bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plasma exchange for severe attacks of inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system
Authors: Weinshenker Brian G.
Published: August 2002

Plasma exchange has not been widely accepted as a treatment for multiple sclerosis. However, several uncontrolled studies have suggested that patients with severe attacks of MS and other inflammatory demyelinating disease may improve rapidly after plasma exchange treatment. We recently completed a randomized, sham‐controlled, crossover clinical trial of plasma exchange in 22 patients with idiopathic inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system. Twelve had MS and ten had other inflammatory demyelinating disease syndromes. Forty‐two percent of patients experienced moderate or greater recovery over 2 weeks of active treatment administered every other day while only 6% of patients experienced similar improvement while receiving sham treatment. Three patients who failed the sham treatment subsequently improved rapidly after crossover to active treatment; no patient who failed active treatment improved after crossover to sham. This study illustrates the importance of designing randomized clinical trials based on the treatment regimen and patient population studied in the uncontrolled reports that suggested treatment efficacy. Plasma exchange should be considered for patients with idiopathic inflammatory demyelinating disease syndromes when they have failed corticosteroid therapy. J. Clin. Apheresis. 16:39‐42, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Plasmapheresis in the treatment of an acute pancreatitis due to protease inhibitor‐induced hypertriglyceridemia
Authors: Routy Jean‐Pierre , Smith Graham H.R. , Blank David W. , Gilfix Brian M.
Published: August 2002

The use of protease inhibitors such as ritonavir to treat HIV‐infected individuals has been associated with lipodystrophy, combined hyperlipidemias, and hypertriglyceridemia‐induced pancreatitis. We report here on the treatment by plasmapheresis of a HIV‐patient who presented with a rapid onset of severe ritonavir‐induced hypertriglyceridemia complicated with an acute pancreatitis. A 35‐year‐old HIV‐1 positive male following 3 weeks of ritonavir treatment presented with nausea, abdominal pain, a distended abdomen, and the following laboratory values: amylase (238 U/L), lipase (864 U/L), total cholesterol (27.1 mmol/L), and triglycerides (62.9 mmol/L). Following two plasmaphereses, the levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, lipase, and amylase declined drastically and the patient was discharged home after 4 days with lipid and pancreatic enzyme levels within the reference range. To our knowledge, this is the first case of pancreatitis due to a PI‐induced hyperlipidemia in a HIV‐patient treated with plasmapheresis in an acute setting. J. Clin. Apheresis. 16:157–159, 2000. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Yeast methionine aminopeptidase type 1 is ribosome‐associated and requires its N‐terminal zinc finger domain for normal function in vivo*
Authors: Vetro Joseph A. , Chang Yie‐Hwa
Published: August 2002

Methionine aminopeptidase type 1 (MetAP1) cotranslationally removes N‐terminal methionine from nascent polypeptides, when the second residue in the primary structure is small and uncharged. Eukaryotic MetAP1 has an N‐terminal zinc finger domain not found in prokaryotic MetAPs. We hypothesized that the zinc finger domain mediates the association of MetAP1 with the ribosomes and have reported genetic evidence that it is important for the normal function of MetAP1 in vivo. In this study, the intracellular role of the zinc finger domain in yeast MetAP1 function was examined. Wild‐type MetAP1 expressed in a yeast map1 null strain removed 100% of N‐terminal methionine from a reporter protein, while zinc finger mutants removed only 31–35%. Ribosome profiles of map1 null expressing wild‐type MetAP1 or one of three zinc finger mutants were compared. Wild‐type MetAP1 was found to be an 80S translational complex‐associated protein that primarily associates with the 60S subunit. Deletion of the zinc finger domain did not significantly alter the ribosome profile distribution of MetAP1. In contrast, single point mutations in the first or second zinc finger motif disrupted association of MetAP1 with the 60S subunit and the 80S translational complex. Together, these results indicate that the zinc finger domain is essential for the normal processing function of MetAP1 in vivo and suggest that it may be important for the proper functional alignment of MetAP1 on the ribosomes. J. Cell. Biochem. 85: 678–688, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Outpatient mental health care, self‐help groups, and patients' one‐year treatment outcomes
Authors: Moos Rudolf , Schaefer Jeanne , Andrassy Jill , Moos Bernice
Published: August 2002

Objective: To examine the association between the duration and amount of outpatient mental health care, participation in self‐help groups, and patients' casemix‐adjusted one‐year outcomes. Methods: A total of 2,376 patients with substance use disorders, 35% of whom also had psychiatric disorders, were assessed at entry to treatment and at a one‐year follow‐up. Information about the duration and amount of outpatient mental health care was obtained from a centralized health services utilization database. Results: Patients who obtained regular outpatient mental health care over a longer interval and patients who attended more self‐help group meetings had better one‐year substance use and social functioning outcomes than did patients who were less involved in formal and informal care. The amount of outpatient mental health care did not independently predict one‐year outcomes. Conclusions: The duration of outpatient mental health care and the level of self‐help involvement are independently associated with less substance use and more positive social functioning. The provision of low intensity treatment for a longer time interval may be a cost‐effective way to enhance substance abuse and psychiatric patients' long‐term outcomes. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 57: 273–287, 2001.
A factor analytic and psychometric examination of pathology of separation–individuation
Authors: Lapsley Daniel K. , Aalsma Matthew C. , Varshney Nicole M.
Published: August 2002

Two studies are described that attempt to determine if standard‐scale‐reduction techniques could yield a construct‐valid diagnostic screen of pathology of separation–individuation for use in nonclinical university settings. In Study 1 (N = 210), a measure of pathology of separation–individuation (PATHSEP) was reduced successfully to a single, internally consistent factor, accounting for 36% of the variance. In Study 2 (N = 304), these items also coalesced around a single factor, accounting for 35% of the variance. Study 2 also showed that PATHSEP is correlated moderately and positively with indices of insecure attachment, with the Center for Epidemiological Studies—Depression Scale, and with indices of psychiatric symptomatology (Hopkins Symptom Checklist). PATHSEP also was associated with a poorer profile of adjustment to college. Males reported more pathology of separation–individuation than did females. Evidence supports the construct validity of a shortened version of PATHSEP. Directions for future research are noted. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 57: 915–932, 2001.
Rational and irrational aspects of countertransference
Authors: Ellis Albert
Published: August 2002

Countertransference in therapy stems from biological tendencies and social learning influences that involve mild or heavy prejudiced thinking, feeling, and behaving. Several reasons are given why it is almost inevitable and has both beneficial and destructive aspects—not either/or but both/and. It is hypothesized that therapists can well make good use of countertransference if they strive to employ it in a preferential, experimental rather than an absolutist musturbating manner. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol/In Session 57: 999–1004, 2001.
The General Functioning Scale of the Family Assessment Device: Does it work with Chinese adolescents?
Authors: Shek Daniel T.L.
Published: August 2002

The reliability and validity of the General Functioning (GF) Scale of the Chinese version of the McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD) were examined in three studies. In Study 1, data based on 361 adolescents showed that the GF scale was temporally stable and internally consistent, and there was support for its concurrent and construct validities. In Study 2, data analyzed from a clinical group and a nonclinical group (N = 281 and 451, respectively) showed that the GF scores were able to discriminate these two groups. With data pertaining to 3649 secondary‐school students, Study 3 gives support for the internal consistency, concurrent validity, and construct validity of the GF scale in different adolescent samples. These studies strongly suggest that the GF scale of the FAD possesses good psychometric properties in different Chinese adolescent samples. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 57: 1503–1516, 2001.
Basic fibroblast growth factor protects cardiac myocytes from iNOS‐mediated apoptosis
Authors: Iwai‐Kanai Eri , Hasegawa Koji , Fujita Masatoshi , Araki Makoto , Yanazume Tetsuhiko , Adachi Souichi , Sasayama Shigetake
Published: August 2002

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is an important angiogenic factor produced by hearts subjected to ischemia. However, the direct effects of bFGF on myocardial cells are unknown. Primary cultured cardiac myocytes from neonatal rats were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a potent inducer of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), in the presence or the absence of bFGF. LPS induced the expression of iNOS in cardiac myocytes, demonstrated at both mRNA and protein levels. We showed that LPS activated the apoptotic pathway, evidenced by TUNEL staining, DNA ladder formation, and morphologic features. LPS‐induced apoptosis was blocked by the administration of L‐NAME, an inhibitor of NOS. This indicates that LPS induces apoptosis via an iNOS‐dependent pathway. Administration of bFGF completely inhibited myocardial cell apoptosis induced by hydrogen peroxide or acidic medium as well as LPS. To determine signaling pathways for this inhibitory effect, we utilized PD098059, an MEK‐1‐specific inhibitor. PD098059 blocked bFGF‐induced activation of ERK (extracellularly responsive kinase)‐1/2 and neutralized the apoptotic inhibitory effect of bFGF. These findings demonstrate that LPS induces myocardial cell apoptosis in an iNOS‐dependent manner. The results also suggest that bFGF is a protective factor against myocardial cell apoptosis and that this protection requires the MEK‐1‐ERK pathway. J. Cell. Physiol. 190: 54–62, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Involvement of Smads in TGFβ1‐induced furin (fur) transcription
Authors: Blanchette François , Rudd Penny , Grondin Francine , Attisano Liliana , Dubois Claire M.
Published: August 2002

Furin is recognized as being one of the main convertases of the cellular constitutive secretion pathway but the mechanisms regulating its expression are still unknown. We have previously demonstrated that TGFβ1 up‐regulates its own converting enzyme, furin, creating a novel activation/regulation cycle of potential importance in a variety of physiological and pathophysiological conditions. The fur (fes upstream region) gene is regulated via three alternative promoters; P1, P1A, and P1B. To gain insight into the molecular mechanism(s) underlying this up‐regulation, we performed transient cell transfections with P1, P1A, and P1B promoter luciferase constructs. Transfection experiments in HepG2 cells revealed that fur P1 promoter is the strongest and the most sensitive to TGFβ1 stimulation (5 ng/ml) (3.2‐fold vs. 2.4‐fold for P1A and 2.1‐fold for P1B). Cotransfection with either a dominant negative mutant form of Smad2 [Smad2(3SA)] or a known Smad inhibitor [Smad7] inhibit constitutive and TGFβ1‐induced luciferase activity indicating the participation of endogenous Smads. Increased levels of TGFβ1‐induced transcriptional activation of the P1 promoter by overexpression of Smad2 and/or Smad4 is greatly reduced in the presence of Smad2(3SA) and completely inhibited by Smad7, suggesting the participation of endogenous Smad2/Smad4 complexes. Furthermore, the fork‐head activin signal transducer (FAST‐1), known to interact with Smad2/Smad4 complexes, is a potent stimulator of TGFβ1‐induced transactivation of the fur P1 promoter. Five prime‐deletion analysis of this promoter identified the proximal region (between positions −8734 and −7925), as the nucleotide stretch that carries most of the transcriptional activation of fur P1 promoter by Smad2. Overall, the present data demonstrate that Smad2 and Smad4 possibly in complex with FAST‐1 or other DNA binding partners participate in the constitutive and inducible transactivation of the fur P1 promoter. This represents the first detailed study of the transcriptional regulation of the fur gene. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 regulates cell adhesion by binding to the somatomedin B domain of vitronectin
Authors: Deng Gary , Curriden Scott A. , Hu Geng , Czekay Ralf‐Peter , Loskutoff David J.
Published: August 2002

Plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 (PAI‐1) binds to the somatomedin B (SMB) domain of vitronectin. It inhibits the adhesion of U937 cells to vitronectin by competing with the urokinase receptor (uPAR; CD87) on these cells for binding to the same domain. Although the inhibitor also blocks integrin‐mediated cell adhesion, the molecular basis of this effect is unclear. In this study, the effect of the inhibitor on the adhesion of a variety of cells (e.g., U937, MCF7, HT‐1080, and HeLa) to vitronectin was assessed, and the importance of the SMB domain in these interactions was determined. Although PAI‐1 blocked the adhesion of all of these cells to vitronectin‐coated wells, it did not block adhesion to a variant of vitronectin which lacked the SMB domain. Interestingly, HT‐1080 and U937 cells attached avidly to microtiter wells coated with purified recombinant SMB (which does not contain the RGD sequence), and this adhesion was again blocked by the inhibitor. These results affirm that PAI‐1 can inhibit both uPAR‐ and integrin‐mediated cell adhesion, and demonstrate that the SMB domain of vitronectin is required for these effects. They also show that multiple cell types can employ uPAR as an adhesion receptor. The use of purified recombinant SMB should help to further define this novel adhesive pathway, and to delineate its relationship with integrin‐mediated adhesive events. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mass transfer‐limited wet oxidation of phenol
Authors: Tukač Vratislav , Vokál Jir̆í , Hanika Jir̆í
Published: August 2002

Catalytic wet oxidation carried out in a continual three‐phase trickle‐bed reactor contributes to the sustainability of chemical technology. It was found that the hydrodynamics and the mass‐transfer of reactants could have a significant impact on the performance of the trickle‐bed reactor. An aqueous phenol oxidation was tested at different temperatures and liquid feed rates and the activities of both the CuO‐supported catalyst and the extruded active carbon were compared. To avoid the impact of liquid maldistribution, a bed of catalyst particles diluted with fine glass spheres was also used. Rate‐limited conditions of both liquid‐ and gas‐phase presented reactants were determined. Under the conditions of gas component transfer limitation, a better wetting of the diluted catalyst bed can lead to a worsening in the reactor performance due to the lower overall reaction rates.

© 2001 Society of Chemical Industry
Utilization of response surface methodology to optimize the culture media for the production of rhamnolipids by Pseudomonas aeruginosa AT10
Authors: Abalos A , Maximo F , Manresa M A , Bastida J
Published: August 2002

Pseudomonas aeruginosa AT10 produced a mixture of surface‐active rhamnolipids when cultivated on mineral medium with waste free fatty acids as carbon source. The development of the production process to an industrial scale included the design of the culture medium. A 24 full factorial, central composite rotational design and response surface modelling method (RSM) was used to enhance rhamnolipid production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa AT10. The components that are critical for the process medium were the carbon source, the nitrogen source (NaNO3), the phosphate content (K2 HPO4/KH2PO4 2:1) and the iron content (FeSO4·7H2O). Two responses were measured, biomass and rhamnolipid production. The maximum biomass obtained was 12.06 g dm−3 DCW, when the medium contained 50 g dm−3 carbon source, 9 g dm−3 NaNO3, 7 g dm−3 phosphate and 13.7 mg dm−3 FeSO4·7H2O. The maximum concentration of rhamnolipid, 18.7 g dm−3, was attained in medium that contained 50 g dm−3 carbon source, 4.6 g dm−3 NaNO3, 1 g dm−3 phosphate and 7.4 mg dm−3 FeSO4·7H2O.

© 2002 Society of Chemical Industry
Towards waste minimisation in WWTP: activated carbon from biological sludge and its application in liquid phase adsorption
Authors: Martin Maria J , Artola Adriana , Balaguer Ma Dolors , Rigola Miquel
Published: August 2002

Surplus sludge produced during the biological treatment of wastewater requires costly disposal procedures. With increasing environmental and legislative constraints, increasing sludge production and more limited disposal options, new recycling alternatives have to be found. The possibility of obtaining activated carbons from surplus biological sludge by chemical activation with H2SO4 has been investigated. Operational parameters such as the amount of H2SO4 added, the temperature, and activation time were modified to ascertain their influence on the quality of the activated carbon obtained. The quality of the sludge‐based activated carbons was evaluated by established characterisation parameters for adsorption from solution such as phenol value, iodine number, methylene blue number and tannin value and compared with commercial activated carbons. Activation at 700 °C for 30 min in the presence of 0.5 cm3 H2SO4 g−1 dry solids in the sludge led to an activated carbon with a good capacity for iodine and tannic acid. The sludge‐derived activated carbon obtained is mesoporous in nature with a high presence of large macropores. Weak and moderate acidic surface functional groups were detected on the surface, which impart a hydrophilic nature to the solid. When compared with a commercial activated carbon, the sludge‐derived activated carbon performed better when removing dyes with a high presence of anionic solubilising groups and heavy metals. The results indicate that COD adsorption from a biologically‐treated effluent may also be an area for application.

© 2002 Society of Chemical Industry
Adrenomedullin functions as an important tumor survival factor in human carcinogenesis
Authors: Cuttitta Frank , Pío Rubén , Garayoa Mercedes , Zudaire Enrique , Julián Miguel , Elsasser Ted H. , Montuenga Luis M. , Martínez Alfredo
Published: August 2002

Adrenomedullin (AM) is a pluripotent regulatory peptide initially isolated from a human pheochromocytoma (adrenal tumor) and subsequently shown to play a critical role in cancer cell division, tumor neovascularization, and circumvention of programmed cell death, thus it is an important tumor cell survival factor underlying human carcinogenesis. A variety of neural and epithelial cancers have been shown to produce abundant amounts of AM. Recent findings have implicated elevation of serum AM with the onset of malignant expression. In addition, patients with tumors producing high levels of this peptide have a poor prognostic clinical outcome. Given that most human epithelial cancers display a microenvironment of reduced oxygen tension, it is interesting to note that AM and several of its receptors are upregulated during hypoxic insult. The existence of such a regulatory pathway has been implicated as the basis for the overexpression of AM/AM‐R in human malignancies, thereby generating a subsequent autocrine/paracrine growth advantage for the tumor cell. Furthermore, AM has been implicated as a potential immune suppressor substance, inhibiting macrophage function and acting as a newly identified negative regulator of the complement cascade, protective properties which may help cancer cells to circumvent immune surveillance. Hence, AM's traditional participation in normal physiology (cited elsewhere in this issue) can be extended to a primary player in human carcinogenesis and may have clinical relevance as a biological target for the intervention of tumor progression. Microsc. Res. Tech. 57:110–119, 2002. Published 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Comparative ultrastructure and cytochemistry of the avian pineal organ
Authors: Fejér Zsolt , Röhlich Pál , Szél Ágoston , Dávid Csaba , Zádori Anita , João Manzano Maria , Vígh Béla
Published: August 2002

The breeding of birds is expected to solve problems of nourishment for the growing human population. The function of the pineal organ synchronizing sexual activity and environmental light periods is important for successful reproduction. Comparative morphology of the avian pineal completes data furnished by experiments on some frequently used laboratory animals about the functional organization of the organ. According to comparative histological data, the pineal of vertebrates is originally a double organ (the “third” and the “fourth eye”). One of them often lies extracranially, perceiving direct solar radiation, and the other, located intracranially, is supposed to measure diffuse brightness of the environment. Birds have only a single pineal, presumably originating from the intracranial pineal of lower vertebrates. Developing from the epithalamus, the avian pineal organ histologically seems not to be a simple gland (“pineal gland”) but a complex part of the brain composed of various pinealocytes and neurons that are embedded in an ependymal/glial network. In contrast to organs of “directional view” that develop large photoreceptor outer segments (retina, parietal pineal eye of reptiles) in order to decode two‐dimensional images of the environment, the “densitometer”‐like pineal organ seems to increase their photoreceptor membrane content by multiplying the number of photoreceptor perikarya and developing follicle‐like foldings of its wall during evolution (“folded retina”). Photoreceptor membranes of avian pinealocytes can be stained by antibodies against various photoreceptor‐specific compounds, among others, opsins, including pineal opsins. Photoreceptors immunoreacting with antibodies to chicken pinopsin were also found in the reptilian pineal organ. Similar to cones and rods representing the first neurons of the retina in the lateral eye, pinealocytes of birds posses an axonal effector process which terminates on the vascular surface of the organ as a neurohormonal ending, or forms ribbon‐containing synapses on pineal neurons. Serotonin is detectable immunocytochemically on the granular vesicles accumulated in neurohormonal terminals. Pinealocytic perikarya and axon terminals also bind immunocytochemically recognizable excitatory amino acids. Peripheral autonomic fibers entering the pineal organ through its meningeal cover terminate near blood vessels. Being vasomotor fibers, they presumably regulate the blood supply of the pineal tissue according to the different levels of light‐dependent pineal cell activity. Microsc. Res. Tech. 53:12–24, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Enhanced resolution of membranes in cultured cells by cryoimmobilization and freeze‐substitution
Authors: Wild Peter , Schraner Elisabeth M. , Adler Hildegard , Humbel Bruno M.
Published: August 2002

Investigations of cellular processes demand immediate arresting of the process at any given time and excellent retention of cellular material and excellent visibility of membranes. To achieve this goal we used cryofixation to arrest cellular processes instantly and tested diverse freeze‐substitution protocols. Madin‐Darby kidney cells and Vero cells were grown on carbon‐coated sapphire disks. For cryofixation the sapphire disks covered with a cell monolayer were injected with the aid of a guillotine into liquid propane or ethane or a mixture of both cooled by liquid nitrogen. Freezing of the cryogen was prevented by using a partially insulated cylinder and by vigorous stirring that results in a substantial decrement of the freezing point of the cryogen. Cell monolayers can be cryofixed successfully using the guillotine in a safety hood at ambient temperature and humidity or at 37°C and 45% humidity. The freezing unit can also be placed in a laminar flow for working under biohazard conditions. For visualizing cell membranes at high contrast and high resolution, cells were substituted in the presence of various concentrations of glutaraldehyde and osmium tetroxide and the temperature was raised to diverse final temperatures. Substitution for 4 hours at −90°C in anhydrous acetone containing 0.25% anhydrous glutaraldehyde and 0.5% osmium tetroxide followed by a temperature rise of 5°C/hour to 0°C and final incubation for 1 hour at 0°C resulted in high contrast and excellent visibility of subcellular components at the level of the membrane bilayer. The high spatial and temporal resolution makes this methodology an excellent tool for studying cell membrane‐bound processes, such as virus‐cell interactions. Microsc. Res. Tech. 53:313–321, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication on cyclooxygenase 2 (COX‐2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression during gastric adaptation to aspirin (ASA) in humans
Authors: Fischer Harald , Huber Veronika , Boknik Peter , Luess Hartmut , Neumann Joachim , Schmitz Wilhelm , Domschke Wolfram , Konturek Jan W.
Published: August 2002

Gastric adaptation to aspirin is impaired in Helicobacter pylori infection, but the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are unclear. In this study, we compared gastric mucosal expression of iNOS and COX‐2 during 14 days of aspirin ingestion in the same subjects before and 3 months after eradication of H. pylori. Compared to non‐infected controls, mucosal expression of COX‐2 and iNOS was enhanced before and 3 months after eradication of H. pylori. During aspirin ingestion, mucosal expression of COX‐2 remained unchanged before eradication of H. pylori, but increased gradually after successful antimicrobial treatment. Independent of H. pylori status, expression of iNOS increased at the beginning of aspirin intake, but then returned to initial values. We conclude that COX‐2 but not iNOS might be involved in gastric adaptation to aspirin in humans and that this mechanism appears to be impaired in H. pylori infection. Microsc. Res. Tech. 53:336–342, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Seasonal changes in circulating steroid concentration and their correlation with the ovarian activity in the female Indian sheath‐tailed bat, Taphozous longimanus
Authors: Singh U.P. , Krishna A.
Published: August 2002

The relationship between ovarian activity and circulating steroid concentration was studied in the female sheath‐tailed bat, Taphozous longimanus. T. longimanus breeds twice in rapid succession during the year at Varanasi, India. Ovarian recrudescence was observed during September, and antral follicles were first observed during the month of October. Circulating androstenedione concentration showed an increase beginning in October, reaching a peak in December. This increase in androstenedione concentration correlated with the period of heavy accumulation of adipose tissue and increase in body mass. Antral follicles grow slowly during the period of high circulating androstenedione concentration from October to December. There was a sharp decline in androstenedione concentration during January. Simultaneously with the decline in androstenedione concentration, a sharp increase in size of the antral follicle and circulating estradiol concentration was noticed. Soon thereafter, one of the follicles ruptures, followed by fertilization and the commencement of the first pregnancy. During the second pregnancy, antral follicles first appeared during late pregnancy in March in the contralateral ovary that lacked the corpus luteum. One follicle developed rapidly and quickly attained a preovulatory stage in April. This is reflected in a sharp increase in estradiol concentration during this period. Ovulation was observed immediately following the first pregnancy in May. During this period, androstenedione concentration remained low. The results of the present study suggest that high androstenedione concentration during October to December (winter dormancy) may be responsible for slow follicular development and delays ovulation in T. longimanus. It is further hypothesized that the geographical variation in reproductive pattern of T. longimanus could be due to variation in the duration of fat storage and associated changes in the androstenedione concentration. J. Exp. Zool. 292:384–392, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Role of cyclic AMP‐dependent protein kinase in oocyte maturation of the catfish, Clarias batrachus
Authors: Haider S. , Baqri S.S.R.
Published: August 2002

The results of the present study demonstrate the probable involvement of adenosine 3′,5′‐cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)‐dependent protein kinase (PKA) in the regulation of oocyte maturation in the catfish, Clarias batrachus. A decrease in total PKA activity with a concomitant increase in the percentage of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) was found in oocytes treated with different doses of N‐(2‐[p‐bromocinnamylamino]ethyl)‐5‐isoquinoline sulfonamide (H‐89), a selective, potent inhibitor of PKA and 17α,20β‐dihydroxy‐4‐pregnen‐3‐one (17α,20β‐DP), the natural maturation‐inducing steroid of this catfish. Evaluation of time‐course of response to H‐89 and 17α,20β‐DP revealed that PKA activity decreased, and incidence of GVBD increased at all the time points when compared with their respective controls. The data further indicate that the decrease in PKA activity in H‐89‐treated oocytes was more prominent, but the induction of maturation was slower than that induced by 17α,20β‐DP. Moreover, cyanoketone (CK), an inhibitor of steroidogenesis that blocks the salmon gonadotropin (SG‐G100)‐induced GVBD, failed to abolish the maturational effect of H‐89, suggesting that H‐89 directly promotes GVBD by reducing PKA activity in oocytes. Taken together, these results indicate that inhibition of PKA activity in the oocyte of C. batrachus is directly involved in the mechanism leading to oocyte maturation. J. Exp. Zool. 292:587–593, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Gonadal regeneration in masculinized female or steroid‐treated rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Authors: Kersten Constance A. , Krisfalusi Michelle , Parsons James E. , Cloud J.G.
Published: August 2002

In salmonids, the development of an indifferent gonad into a testis or an ovary is normally determined chromosomally but can be reversed or changed by the administration of exogenous steroids during specific times in embryonic development. Because the gonads of sexually mature rainbow trout (RBT) are capable of regeneration following surgical removal and since regeneration of some tissue involves dedifferentiation, the objective of this experiment was to determine if the phenotypic sex of RBT gonads could be reversed during the regenerative process. In experiment 1, male RBT were surgically gonadectomized (Gx) or left intact and subsequently treated with estradiol‐17β, a steroid that feminizes male RBT embryos. All Gx males regenerated testicular tissue regardless of treatment. Likewise, the gonads of sham‐operated, intact fish treated with exogenous estrogen showed no evidence of sex‐reversal. In experiment 2, testes from masculinized females (XX genotype; male phenotype) were surgically removed. In all cases, only testicular tissue was regenerated in the masculinized females. Taken together, these results are consistent with the conclusion that gonads of salmonid fishes are not susceptible to sex‐reversing stimuli during the regenerative process and that gonadal regeneration in salmonids is a result of cellular proliferation of the remaining gonadal remnant. J. Exp. Zool. 290:396–401, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Developmental modularity and the evolutionary diversification of arthropod limbs
Authors: Williams Terri A. , Nagy Lisa M.
Published: August 2002

Segmentation is one of the most salient characteristics of arthropods, and differentiation of segments along the body axis is the basis of arthropod diversification. This article evaluates whether the evolution of segmentation involves the differentiation of already independent units, i.e., do segments evolve as modules? Because arthropod segmental differentiation is commonly equated with differential character of appendages, we analyze appendages by comparing similarities and differences in their development. The comparison of arthropod limbs, even between species, is a comparison of serially repeated structures. Arthropod limbs are not only reiterated along the body axis, but limbs themselves can be viewed as being composed of reiterated parts. The interpretation of such reiterated structures from an evolutionary viewpoint is far from obvious. One common view is that serial repetition is evidence of a modular organization, i.e., repeated structures with a common fundamental identity that develop semi‐autonomously and are free to diversify independently. In this article, we evaluate arthropod limbs from a developmental perspective and ask: are all arthropod limbs patterned using a similar set of mechanisms which would reflect that they all share a generic coordinate patterning system? Using Drosophila as a basis for comparison, we find that appendage primordia, positioned along the body using segmental patterning coordinates, do indeed have elements of common identity. However, we do not find evidence of a single coordinate system shared either between limbs or among limb branches. Data concerning the other diagnostic of developmental modularity—semi‐autonomy of development—are not currently available for sufficient taxa. Nonetheless, some data comparing patterns of morphogenesis provide evidence that limbs cannot always be temporally or spatially decoupled from the development of their neighbors, suggesting that segment modularity is a derived character. J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 291:241–257, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Sex, genes, and heat: Triggers of diversity
Authors: Western Patrick S. , Sinclair Andrew H.
Published: August 2002

In vertebrates, sex is determined by a surprising variety of mechanisms. In many reptiles, the primary testis or ovary‐determining trigger is regulated by egg incubation temperature. This temperature dependent sex determining (TSD) mechanism occurs in all crocodilians and marine turtles examined to date and is common in terrestrial turtles and viviparous lizards (Ewert et al. 1994. J Exp Zool 270:3–15; Lang and Andrews. 1994. J Exp Biol 270:28–44; Mrosovsky. 1994. J Exp Zool 270:16–27; Pieau. 1996. Bioessays 18:19–26; Viets et al. 1994. J Exp Zool 270:45–56; Wibbels et al. 1998. J Exp Zool 281:409–416). In contrast, sex in mammals and birds is determined chromosomally (CSD). Despite these differences, morphological development of the gonads in all these vertebrate groups appears to have been conserved through evolution. Therefore, the genetic mechanisms triggering sex determination appear not to have been conserved through evolution, although the basic genetic pathway controlling the morphological differentiation of the gonads appears to have been conserved. J. Exp. Zool. 290:624–631, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Receptor‐mediated delivery of an antisense gene to human brain cancer cells
Authors: Zhang Yun , Jeong Lee Hwa , Boado Ruben J. , Pardridge William M.
Published: August 2002

Background

The goal of this work was the development of a gene targeting technology that will enable the delivery of therapeutic genes to brain cancer cells in vivo following intravenous administration. High‐grade brain gliomas overexpress the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and EGFR antisense gene therapy could reduce the growth of EGFR‐dependent gliomas.

Methods

A human EGFR antisense gene driven by the SV40 promoter in a non‐viral plasmid carrying elements that facilitate extra‐chromosomal replication was packaged in the interior of 85 nm pegylated immunoliposomes (PILs). The PILs were targeted to U87 human glioma cells with the 83‐14 murine monoclonal antibody (MAb) to the human insulin receptor (HIR).

Results

Confocal fluorescent microscopy demonstrated that the unconjugated HIR MAb is rapidly internalized by the glioma cells. Endocytosis followed by entry into the nucleus was also demonstrated for the HIR MAb conjugated PILs carrying fluorescein‐labeled plasmid DNA. The PILs delivered exogenous genes to virtually all cells in culture, based on β‐galactosidase histochemistry. The targeting of a luciferase gene to the U87 cells with the PILs resulted in luciferase levels in excess of 150 pg/mg protein after 72 h of incubation. The level of luciferase gene expression in the U87 cells achieved with the PIL gene targeting system was comparable to that with lipofectamine. Targeting the EGFR antisense gene to U87 glioma cells with the PILs resulted in more than 70% reduction in [3H]thymidine incorporation into the cells; this was paralleled by a 79% reduction in the level of immunoreactive EGFR.

Conclusion

The present work describes the targeting of an EGFR antisense gene to human brain cancer cells, which results in a 70–80% inhibition in cancer cell growth. PILs provide a new approach to gene targeting that is effective in vivo following intravenous administration without viral vectors. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chromatic numbers of quadrangulations on closed surfaces
Authors: Archdeacon Dan , Hutchinson Joan , Nakamoto Atsuhiro , Negam Seiya , Ota Katsuhiro
Published: August 2002

It has been shown that every quadrangulation on any nonspherical orientable closed surface with a sufficiently large representativity has chromatic number at most 3. In this paper, we show that a quadrangulation G on a nonorientable closed surface Nk has chromatic number at least 4 if G has a cycle of odd length which cuts open Nk into an orientable surface. Moreover, we characterize the quadrangulations on the torus and the Klein bottle with chromatic number exactly 3. By our characterization, we prove that every quadrangulation on the torus with representativity at least 9 has chromatic number at most 3, and that a quadrangulation on the Klein bottle with representativity at least 7 has chromatic number at most 3 if a cycle cutting open the Klein bottle into an annulus has even length. As an application of our theory, we prove that every nonorientable closed surface Nk admits an eulerian triangulation with chromatic number at least 5 which has arbitrarily large representativity. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 37: 100–114, 2001
Brave new worlds: Trophallaxis and the origin of society in the early twentieth century
Authors: Sleigh Charlotte
Published: August 2002

Trophallaxis, the process of feeding by mutual regurgitation amongst insects, was named by the North American entomologist William Morton Wheeler in 1918. I argue that entomologists, both before and after 1918, saw mutual feeding as an integral part of the behavioral whole of the nest, and moreover related its explanatory power to theories about human society. In particular, feeding behavior was seen as the key to the riddle of the origin of sociality. I show how entomologists' precise interpretations of trophallaxis varied and explore the increasingly functional, sociological, and economic constructions of the phenomenon that they developed—without breaking with earlier tradition—into the early 1930s. The article ends by demonstrating how Aldous Huxley's bleak vision of humanity in the novelBrave New World,and its ambiguous prescription for meaningful life amidst the trappings of modernity, has much in common with metaphors generated by those studying ants. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
National and international redistribution as tools for poverty reduction
Authors: White Howard
Published: August 2002

The World Development Report makes the case for redistribution but then fails to give adequate focus to redistributive policies as the core of anti‐poverty strategies. Simple calculations show the power that small amounts of redistribution can have to reduce poverty at both the global and national levels. Mechanisms for global redistribution, through aid, trade, technology and immigration are inadequately utilized. National level policies should encompass the full range of assets and go beyond incremental redistribution. The capacity of the fiscal system to provide safety nets is also important. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effective food and nutrition policy responses to HIV/AIDS: what we know and what we need to know
Authors: Haddad Lawrence , Gillespie Stuart
Published: August 2002

This paper addresses the broad question: ‘How should government policies in the area of food security, nutrition, agriculture and the environment be altered to better meet the needs of the poor within the context of the HIV/AIDS pandemic?’ We review the literature on the impact of HIV/AIDS on livelihoods, with special reference to agriculture, food security and nutrition. We highlight public policy options for effective HIV/AIDS mitigation in the areas of agriculture and nutrition and discuss the role of research in stimulating effective action for AIDS mitigation and ultimately for HIV prevention. The review concludes with a consideration of research priorities. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis of carbon‐14 labeled [1‐14C]‐, and [2‐14C]‐L‐tyrosine
Authors: Augustyniak W. , Kański R. , Kańska M.
Published: August 2002

Two labeled isotopomers of L‐tyrosine, L‐Tyr, have been synthesized using specific properties of the enzymes phenylanine ammonia lyase, PAL, and L‐phenylalanine hydroxylase. In an intermediate step [1‐14C]‐, and [2‐14C]‐L‐phenylalanine, L‐Phe, have been obtained from [1‐14C]‐, and [2‐14C]cinnamic acid, prepared from potassium [14C]cyanate or [2‐14C]malonic acid, and by addition of ammonia in the presence of enzyme PAL. The labeled isotopomers of L‐Phe have been converted into [1‐14C]‐, and [2‐14C]‐L‐Tyr using the enzyme L‐phenylalanine hydroxylase. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Keratohyalin‐like granules in lizard epidermis: Evidence from cytochemical, autoradiographic, and microanalytic studies
Authors: Alibardi Lorenzo
Published: August 2002

Epidermal sloughing in lizards is determined by the formation of an intraepithelial shedding complex in which keratohyalin‐like granules are formed. The chemical nature of these granules is unknown, as is their role in keratinization. The goal of this study was to test whether they contain some amino acids similar to those found in mammalian keratohyalin. The embryonic and regenerating epidermis of lizards are useful systems to study the formation of these granules. Histochemically keratohyalin‐like granules react to histidine and contain some sulfhydryl groups (cysteine). X‐ray microanalysis shows that these granules contain sulfur and often phosphorus, two elements also present in the mature clear, oberhautchen, and beta layer. Instead the mesos, alpha, and lacunar layers contain only sulfur. Most sulfur is probably in a disulfide‐bonded form, particularly in mature cells of the shedding complex, in large keratohyalin‐like granules, and in the beta‐keratin layer. Early differentiating beta‐keratin cells have the maximal incorporation of tritiated proline, whereas tritiated arginine is slightly more concentrated in the basal layer of the epidermis. A high uptake of tritiated histidine is observed mainly in keratohyalin‐like granules of the clear layer, but also in the oberhautchen layer and forming the alpha‐lacunar layer. Immunogold electron microscopy shows that keratohyalin‐like granules do not localize keratin but are embedded within a keratin network. These results suggest that keratohyalin‐like granules of lizards, like mammalian keratohyalin, contain some sulfur‐rich and histidine‐rich proteins. These granules participate in the process of hardening of the clear layer that molds the spinulae of the deeper oberhautchen to form the superficial microornamentation. J. Morphol. 248:64–79, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Shape changes and growth trajectories in the early stages of three species of the genus Diplodus (Perciformes, Sparidae)
Authors: Loy Angelo , Bertelletti Mauro , Costa Corrado , Ferlin Ludovic , Cataudella S.
Published: August 2002

The larvae of three species of the genus Diplodus (Diplodus vulgaris, D. sargus, and D. puntazzo) colonize shallow waters along the Mediterranean coasts and, after a short period spent in the water column, they settle. For all three species this habitat transition is characterized by important shape changes mostly related to swimming capacity and feeding behavior. In this study, geometric morphometrics are used to characterize shape changes during the early juvenile life of specimens collected in a single locality in order to compare growth curves and allometric relationships. Size‐related shape changes proved to be similar for all three species and are consistent with the ecological transition. A nonparametric smoothing technique (Loess) was used to fit the scatter of shape on size. The graphical representation (of most size‐related shape variability) of this fitting technique shows how major shape changes are rapid for small sizes and slow down successively. The approach allows for the visualization of allometry and the fitting technique might help in defining the allometric growth pattern, thus contributing to the study of the autoecology of the species and in establishing terms for comparison with other ecologically or phylogenetically related species. J. Morphol. 250:24–33, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
MRI of the pelvic ring joints postpartum: Normal and pathological findings
Authors: Wurdinger Susanne , Humbsch Kathrin , Reichenbach Jürgen R. , Peiker Gertrud , Seewald Hans‐Joachim , Kaiser Werner A.
Published: August 2002

Purpose

To assess the joints of the pelvic ring postpartum and to discern normal postpartum findings and pathologic lesions using MRI.

Materials and Methods

MR images were obtained in six women with severe pelvic ring pain after delivery, in 13 women after uncomplicated vaginal delivery, and in 11 healthy, nulliparous non‐pregnant volunteers. Distances of the pubic gap, signal intensities of the pubic cartilage, and signal changes of the pelvic ring bones were determined and evaluated.

Results

Both postpartum groups had significantly larger distances of the interpubic gap compared to the nulliparous group (P = 0.0002). The mean signal intensity of cartilage of the symphysis pubis was significantly different on the T1‐weighted and T2‐weighted MR images in postpartum women compared to nulliparous women (P = 0.001), indicating a higher water content of the pubic cartilage. 13 of all 19 postpartum women had bruises of parasymphyseal pubic bones. One pubic symphysis rupture and one sacral stress fracture were detected in two symptomatic women.

Conclusion

MR imaging is a useful adjunct to clinical examination to identify patients with lesions of the pelvic ring postpartum. MRI of the pelvic ring of asymptomatic postpartum women can demonstrate signal changes of the pubic cartilage and small bruises of the pubic bones. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2002;15:324–329. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Half‐Fourier acquisition single‐shot turbo spin echo imaging in the diagnosis of Morgagni hernia
Authors: Tyrell Dean , Mohamed Feroze , Pavlides Constantinos , Kutalek Steven , Mulhern Charles , Nunes Linda W.
Published: August 2002

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with multi‐planar, gated Half‐Fourier Acquisition Single‐Shot Turbo Spin‐Echo (HASTE) imaging was performed to evaluate a woman with dysrhythmia. MR examination for right ventricular dysplasia revealed a Morgagni hernia. The HASTE images depicted well the diaphragmatic defect and the organs involved, yielding valuable diagnostic and pre‐operative information. HASTE imaging may be beneficial in the evaluation of Morgagni hernia. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2001;14:653–657. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.