooth-pursuit system by virtue of its projection to the DLPN.
Multi-microelectrode investigation of monkey striate cortex: Link between correlational and neuronal properties in the infragranular layers
Authors: Krüger J.
Published: June 2009

Recordings were taken from infragranular layers of area 17 of anesthetized monkeys with an array of 30 microelectrodes matching about one hypercolumn. From intracortical spike-train correlations, the novel neuronal property “delay scale position” related to retino-cortical delays, was derived. Relationships were established to the degree of spike isolation and to classical response properties. Direction selectivity, spike rate, spike-isolation quality, delay scale, and color selectivity could be linked to an underlying factor upon which the latter variables depend in a fixed way. Neurons with similar factors were characterized by non-delayed correlations. The link was more strict in layer VI than in layer V, and it was related to the parvo/magnocellular subdivision of the visual system.
Differences between ipsilaterally and contralaterally evoked potentials in the visual wulst of the zebra finch
Authors: Bredenkötter Manfred , Bischof Hans-Joachim
Published: June 2009

The telencephalic target of the thalamofugal visual pathway in birds, the visual wulst, is part of the hyperstriatum accessorium/dorsale in the bird's brain. In this study, we tried to determine the exact location of the visually responsive area in the zebra finch by recording visually evoked potentials (VEPs) from different sites throughout the hyperstriatum and calculating current source densities (CSDs). In addition, we examined the influence of ipsilateral and contralateral stimuli on stimulus processing within this area, and tried to get insight into the neuronal machinery of the thalamofugal pathway by application of drugs such as tetrodotoxin (TTX) and picrotoxin.

About two-thirds of the hyperstriatum is responsive to contralateral stimuli but only a small portion responds to ipsilateral stimuli. Contralateral visual information arrives in the hyperstriatum dorsale (HD) and is processed further to the hyperstriatum accessorium (HA).

The small influence of ipsilaterally evoked potentials is not due to inhibition by the activity of the contralateral eye, as could be demonstrated previously for the ectostriatum. Instead, our results show that ipsilaterally evoked potentials are inhibited at least in part by a projection from the contralateral visual wulst.
Cortical connections of MT in four species of primates: Areal, modular, and retinotopic patterns
Authors: Krubitzer Leah A. , Kass Jon H.
Published: June 2009

Cortical connections were investigated by restricting injections of WGA-HRP to different parts of the middle temporal visual area, MT, in squirrel monkeys, owl monkeys, marmosets, and galagos. Cortex was flattened and sectioned tangentially to facilitate an analysis of the areal patterns of connections. In the experimental cases, brain sections reacted for cytochrome oxidase (CO) or stained for myelin were used to delimit visual areas of occipital and temporal cortex and visuomotor areas of the frontal lobe. Major findings are as follows: (1) The architectonic analysis suggests that in addition to the commonly recognized visual fields, area 17 (V-I), area 18 (V-II), and MT, all three New World monkeys and prosimian galagos have visual areas DL, DI, DM, MST, and FST. (2) Measurements of the size of these areas indicate that about a third of the neocortex in these primates is occupied by the eight visual areas, but they occupy a somewhat larger proportion of neocortex in the diurnal marmosets and squirrel monkeys than the nocturnal owl monkeys and galagos. The diurnal primates also have proportionally more neocortex devoted to areas 17, 18, and DL and less to MT. These differences are compatible with the view that diurnal primates are more specialized for detailed object and color vision. (3) In all four primates, restricted locations in MT receive major inputs from short meandering rows of neurons in area 17 and several bands of neurons in area 18. (4) Major feedforward projections of MT are to two visual areas adjoining the rostral half of MT, areas MST and FST. Other ipsilateral connections are with DL, DI, and in some cases DM, parts of inferotemporal (IT) cortex, and posterior parietal cortex. (5) In squirrel monkeys, where injection sites varied from caudal to rostral MT, caudal parts of MT representing central vision connect more densely to DL and IT than other parts. Both DL and IT cortex emphasize central vision. (6) In the frontal lobe, MT has dense connections with the frontal ventral area (FV), but not with the frontal eye field (FEF). (7) Callosal connections of MT are most dense with matched locations in MT of the other hemisphere, rather than with the outer boundary of MT representing the vertical meridian. Targets of sparser callosal connections include FST, MST, and DL.

The results support the conclusions that (1) prosimian primates and New World monkeys have at least ten visual and visuomotor areas in common, (2) the connections of MT are remarkably consistent across four species of primates, (3) the anatomical segregation of visual subsystems in areas 17 and 18 is common to all primates, (4) connections from the part of MT representing central vision with visual areas emphasizing central vision are more dense, and (5) MT and the associated fields MST and FST occupy proportionally more cortex in nocturnal than diurnal primates.